HER BIRTHRIGHT "FOR A MESS OF POTTAGE"
The people of Winner and vicinity had no opportunity to rush to the
Farmers' State Bank, of which Eugene Crook, mentioned earlier in our
story was president, and draw any portion of their money before the bank
examiner's notice greeted them one morning.
The bank was closed by order of the public examiner, so that was
settled. The causes became apparent the day before, although those
directly interested did not understand. It was in the shape of drafts
they had bought and sent away, which came back to them indirectly,
marked by the bank upon which they were drawn: "No funds."
Not much excitement followed the closing, although in some manner Crook
had worked into the confidence of the people since moving the bank to
Winner, and was leading the four banks in the town in point of deposits.
Of course it hit many needy ones quite hard, but the people of the
country had become so accustomed to adversities, that even bank failures
included did not excite them.
But there happened a few days after the failure an incident that has
some connection with our story. Crook went upon a journey. He was gone
several days and when he returned, the unexpected happened. It caused
about as much excitement as had the failure of the bank because of its
cunningness.
When Jean Baptiste had ended his visit with Irene Grey, he returned to
his office at the publishing house to find considerable mail awaiting
him. One letter was from his attorney in Washington, and since he had
won the claim for Baptiste's wife in the contest, Baptiste naturally
took it for granted that it was a request for the balance of his fee. So
he laid the letter aside until he had attended to all other business,
and later opened and read it.
"WASHINGTON, D.C., July, 191--
"_Mr. Jean Baptiste_,
"MY DEAR SIR: I am informed through your attorney at Gregory, that
your wife has sold her relinquishment on the homestead I was
successful in getting the Secretary of the Interior to reverse the
land commissioners decision on. I am not informed further; but
inasmuch as you are living on the place, my advice is that you stick
right there, and hold it. You may write and advance me the details
concerning the matter, and I will assist you in a legal way in
pressing your right to hold the same.
"In the meantime, kindly send me a remittance on the fee that is
past due at your earliest convenience, and oblige.
"Very truly,
"PATRICK H. LOUGHRAN."
He reread the letter to be positive that he had understood it correctly.
He was thoughtful as he allowed the substance to become clear. His wife
had sold her relinquishment on the claim that he had spent thirty-five
hundred dollars cash for. And in so doing she had sacrificed his
confidence; _had sold her birthright for a mess of pottage_. And she had
not received, he was sure, perhaps one tenth part of the amount he had
expended for it. He thought a little longer, and as he did so, a vision
of his arch enemy rose before him. His mind went back to a day when N.J.
McCarthy in all his lordliness had with much vituperation, denounced and
condemned Eugene Crook for having contested his poor daughter's place,
and all the white race with him.
"And Newton Justine McCarthy," muttered Baptiste, "this is _more_ of
your work."
He was very calm over it, was Jean Baptiste; but the _turning point_ in
his life had come. At last his manhood had returned, _and he was ready
to fight_.
He wrote his attorney at once at Gregory, and the reply that came back
in due time was:
"GREGORY, S.D., July -- 191--
"_Mr. Jean Baptiste_,
"FRIEND JEAN: Replying to yours regarding the claim, it was Eugene
Crook who got it. He went to Chicago and bought it from your wife,
through her father. I understand that your wife refused to sell,
whereupon, Crook sent for the Reverend who was at Cairo, sending him
the railroad fare to Chicago at the same time. I do not, of course,
know just what followed, but it is the report here, that the
Reverend had his daughter to execute the relinquishment, and Crook
returned and filed on the claim.
"I understand, further, that Crook got the idea from reading your
book, wherein you told of the preacher and what he had done,
although anonymously. It is also reported that Crook paid the Elder
$300 for the claim.
"Very truly yours,
"WM. MCCONNELL."
Jean Baptiste laughed when he had completed the letter, picked up one of
his books and looking through it, found the place. "Well, old boy, I
guess you lost me more than I'll make out of you; but you've given me
what I ought to have had three years ago!" He was silent then, but his
face took on a cold, hard expression, whereupon he laughed again.
"N.J. McCarthy, we vied twenty-five years ago, and we encountered three
years since. On both occasions you had me at a disadvantage.... We are
_going_ to _vie_ again, now; _but it will be upon an equal basis_." So
saying, he looked before him at nothing; his eyes narrowed to mere
slits.
An hour later his grip was packed. He went that afternoon back to Tripp
County. His three hundred acres of wheat had failed, so he was
unencumbered. He returned to Winner, and the next morning he boarded a
train for Chicago.
And of the battle that he fought with his august contemporary, will be
the continuance of our story.