The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-27


 had never before seen face SO hideous
 Colonel" said Len, arising, "I mus go."
 "What2'
 "Yes, must go. merely stopped in to see you, not intending. really, tc stay so long as have"
 "Stay to supper, old boy"
 No, thank you. must get bacl and help grandpa feed the cattle.
 "i am sorry you are going so soon Give the old couple my kindest regards please"
 The sun had gone down. The soft glowing twilight of southern winter evening tipped with gold the dead leave. on the oak saplings. Len stopped when he reached point where the road wound its way along a great bluff. which over. looked the river, and stood gazing down the stream. Cow-bells, with their tank ter -tank-tank, made music in the distan, canebrake; and away down. amid wi ] vines and rank reeds, the fox, preparing for night of adventure, caught the sound ot the bells and valued grotesquely in the thickening shades.
 "Hello, whut yer lookin' at ?"
 Len turned and beheld Honeycutt standing near him. am looking at the river.n
 "That's whut lowed ter myself, but CT feller that's got a hankerin' fur lookin' at ther river won't be much uv CT ham ter tend that 6el'.
 "Never mind the field, Pntake care of that"
 "Glad to hear yer talk that way. Like to hear CT man talk erbout work fur thar ain't CT lazy bone in my body. Mort Haney's been splitiu' some rails fur thar ole man, hain't he2"
 "Yes," That's whut I lowed. Them fellers done Mort up putty brown, didn't they iA "Oh, we'll, now, Honeycutt, dent want to talk to you. don't want your company, and you would confer a favor on me by"
 "Goin' erhead, eh ?"
 "Yes."
 "Wall, hain't got CT right ter stand here as we'll as anybody2"
 "l don't dispute your right and don't care how long you stand here, so you don't say anything to me-"
 "So good erbody kain't speak ter yer, lreckon."
 "Yes," rejoined Len, "I am too good or too bad or too something to talk with you"
 Hell uv CT teller, aint't yer ?"
 "Nevet mind what sort of a fellow am."
 "Thaps all right, podner, we won't hitch. like the ole man an wouldn't tower with yer jes' on his ercount. Made Mort putty mad when ther feliers larruped him, didn't it2"
 ( aRather," Len replied with a change of manner. He looked at Honeycutt, and did not seem to be tired of the in- terview. A suspicion had arisen in his mind.
 "Whut yer reckon they whipped him fur, Gansett?" "l don't know. You can probably an- swer that question"
 "How do l knowf"
 "You ought to know"
 "Why, so2"
 "You were ono ot the men who whipped him"
 "You are liar"
 "Say," said Len, strangely calm, "I wish you would be little more particu- lar. You might make me nervous if you keep on this way"
 Honeycutt laughed, and an owl which had alighted on the dead branch of tree not far away, hooted in refrain.
 "Whut makes you--oh, say, yer wuz over ter Hobdy's luther day. Ned is CT smart little gal. Putttiest young'un ever seed. When she gifts old ernuff me an her is goin' to marry"
 "God save her from such fate;'
 "Wall, go an ax ther ole man. She is gettin' erlong putty well new-soon be CT w'arin' long coats an it's bout time wuz CT lookin' out fur CT house ter put her in, Oh, her an ther ole man is anxious" "Ycu are a liar 1" Leu exclaimed, She cannot but despise you"
 "WsIl, go an ax her. rll bet sAe'll tell yer that we're engaged. Oh, you neenter git mad an stomp fufits CT fack, rher ole man tells mo that ef me an Ned don't git married airter while he uever will be happy, bat that's neither here nur thar. Whut makes yer think l |