The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-04-03

Wv
ms, an | kin stand ye off fur month
Dad an III take turns standin' guard
an We'll keep itup night and day"
| The Marshalrs party, after consulting
among themselves mounted their horses
and rode away, and Dick went back to
his mountain eyrie to distill more whisky.
Crippled Bill Ellot was the factor or &C
between of the Alfreys, and when only
Dick remained to carry on the business
he and the old man shared the profits of
the still equally. Crippled Bill saved his
money to spend it literally on Little X ate,
whom he decked in the handsomest
gowns that could be purchased at the
crossroads store. She was of finer CLAW
than he, and from making occasional
visits to Morehead and Liberty and once
as far down the country as Mount Sterl-
ing new and higher life was opened up
to her. ~She kept her secret longings to
herself and never divulged the hiding
place of the still. In the early summer
of 1884 Little Kate celebrated her seven
teenth birthday. She was daughter of
the mountains-bright eyed curly haired,
fresh faced, with rounded limbs and a
good digestion, aud able to shoot a rifle
or ride horse with the best man in the
country. A score or more of the young
mountaineers endeavored, in their home
ly fashion, to make Kate their sweet
heart, but she repulsed them all. One
hot August day, when the little UNDER
ground stream that supplied the moon
shine still in the cave behind the thick
laurel bushes on Yocum Cliffs mad run
dry. and Crippled Bill and his partner
| had removed their business to a secluded
spring branch, while they were busily
engaged making rum," Little Kate sat
on the rude porch whose roof overhung
the door of her fathers cabin, busily en-
gagged in spinning, singing like a lark
meanwhile.
| THE TRAVELLING ARTIST,
a man, young aud strong limbed as a
Hercules, wearing clothes whose texture
and color were hidden beneath a thick
coating of dust, aud carrying light
pack on his back, strobe up the mountain
| rode which led from the Narrows. He
paused for moment in front of Crippled
Bills cabin cast and admlring glance at
the girl OF the porch and then boldly I'M
latched the rude gate set in the palm
fence which enclosed the little garden
and marched up to the steps of the
porch.
Il beg PARDON" he began, and Little
Kate dropped her distaff with fright
eaed cry and turned to face the intruder
with flushed cheeks and eyes big with
apprehension. 1T is very dusty" con-
tinued the stranger, land am thirsty.
Would you kindly give me a drink of
water"
''Sartin' sure" answered Kate. I'm
git We fresh drink from the spring"
and Selling wooden piggin which stood
on shelf beside the door she ran quickly
down the mountain path leading to the
spring, while the stranger dropped his
pack on the porch and with a grateful
sigh seated himself in the rush bottomed
chair which Kate had motioued him to
take.
eff you have no objections" he said,
when she returned with the water and
proifered him gourdful, which he drank
il deep draughts. 81 will rest here
awhile have travelled long distance
and | am very tired
''Sit We thar, stranger, as long as you
please, answered the girl Hospitality.
'l e are plumb welcome
lie availed himself of her permission
with thanks and when he began to talk
and his words brought up the pictures
she had heretofore seen only in her day
dreams she stopped her spinning and
drawing up her chair beside his listened
Win eager interest.
CRIPPLED BILLS GUEST.
They were sitting there together wien
Crippled Bill hobbled up, carrying a
brown jug of moonshine whisky in each
hand. At sight of him the girl, with
glad cry, jumped from the porch and ran
down to the gate. She threw her arms
around the old mans neck and kissed
him, whispering meanwhile that
stranger man. had come and was char
on the po' ch" The newcomer had toll
lowed her down, and when Crippled Bill
looked up quickly, with frown on his
face, the young man raised his hat and
apologized for his intrusion.
'I'm an artist he said, ''and my bust
ness here is to make sketches of this
most picturesque solitude
Crippled Bill answered him gruffly de-
spite Little Hates frowring protest, but
the old man finally picked up the two
jugs of whisky and walked toward the
house muttering something about
'hevin' no room to enter tain strangers.
He followed Kate inside the house. The
stranger remained on the porch. Father
and daughter held a whispered consula-
tion and presently Crippled Bill come
out and invited the young man in to take
a cheer The latter had already intro
duced himself as Harry Morgan, artist
and when he had told the old moonshiner
several stories that tickled the latter
nightly and had listened patiently to
Bills running account of Morgan's raid
and his own wounding by a stray Federal
bullet, the two became quite good friends
and before Kate announced supper Harry
Morgan had prevailed upon Crippled Bill
to allow HIM to occupy the little bed in
the loft and to eat at his table until he
should have made sufficient number of
sketches of the picturesque hooks of Yo-
cum creek. The supposed artist remained
at Crippled Bills cabin about three
weeks.
One morning, after breakfast, the
young man shouidered his pack and babe
Crippled Bill and his daughter good by:
The old moonshiner would accept no pay
for the young mans entertainment, and
Morgan, turning suddenly, slipped ring
from his little finger and. catching Hates
hand, placed it on her brown forefnger.
you will wear this to remember me, +"