Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-12-11
A THEFT CONDONED.
nY.lGRRTRupE sN1ITu.


other houses faced the west. 4. Tho rail-
road track was across the street from
I these houses, with n broad plank walk
and q little Imprinted box of station,
The houses in Pawnee were all one
story wooden buildings, with the gable
ends toward the street. Mrs. Dyer's
L house was painted dull red; the other
houses were not painted.
It had been warm day aud tho sun
had shone glaringly on the unbrokcn
prairie around Pawnee.
The town was on slight rise of
ground. You could see more than
twenty miles in three directions. A
narrow strip of woods broke the view
on the north, half mile away.
Mrs. Dyer stood in her front door and
looked over the prairie. The railroad
track wound away toward the south and
disappeared where the earth aud sky
seemed to meet. The sun was going
down and the short thin prairie
grass looked white and gold. The rail
road track shone like silver. There
were no clouds. In places the blue OF
the sky was so light that it was almost
white. The air was cool and clear after
the warm day.
'Thc suns going down without any
fuss Tonight" Mrs. Dyer said, sitting
down on the doorstep. "Just idroppin'
off the edge, like the string that held it
had been cut"
She folded her arms in her lap and
{ turned her face away from the bright
light: She was small, old woman
with thin features. She wore her hair,
which was still very black, combcd
smoothly behind her ears. Her eyes
were black, with keen look of resist.
ancc in them. This look was cmpha-
sized in the lines around her mouth
Mrs. Dyer lived alone. Her son kept
q little store and the postoffice In the
front room of one of the other
houses. Two years before when her
husband had died Mrs. Dyer had come
West to be near her son. Her son had
invited her to live with them, but she
had refused.
You amt got room for your own. l
didn't come out here to be bcholden to
anybody. I'll have my own place, and
you'll see enough of me, dodgin' in aud
out, MS it is"
She had spent the greater part of the
time watching the carpenters at work Oh
her house, during her forced stay ut her
sons. urging them to work faster, and ut
last in her Impotence moved in before
they bad finished shingllng the root.
She had decided TO postpone the plaster.
ing until some time when she should 20
away on Il visit.
The sun had gone down. The air was
a soft gray and very still.
"Wcll, mustn't sit here gcttin' the
cramps" SHE said, getting up from the
step ~ do say amt seen them mover
Wagons before. l wonder now if they've
stopped slncc'I been sitting here. They
ycamped near enough! suppose they'd
buy something up to the store. The NOV
ers bring in John quite little, off and on.
There comes John up this way. wonder
I now what's hc'comin' up here for. What
you want, John2 they amt ANYTHING
the matter, is thoy?" she called.
John came slowly toward her. He
was large man, but his clothes, which
hung loosely, gave him the appearance
OF being tim. He wore soft felt hat
pulled well over his forehead. His
ieycs were like his mothers in color, but
there was none of the determination in
them,
"Have you seen the movers campin'
/; ovcryonderaeashe asked, pointing .across
the prairie.
"Yes, l just was lookin' at them when
see you comm upe"
Well, they were Just two of them up
to the store, and they was evil-lookin', I
can tell YOU NIsrthy was In the store
and see them, and she would have 1t
you must come over and stay to our
house Tonight"
"Why, amt afraid of movers, as 1
know off,
'tShe don't want to think of you stay.
In here by yourself, and I'll own don't
neither"
"Well, limit goin' to leave my bed
cause some movers happen fo,he camp.
in near. There's always movers comm
and goin'. guess if they. stole me
they'd drop me when it come light
y enough to see what they'd got"
swell, j think you'd better come.
niarthy won't feel easy unless you do.n
81 amt goin' to be so silly,
to please Marthy or no one. /
amt got anythin' they want, with
!. out it's that money I've saved to have
my carpet rags wovc up, and they'd
never think of loollin' in can for it.
Its one of them cove oyster cans. I've
made pin cushion that fits down into
7 the can, and sewed cover around the
outside. You'd never know it was n can
Y to look at it. l see one made something
Z like itwhcn i lived East
"You amt got much money in it.
have you?"
gifts all in nicllcls. I've been savin
OF ut up for near two years. On, guess
they must be foun or five dollars. l amt
counted it just lately"
well, think you're foolish to stav
3 here by yourself, when you can Just as
well come over. 1 think you'd better
change your mind and come alone.n
He turned and went back along the
4 grassy road toward his own home. Ho
walked with his head bent down and
with shambling; gait He was dreadinr
mi II