The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-01-14
THE ARKANsAw TRAvELER

fellows who only seven days ago gen. teelly retired from Mrs. de Vere's "Kaffee Klatsche" and husking off their Prince Alberts, boarded train, and thenceforth became creatures of different species. Four days sporting and jolting about in the wilds had lowered them considerably, and now, as they came rattling along, stopping to gaze at the barefoot girl while the horses drink from little stream run- ming through the rail fence, they could hardly be recognized as the originals, Greville Craige and Thomas Turner, of the Magic City.
 "Pretty face," said Turner.
 "Yes, pretty face and pretty head, doubtless" replied his companion. "Let's speak to her. Say, Miss, is that bouquet de aAium cepa you're culti- vating there?"
 "No, they's onyans," said the girl, pulling one of the small pointed spikelets.
 "How far from here to Wayback, Miss?" asked Turner.
 "Well, Mister, l guess yer right thar, now. Farmer Dender lives thar, way back O the tother farms right on the aige of Arkansaw," replied the girl, pointing down the road which wound past house and stretched away ill dim perspective, across the invisible state line into the Indian country which lay blue and misty in the distance.
 "Well, we're going in that direc- tion," said Turner, pointing westward. We are missionaries going out to risk our lives among the Indians. This clerical looking chap" clapping Gre vile oil the shoulder, "is my assistant and fellow laborer, Canon Craige, who, with myself, has been sent out by his majesty, King Cleveland, to convert the Choctaws and Chickasaws. Good day, Miss" And so the mis- sionaries dashed away, singing
 "IiUe Pdmour, riUe le rin, I'ire td compdgnie."
 Past the pigs plum trees, pale with bloom, past the orchard where the green pips of peaches weighted the trees over the road the girl watched them till they halted at the house when, with lips curling disdain- fully and flash of fun in her spark ling eyes, she plunged into the wild rye waving over the path leading to her home.
 The house of Farmer Dender was of that style of architecture called "pieced out" The original was a log cabin, to which had been added sev- eral clean to's," rooms and porches, the color of each addition indicating it's age.
 When the vehicle stopped Daniel Dender came shuffling out, his large, ill-fitting pahtaloons impeding his progress so much that he got along very slowly.
 twill you keep us to- night; it looks very much like rain?" asked Greville Craige.
 "Wall, it ain't CT goin' ter rain, stranger. It never rains alter night in July but yer welcome ter stay Can't they stay, Aunt Viney?" calling out to feshy old lady knitting on the porch.
 "Yes, eff they want ter," she replied with calm indifference. The young men were soon seated on the cool, clean porch, after having requested water and towels and having been con- ducted to big box where, with gourd basin and hand-knit towel, they refreshed themselves.
 They found the family to consist of Farmer Dender, his wife, "Aunt Viney," two sons of Sampson, who were hired hands, and black eyed, leathery- looking female called "Lizer," who hired out ''as one of the family" This latter individual took a lively interest in the strangers, di- viding her time between the kitchen where she was preparing supper, and the porch where she listened to, or participated in the conversation, while she ground the coffee, or whetted the butcher knife, and at one time brought chicken to singe while she asked had "the furriners been long in these parts"
 But Lizer flew around in sprightly manner and soon they were sum- moned to supper, where they found the table loaded with such delicacies as ham, honey, bread, butter and chicken, of which they were forcibly commanded to eat.
 "Don't be timothy" said the farmer, seeing Turner pause on his first huge piece of ham, while he, himself, plunged into pyramid of chicken.
 After supper, on looking around, the stranger was surprised at the con trasts found in and about the house. While it was furnished with com plete indifference to the conveniences of life, roughly and rural like for the most part, in the front room they fOund a new parlor Orpan.