Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-01-10

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that ever heard Of, said LOTHIAN.
4 st'It WIS Geronimo. them"
SF'WronyS again" corrected lothian.
"But pcfinps your Major realizes that it
isn't very necessary to bc accurate in his
"reminiscences, when women arc con-
ccfned.
Lothian, how can you be so unjust?"
flashed up lfloisc. 2 'My Major, indeed :
I've a'grcat mind never tc speak to you
again
And ii ended in lothian Mcrrywisc's
inviting Thcodosia Miner to go with
him upon the famous picnic party, whose
ostcnsiple purpose was to search for
chcstnnts on the rocky slopes of Rattle
snake Hill, the spur Of mountain some
few miles to tao eastward of thu village.
Thco was not SD radiantiy pretty as
Eloise neither had she so much to say
foi herself, but she had winsomc.
shrinking violet sort OF way with her,
ami i'll her quiet manner there was some
thing infinitely rcs;ful to lothian Merry
wisc's perturibcd spirit
i And Thco 81, up nearly all night to
''do mp her one white piIuc gown, with
its lace frills, and retr;n the Gainsboro
straw hat, whose roses had been drcnchcd
by last Sundays unexpected shower.
, The day, take il all in all. could hardly
be reckoncd as success. II did not alb
solutcly rain, but the sun hid his face and
sukcd behind the clouds, and a ,lrcary
wind blew down drifts OF damp, yellow
leaves, instead of the much coveted chest
nuts.
And somehow the asscmblagc, seemed
incongruous, and did not assimintc. The
village bcauX were undcniably wet
blanketcd by the loquacity Of the Major;
their Sunday suits were oulshonc by the
blue and gold that he persisted in wear
ing in season and out Of season.
Whatever we say" sighed Hiram
Pcncfcthcr, dcjcctcdIy, "hc's ready to go
us one better
"Nicc place this mountain said the
Major, "but it isn't to he compared with
the Si"riaS. And as for evergreen forests
! just wish yon had seen the woods at
Lake Mistos SIM, where | campcd last
summer. As for r,ttlcsnakcs-''
At that moment piercing scream rem,
the air. The Major jumped up from the
tree stump where he WAS sitting, IL sar-
dine sandwich in one hand Il wedge of
m,rble-cakc in the other. Two NEEDLE
some little lads had pricd moss -cnamclcd
rock from its resting place. II fell with
resembling crash down the steep mount
ain side, revealing most startling sight.
"By George, nest of rattlcrs.' -
shouted George Duccy.
The little @rou? scattered in all dlrcc-
iionS. Onc or two girls tainted. the
children ran away; an ominous sound of
Kissing filled the air. lothian Merry
wise sprang from his seat ut Thcodosa
Miners side.
"lIcllo, Major" said he, "hcrc's an
opportunity to try the back of the neck
knack. Or you might do little snake
charming
But Major Bathurst had turned very
pale. lie dropped his sardnc sandwich
and took promptly to his heels. speeding
down the mountrin like Il practccd
runner trying for the stakes.
El'jsc had Sprang up, too hut cn the
default Of her cavalier, stood there with
diatcd eyes and crmsoncd checks. over
come half with indignant modification,
| Hull WIN trrFDF.
al would almost appear sail Mcr.
rywisc, picking up II convenient Jagged
stone, Gas ii the valiant cavalry officer
was afraid"
"kill en-, somebody" bawlcd Major
Bathurst. from the bottom of the hill
Give constitutional horror of snakes
My mother was Just so. and my grand
father ON the Bathurst side. If you'll
just step down this way, Mis-, Eloisc"--
with tardy SENSE OF his soral RESPONSE
bilities-''I'll see that YOU are protected"
81 need not 90 So Tar as that To b.
protected, said Eipi>c hmuyhtily. "You
can come back, Major; Mr.. NLcrrywisc
has killed the rntticsnakc"
"Got bitten: Whislys good for
thai-or a rcd-hot iron to cautrrizc the
= wound. :, shouted back the Major. II
guess Ia better 20 for the. doctor
There ain't Il second of lime Ia DC lost ~
And he vanished, leaving Miss Elton
10 return from the picnic ground AS best
she might.
can old RATHER and two young ones.
chg said Squire Elton, when he came
home the next evening. And Joe Mcr-
rywisc killed EN- ali, did he? We'll,
sooner he than me. 1t takes Il good deal
Of straight out pluck to tackle good
old fashioned RATHER, such rs used TO
grow IN Iiattlcsnakc Hill, though | did
suppose they were all hunted out long
ago. But Jotham's one of the kind that
isnt't easily scared. So the Major showed
'cm IA clean pair of heels, did he2 Well,
I've sort of mistrustci that fellow all
along. His big stories were somehow
TOO big to be true
"Thc coward" cried Eloisc-''to
leave us all to perish. lie need never
come here again"
"Wcll, don't think he wili.' cluclllcd
the squire. ~ saw EN- pilin' big trunk
up on the stage rs passed the hotel, and
the initials on the end were 'B. t.,
which take to he Basil Bathurst, with
a U. S. A., in extra big letters, painted
underneath. By-thcway, Thco Miner
is going to have that snake skin cured
and mounted for her parlor cabinet OF