"
Mrs. Bradley went to the ash-hopper and filled a dipper with lye and
poured it into the pot. Then she wiped her hands on her apron. "John
Westerfelt's had enough trouble to kill a ordinary man, Mis' Dawson,"
she said, "an' I'm his friend to the backbone; ef you've got any
ill-will agin 'im, don't mention it to me. Besides, now would be a
good time fer you to show Christian forbearance. He's been
thoughtless, but heer lately he is a changed man, an' I believe he's
tryin' his level best to do right in God's sight. He's had a peck o'
trouble in one way or another over heer, but, in addition to that, I'm
mistaken ef he don't suffer in secret day and night."
"You don't say," cried Mrs. Dawson, eagerly. "I 'lowed he wus cuttin'
a wide swath over heer."
"Never was a bigger mistake. He don't visit a single gal in the place.
He neglects his business, an' spends most o' his time in the woods
pretendin' to hunt, but he seldom fetches back a thing, and you know he
used to be the best shot at the beef matches. Luke thinks his mind is
turned a little bit. Luke happened to go 'long the Shader Rock road
t'other day an' seed John lyin' flat o' his back in the woods.
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