The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-21

what felt as if I wanted to fling him,
head first, out of the winder.
$50 matters went on until September,
when Mr.. Bean gave huskin' party.
"We young fellers set to work with q
will, an afore sunset the corn was all
husked and piled away, and the barn
floor swept clean for the dance ah' sup
per we was to have in the evenin'.
'Pretty soon the women folks began
to flock in, all Dire: sed in their best, an
lookin' as fresh an bloomin' as a flower
garden after shower. :,
''But Sue was the prettiest of the hull
lot, dressed in her white frock, with the
pink ribbon tied around her waist.
"Silas Pcterkin, he was there, of course,
an as soon as see him I went to the
house.
GAS was standin' on the back steps,
out of sorts with myself an everybody
else, heard voice say:
"'Davidp
can turning round, saw Sue, lookin'
as smilin' as a basket of chips.
"'Ain't you comm down to the barna
says she.
"I ruther guess I amt wanted says
"Oh, yes, you are,' says she; I want
you.'
''She looked and spoke 80 sweet that
I was eenamost a mind to go. But
Jest then I heard Silas calm her; an
mutterin' somethin' about havin' some
tools to grind, 1 walked off.
81 was most sorry fort, though, when
caught sight of her face as she walked
away with Silas, an saw how sober it
was.
"Sittin' down on the back steps, I
went to work; the raspin' of my file
soundin' deal pleasanter to my ears
than the fiddlin' that hoated up from the
barn down in the medder.
at had been uncommonly hot for q
number of days past, but this had been
the hottest one of all. Not leaf moved,
an there was somethin' unnatural in the
stiffness of everythin' around. There was
strange look to the sky, too; it was
streaked overhead with purple an vi'let,
with sort of yellow glare in the west.
"Old Bose, the dog, who had been
wanderin' restlessly about for the last
hour, now set up mournful howl.
"When I went to fodder the cattle I
found the poor critters huddled together
in one corner of the yard, utterin' low bel
lows of terror and dismay, their instincts
warning them, as all these signs did me,
of the tornado that was approachin'.
'Goin' back to the house shut every
door and winder.
"Then thinkin' of the folks in the barn
that was the most in danger of any
thin'-I ran down through the garden to-
ward the medder where it stood.
s'But had hardly gone two rods be-
fore it came-liftin' me off my feet an
hurlin' me against an opposite fence!
II picked myself up an hurried on. AS
come in sight of the barn-or, ruther,
where it once stood--the air was filed
with dust an hyin' shingles an timber!
GAS soon as it cleared away bit, I saw
Sue standin' in a most perilous position
right in the midst of it!
II shouted to her to come away; and
jest then the wind took her up as If she
was but feather: bearin' her directly to-
ward me. I opened my arms, an she
came right into them.
GAS she did so, one of the fyin' sticks
hit one of nay arms, maxim it useless;
but holdin' her tight with the other,
took her to some low bushes in little
hollow between two hills.
THE tornado was as short as it was
violent, and though good deal of dam.
age was done, luckily, no one was hurt
much.
"Sue escaped without a scratch: My
arm was broken; but considerin' who
nursed me, you needn't waste any pity
on me for that!
81 heard arterward, as soon as the
alarm was given, Silas Peterkin took to
his heels, an never stopped until he
reached his fathers door.
"Whether he heard that the old man
vowed that he'd set Bose on him ii ne
ever came nigh Sue ag'n, I can't say, but
his visits ceased from that day.
IL sent him an invite to my weddin',
which took place few months arter:
but as he didn't come I'm sort OF mis-
trustful that he was afraid of another
tornado. ."-New York Nelos.