The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1889-03-02


take il, but he held il moment longer, and even
looked about to see If any had entered the room
during his minutes absence. When took the pic
ture he bushed. l looked at the card and saw the
face of a rather handsome woman, apparently
twenty five years of age.
"Who is she?" asked.
Now, you won't tell anybody"
Nobody"
"Her name is Ella Mayhem None of the folks
ever saw her don't know that there is such girl.
She teaches school about fifteen miles from here.
Look" he proudly added, taking the photo
graph. "You See she has written on this side
For Fred only If the folks knew anything about
it they would give me going over, because they'd
think she's too old for me, but she amt. Do you
think SOP"
"She doesn't seem to be-" replied, wondering
when should have chance TO tell truth. His
eyes glowed with grateful delight, and, grasping
my arm, he said: Il am glad you came here. |
liked you as soon as | saw you. They talk TO me
(nodding his head toward the door about going to
college and all that, but l'll tell you what's fact,
il wouldn't be any use for me to go to school now.
Why, tell you what, take up book sometimes
and read page after page and then look away,
and don't know a thing that I've read. You see,
there amt no use in Teller fooling away his time
when he's in that sort of a fix"
you can read poetry, suppose"
No, | can't" he answered Cant do that,
even. It's too slow. Teller tries 10 tell me what
he feels when know a deuced sight better than he
does don't to look at flowers All |
want is TO sit down by her and let her sing 10 my
soul"
Does she sing?" ventured TO ask.
ooh, not what folks would call singing. She is
song herself Why, il seems like every time
she speaks she sings, and every time she her
hand she touches a guitar. Well, now, let's go
down and look at the colt. didn't think ii would
he treating her right to show you the colt first
Wait in the hall till lock this picture up"
We went TO the stable and looked at the colt
Fred asked me, he lifted up of the colts feet,
what thought OF his general points. | no
points at all, but told him that they were excel
lent, whereupon he praised my judgment, and
promised, as a reward of my good sense, that
might, at some future time, ride the petted animal
When returned to the house found old
Buck Hineman walking in the yard. lie in
his shirt sleeves, pleasant the morning, and
walked with his hands held behind him. lie
looked the very picture of med tative reserve but
| soon discovered that he was ever ready 10 crack
the shell of his silence and that of his social
aims directed toward the discovery of an
opportunity to say something.
The break fast bell rang. The colonel met me at
the dining room door and greeted me heartily.
When we sat down TO the table, Lucille was miss
ing, but just as | had begun TO speculate on her
absence, and while was doubtless returning absurd
answers to sensible questions, she gided gracefully
into the room. She sat opposite me, and no
more embarrassed by my presence than il had
been hundred miles away. l gradually mastered
my agitation insomuch that was enabled to make
q more ratlonal estimate OF her appearance anu
presumsble character Her hair a of
black ringlets, of ringlets well defined that not
q struggling strand of hair was visible Her face
was graceful oval and yet there were lines of
character about it, l could not determine where,
yet knew that they existed.
"Mr. Burwood," said the colonel, "after break
fast we'll ride the farm. l hold that man,
in order TO write, must know something about his
surroundings Don't you want to go, daug hter?"
mo, sub" she answered.
"Got anything else to dor" he asked.
"No, sub, but just don't feel like going"
"Girls don't feel like doing anything these days."
old Buck spoke up. "There was a time in Ken
lucky when girl could weave cloth and kiver
corn at plantin' time, if needs be, but now things
are changed