CHAPTER XVII.
AT CANE RIDGE AGAIN
Abner returned to Kentucky early in October. At Pittsburg, on hisreturn journey, he had again fallen in with Judge Sebastian, whointrusted him with a packet containing a sum of money, and with apackage of books, requesting him to deliver them to Judge Innes.Arriving at Lexington, he delivered the money and books, and then wenton to Cane Ridge, reaching Mason Rogers' about nightfall.
The next morning he set out for his farm, intending, after he hadlooked after affairs there, to ride on to Bourbonton to post a letter,as it was the day on which the once-a-week mail-coach passed throughthe village.
Over three months had elapsed since he had seen Betsy Gilcrest; andalthough he meant to obey her hint and wait until November to renew hissuit, he felt that there was no prohibition against his seeing her.Accordingly, he purposed to return from Bourbonton by way of Oaklands.
On the way to the farm he met James Drane. Abner had not made known tothe Rogers family the nature of the business which had called him toVirginia, nor did he now say anything to the lawyer about consultinghim professionally; for he had resolved that Betsy should be the firstto be told of his good fortune. Drane, after congratulating Abner uponhis safe return, and expressing an intention of calling soon to learnthe particulars of the visit to Virginia, added that he must now hastenforward, as he had business to transact at Bourbonton. Whereupon,Abner, thinking to save himself a ride to the village, handed him theletter to post, and then went on towards his farm.
As soon as Abner was out of sight, Drane took the letter from hispocket. When he saw its address, Judge Benjamin Sebastian, he utteredan ejaculation of surprise and pleasure. He rode on slowly for a time,in deep thought, then turned and galloped rapidly towards Oaklands. Ina field adjoining the road was Hiram Gilcrest, superintending somenegroes gathering corn. Drane, riding up to the fence, hailed Gilcrest,who advanced to meet him. Drane then took the letter from his pocket,and, showing its address, said, "You see, Major, my suspicionsregarding your neighbor are well founded."
"Has Dudley returned?" asked Gilcrest in some surprise.
"Yes, last evening. He passed through Lexington yesterday. While therehe doubtless gathered important information from others of the band,and this morning he asked me to post this letter, which, of course,transmits this information to Sebastian."
After some further conversation, Drane exacted a pledge from Gilcrestof absolute secrecy in regard to the letter, and, declining aninvitation to dine at Oaklands, rode away.
Much to Abner's chagrin, he found, on arriving at Oaklands an hourafter the interview between Drane and Gilcrest, that Betsy was on avisit to her friend, Mary Winston, who lived near Lexington. Mrs.Gilcrest, however, was unusually animated, and evinced great interestin his recent journey, and questioned him about people and places,changes and fashions in Virginia. Yet Abner could not but notice thelack of cordiality in Major Gilcrest. Thinking this due to recollectionof the discussion just before the trip to Virginia, Abner tried toavoid all topics even remotely approaching church matters. He describedhis visit to Blennerhassett Island. Gilcrest, becoming interested,melted perceptibly, for a time; but when the young man, in the courseof his narrative, mentioned the names of his two traveling companionsfrom Lexington to Blennerhassett Island, Gilcrest's manner not onlylost its lately recovered geniality, but became harder and more frigidthan ever.
After striving vainly to bring his host back to a more pleasant mood,Abner felt that he could not, in the face of Gilcrest's increasingsternness and coldness, prolong the visit. Although it was rainingheavily, he declined Mrs. Gilcrest's timid invitation to remain todinner, and left a little before noon. As he rode home through the rainhe thought over every trifling incident of his hour at Oaklands. Herecalled every topic of conversation, without finding a clue to theenigma. "He's harking back to my old transgression in upholding Stone,"was his conclusion. "Interest in the account of my journey did for atime beguile him into forgetfulness of my offense, but his mind at lastreverted to it; hence his return to the Frigid Zone. It was a regularfreeze-out toward the end. If he were not Betty's father, I'd havenothing more to do with him. But what a fool I was to discusstheological matters with him in the first place! After all, this churchtrouble is no affair of mine, and Stone did not need my advocacy; he'squite able, single-handed, to play St. George to the dragon ofsectarianism that trails its length through this region. A pretty timeI'll have now, trying to reinstate myself in the old gentleman's goodgraces! I hope to heaven something will happen to call him out of theway the first of November; for see Betty then I will, no matter whathappens."
When James Drane, after his talk with Gilcrest, reached the mainthoroughfare, instead of choosing the turning towards Bourbonton, hetook the opposite course towards Lexington. As soon as he was in hisoffice, and had barred his door, he carefully cut around the seal ofAbner's letter. It contained merely a few lines stating that the moneyand books had been delivered to Innes.
"The devil take it!" he ejaculated. "This shows nothing as to whetherSebastian and Murray took advantage of their opportunity to sound theschoolmaster; and I now very much doubt if the self-sufficient youngprig can be drawn into our schemes. However, showing the address toGilcrest this morning did my own personal cause a good turn. Now, howto follow up this advantage? I wonder if I could counterfeitSebastian's peculiar chirography." From an inner locked drawer of hisescritoire he took a small metal box, and from a number of paperscontained therein he selected a letter which he examined closely.
"No use to try imitation, when the original document will serve mypurpose as well or better," he finally concluded. "The initials fitperfectly; and, thanks to Sebastian's cunning and to our cipher code,this letter is so obscurely worded that Gilcrest can gain from it noknowledge of our plans. But I'll have to wait some time yet in order totell him a plausible tale. In the meanwhile, it would be well to try myskill at counterfeiting Dudley's writing. His precise, schoolmasterlyhand would surely be easier to imitate than Sebastian's queer, crabbedcharacters, and there's no telling how or when my skill may be of useto me. But how to get more material to work upon? This short note toSebastian isn't enough. Couldn't I get Dudley to copy some law papersfor me?" He rose and paced the floor in deep thought. Finally hesucceeded in elaborating a plan which would suit his purpose.
Crestlands: A Centennial Story of Cane Ridge Page 20
