Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-08-18


side cabin. 1t was lonely place, on
lonely mountain road, and the time
was in 1867. While the war had long
been over, as of course you know.
there was good deal of bitterness
among the mountaineers of Tennessee,
and there were great many men who
had not yet settled down to anything
like work. As l was not in the war on
either side, and am English born, got
along very we'll with the tire-eaters;
but the fact was every day before me
that there we're plenty of lawless char
acters, both Union and rebel, who
wouldn't hesitate to put me out of the
way for what my pack contained, no
matter what princip Piles upheld.
But for the coming storm l should
have continued on for couple of
hours. l did not like the looks of
the place. 1t was a story-and-half
log house, situated several rods off the
road, and there was something in the
house and its surroundings which made
me hesitate to ask for hospitality.
However, July thunder storm was
creeping up, covering the whole west
with darkness and the thunder was
rolling and reverberating from hill to
hill as / knocked on the casing of the
open door. The voice of a woman
babe me enter. She was a person at
least 40 years old, large and muscular,
and her countenance was anything but
prepossessing. 1t wore a sullen, sulky,
expression, and the gray eyes which
sized me up had no CLEAN of womanly
nd in I 1nir thof I
was a traveller who craved shelter
from the storm, and she sullenly re-
piled:
You are welcome to sit down.
Five minutes later the rain was fall
ing in torrents, and it grew so dark
that the woman had to light candle.
The cabin had but one room below. In
this was bed, bureau and other furni-
ture. and the cooking was done in a
fireplace. At one end of the fireplace
rough ladder led to the loft above.
The interior of the house was neither
inviting nor repelling, but 1 certainly
did not like the woman. 1t was all of
twenty minutes after sat down before
she spoke another word, and then it
was to ask what my pack contained.
l opened it in explanation, and told
her l was on my way to Knoxville to
replenish stock from goods ordered
shipped to that point. presented her
with common pair of shears, and
there was sudden change in her de-
meanor. She became smiling and
talkative, and as the storm showed no
sign of abating, she began to prepare
supper, and observed that must not
think of continuing my journey before
morning. Where l asked one question
she asked five. She wanted to know
where l was from, how much a stock
of goods cost, whom knew at Knox
vile, and a great many other things.
In return le told me that she was q
widow, had a son 20 years old, who
had gone to mill and they had hard
time to make living.
While the change in her demeanor
was agreeable in one sense, l could
not get rid of the idea that the change
was forced. While her lips uttered
pleasant words her eyes gave them the
lie. We had a fair supper, during
which she bore the burden of CONVEX
sation, and it was then seen that
must remain through the night. While
the thunder had passed away, the
rain fell in steady pour, and the
night was as black as tar. She said
the storm would delay her son, but
that he was certain to be home before !
midnight. She cleared away the table !
sat down with some sewing. and asked
me so many things about the outside !
world that knew she had some time |
lived in better circumstances and had
been fairly we'll educated. She grad !
ually led the conversation back to my |
vocation, and carelessly remarked, as |
she bent over her sewing:
One in you business should 60 well |
armed.
Perhaps some of them do, l re-
Piled. though have never seen occa-
sion for weapons of any sort.
If you-you wanted to: part with
your revolver perhaps my son would
buy it. He is very anxious to secure
such weapon.
She did not dare look me in the face,
and her hands shook as she waited for |
me to reply.
My revolver-ha ha! I'm afraid no |
one would accept the walking stick in |
the corner over there for shooting
iron.
But you have q knife, she persisted,
great effort to raise her eyes.
Yes, this, answered, as I exhibited |
q pocket knife.
That ended the conversation in that
direction. From that moment the
woman seemed very busy with her
thoughts, and conversation Jagged.
On two or three occasions when adj
dressed her she started up in nervous
way, and asked me to repeat the inter-
rogation. At ten o'clock I signified my
desire to. retire for the night. She
took a candle and assembled to the loft.
and I heard her pulling the bedstead
about and tramping around. The floor
was of .undressed and unmatched
boards, and the light of her candle
could be plainly made out.
When she came down she handed !