Uncle Abner, Master of Mysteries | Page 9

spite of Cain's
denial-and he must keep him; that the elder had his right to the day's
work, but the younger had also his right to the benefits of his brother's
guardianship. The fiduciary had One to settle with. It would go hard if
he should shirk the trust.

"I do not recognize your trust," said Gaul. "I live here for myself."
"For yourself!" cried Abner. "And would you know what God thinks of
you?"
"And would you know what I think of God?" cried Gaul.
"What do you think of Him?" said Abner.
"I think He's a scarecrow," said Gaul. "And I think, Abner, that I am a
wiser bird than you are. I have not sat cawing in a tree, afraid of this
thing. I have seen its wooden spine under its patched jacket, and the
crosspiece peeping from the sleeves, and its dangling legs. And I have
gone down into its field and taken what I liked in spite of its flapping
coattails...Why, Abner, this thing your God depends on is a thing called
fear; and I do not have it."
Abner looked at him hard, but he did not answer. He turned, instead, to
me.
"Martin," he said, "you must go to sleep, lad." And he wrapped me in
his greatcoat and put me to bed on the sofa-behind him in the corner. I
was snug and warm there and I could have slept like Saul, but I was
curious to know what Abner came for and I peeped out through a
buttonhole of the greatcoat.
Abner sat for a long time, his elbows on his knees, his hands together
and his eyes looking into the fire. The hunchback watched him, his big,
hairy hands moving on the padded arms of his chair and his sharp eyes
twinkling like specks of glass. Finally Abner spoke-I judged he
believed me now asleep.
"And so, Gaul," he said, "you think God is a scarecrow?"
"I do," said Gaul.
"And you have taken what you liked?"
"I have," said Gaul.

"Well," said Abner, "I have come to ask you to return what you have
taken-and something besides, for usury."
He got a folded paper out of his pocket and handed it across the hearth
to Gaul.
The hunchback took it, leaned back in his chair, unfolded it at his
leisure and at his leisure read it through.
"A deed in fee," he said, "for all these lands...to my brother's children.
The legal terms are right: 'Doth grant, with covenants of general
warranty.'...It is well drawn, Abner; but I am not pleased to 'grant.'"
"Gaul," said Abner, "there are certain reasons that may move you."
The hunchback smiled.
"They must be very excellent to move a man to alienate his lands."
"Excellent they are," said Abner. "I shall mention the best one first."
"Do," said Gaul, and his grotesque face was merry.
"It is this," said Abner: "You have no heirs. Your brother's son is now a
man; he should marry a wife and rear up children to possess these lands.
And, as he is thus called upon to do what you cannot do, Gaul, he
should have the things you have, to use."
"That's a very pretty reason, Abner," said the hunchback, "and it does
you honor; but I know a better."
"What is it, Gaul?" said Abner.
The hunchback grinned. "Let us say, my pleasure!"
Then he struck his bootleg with his great black stick.
"And now," he cried, "who's back of this tomfoolery?"

"I am," said Abner.
The hunchback's heavy brows shot down. He was not disturbed, but he
knew that Abner moved on no fool's errand.
"Abner," he said, "you have some reason for this thing. What is it?"
"I have several reasons for it," replied Abner, "and I gave you the best
one first."
"Then the rest are not worth the words to say them in," cried Gaul.
"You are mistaken there," replied Abner; "I said that I would give you
the best reason, not the strongest...Think of the reason I have given. We
do not have our possessions in fee in this world, Gaul, but upon lease
and for a certain term of service. And when we make default in that
service the lease abates and a new man can take the title."
Gaul did not understand and he was wary.
"I carry out my brother's will," he said.
"But the dead," replied Abner, "cannot retain dominion over things.
There can be no tenure beyond a life estate. These lands and chattels
are for the uses of men as they arrive. The needs of the living overrule
the devises of the dead."
Gaul was watching Abner closely. He knew that this was some
digression, but he met it with equanimity. He put his big, hairy fingers
together