Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-11-01

more comfortable. She, couIdn't bave
been more contented. She used 20 think
that sawmi.l was just about the pleas
antest piece n the country. Hour after
honr she'd stay out there with me, and
we'd keep III the conversation while the
Jog was rul ing back and stop when it
went up to the saw. Dear me Dear
me why, can see her as she used to
look in those days in that little sawmil
just rs plainly as If stood there with
Re. to-day. She used to jump on the
.og anu ri,ie up pretty close tc the saw
and theo, Just as ! would get seated and
Jump to dreg her away, off she'd 90.
Nohc!y was ever happier than we were,
and we have never been as happy since.
though we've been pretty happy and are
yet"
The yellow sunlight hickered into the
room Fhece the two sat, and the wine
+ looked like blood as the dancing rays
shone shrough1t. The old man was lost
III happy reverie, and the young man
ventured 70 remind him that there was
Stake story promised
+ True, said tho ola man, starting.
] I'm irst coming to that. I lost mvself
thinking of those old days. There was
4 snakes then, and we had killed then.
Rattlers used to come out CT the lodges
OF rocks and lay Il the hot sun. One or
/ two h"a come around the mill, and had
snot one in our door yard. But we
thought nothing of that. People living
in the woods or in wild places get used
to things that would fill them with hor-
ror in settled country. We expec,,d
to find snakes, and as long as they kept
their distance or gave us a chance to
shoot them when they got too near we
didn't mind them
''As | told you, l fixed up things
around the house during slack time.
One of the bits of furniture l knocked
together was bedstead. It was more
like broad lounge than bedstead, for
tit had neither head nor footboard One
end was raised a little like a couch, and
that was the head. We had some bear
skins and blankets to sleep on, and more
Blankets to cover u.s. 1t was big i'm
provement on the floor where we had
been sleeping, and after hard day
woil, hardiiny logs I used to think it
about ae comfortable spot as l knew.
well. it got along into the fall and
we began to have chilly nights. The
equinoctiai gave us big rain, and for a
fortnight had all the water [ could use.
Then it got dry again. One afternoon,
after several days of threatening wealth
er, it began to rain. Hour after hour
the rain came DOWNFALL about 9 o'clock
in the evening, when it suddenly cleared
off and turned cold. It was late in Octo.
Der and we kept fire burning on the
hearth nights, more for the baby's sake
than for our own. Our bed was parallel
with the fireplace and stood out near the
middle of the room. We had an English
shepherd dog named Leo, which we took
with us from Massachusetts. He was a
black and white beauty, and my wife.
who had raised him, thought about a
much of him as she did of the baby o
meat least, I used to tell her SO. Th.
dog was fond of me and / made grea
pet of him. He WAS noble fellow, an(
all he wanted was for me to whistle jus
once and he'd come We LET him sleel
In the room at the foot of the bed
Sometimes in the morning I'd wake III
before my wife and I'd whistle just once
to the dog. Up he'd come over the foo
of the bed and wake Katie by licking
her face
THAT night we were just going t.
bed when it turned cold. | threw al
extra pine knot on the fire and went t.
the door and looked out. / shall neve
forget that look, for it was the last tim
| ever stood there and saw stars abov
Skinner Hollow. / closed the door an,
went to bed and soon fell asleep / slep
on the side Of the bed nearest the hearth
nv wife slept on the further side an,
the baby lay between Us. For some rea
son I didn't sleep long, and when
walked up I couldn't get to sleep again
Finally GO. out of bed and threw Al
other knot on the fire. Leo wa
stretched ont on the floor with his nos
between his paws. He eyed me sleepil
as l walked around the room and CAV
' me q loving look as stopped down an
e patted his head. l went back to bed an
: fell into an uneasy sleep. All at once
i wakened with start. It must hay
t been past midnight. l seemed TO b
fully awake the moment l opened N
1 eyes. and such sight as they rested o
God grant they may never see again.
9 was lying on my left side facing N
e wife, who Was lying on her night sid'
. The baby lay on its back between u:
AsI opened my eyes dark object glie
I ed down from off the baby, and jul
| then the knot burst into flames az
? aan5oI xh - ~x,,v, With t;rhf yNffl.