The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-08-02
THE WORM WILL TURN.
jim Thought He Knew Mary. hut She
Convinced Him Thu Me Didn't.

| [Detrolt Free Press.
We were winding down one of the noun
tain roads Of Tennessee in cart drawn by
mule. The land was barren, the cabins n,
better than novels, and II was query how
people made bare living or were content t.
| stay. BY and by We came TO turn in tn,
road where there was trough TO watel
horses, and the cabin of settler. Thi.
cabin was the poorest of ALL and nothing
around 1t indicated that the owner made any
attempt TO cultivate the soil. We reached
| the place just In time to witness the tableau
A woman, poorly dressed, and her face bear
ing the look Of one who had seen much worry
and suffering, stood near the trough, aud q
satchel filed with clothing sat on the ground
beside her. Five feet away stood her hus.
band, burly, tough. faced mouniaineer,
and he held switch In his hand. Neither
minded us as we drove up, and it was full
minute before the husband said:
Mary, I'll wollop yep
"Jim, We dasn't!'' she replied.
Mary, We can't leave me, nohow''
Jim, Pm gwine ter do it | I've starved
an suffered till I'm clean gone I'm going
| home"
Mary, II We don't take up that satchel
and march in I'll wollop We good and stout 70
There were two of MS besides the driver.
The woman looked up aud scanned our faces,
as II to judge how far she might count OH
our help, aud the driver said
"'Taint rnlable for strangers TO mix in,
Mary, and Jim's got q knife and would kill
somebody. Better go in.''
"Never!' she Kissed.
You don't" said the husband as he
came a step near, "Pll make the fur Hy.
Take that %
With swish he brought the switch down
acroas her shoulders and raised it again. She
stood stock still for a minute and looked him
in the eye, and then walked into the howell,
Rayther peart, but the CAD will cure
her !" grinned the husband, as he drew the
switch through his fingers.
His triumph was short lived. In sixty
| seconds Mary reappeared. She had the
monntaineer's heavy rifle in her hands, aud
| as she came outside she raised it ON a line
with the mans heart
Jim. want We to git ~
"N-op'
"Sartin -
Shoot Can't do IL %
Click click
Mary, what ye gwine ter dor"
"Kill ye like wolf in yer tracks If We
don't walk away"
Whar to ~
"Nobody keers Go sumwhar' keen
S"'u hoNSi pdCh up,
fur I'm going down on the stagel"
| He looked into her eyes and saw the
change. Poverty and brutality had come TO
an end. Love had turned to disgust, and in
place of fear was snch bravery as he would
not have looked for in man on the road.
He saw " shoot" in her eyes, but he still
hesitated.
Mary, drop that riae,'' he whispered.
Jim, git II you are here when I've
finished counting twenty I'll kill you as sure
as there is a God In heavenl''
He began backing away. When he had
gone twenty feet he turned and walked.
When he had gone hundred he halted,
wheeled about, and after a long look nut
tered
"Wall, by gosh Mary, let's make up!"
Keep a-gittin'. Iim," she replied, as she
still covered him with the rife.
In five minutes he was ont of sight up the
road. The woman placed the gun and
satchel in the cart, walked into the hovel to
be gone two minutes, and when she came
back to the cart and took seat with us
flames were seen creeping through hundred
crsvices between the dry logs. Without a
word she climbed in, and only once during
the five Dils ride did she utter word. AT
bend In the road she looked back at the
pyramid of smoke and flames wrought by
her hand, and said, as if TO herself:
" Jim didn't know Mary, Jim didn't"