Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-06-15

someY hers bout Jim-Ned Greek Sun
day night"
"Jes-to think O. me goin' to town
oncet mol" said Mrs. Pinson, me6ita-
lively, that night, when she and Bee
ky were getting supper in the brush
arbor behind the cabin. Il amt been
sence you was a baby, Beck. 1o'
paw an me went to Wash Dinwall's
infair-he died with his boots On four
year ago; an Tempunce Loo-thet's
his widder-she's married agin to
Biiy Green. l rid benin him, an be
toted you on his lap Townfolks air
mighty bigaty," she added, warning
ly; "n' ye mus do up thet pu'ple
caliker o. yourn, Beck, an put on yo'
shoes an stockin's"
Seems lax fo' days won't nuver
CO." fretted Beck, "an' ole Baldy air
sho to lame his se'f, or sump'n'. It's
alluz that o. way whence a body air
plumb sot on doin' thing"
But the four days did 60, and when
the eventful Sunday afternoon came,
oldBaldy unusually sound and spirited
was with jimmy. the gaunt gray mule
harnessed to the wagon; the patched
and dingy cover was
drawn over the bows,
a bundle or two of fodder and q few
ears of corn were thrown into the bin
der part, and Mr.. Pinson drove gayly
alongside of the rail-fence in front of
the cabin. The rickety house door
was drawn to with rock behind it
to keep it shut. A couple of chairs
were handed up for Mrs. Pinson and
Becky, and they clambered in with
the baby. The yellow cotton poke.
we'll stuffed with corn bread and ba.
con. and the battered coffee pot and
frying pan, were slowed under the
chairs. Polly Maria and the boys
sat on a quilt spread over the sweet
smelling fodder; Rove, Ring, and
Spot, the lean, long-eared brown
hounds, yelped and whiDed against
the wheels.
They jolted away, serious, as be.
came perfessin' family on Sunday,
but full of inward excitement. At
night they camped on the pecan-fring-
ed banks of Jim-Ned, and were of
betimes in the morning. But not too
soon to find the road lively with
friends and acquai ntances from all
the settlements around, bound on the
same joyous errand as themselves.
They passed Joe Holder, with his
wife and sister-in-law and the thir-
teen children of the two families,
creaking along in huge freighter's
wagon drawn by five yoke of gaunt
wide-horned oxen; they were overta-
ken and outstripped by noisy squad
of girls and young men on horse back
from the Fork Valley neighborhood;
they kept within hailing distance for a
dozen miles or more of old Daddy
Gardenbrier and his wife, riding dou-
BILE on their blind yellow mare. The
Mount Zion folks, they heard, were
ahead of them by some hours, and an
impatient youngster who trotted by
on paint pony threw over his shoul-
der the information that the Big Pud-
die layout was coming on behind.
Lord, Nance!n Mr. Pinson ex-
claimed more than once that morning,
II wouldn't of took five dollars to of
staid at home"
"Nuther would I, Newt" Mrs Pin
son as often returned, with kind Of
solemn delight on her thin, sailow
face.
The long reaches of post-oak rough
were heavy with sand; the shinn oak
prairies between were tangle of
roots that zigzagged across the road,
and made progress slow and painful;
the abrupt banks of the frequent dry
creeks" were steep; the October sun
was hot and by noon old Baldy had
become utterly dispirited. He had,
moreover, fallen little lame, and he
moved along dejectedly along by jim
ny, who long ago had Topped her big
ears downward in sign of WEAKNESS
and discomfort.
The Pinsons under the dingy wagon
cover were wellnigh speechless with
impatience.
Suddenly Dan stood up, knocking
his head against the low wagon bows.
"Jes over yan." he declared, "pas'
one little bit O. shinn-oak prery. an
crost a dry creek, an up a hill, is
town" Dan had been to town once
with Sam Leggett to lay out his long
boarded egg money in a four-bladed
knife and pair of store suspenders.
Polly Maria, slim and thin. legged,
standing up beside him, pitched back
ward into the fodder as the wagon
came to a sudden halt behind group
of dismounted horsemen, who, with
their brides over their arms, were
squatting down, apparently searching
for something in q half: dried mud
puddle to the right, of the road.
"Hullo, Jack!" called Mr.. Pinson;
what ye lost?" One of the men look,
ed over his. "Hy're, Newt? How
dy, Mis- Pinson?" he crird, springing
to his feet and coming back to the
side of the wagon, where he shook
hands all around. 1--WE amt lost
nothin;," he went on, put.
ting foot up on the hub of the front
wheel and resting his arms on the hot
tire; Eve done found sump'n', though.
you bet! A genooine el'phunt track
in the sof mud yander, plain ez day
light, an no mistake"
Polly Maria and the boys scram-
bled in hot haste over the tail-board.
Mr.. Pinson threw down the reins, and
held the baby while Becky and her
mother jumped out.
"Wish | may die eff it amt el'-
phunt track shop be exclaimed, when
be had joined the wondering circle
gathered about the huge footprint.
at looks to me lax ez eff it were
hine-side afore somehow" said Mrs.
Pinson, timidly:
II have just been explaining to Mr..
Jack Cyarter here and these other
gentlemen, madam" said Mr.. Tolliv.
er. the old Virginian who taught the
school at Ebenezer Church. that it is
a fact in natural history that the track
of the elephant always presents thai
appearance" He removed his hat as
he spoke, and made an old-fashioned
courtly bow