Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-22

fortin; second is, eff ever / kett hes You
md Jack Greer tergetlicr agin, him md
me I'll hey trouble"
Tho old mans eyes blazed, and he
flung himself off to bed with an angry
curse upon his lips. Hardly had he dis
appeared, when he thrust his lean face
again through the doorway and said:
"Termo'ier mornin' airly, you take
yoreself down ter Sharp's store md git
me five pounds o. blastin' powder
five pound-d'ye hyurf'
eyes, pap, but whose ter pay fer it'll
Sharp says he won't credick you''--
"sharp be blowed. You pay for that
thar powder long o that war wash
nd water atterw'rds. Ill about strike
that vein in day or two, reckon"
Jack Greer was at Sharp's store when
Nep Fenton came in with her basket of
clothes. She avoided his eye, as she
took up the amount of her wash money
in various articles, naming last tho five
pounds of powder. Sharp looked dubi-
ousi but, ut meaning look from Greer,
he assented so quickly, that Mop, sus.
pectinS tho cause, cumo over and faced
Jack.
81 can't let you do it,n she murmured,
'fatter what pap said"
"Nep," ho whispered, p!eadingly,
"don't ye say no. It's all L kin do for
20 now; but, oven if you've stopped a
keerin' fer mo, i"
''Jlack," she moaned, in pitcous
whisper.
Her tono, and one mutual, melting
look was enough. Ncb objected no
more, while jack walked slowly off to
his work down the hollow, feeling that
his previous suspicious were unwar-
ranted. Nep did love him still, despite
old Fcnton and his vaporings.
"Dikc needs KILN, he do" said Jack
to himself. Thar the pore girl hev ter
wash ter keep life in 'em bof, nd Dixie u
foolin' long of played out claim.
Staivin' ter death, md yt he thinks the
guv'nor o. the State o. Gcorgy hissc'f,
air hardy good huff fer her."
Several days after this Greer inter
copied Nep on her return from another
trip to Sharp's store. She was silently
crying, and her basket was empty on
her arm.
"Ncp," said he, taking her hand,
"thur hcv gottcr be a ccnd put to thish
yer. l seed Sharp this mornin', md
wanted ter pay up yore count, but he
SCI you top him not ter take it. ND
now--scc!-hc won't let you hcv emmy
thin moro ';well you're up md paid him
for what you hcv had What's tho
reesin ye w'udn't lcmme pay up agin
fer yc?''
''kasc you've done that too off'n
already, Jack. ircckon I've got lcttlc
spcrrit lcf', ef do like We. Lukin' OH
ye as pap do, hit Amt right fer yc ter be
u payin' out money fer mc-for us, I
mean.
"Ncp," said he, scanning her earnest
ly, ''ye LUX pale md peaked. Pm master
fear'd yc didn't hcv no dinner to-day.
I've ben watchin' yc. You'll pinch
md do 'thout yorcsclf. ter let old Dixie
eat enuif ter git strcnk ter wuk in that
cussed mine, C. ELL starvc yo bof out.
You'll be down sick next, md Pm q
goin ter put stop to it one way er-
nuthcr shore. I'm goin' home with yc
right now"
decided, yet tender; and, though Ncp
tried to dissuade him from again facing
her father, he paid little heed aud only
said:
rights right, Ncp, md it's beyond
cndurin' to see you KILN yorcsclf fer
yore pap's caazy nosens. Haint he never
SOlu' Icr lc'rn no ScnSc.
II think, for the las day or so, he's
ben gittin' out o. heart hissclf, she
confessed at last.
ppm gittin' pcstercd about him; he
just progues eroun' the ole mine md
don't pay no tenshun to nuthin'."
IND you've ben kcepin' yore trub-
bles from me-, lie said, rcproachfully,
but her tears made him the more ten
der.
Hand in hand they walked on. with
the roar of Tallulah Falls growing
louder, while the sun rested upon the
gilded crest of the great precipicc be-
meath which Dixie Fenton mooncd and
dclved in vain. AS they neared the
cabin, Ncp again grew alarmed.
"fou'd better go back" she said,
'hit'll unly make pap mad to see us two
together"
81 ct him git mad thcn," replied Greer
firmly. "l1e'll halter get plcezed agln,
afore lets him starvc ye plum ter death.
Don't you poster yorcself; I'll do the
talkin'."
She said no more, for they were at the
cabin, but found no one there. Then on
up under the great cliff to the mine, at
the mouth of which they could see Dixie
Fenton seated, with his ga G fixed va
cantly on the falls. and while of
blue smoke rising behind him from
within the tunnel.
The two drew near, hut Fenton needed
not, but sat like one in a dream.
"What can lie the matter long O. pap?"
said Nep, anxiously; but upon Greer,
the meaning of the peculiar shade of
smoke flashed like lightning. He leaped
forward like deer, and she, not know
ing, followed him.
Within the tunnel, not ten feet from
where Fen:on sat, Kissing fuse pro-
truded from the bed rock below where
the veiI had been sought for. Not a
foot remained unburlod. Ncp saw and
screamed, but stood as though pctriged.
while old Fenton cast dull glance at
them and growled:
o. me-"
But Greer pushed Nep, even as she
shrieked, down the steep slope up VIII CHI
they had climbed. Then turning, he