Arkansas weekly mansion., 1885-11-21

"blarst the OWL" SAID Wetnerpee, nn
grily, throwing a plses Of wood through
Then the play proceeded silently until
finally Wetherbes, who had been sleaiiiy
winning from the frst male the last deal
aud threw upon the table the lucky cards
which decided him TO be the victor. =,
.Iknowed how twould DO from the fust,
| said Barker; but p'raps 'twont make no
great did'renc,, after ALL"
And the men left the camp and walked
silently together to the settlement
jones' Tavern. as 1t was called, large
white house with piazza and long, low
ell, stood In the midst OF the primitive
little settlement, aud was favorite ro'
treat Of the lunbermen Whenever they
had the good fortune to get out OF the
woods, as we'll as the stopping place OF
the overssers AMI the MN with supply.
teams on their way to and nom tne
camps.
"Iisre's two more f,lers for the darnse,'
said the landlord, who was pouring OUT
q glass Of speed cider for siuriy young
backwoodsman who had evidently jist
| arrived, "A darnse is about equil 70
Fourth o. July, IN brings the boys ou.
thicker "a bees In a birry -pasIn'. Haul
| up tor the fire % hev somethin' warmlh'
Soft weather fur lumberln', heln't itf"
With nod and rear 'tful glance a.
| hand some young woman who was wipihs
| tsacups at the other end OF the ROOM
which was extremely lon; an had hre.
| place at one end and cooking-stove AZ
the other, Darker accepted the Invitation.
| But Wctierbse, after exchanging greet
| iugs with the landlord ami his compan on,
| won't over to sprat to tue young woman,
and remained talking with her in an un-
dertons for some time.
"1he kitchen eend sccms ter be the most
'tractable ter tie fellcrs, in spite Cf hot
| al laru ~ t al
laugh. AN what's the mlhter win
yaou, John, Yaou 'pear ter be kindsr
| aaowu u the mnluth M nb ent'min ndsl.
Mutt ha' been riekia' UP a gal. Wei,
| fell.r that's courtin' hain't no stranger
tew stii ction. the 3 fact. WIZ bach
| elder once myself"
A deep crimson overspreai Barkir's
honest c5untenince, but he did not open
his mouth.
cit eout, square! !" sal the her lhm'
| bsrman, roaring. 81 b'.leve ysol was
born ] KIM"
The handsome young. woman disap'
peared into the tanlry. Wctoerb,e ssrode
| toward the grou by u, ureplaci WIN an
air of forced unconcirn.
swell, gooi-nigh', fol; Pm oil, saii
he. "l'm a-goini to lelp trim up the hail
| fur tho dance, IA have got tee sep pretty
lvely.n AMI he made signs 10 Barker 10
follow him GU OF doors
"Shc won't go wi me, john" he said,
a, soon as they wcic alone "As sain
before, there's som ,thlng tie mitti'. Bus
rul her guess shant be obliged 10 go
withoas company, anyhow"
Barler,s faca lighted 10 with a look OF
relief, and as he watched Wetherbec's re.
treating flgnrs lit.lc CLEAN Of hope
awoke in his bfea t. lie stopped ont M
der the stars fcw IN 1mcn's for reflection
an ! the hope soon vanished,
Il "a. ....tt " h.aI tR
"She likes R,nhe Lptter'n sho dniS me,
~ she woul Int go with him. Il sans
tor reason she should Ike him biiio. He's
boss o. the gang, looks ni smooth "a slick
Is a parson, "a he's b~na scinolm,ster
tsw. Then he's GIT sich kinder silky
ways m smiles. No hat vi eve in 'em
much, | ut the wimm II olsS do. Still,
'twon't do no ha m t NJ ass her, m rcrk'
on IN do 1t, whuher ~ no."
Whenhs on cral tho house again, tho
object OF these ref c ions was SIN In
tho pantry, mixing bread which was to
b, set to rise for bieiktlst She was
tall, rather slen lcr Young womtn.
heavy mass o. jst.hlnck hair crown
her snlall. well.set head. Her eyes. to
quote one OF hr iacfwools a In rors,
were "jsss the color o. swamp blue
berries, aud he'll the same sors o. shiny
mist in them" Hr skin was dark,
almost swarthy, but . perpetual hrc
burned on her smooih, osh cheeks,
deepen ng aud fading according to her
moods. She wore Too usual everyday A.
| tire OF the women of tho 10 cgiou-misl rcssos
as well as "hirc1 slrls'--t dark pri1t
gown, but, like Ophciin's rue, ''it was
worn with a diffrjncp," hiing hsr 1.-the.
graceful fig ire to perfection, and SCI on
hy dainty band Of white AMI knot Of rib
bon nt the tnroat,
Barker entered tho pantry, and stood
watching her at hsr work with bashtul adj
| miratlOn.
"Well, what is &, Jobup said she, aftor
an interval, lookin tua with smile which
disclosed unexpected dimplei about her
mouth.
~ u.y." sal he, ciorns to the roots
OF his siiff, re ldish hair, al don'e s'poie
~ OF no use ter ask We tor go ter the
dance long o. ms. seeln' as you've refused
Relbn, that Is so much lkrl lcr lootin' M ap,
pcarin' than be; but l'sa f,olo | it twelve
| mild out or the woods ter ask fur yer com.
many, m meow ha.n'i goin' back withou,
hsnrin yeour say abs.snt T.. OF leasf. l."
"Uh, no, Jonn; 'tain't tho lcnst usc,"
said She laughing aud sinking her head.
| ~ nln'1 going with any man. As told
Rruhe, engaged more'n q week ago TO b.
| a heauf for Mrs.. Jonss. THIS squire won't go,
m Tom Amt old enough he much prolec'
| tion, You know, though he! going 70 drive
down with u.. Pr'aps. I dance At all,
IN give YOU dane. when We get thcrc,"
~ haln's no gre't ad a, dancin', m !
| han't sure o. eoln' Of you wop't x, hong o.
me. Drrsy, faint none o my business,
IA don't want tor mcillc, hut 'pcnrs a,
| some folks have been a.sayln' thet you hev
| got n---n filler diwn.rivsr M yoh'rS
a. .ioin' j,st right. D,n't 20 back on him,
Drusy, fur no man that you ever liked
could sian' that-nevr IN the world, l
don't catilate IT'S so 'coz You WON'T so long
I ~ ,,a hut-p
"whnt right have folk, TO say or think
any such thingf" shs askol Indignantly, q
painful crimson ovcr.prealing her whole
iarc, her throat, aud tho TIPS Of her small
cals.
Bu. the mans face was so white so cx.
pre.sive OF pain, that the look OF nnset
meliel in o ono OF surprise pity.
"Drusy, wc'vs got to gi dinner fur
twenty live Tomorrow. PA afeard we
ahan't be very nimble fur the dance"
said Mrs. Jones, appearing at that mo-
menl.
later was walk ny swiftly back ainin TO
the camr, twelve miles through tbs lonely
| wood.
CONTRARY to prediction. th' = :, morn
ing wat fair AMI hri III, flashed with pink
| aud wurmel with sunsh no 10 is golden
| heart II was acknowledged to be tho
"bcal lncsn wintgr weather that over was
known--a thnw thal wa, not enough OF
tiaw to make the roads impissahlc, and
without rain. lns ruio litlle scitlemcnt
wa, alive Iona bofnrs th1 sun was NJ. Can
dies nnl lanterns a tied to nnl no, The
people wee all eager and o. ri. Even the
dogs AMI ROSTERS scinel 10 feel the nn
usual excitement IN tho q =, lnt rava won't
to their most prolonged an Juhilnni ut
terance, Tho s.or Keeper opened his cs'
tablishment at six O'Clock, and found GUS
toners already waitlny on the stops.
Sledgc, M slc'ghs came ii'kling IN from
the wools AM remo'e clearnga Ono
young girl, WEARING mlec is'n, ana
jaunty bear..kln jAcxst, hal walked Ave
/ IN 10, to borrow a white pfittcnnt to wenr
to the dance. Ano.hsr ravclc ton, by
wry OF an OK team, 10 oittin a pair OF
open.work stoching' from a Trend who
was asthmatic and could not go Even
dresses were lunt f1r the ocoa.loni and
durlnt his ten yeats so1onrn ~ tha settle.
ment the stofckceper hsd never rcaped
such a harvest a, he 4 4 on that day.
Toward night the air grow crispsr and
ooidpr, as II had done On the day before.
The sledge.runnsrs crnnehci over the
| snow, and there was a little frosty tinkle
| TO the balls, which woke every wooitrack
with Its CHEEKY m loly, hoa,ed down the
| leo bound river, echosi across the lake and
| along the we'll IL q lien main road. Tho
| hall at the Forks whera the dance was 70
be hsld-A bate, unfinished apartment,
built Tor the use Of, hut not ye' takYn pos
| session of by, tho town decorated in
| - -. .l.k...I. u.au.... httI RtlaUv