The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-01-16
A TALLULAH GIRL.
BY WILLIAM p. BROWN.

BY WILLIAM i. bhO"N.
''No, Jack, Ireelly CANT meet ye hyal
emmy more-'nd that ar fact"
"Wal, Nep, thurs one good reesin fol
it, reckin," and Jack Greer folded hi:
arms and gazed gloomily at his sweet
heart. "l ou've stopped keerin' fol
me-tharS about it."
"No, .)ackw
She threw herself in his arms with
such sweet abandon that his lame
doubts fled, despite his transient per-
yersity of humor. But now grim,
severe, elderly face looked in on them
from round jutting corner of the cliffs,
and man advanced with threatening
gestures.
slack Greer" the new conner said,
'sPve tole yer onct my dartar wont fer
the likes of you, md tho't I'd LUX ye
up. ND hyur ye air q slippin' md q
slidin' eroun' like snake in the grass,
atter a gal ez don't b'long to ye md neve,
shall while my heads hot"
Jack, being already angry, flashed up
anew, while Nep shrauk back for the
moment. The two men gared at one
another. In the eyes of Dixie Fenton a
dangerous light appeared, while his thin,
wrinkled face wore look of vindictlve
precision. At last Greer recovered his
balance.
"You can say what ye pleeze. You
are Nep Fenton's father. l knows what
yore reesins are fernot wantin' me ter talk
ter Nep, md they're jest about ez thin ez
yore chanct for strlkin' pay dirt out'n
that thar TalluIah vein. Hits done
broke up two men afore ye, tryin' ter
git what God Almighty eser put thar. "
'Hyur, Nep," said Dixie Fenton,
tyou come long O. me. The nex' time,
Jack Greer, l ketchcs you foolin' eroun'
Tallulah Rock after my gal, you'll about
git a number forty-hve slapped clean
throo ye. Talks cheap, but thurs ben
q sight too much wasted. Hits time
now fer sutthin' yelse."
With this Dixie seized his daughters
hand and pulled her down the steep
trail leading to his cabin below, while
she cast one melting glance behind, as
though to convince Jack that, though
thus coerced, her heart was still faith
full. Jack, still fuming, flung himself
off in an opposite direction, with no very
encouraging thoughts for company.
These events occurred long before the
Civil War-before even the sArgonauts'
OF 40 had made Californias annals read
like fairy tale. The gold discoveries
in North Georgia were fresh in the public
mind, and hundreds had gone thither in
quest of fortune, The mining camp on
the Tallulah, where Jack Greer hoped
and toiled, lay mile or more below the
falls, at the foot of which, Dixie Fenton
was working the claim which had al
ready disappointed two former owners.
But Fenton was one of those one
dead creatures, who are at once en-
shaved and nouyished by the dominant
motive that for the time vigorously
spurs them on While prospecting, he
had found gold snake in this abandoned
tunnel, aud at once took possession, for
he was quite as superstitious as perse-
vering. The disused cabin beneath the
falls was re-occupicd and made CHEEKY
by Nep's bright face and active presence.
Fenton busted himself in the tunnel that
burrowed under the bulglng cliff, known
as Tallulah Rock, returning nightly to
the cabin with monomaniacal chatter
over the Aladdin-like wealth awaiting
him somewhere beneath that frownipg
precipice. Nep would listen hopinglY,
doubtingly and make weekly trips to the
camp below for the miners clothes,
which she washed to keep the pot boil
ing while waiting for Dike's fortune to
appear.
All day long. while the waters roared
and the mist whitened over the falls, Nep
cooked, sewed, washed, ironed and
thought of Jack Greer, who had before
this began to court her boldly. But, as
his one idea strengthened, Dixie Fenton
became ambitious for his daughter.
When he had once "struck it rich," Nep
should be put off to fine school at
Augusta. A rich, genteel husband
would follow, as matter of course
Dixie, himself. would be man of i'm
portance then; and, as for Jack Greer
we'll, Jack was no "blg bug" nor ever
likely to be one; therefore, Jack must
let Nep alone.
Hearts, however, strove to be trumps
for while after lenton had forbidden
Nep to countenance Jacks proceedings.
Then came sundry surreptitious meet
iDgs, and aftcrward the surprise and ex.
plosion we have seen.
II tell ye, gal, it won't do, hit jest
pintedly won't dop' Dixie said to Ner
as they sat before the fire that night,
while Tallulah Falls flung liquid mur,
murings in at the door, and the mists
were draping the cliffs in ghostly fila,
ments. "Ipanned out more black sand n
ever ter.day, md thur were half a grain
ter the pan, in testin'. I tell ye l never
goes back on signs, md whur ye find a
gold snakes hole, somewhur thar the
gold is, shore"
"Jack sez ez he air maxim three
dollars day now," ventured Nep, loatl
TO give up her idea. Hes a pittin' of
down yander, md"
whats three dollars day." de
manded Fenton, disdainfully.
eHit's better'n washin' md ironin', 'nt
Gvin' on air, 1 reckon" Nep felt stub
born, for, to tell the truth, Dixie had no
made enough the last month or so to pa.
for the soap she used. ..~..
"shet yore mouth, gal. What do yo'