Produced by Pat Castevans and David Widger
By Winston Churchill
When William Wetherell and Cynthia had reached the last turn in the roadin Northcutt's woods, quarter of a mile from Coniston, they met the nasalMr. Samuel Price driving silently in the other direction. The word"silently" is used deliberately, because to Mr. Price appertained acertain ghostlike quality of flitting, and to Mr. Price's horse and wagonlikewise. He drew up for a brief moment when he saw Wetherell.
"Wouldn't hurry back if I was you, Will."
"Why not?"
Mr. Price leaned out of the wagon.
"Bije has come over from Clovelly to spy around a little mite."
It was evident from Mr. Price's manner that he regarded the storekeeperas a member of the reform party.
"What did he say, Daddy?" asked Cynthia, as Wetherell stood staring afterthe flitting buggy in bewilderment.
"I haven't the faintest idea, Cynthia," answered her father, and theywalked on.
"Don't you know who 'Bije' is?
"No," said her father, "and I don't care."
It was almost criminal ignorance for a man who lived in that part of thecountry not to know Bijah Bixby of Clovelly, who was paying a littlesocial visit to Coniston that day on his way home from the statecapital,—tending, as it were, Jethro's flock. Still, Wetherell must beexcused because he was an impractical literary man with troubles of hisown. But how shall we chronicle Bijah's rank and precedence in the Jethroarmy, in which there are neither shoulder-straps nor annual registers? Todesignate him as the Chamberlain of that hill Rajah, the Honorable HethSutton, would not be far out of the way. The Honorable Heth, whom we allknow and whom we shall see presently, is the man of substance and ofbroad acres in Clovelly: Bijah merely owns certain mortgages in thattown, but he had created the Honorable Heth (politically) as surely ascertain prime ministers we could name have created their sovereigns. TheHonorable Heth was Bijah's creation, and a grand creation he was, as noone will doubt when they see him.
Bijah—as he will not hesitate to tell you—took Heth down in his pocketto the Legislature, and has more than once delivered him, in certainblocks of five and ten, and four and twenty, for certain considerations.The ancient Song of Sixpence applies to Bijah, but his pocket wasgenerally full of proxies instead of rye, and the Honorable Heth wasfrequently one of the four and twenty blackbirds. In short, Bijah was theworking bee, and the Honorable Heth the ornamental drone.
I do not know why I have dwelt so long on such a minor character asBijah, except that the man fascinates me. Of all the lieutenants in thestate, his manners bore the closest resemblance to those of Jethro Bass.When he walked behind Jethro in the corridors of the Pelican, kicking uphis heels behind, he might have been taken for Jethro's shadow. He was ofa good height and size, smooth-shaven, with little eyes that kindled, andhis mouth moved not at all when he spoke: unlike Jethro, he "used"tobacco.
When Bijah had driven into Coniston village and hitched his wagon to therail, he went direct to the store. Chester Perkins and others werewatching him with various emotions from the stoop, and Bijah took a seatin the midst of them, characteristically engaging in conversation withoutthe usual conventional forms of greeting, as if he had been there allday.
"H-how much d