SCATTERGOOD BAINES
By
CLARENCE BUDINGTON KELLAND
Author of
"The High Flyers," "The Little Moment of Happiness,"
"Sudden Jim," "Youth Challenges," etc.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. HE INVADES COLDRIVER
CHAPTER II. SCATTERGOOD KICKS UP THE DUST
CHAPTER III. THE MOUNTAIN COMES TO SCATTERGOOD
CHAPTER IV. HE DEALS IN MATCHMAKING
CHAPTER V. HE MAKES IT ROUND NUMBERS
CHAPTER VI. INSURANCE THAT DID NOT LAPSE
CHAPTER VII. HE BORROWS A GRANDMOTHER
CHAPTER VIII. HE DIPS IN HIS SPOON
CHAPTER IX. HE ADMINISTERS SOOTHING SYRUP
CHAPTER X. HE HELPS WITH THE ROUGH WORK
CHAPTER XI. HE INVESTS IN SALVATION
CHAPTER XII. THE SON THAT WAS DEAD
CHAPTER XIII. HE CRACKS AN OBDURATE NUT
CHAPTER XIV. HE TREATS AN ATTACK OF LIFE
CHAPTER I
HE INVADES COLDRIVER
The entrance of Scattergood Baines into Coldriver Valley, and the mannerof his first taking root in its soil, are legendary. This much is clearpast even disputing in the post office at mail time, or evenings in thegrocery—he walked in, perspiring profusely, for he was very fat.
It is asserted that he walked the full twenty-four miles from therailroad, subsisting on the country, as it were, and sagged down on theporch of Locker's grocery just before sundown. It is not implied that hewalked all of the twenty-four miles in that single day. Huge bodies movedeliberately.
He sagged down on Locker's porch, and it is reported the corner of theporch sagged with him. George Peddie has it from his grandfather, whowas an eyewitness, that Scattergood did not so much as turn his head tolook at the assembled manhood of the vicinity, but with infinite painsand audible grunts, succeeded in bringing first one foot, then theother, within reach of his hands, and removed his shoes. Following thishe sighed with a great contentment and twiddled his bare toes openly andflagrantly in the eyes of all Coldriver. He is said now to have utteredthe first words to fall from his mouth in the town where were to lie hislife's unfoldings and fulfillments. They were significant—in the lightof subsequent activities.
"One of them railroads runnin' up here," said he to the mountain justacross the road from him, "would have spared me close to a dozenblisters."
Conversation had expired on Scattergood's arrival, and the group on theporch converted itself into an audience. It was an audience that got itsmoney's worth. Not for an instant did the attention of a single memberof it stray away from this Godsend come to furnish them with their firstreal topic of conversation since Crazy French stole a box of Parisgreen, mistaking it for a new sort of pancake flour.
Scattergood arose ponderously and limped o