PATTERNS OF
WOLFPEN
% Harlan HalcKer
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SYNOPSIS
In 1785 Saul Pattern of Virginia
came into the beautiful virgin coun
try of the Big Sandy valley in
Kentucky. Chief of the perils were
the Shawnees, who sought to hold
their lands from the ever-encroach
ing whites. From a huge pinnacle
Saul gazed upon the fat bottoms and
the endless acres of forest in its pri
meval quietude at the mouth of the
Wolfpen, and telt an eagerness to
possess it, declaring it a place fit
for a man to LIVE in! Five years
later he returned with Barton, his
fifteen-year-old son, and built a rude
cabin. In Saul's absence the In
dians attacked Barton and wounded
him so badly Saul was forced to re
turn with him to Virginia. In 1796,
when it was reasonably safe, Saul
returned with his family and a pat
ent for 4,000 acres, this time to
stay. He added to the cabin, planted
crops and fattened his stock on the
rich meadows. Soon other settlers
arrived. A century later, in the
spring of 1885, we find Cynthia Pat
tern, of the fifth generation follow
ing Saul, perched on the pinnacle
from which her great-great-grand
father had first viewed Wolfpen Bot
toms. The valleys, heretofore un
touched by the waves of change
sweeping the Republic, are at last
beginning to feel that restless surge.
Her dad, Sparrel, and her brothers,
Jesse, Jasper and Abral, convert the
old water - wheeled mill to steam
power. Cynthia feels that something
(out of the past has been burled with
Saul. Cynthia Is pretty and imagina
tive miss in her late teens, who often
re-created Saul and her other fore
bears, and fancied them still living.
Sparrel proudly brings home the
|flrst meal out of the steam mill, and
Julia, his wife, is pleased. Genera
tion after generation has added com
forts and conveniences to Saul’s
homestead, and Sparrel has not
shirked. The family goes easily into
the work of the new season, due to
the simplicity of life designed long
ago on the Wolfpen. Joy is abun
dant. Jesse plans to study law. A
/^stranger, Sheilenberger by name,
comes to Wolfpen, Intent on buying
timber. Sparrel refuses his offer.
'Sheilenberger tells of progress in the
routstde world. With the advent of
Sheilenberger some intangible dis
turbing alteration seems to affect
the atmosphere of Wolfpen.
CHAPTER V—Continued
Jasper found him there among his
herbs and canisters enveloped in a
smell of turpentine, ginger and tar.
Through the small window came the
bewildered bleating of the new
lambs.
“How are they?” Sparrel asked
just as though he were not thinking
of Shellenberger. ,
“They’re dropping pretty fast
right now," Jasper answered, mak
ing the same pretense.
“How’s that young ewe?"
“She's not making it.”
“We’ll try this,’’ Sparrel said.
They walked around behind the
barn to the railed lot where the
ewes were penned. Sparrel treated
the afflicted one; then they stood
apart from her against the low
fence.
“What did you think about that
feller’s offer?" Jasper asked, as
though his thoughts had suddenly
and without warning become au
dible.
“I haven't had a chance to think
about it much yet, son.”
"We better take it."
“Why so?”
“It’s a good price. That’d be a
sight of money.”
Sparrel regarded the lambs mak
ing friends with their mothers, and
made no reply.
"I want to get married before
long, Dad.” Jasper said with a boy
ish shyness.
Sparrel turned to look at his old
est son who was covering his words
by moving a new lamb against Its
mother. He was a well favored man
of twenty-four, wide in the shoul
ders, clear-eyed, a young mustache
which emphasized the gravity of
his bearing. ,
“I allowed you’d be getting mar
ried one day, son. I didn’t know.
Who do you favor?”
“Jane Burden over at Pike.” It
was emotional to utter her name.
“I guess she's a good girl all
right She comes of good people.”
“I ought to have a place to take
her to."
“You can have the Marebone
farm. There’s a fine place for a
house there."
“That’s just it. 1 want a house
with things in it and money to
start in.”
“We can soon saw up a house
on the new mill if you don’t want
to come into the home place for a
wdiile."
“We ought to have that money.
Dad. There Is no sense to it. You
sell and let me have my part while
it’ll do me some good."
"A body gets attached to things,
Jasper. Don’t you feel that?”
“Not to a lot of timber-land we
never see much of anyway and it
won’t move.”
They were silent again. Sparrel
watched the pained efforts of the
young ewe grow weaker.
“She can’t make it, but it’s a pity
to kill her because she wasn’t made
right to start with.”
He stood apart delaying for sev
eral more minutes, but when the
poor creature fixed her agonized
eyes upon him, he opened his long
hunting knife and slit her throat
No one said anything more about
Shelleuberger or his offer, but the
spirit of unrest he had brought into
the family continued and multiplied
in silence through the week. Spar
rel would have to decide, and wiien
he hud made up his mind he would
say what was to be done. In the
meantime the responsibility lay
heavy upon him. All the daily pur
poses of his life grew easily out of
tradition: that is the way it had al
ways been done on Wolfpen. But
for this problem there was no
precedent, and Sparrel found it be
wildering to settle on what was
best to do. He could think about
buying land and building a new
mill, because three generations be
fore him bud bought land and made
new mills. But there was nothing
about selling. And how was a sim
ple, honest, hospitable man like
Sparrel Pattern to know anything
helpful about partnerships or roy
alties or selling off surplus timber
while reserving ownership of the
land or the marketing of logs.
He sat with his perplexity in the
corner by the fireplace in the eve
ning, fingering slowly at his trimmed
beard and looking into the white
oak-bark ashes smoldering in the
circle Julia had arranged purposely
for baking the fluffy wheat biscuits
for his supper. lie loved her and
her way of speaking to him through
such personal gestures as ash-baked
biscuits on the evening when the
butter was sweet from the churn.
He took down the second volume
of the history of the United States
and held the yellow-cornered pages
open in his hands. There was the
tale of the growth of these states
and of the westward sweep of rest
less men who were always leaving
one thing and seeking out another,
Now they had done all that while
he and his fathers lived out their
days In the self-contained fields of
Wolfpen.
The rough sketch must now be
filled In. The fact was certain, but
the manner rested with the makers
of the future. Would It be continu
ous destruction and debris, dirt and
ugliness, wasted land and destroyed
timber like the Ohio end of the Big
Sandy? Or might it be in the or
derly manner of Wolfpen? Haste
and greed would never pause for
vision or plan. The Ohio was fill
ing, the West was filling, the moun
tains were filling: everywhere (from
what he could learn) the unrest
of men and the inexorable pressure
of trade. The outside had pushed
into Catlettsburg, then up to Louisa,
on to Richardson and Paintsville,
and now the big Sandy boats were
towing it right into Pikesville. Most
of the timber on the lower Sandy
was gone and the hillsides were gut
ted with washouts. The demand
was increasing; the hungry mills
must be fed, and now Shellenberger
was up here on Gannon and Wolf
pen wanting logs and land. And
after nil, why not? No telling but
the demand might cease. His ehil
dred needed the money more than
the stumpage.
There was the new mill that could
run a saw. He had been so busy,
with the planting he had hardly
seen his mill. It was no crime to
sell timberland at a profit. Senti
ment could never prosper a man.
He closed the worn history-book
and put it back on its shelf. He
wound up the weights on the clock,
and bathed his feet, and lay on the
bed, waiting for Julia. When she
had put out the lamp and had taken
her place hy his side, he laid his
hand on her face, stroking it gently,
and said. “We won’t much miss the
land Shellenberger wants and the
money will come in right handy.’’
“I think that's best, too, Sparrel,"
Julia said, just as though they had
had a long talk about it.
"We didn't think much about not
having real money when we were
young, did we, Julia?”
"We had this fine place to start
on, and it wasn't a hit of trouble to
make things.”
"I reckon it’s not that way with
our children."
"We can see them nil get a good
start now," Julia said, thinking,
ns always, of her children and not
of herself.
"You’re going over to town in
the morning?” she said.
"Yes."
That was the talk they had about
selling four thousand acres of tim
beriand to Shellenberger.
Cynthia was awake when the
first undecided birds in the orchard
chirped uncertainly for the morn
ing. By the time they had -swelled
to a full chorus with the coming of
daybreak, she was In the barn
yard opening the gate and watch
ing Sparrel and Jasper ride down
Wolfpen toward Gannon on their
way to Pikevllle. Before they dis
appeared around the lower orchard,
Sparrel turned In the saddle and
waved good-by to Cynthia.
She was still leaning on the gate
when Jesse came out of the barn
with his own black gelding.
‘‘You open the gute for me, will
you, Cynthia?”
“Why, Jesse, wherever are you
going to?"
“I just took a notion to go over
to town, too. I don’t feel at rest In
my mind this morning and I'm go
ing to try to see Tandy Morgan
about what I told you about the
other day.” He rode through the
gate. “Will you water the sheep
and tell Mother?”
‘‘Yes, Jesse." She had never seen
him in a flurry before. She waved
good-by to him also and watched
him ride hurriedly down the creek
after Sparrel and Jasper.
He overtook them at the Gannon
creek ford.
“Where are you going to, son?"
Sparrel asked also In surprise.
“I thought I’d just go over to
town, too," Jesse said.
"1 thought you went up to the
Held to logk after that last piece,"
Jasper said, and there was an Irri
tation in his voice.
“Ahral’s looking after It."
“What about the sheep, son?
Sparrel asked. It was as near as
he got to reproving Jesse for com
ing along.
“Cynthia will water them all right,"
Jesse spoke quietly, riding on with
his father and brother up the bank.
Sparrel said no more; he rode
off at a lope up Gannon.
“What are you going to do over
at town anyway?" Jasper demanded.
“I’ve got some business of my
own to attend to, Jasper,” Jesse
said.
They rode In file—Sparrel, Jesse.
Jasper—with ease and rapidity up
the creek, the fall of twelve hoofs,
muted In the soft dirt, beating
“I Want to Get Married Before
Long, Dad.”
quick rhythm as If they were only
one rider, and then nervously out
of rhythm as though there were
nine. They rode without words, the
only sounds the mild friction of
saddle leather and the quick Inter
vals of the hoofs collecting Into a
more Insistent one and then shat
tering into many.
At the upper ford the Pattern
men crossed the creek and began to
climb up Stepstone Hollow by the
bridle path wiiich lifted them slow
ly Into Cranesnest Gap, took them
around the ridge, and lowered them
into the Big Sandy Bottoms a few
miles below Pikeville. As they
climbed, leaning forward lightly
while the hill-trained mules picked
their way with precise steps up the
mountain, Sparrel and his sons rose
out of the revolving thoughts that
had possessed them and relaxed
into the untroubled sensation of
riding up a steep hillside on a
capable mount. The hills were now
fully awake, and the wild life astir
in the woods; the original posses
sors of the land which had sur
vived the Patterns but had not yet
felt the hand of the Shellenbergers.
They came out of the dense up
per woodland at the end of the
ridge and paused for an instant to
look back at the Pinnacle barely vis
ible through the faint green of the
trees, and down upon the green
fringed bends of the Big Sandy
j river sweeping through the valley.
Then while the mules placed their
precise downward steps, the men
leaned backward lightly and dropped
gradually Into the aura of thought
| which surrounded and Isolated each
lone: Sparrel, Jesse, Jasper In (lie;
Shelienberger, Tandy Morgan, Jane
Burden in a circle of revolving
thought.
At nine o’clock they rode Into the
straggling outskirts of the little
county-seat, on the dirt road which
thickened with houses farther along
and became the main street. It
gathered on Its edge the livery-sta
ble, the hardware store and har
ness shop ; then, overflowing around
the pubtliC' square that held the
court-house and Jail, it fronted the
three general stores, the state bank,
the post-ofiice, the Gibson House, a
restaurant and pool room, a few
homes with trees and wide yards,
and then plunged down through the
warehouses to the wharf where sev
eral small boats were tied. This was
Plkevllle.
And Plkevllle had a future, the
wise men said. It stood at the head
of navigation on the Big Sandy in
the heart of the coal region. It
was only a matter of time. The
boats had at last come; one day,
so the more hopeful predicted, the
railroad would lengtheu up the val
ley, bearing on Its rails more peo
ple and more trade. The country
was full of coal and timber; Pike
ville was the distributing point;
strangers like Shellenberger were
arriving and there was talk of de
velopment and natural resources
and progress.
The Pattern men rode Into Hardin
Slusser's livery-stable.
"Howdy, Sparrel. Howdy, boys,”
Hardin called out.
“Howdy, Hardin.”
"Right smart gang of people In
town today,” Hardin said.
"Looks like they’re all hitched
up uround the court-house fence,”
Spnrrel said.
"I got about all I can take care
of.” Hardin led the mules Into the
clean stall smells.
"That mule that feller left here
got a shoe loose on the hack off
side."
•it’s a cause for wonder they’re
not all loose, the way he was rid
ing that mule down YVolfpen. Maybe
you’d better try shoeing her. But
have an eye on her. I have to hob
ble her, myself."
“Iil tlx her.”
"When did he get In?”
"Day before yesterday. He said
tell you he’d pay for the stall."
“Much obliged."
"You doin’ some tradin' with him
some way, Sparrel?”
“I don’t reckon I am, Hardin. I
have been figuring on it some. He
wants to buy some land and get out
timber.”
“Thnt sure Is what we need up
in here. Sparrel, is somebody to de
velop this country, as the feller
says.”
Sparrel gestured a good by to
Hardin and walked with his sons to
the square, three tall men In black
boots and white shirts. Sparrel In
the lead setting the pace, Jesse and
Jasper In step behind him.
“I guess you boys will look after
your own business," Sparrel said.
“You aim to start back about the
usual time?" Jesse asked.
“About the middle of the evening,
I reckon," Sparrel said.
1 hey separated at the square.
Jesse crossed the rutted and
dunged street Into the crowded
court-house grounds, passing knots
of men who were beginning to drink
and talk trades, and went around
the corner by the recorder’s ofllct
toward the pump and watering
trough. There in the center of a
crowd was Tandy Morgan. Jesst
could hear Tandy’s laugh bubble ir
his lungs before it burst into a clr
cle of ripples over the group of men
Tnndy Morgan was already the bes
criminal lawyer in the county
Every one said that as soon ns this
section developed, Tandy Morgar
would go to Frankfort as governor
of Kentucky. He knew everybody
In the county and most of the peo
pie down the river. When Jess<
walked up to the pump, Tandj
crushed his hand and said:
“Why, how are you, Jesse, mighty
glad to see you. How’re all the
folks?”
“About as well as common,” Jesse
said. “How’s yours?”
“Never felt better and had less
In my life,” Tandy said, the laugh
bubbling and breaking over the
crowd.
“I’d like to see you a minute, If
you’re going to be in your office any
time,” Jesse said.
"Sure. Right now If these boys
will excuse me.”
Tandy Morgan opened a way
through the crowd and Jesse was
carried along in the eddy behind
him across the courtyard to the
bank building, up the dingy stair
way, and into the large barren of
fice room littered with yellow-bound
books on the chairs, the rough pine
table, and away on the varnished
bookshelves.
“Just have a seat, Jesse.”
Jesse lifted two fat books from
a chair and sat down with them on
his lap.
“I’ve been thinking about asking
you something for a long time,
Tandy.”
“Is that so, Jesse?" Tandy Mor
gan’s hand spread over a disorder
of papers on the pine fable.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Playing Card Picture*
Represented Personage*
Marks upon the suits of curds
were supposed to have been the sym
bolic representation of the differ
ent classes of society. The hearts
stood for the clergy, clubs for the
soldiery, spades for the merchants.
According to records, observes a
writer in the Cleveland Plain Deal
er, the pictures represented actual
personages. The kings. In the early
French cards, were David, Alex
ander, Caesar and Charlemagne, be
ing the respective representatives of
the Jewish, Greek, Roman and
French monarchies; the queens
were Arglne, Esther, Judith, Pallas.
The marks on the suits of cards
have undergone various changes. In
the earliest European cards (made
In Germany) are hearts, bells,
leaves and acorns, Italian cards
had swords, batons, cups and
money. The club of the modern card
is derived from the trefoil, a French
design. The court cards at first
were the king, chevalier and knave.
The queen was first substituted
for the chevalier by the Italians.
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Foreign Words ^
and Phrases
Abusus non tollit usum. (L.)
Abuse is no argument against the
proper use of anything.
Auri sacra fames. (L.) Ac
cursed greed for gold.
Bon chien chasse de race. (F.)
A good dog hunts from instincts;
blood will tell.
Coute que coute. (F.) At any
cost.
Lite pendente. (L.) During the
trial.
Esprit des lois. (F.) The spirit
of the law.
Modus operandi. (L.) A mode
of operating.
Pot-pourri. (F.) A hotch-potch;
a medley.
Favete linguis. (L.) Avoid ut
tering ill-omened words; main
tain silence.
In nubibus. (L.) In the clouds;
not clear.
Tempus edax rerum. (L.) Time,
the devourer of all things.
Franklin's Son
Benjamin Franklin had a son
William, who lived from 1731 to
1813, and who was the last royal
governor of New Jersey. William
was appointed governor in 1762,
became a Tory in the Revolution,
and was held in prison during
part of the war. After independ
ence had been established he
moved to England, and lived there
the remainder of his life. Benja
min Franklin’s only other child
was a daughter, Sarah.
Let Yourself Go!
After he is through running and
playing, have you noticed how
your dog completely relaxes and
falls asleep on the rug at your
feet? He lets go, rests every nerve
and muscle, builds up his strength
for the next run. Take a tip from
your dog and let' go! In these
high tension days it is vitally im
portant to learn to relax.
A prominent efficiency expert
taught that we should use our
. “moments of unavoidable delay”
[ to relax and store up energy for
out work.—Arcadia Journal.
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WNU—U 34—36
WTHE BOY DOESN r ®1
I SEEM TO FEEL WEIL I
■ -AND HE'S NOT _J
■ SLEEPING WELL, Wm
■ eitheRj
.SCRAM \
=! jy If' UP "TO YOUR
<-* Room / why
if , STICK AROUND
I l C AND LISTEN TO
? them camazE
L r&Lrfi
J WELL, HE'S BEEN ^fi
m complaining about H
i HIS STOMACH -I f I
i THINK I'LL TAKE H
i HIM TO SEE THE J||
I DOCTOR
H TOMORROW/j DON'T 1
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Hf ANY DOCTOR'HAVE
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W WWY-THIS IIP* BUT, DOCTOR —, 1 k
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I COFFEE-NERVES A ALWAYS FELT THAT 5g|
BtD ME - BUT SURELY I HE NEEDED A
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H ®DY DRINK A^HOT
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TRY GIVING HIM
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THIS RATE / J -WITH -HOT- MILK /
Of COURSE, children should
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