The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-28
CHUNK"
zum Dpke, ANantq constltntlOn.

appropriate and descriptive "Chunk.
Few people knew her real name. She
didn't know it until she married Tom
Hubbard, when she heard the preacher
call It,. But that didn't matter. Any
name suited her when Tom called her by
it. Tom thought there was not another
woman in all the world like Chunk, and
he was not far wrong,for she was a,qneer
one.
Anyway. she loved Tom, and wouldn't
give the flip of your finger for any one
else. She had never seen many people
in her whole life, hav ing always lived
hid away in the pine mountains on the
Chatthoochee River: but she had seen
Tom, and loved and married him, and
was happy in her seclusion. 1t was
queer life they led. A small field of corn
supplied their bread. and few patches
about the house afforded vegetables for
table use. They had traps in the river,
too, and caught lots of fish, which they
carried to the store out on the State road,
several miles distant, and traded for arti-
Giles of need and luxury.
Wild geese and ducks also were to be
had at times, and disposed of in the same
manner; for you must know these fowls,
following the instinct of their nature,
fee the chilling frosts of the northern
winter TO basil a the southern sun. A
light rowboat served both to visit the
traps and to ferry pedestrians across the
river, from which service dime was
sometimes realized Thus, "by hook
and by crook" as the term goes, they
made scant living, but a happy one.
Chunk, for the most part, attended to
the traps, conveyed passengers across the
river, and handled the gun with all the
cleverness of an expert.
AS for her being afraid, Tom told the
men at the store that she was not afraid
Of sold Nick" himself, and her actions
fully verified his statement. When Tom
was tending the little farm or was gone
to the store, Chunk took the gun in the
boat and went to the traps, often return
ing with the bottom of the boat covered
with fish. Failing in this, she took a
circuitous route from the landing to the
house, going through the heavily tim
bered forest. tripping noiselessly along,
all the while on the lookout for squirrels.
"What luck terday, Chunk" asked
Tom one night in early spring, when he
had returned from the store.
only toler'ble. Got or right smart
cpanCo u ISL, WV Goooo "h ooiio
squir'ls."
'I'll halter 90 back ter ther sto' ergin
in the mornin', / reckon"
mot erblige ter. put ther fish in
ther box in ther river, an they'll keep.
Yer ken salt down Their geese an Their
squirls, an they won't spite. spec
them's ther las geese we'll git this sea-
son. fer ther weather's turnin' warm, an
they're most all gone. Yer kin wait till
day after termorrow ter SO. ter Their sto' +,
eff yer'd ruther."'
"Yas, that's SO, Who wus that er
u'stin' NV his lungs down ter Their landin'
this even jes' as got homer"
Ser sto' bought Teller whut wanted ter
cross" Then after while: tom, he
says they's er place bout twenty miles
down Their river whar Their houses is thick
es them trees ON Bluff Hill, an they's mo-
people lives in 'em than they is fish in
Their river, AM he says that's whar they
make cloth an ever thing we use. An
he says they have great big things ter
haul on, longer n UNI here to Their river"
Hes er lier. Whut's gwine ter pull
that big wagin? Couldn't git enough
HOSES in err ten.acre feel ter pull it"
"He says they don't nothin' pull 1t. 1t
jes' runs ITSELF An says of we wus thar
we could wear fine sto'-bought close an
not do nothin' but whut we wanted to-"
Tom was incredulous, but Chunk was
firm in her conviction that there was
something of it. After some further dis,
cussion the subject was dropped, and
Chunk remained silent and thoughtful.
Her mind wandered away from the
weird scenes of her past life, and she
dreamed of cities factories and railroads,
and the gay fashionable life of civiliza-
ton.
She saw herself clad in fine dresses
and Toms look of admiration. And she
saw Tom--her own dear Tom-wearing,
with becoming dignity, the gaudiest
apparel money could buy. All this had
been told her, and she believed it. The
hours dragged YEARLY by, and when by
bought man returned to cross, he found
Chunk at the landing waiting for him.
.' n
"Ehl Chunk mus be after some mo-
geese" said Tom, when he had prepared
dinner. Reckon some er Their traps is
outer fix an Chunk ain gointer leave
'em till she gifts 'em right. She's On
mighty hard un ter turn down when she
sets her head, an her head is mighty
nigh always sot. Sometimes when we
go ter ther traps tergether an finds 'em
to up. and works at 'em till bout dinner
time, says: Chunk, dad blame it all,
I'm hongry less quit
can she'll say, Wal, you ken quit ei
yer wants ter, but I'm gwineter fix the
fetched thing TO / stop When she
say that, hits Katy bar ther do, fel
she's gwineter do IT," With this salts
factory solution of the non-appearance OF
his wife, Tom spread quilt on the
floor between the two doors of his cabin,
where he could catch the cool river
breezes, and gave himself to sleep
When he awoke his companion had not
returned, and, closing the cabin door be
hind him, he walked down to the boat
landing.
Tie boat was gone and Chunk was
nowhere to be SEEN He went up the
river and down the river, vainly strain
ing his eyes across the broad eXpanse OF
water to catch glimpse Of his com
panion, but the only moving objects Wis
ible were the waves. Evening came
lie quickened his pace, hurrying here
and yonder with uneasy footsteps, now
and then sending loud whoop across
the roaring waters But no response
Night set in and he became frantic.
Rrshing wildly through the swamps
or pushing blindly from crag to crag
along the steep mountain side, he sent
pleading cries on the night air only tC
be echoed by neighboring hill OF los
in tire recesses of the mountain. All
mint bp gnant thus and In tho Ynnrnt ~,