The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-25

"You are hurt said the master. gen
timely shocked, land here am OBTAINING
you"
II had my hand up-so," explained Nc
Kinstry, with heavy celebration, land the
ball raked off my little finger after it went
through my hat But that amt what /
wanted to say when l stopped ye l amt
just kan enough yet" he apologized in the
calmest manner, land / clean forgit my
self, ;" he added, with perfect self-possession
But was kalkilatin' to ask youh-he laid
his bandaged hand Familiarity on the
masters shoulder-'if Cressy KEN all
right"
Perfectly" said the master ''But
shan't walk on homo with you, and we
can talk together after your wound is at
tended too"
"And she looked purtyF continued Nc
Knstry without moving.
Very"
And YOU thought them new store gounds
of hers right peartp'
too fine for the school, you know" he added,
insinuaiingly, land"
mot for her-not for her." interrupted
McKinstry 81 reckon thar's more whar
that came from! Ye needn't fear but that
sne kin keep up that gait ez long ez Hiram
Mckinstry hez the runnin' O. her."
Mr. Ford gazed hopelessly at the hideous
Y,
trail before him; then his glance fell upon
the hand still upon his shoulder, and he
struggled with a final effort
"At another time I'd like to have a long
talk with you about your daughter, Mr..
McKinstry"
Talk on" said McKinstry, putting his
wounded hand through the masters arm.
81 admire TO hear you. You're that kan,
it does me good"
NaVarfhpteSS tba paStar was conscious
that his own arm was scarcely as firm as
his companions. 1t was, however, useless
to draw back now, and with as much tact
as he could command he relieved his mind
of its purpose. Addressing the obtruding
bandage before him, he dwelt upon
Cressy's previous attitude in the school, the
danger of any relapse, the necessity of her
having a more clearly defined pos tioa as a
scholar, and even the ACCESSIBILITY OF her
being transferred to a more advanced
school with a more matured teacher of her
own sex.
This is what wished to say to Mrs. Nc
Kinstry today he concluded, 'but she re-
ferred me to you"
"In course, in course" said McKinstry,
nodding complacently. "She's a good
woman in and around the ia lch and inaly
dom o. this kind" he lightly waved his
wounded arm In the air, ''there amt bet
ter, tho | say it. She was Blair Rawhns'
darter; she and her brother Clay beia' the
only ones that KEN out safe arter their
twenty years fight with the McEntees in
West Kaintuck. But sHe don't understand
gals ez you an me do. Not that Pm much, ez
| orter be more kan. And the Old woman
jest sized the hull thing when she said sac
hadn't any hand in Cressy'S lEagement
No Il ore she had And ez far ez that goes,
no more did me, nor Seth Davis, nor
Greasy"
He paused, and lifting his heavy-lidded
eyes to the master for the second time, said
refec lively:
''Ye mustn't mind my tellin' ye-ez be-
twixt man and man--that the one ez is most
re >ponsible for the nakiL' and breakin' o
that engagement is you."
mel" said the master, in utter bewilder-
ment.
"You!" repea ed McKinstry, quietly. re-
installing the hand Ford had attempted to
withdraw. 81 amt sayin' We either knowd
it or kalk lated on t. But it war so. Ef yo'd
bark to me, and meanier on lite, I'll til
ye how it war. ldon't mind waikiki piece
your way, for if we go toward the rauc1,
and the hounds see me, they'll set up a
racket and bring out the old woman, and
then good-by to any Confidential talk be-
twixt you and me. Aud Pm somehow,
hammer out yer"
He moved slowly down the trail, still
holding Fords arm confidentially. although,
owing to his large. protecting mlnner, he
seemed to offer ridiculous suggestion of
supporting him with his wounded member.
"When you first KEN to Injin Spring, d"
he began, Seth and Cressy was goin' to
school, boy ard girl like. and nothin' more
They'd known each other from babies-the
Davises bein' our neighb0rs in Kaintuck,
and emigraten' with us from St. Joe Seth
mout hev cottoned to Cress ard Cress to
him, in course o. time, and there wasn't
anythin' betwixt the families to hev kept
'em from marryin' when they wanted. But
there never war any words passed, and no
engagement
But" interrupted Ford, hastily, ''my
predecessor, Mr.. Martin, distinctly told me
that there was, and that it was with your
permission"
That's only because you noticed suthiu'
the first day you looked over the school with
Martin. Dad, SEE Cress to me, that new
teachers very peart; and he's that keen
about noticin' me and Seth that | reckon
you'ld better Civ out that we're engaged
But are youp SEE |. 'Itll come TO that in
the end seq Cress, and if that yer teacher
hez come here with northern ideas o. society,
it's just as we'll to let him see Injin Spring
amt entirely in the woods about them
things either SO | agreed, and Martin
told you it was all right; Cress and Seth
was an engaged couple, and you was to take
no notice. And then you ups and bjects to
the hull thing, and allows that courtin' in
school, even among engaged pupils, amt
proper"
The master turnei his ewes with some I'M
easiness to the face of CIessy's father. 1t
was heavy but impassive.
81 don't mind tellin' you, now that it's
over, what happened. The trouble with
me, Mr.. Ford, isl amt kaml and you air,
and that's what got me. For when heard
what you'd said, got on that mustang and
started for the school house to clean you
out and Civ you five minutes to leave Iniin
Spring. don't know ez you remember
that day. I'd kalkilated my time SO ez to
ketch ye comm out o. school, but was too
airly. L hung around out o sight, and then
hitched my boss to buckeye and peeped
inter the winder to hev good l. ok at We.
1t was very quiet and kan. There was
squirrels over tue roof, yellow jackets and
bees dronin away, and kinder sleepin'-like
all around in the air, and jay birds twit-
term in the shingles, and they never
minded me- You were movin' up and
down among them little gals and BOYS lift
in up their heads and talkin' to 'em softly
and quiet-like, ez if you was one o. them
yourself. And they looked contented and
kan. And onct-I don't know if YOU re-
member--you kem close up to winder with
your hands behind you, and looked out 30
kan and quiet and so far of, ez if every
body else outside the school was miles away
from you. 1t KEN TO me then that I'd given
q heap to hev had the old woman see Won
. lrz.. 20 IL A