The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-16

woods after the cows, partook of the sumacb leaf in autumn.
 When the old man entered the house he found Liza sitting on the floor, shelling corn to be taken to the mill.
 "Wuz you talkin' ter somebody, pap?"
 "No."
 "I thought hearn you talkin'."
 "I wuz, but want talkin' ter mo- body. Only talkin' to Bill Sum- mers."
 She dropped an ear of corn and looked up at him.
 "Don't you call him somebody" she asked, as she took up the ear of corn and began to pick off the grains.
 "No, I don t, an mon that, you shan't think so, nuther."
 "You kaint hep whut a body thinks"
 "That mout be, but I ken hep whut a body does"
 "Sometimes yes, an sometimes mo-" "All the time yes in yo' case, my lady. Ive been a mother an father ter you both, an I don't intend that you shall fling yo'se'f away"
 "I've been ez much to you ez could, pap. Pve been daughter. I'd been CT son, too, eff could er."
 "Hush yo' nonsense" The old man sat down, and for a time shelled corn in silence. At length he said:
 "I don't see what makes wimin sich fools. It do pear like ever crap O gals has less an less sense. Now, tell me one thing. Whut do you want with Bill Summers? Come, blab it right out"
 "I ain't said that wanted him yi:."
 "But you do, don't you?"
 "I reckon l do."
 The old man slammed an ear of corn against the floor with such force that the grains flew in every direction. The girl looked up at him, and, with out saying any thing, went on with her work
 Liza"
 "Yas, pap"
 "Know me putty well, don't you?"
 "Toler'ble we'll"
 "Know when say Pll do thing, Tll do it?"
 "Yas."
 "Wall, of you marry that feller, I'll kill him."
 She looked at him and her lips quivered.
 "Kill him ez shore ez powder'n burn SO eff you don't want him ter die, don't marry him. Oh, I know what you're thinkin' about. Think you'll run away with him, but femme tell you that Pll foller you turder than from yare ter ole Ferginny. Mark what tell you"
 The girls head sank and her hands trembled.
 The next day while Liza was in the woods looking for the cows, Bill stepped from behind a tree in front of her.
 "Bill, fur pity sake, go on away '" she exclaimed.
 "Not till you go with me-"
 "Oh, kain't do that"
 "Don't love me, then"
 "Yes, do; love you till Pm putty nigh crazy, but pap will shoot you. Sw'ars that he will foller us, an you know he'll do it."
 "Yas, think he would. Don't want to die, but am willin' ter resk it."
 "But ain't. Elf it wuz for myself I wouldn't kere, but"
 "Ho, Liza w the old man called.
 "Yas, suh, Pm comin'. Bill, git away rum yare jest as quick ez you kin. Please do. Elf you don't, never will speak ter you ag'in."
 The old man called again, and the girl hurried away. She had not gone very far when she met her father. He had his rife.
 "Whicher way did that feller go?"
 "Fur Gods sake, pap"
 "Shet up! Which way did he go?" "I don't know, suh."
 "Wall you mosey on ter the house ez fast ez you ken. Elf you don't mosey I'll take limb ter you, an ef l don't fetch you two big years O 8 coward Adam wuz a goat"
 He drove her away and hurried into the woods. His dog preceded him on track of 8 rabbit. A heavy rain had fallen the night before, and the creek,
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