The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-03-09
HALTER ~.

I
heart, for the relationship between Lucille and
Boyd Savely was too plain to be mistaken. Again
did attempt TO reason with myself. "Why should
you carer" almost fercely demanded of myself
''IOu are a mere acquaintance. You have known
her but few hours. If you have no more strength
than you now commanding, you cannot, in this
life, attain anything thst approaches success"
The house had lost its caste-li pretentiOns 1t
simply large brick house, with stone steps at
the front door and with long gallery on one side
The negro cabins at one end of the yard began to
look mean and the stables had become unsighty
that l wondered why they had not been pulled
down.
went into the woods, and, after strolling about
aimlessly, sat down on log. The sun had set,
and, in the stiffness of evenings approach could
hear the low mGrmur of the distant creek. Night
birds ventured from their hiding places and flew
away, and screech owl, sitting in the fork of a
dead oak tree, looked down. mufied himself and
uttered his tremulous and chill-inspiring cry The
stars came out, jewels in the crown of her majesty
The Night, and the lightning bugs, in hopeless
imitation, glowed where the grass damp. l
thought of many old poems, of many silly Ones
too, but even in my did not disregard the
truth that one of the greatest of all poems-night
in the woods-lay about me. | heard a fox bark
and then heard him jumping. The sly rascal was
making false trail-the willy politician was dis
guising his record. / started back toward the
house. Stealing into the very bosom of nature had
Gained me-
While standing for a moment on the gallery,
heard Lucille talking to some one in the back hall
way.
81 don't know why he didn't come to supper
she said at isa rare case when man misses any
thing to eat"
"'Deed it is, honey"
Lucille was talking to old Aunt Harriet the cook
81 don't think ever saw man who didn't rega I'd
his appetite with tender respect" Lucille con-
tinued.
=" Cose da do, honey cose da do, but we
Oughtenter blame em fur dat, everybody like
ter eat. Does merse'f, sometimes. l amt got
nuthin' ergin dat white generman, | doan
b'feve he hard ter cook fur, nohow."
"Oh, no. Lucille answered, "he is an inoffensive
sort of fellow"
ale amt bad lookin' pusson, still, l amt
settin' him up ergin Mr.. Savely."
81 would have gone directly to my room but l
met the colonel in the hallway.
"Why, Mr.. Burwood, where have you been? We
looked everywhere for you at supper time. Let's
go into the dining and see if we can't skirmsh
up something to eat"
mo, am not hungry" replied, pausing at the
foot of the stairway.
"No trouble at all, assure you. Mary (Mrs
Osbury had come out of the psrlor) here is Mr.
Burwood, and ne declares that he doesn't want any
supper"
"Oh that won't do Mr.. Burwood," she said,
with tone of persuasion in her voice. "You must
eat something and then come into the parlor, for
we have visitors | don't know where the girl is
but Lucille can wait on you"
protested, but it was of no avail, for, at the
bidding of her mother, Lucille came. She did not
appear to be pleased, and stammered many apollo
gies, but with true Kentucky hospitality she
laughed at my protests.
ana likes to put little responsibilities upon me-"
she said, when we had entered the dining room.
"But she should not have called you away from
your company"
"Oh they only home folks. Now, let me see
what We have. Not much OF anything, believe"
What the deuce did care whether or not there
were a morsel2 / didn't want to talk about any
thing to eat wanted to talk of poetry. WANTED
to say, "Stab me with this carving knife"
wanted to fall on the floor and tell her to step on