pointed to a
manuscript on the table. "There are my notes for my thesis, 'Social
Work in Rural Communities.' It's full of notes and comments on the
rumors and hearsay about the Barrow family. In every community the
exception to the rule is played up as the feature story. In
Pittsburgh it's steel; in Boston, the Back Bay district gets the
headlines; in Charleston, it's the Colonial homes that are featured.
The mine-run folks get no mention. Here in Henry County, it's the
Barrow family. In my notes, I simply list 'em as rumors, letting the
reader be the judge. And now, let's get along to the final chapter.

"Maizie came to the Barrows about ten years ago. Where from, nobody
knew, but there were many unconfirmed rumors. It was given out that
her last name was Menardi. Whether this was her family name or
acquired by marriage, was not stated. Maizie took over--house, corral,
and ranch. She made but few changes in the material things, but the
two old bachelors and the occasional cow hands were certainly speeded
up. Old Jeff Stoups, who had been a retainer since the days of old
Matt, quit. 'A woman boss is bad enough, but a hellion is wu's,' was
Jeff's statement.

"I have never seen Maizie in all these years. She is rarely away from
the Bar-O. Her public appearances are limited to a few rare visits to
the stores and a few days spent in court. Mr. Phillips, on her first
visit to the drygoods store, described her as dazzling and imperious.
Mrs. Phillips describes her as being near thirty years old, tall,
rather graceful, regular features, a perpetual sneer, coal-black hair
and a coppery skin never seen on another. Her dress was normal, with
few adornments. She was bareheaded, wore mannish gloves, and sported
large circlet earrings. She differed little in appearance from other
women; her voice was low and deep; she could read. She bought books
and magazines.

"Our Charley Case (the comedians around the stables call him
Flinthead) furnished the caricature of the lady. He was coming back
from Grandaddy's south pasture and rode the trail past the Bar-O to
see what he could see. He pictured Maizie as wearing overalls, a man's
shirt with the tail out, a big slouch hat, and buckskin gloves. She
was directing Jeff Stoups about digging a post hole.

"And then came an added feature to the strange personnel. About a
month after Maizie's arrival, a young man was occasionally seen around
the Bar-O. He was neither cow hand nor laborer. H