The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-06
Auderspuz gate1ligeaeer.
am ECCENTRIC GIRL.

On rapid little stream in an upper
county of Arkansaw, is situated Ashbu-
~ Mills. The surrounding country is
strangely like some old picture you have
seen, and the mill, with its tall gables
and great wheel, standing outin courage.
ous, not to say bold, relief, is so con1en'
tional, and in such tuneful keeping with
old mills you have read about, that in
passing along the winding road, you
would stop more than once to look at so
quaint grouping of objects. Why the
place was called Ashbury Mills, and why
mills at all, since there is only one, IS
something which none Of the neighbors
and certainly no grammarian can ex-
plain. Old Tobe Potter owns the mills
we shall conform to the neighborhood
custom and use the plural-and so far as
any one knows, nobody named Ashbury
has ever been in the least identified with
the institution, and in fact, when old
Tobe is asked concerning the origin OF
the name, he hesitates in characteristic
perplexity and replies !" Blame Il know"
Tobe's daughter, Gralda, was the hand
somest girl in.the entire country. she
WAS handsome, because she tried to
be so, but because she couldn't help it.
When the old. man became afflicted with
coroulency and laziness, mainly the lat.
ter, Gralda took charge of the mills;
She was thorough business glrl, and
was 80 lenient to customers that once
when Alf Galkins complained that she
/. handled the toll measure with reckless
ness leaning astnae too much in favor OF
the mills, shepolitely told The old fellow
that if he did not like the methods she
had adopted si.l hel administration, he
could take his favors to. some other place.
Nearly every young man in the country
was in love with the girl but the songs
of their wooing were mot music to her.
She often declared that she did not in.
tend to marry. and many an injured
heart, beating under homemade linsey
shirts. believed the terrible declaration.
Simon Webliforce, good; looking young
fellow and the acknowledged wit of the
community, did not escape the thrall,
dom of Gralda's power. She had smiled
at him, he thought. What more could
he ask of girl to whom he had not
made known his feelings? he finished
slayipp by corn one evening in June, and,
sitter shaving himself and brushing up
his clothes, suit of extra warp jeans
that 1e had not worn since the last "pro-
tracted meetin'," he mounted his high.
headed horse, the one he "swapped from"
.Nath Patterson, and went over to the
mills. He found Gralda, dressed in
kind Of meal-bag costume, high in the
neck and long in the sleeves, attending
to- her duties. Old Tobe, her father, sat
in an easy chair, fishing from the back
ssHow.afsesyon, Simons" said the girl.
sJnst in time to@help me up with this
sack =. !,
"Arers in time when you are handlin'
anything good to:eat," replied the wit of
the community. =. -.
"Yes.n said the old man.. batting his
hook, Gam you are alpus aroun when
the bus'ne of putin it away is goln'
on" :,
Then they all laughed, and the girl,
Simon thought, smiled at him.
.i.ss'Miss Gralds, if you amt very busy,
I'd like to talk to. you over here by the
window" e:a
a;The girl brushed the meal from her
hands and followed Simon to the win
doay.p' ;.
sI laid by co'n to-day"
"Did you 2a
eyes, an the bottom iel, pap lows.
will knock the spots often sny piece o.
CON in this country"
stYour, father generally knows what he
btalking about" -,
s.Don't he, though? What else do
you reckin he said? 'Simon,' says he,
all that CONS your'n.' That's what he
said. Now thar amt nuthin' stingy
'bout me, an, when pap tole me that, l
flowed to myself, hanged ef l don't git
somebody to sheer all this here extrava-
gantness, an now, without further at
temptin' to thrash ole Satan round the
stump, I want you to be my wife. Don't
say NO. fur I'd do as much fur you any
time. You couldn't ask no favor O. mo 1
wouldn't grant immegiately."
ord like to accommodate you," the
girl replied, 's.sbut I've decided never to
marry unless can find a man that l can
love-"
"You don't mean to say that you don't
love me?"
sfhat'sswhat1 i mean"
tiles a suckerp' exclaimed the old
man, reaching from the door.
'Pm no more o. sucker than you
air" angrily vociferated Simon.
"Who called you sucker?"
"You did,"
"Didn't. Was talkiu' bout this fish,
but eff you amt got no mo- sense than to
think you look enough like sucker to
be mistook for one, all right, an cut your
capers," and the old man threw out his
line and resumed his fishing.
"I love you mighty hard, Gralda, an
I don't see how you can refuse me-"
aYou can'tsee, because love is blind,
YOU know. Not; being blinded, as you
are, can see.n'!.,.;
"Who woulder thought any liyin' we.
man woulder refused to marry me. You
sartainly kain't be in your right mind"
"No matter about the condition of my
mlnd. IL - my own, legaloiess VI cou'
ditions."
Without replying, the young man went
away, and the girl, not in the least dis
turbed, went about her work.
It began. to look as if the girl really
did not intend to marry, for every suitor
was rejected with indifference.
4".Whepever / fall in love, father, | will
tell you," she said; II hardly think this
is likely though, for I have seen nearly
all the men in the county, and | reckin
men in other counties are about the
same"
5 One day young fellow named Lige
Blakemo1e went to the mills. Every
where Lige put in an appearance, ne i'm
mediately secured the pastry for homeli'
ness, and the beauty of his ugliness was
the fact that he was proud of it. When