Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-17
THE ARKANSAS GIRL


IN northern Ark arIssts e. Just little VA
through bra,nbles and over y gTounc
Of broken stone that Is common in th'
Ozark fooshiIls the SpsncerS lived
They I've there vet. for all ! know. but
Il has been 80 long sinee ] heard any
rssiisg of them that | assume. ostrich
Ike. that they are not there now u
was before the railroad ran cat-s-cOrneT
aeruss the northern part Of Arkansas
that knew them "a simple sort Of
peouae. very like all the Ozark natives,
three b0ys and girl the old folks and
an aneieng aunt or 50 The boys were
common types. constantly in fear OF
rexeuue osfeers
The Spencers made whiskey-of that
they usade no secret save eoovieting
facts The boyx were watched by Off
GERS half the time. bat no evidence was
erer secured agaFnst thssn until ten
years os successful evasion OF the laU
bad elapsed The giri--Hennie Spencer
Tas her nAlne-h4d pretty face and
wIsowy form. and, what Is more and
better. she ala not have the Ioerhsome
habit Of chewing snuff OF dipping i.
% Csc s genuine Arkansas djOsn- Sew
eraI of the native sOus Of lizard. Stone
and Fulton counties had east sleeps
eyes AZ Henuie more than o0as. bu;
never did they receive any encourage
meut-
They needn't eous round me, she
wo1Id say doggedly u WOnl6n't hsy
the best maz alive
Hennie was smarter than the avsrags
Arkansas baekwOods girl not alone In
the expressed determination not to gel
married, but In business matters she
evinced decided aptitude. Her broth
err IntruSted her with the secrets o.
their business. Hennie knew ever.
stiIIhouse within all the border coun
ties; she knew the names of the mel
operating them; she knew their records
their haunts and their plans Of eIudinI
the revenue laws Of the land Henni
kept the crude accounts of the Spence
still. By which she was enabled In fes
moments TO give a detailed statemen
Of the indebtedness of any one Of tn
patrons Of the Law violating establish
ment
1t was one Of those chilly days tha
sometimes come In July. even as IA
south a. the Ozarss A still breez
bsew along the Spring river valley
while clouds mounted in the sOuthwes
and threatened rain II seemed to-
chilly for that. so she old natives said
bat a newcomer would only look at tn
elcuds and then hook for a heavy down
fail Hennie Spencer was walking
along the country road-mOre like
path than a road - when she met tn
newcomer lie was riding There wa
a sharp turn in the narrow highway
and the stranger burst into view befor
the native girl knew OF the presence O
any one but herself He sat straigh
In his saddle His hat, a wide brinmne'
slouch. shaded his yves, bnt did no
hide a smoothly shaven lace, "A good
clear mouth. "A strong chin and the ever
trace OF determination that marke
each line OF the countenanee. A Wiz
chester was strapped across his back
Hennie stepped to one side, not |
fear. but with something Of curiosity
She at onee--instinctiyely. perhaps
thought that the stranger was reve
nue. officer
Good morning. saluted the ride
ten seconds later In case Of rain
where could get shelterr
In spite Of her surnise. the Spence
girl gave a respectful and truthful an
AweF
why, over Al our hOgse. | reckOn.
she said 'TAint very far--Fight owe
yander-
Nay 50 over theFe wifh you nov 2
queTied the ycune ulan. alizhting.
why. la c0urse: on'y-on'y-whC
are you. anyway
We'll. my name IS Junpson - Wood
JImpson. of ST. Louis live up theFS
bay some cotton sometimes. you
know. and I Vas down south oi I1ttls
Rock ga business ThOught I'd rids
back 70 Poplar Blua. ovsF'n Missouri
where III set a train back home.
'-Oh. zaid Hennie. 20 yOa live ~
10 Mtssourah. ehf Well. eosne GA How
big Is yoar t0wnr shs sent on- ANY
thing Ike as bls a. Little Rockf
Ever - much lArseE.r sid JimP
s0a- Its great big town. Why. "
have a breweFy theFe tnost A. big a
al q Little Rock. yoa know.
''oh, said Hennis again She wa
Interested In the nevcousF. She didn'
know Just how, but she felt kindly 10
ward him He vas the Grsg man thA
aha ever zaw that she thoughf slle eooii
marry. OF eonFse she thoueht ~ Al
these things a. they walked thnougii th
woods be leading his horss and chAi
ting a. they proceeded 0iFis thinl
lots q things thar they donr Put 1
woriz
Il snppo1e yen people doUu her
think that every man wigh a sun =
revenue oilcer. dOnt yoaf Jnnprol
nsked, hooking AZ hennie with laasbln.
eyes, ''lor oi course knoW. H. urn
On with a smile. ''sla4t you al max
Whisky dqun hora
efIow do ypu knowr hennis nzked
"A nitls bird tela "a thsfs elt