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potatoes grew larger when planted in the dark of the moon; or the benefits of Shallburger's Socialism. The men at the garage argued like children, mixing their categories, using clichés from the law, the Bible, science, and folklore, with no sense of a lack of homogeneity.

Abner listened to them with a misery of frustration that they had completely sidetracked his plan of action. He broke into it, shaking a youth named Tim Fraley by the shoulder.

"Look here, le's do something!"

Mr. Fraley looked at Abner with the mists of speculation in his eyes.

"We kain't do nothin'. Willie Purvis there sounds to me like he's got the thing cinched, he says, the Bible says, 'Render unto Cæsar the things that air Cæsar's.'"

"What's that got to do with it?"

"Why, Willie says it means if Peck Bradley could waylay Tug legally so the courts kain't tech him, then we kain't n'uther . . . 'Render unto Cæsar the things that air Cæsar's'—that's what the Bible says."

"Aw, it don't mean no such damn thing!"

"Well, what do you say it means?" demanded Mr. Fraley with the elaborate politeness of the slightly offended. "Come, speak up, this is a free country."

Anger and despair filled Abner at the prospect of having to interpret the exact meaning of every Biblical text before he brought off his coup.

"I don't know what the hell it means!"

"Then, it seems to me you better find out," observed Mr. Fraley ironically. "Seems to me before you set up to lead the citizens of Lanesburg, you better find out jest what is right an' Scriptural."

That, of course, is the difficulty of combating child-logic. It is incontrovertible and betrayingly simple. It skips lightly from darksome premise to more darksome conclusion with a Gallic lucidity. It was far, far beyond Abner to answer