The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-06-11

Save in such toll as makes man blesu
Your home is Gods immensity;
We hold you but at his behrst.
-Gcorge Parsons Lathrop In New York indie
pendent.
EVEN UP TO DATE.
"l cant help how much yer love me,
Yani can't marry yer, and you'd just
rs well look at matters in n reasonable
way"
"But why, Mandy? There amt no
other feler yer thinkin' more of than
yer air of me, is there?"
I'm tallIin fair and squar to yer
Van Jones. I've always liked yer as q
friend, but if yer want to keep friendly
with me yerll have to stop this talk
right here I've told yer that l didn't
love yer, and, more'n that, never could,
an as to lovin or thinkin more of some
body else that's somethin ] don't think
consarns ye in the least"
"Oh, come now, Mandy, don't put me
off in this here way. If yer friend to
me it won't take yer long to love me.
I've been mighty nigh crazy fer ye fer
the last three year I've got so | can't
work fer thinkin of yer in the day ner
sleep fer thinkin of yer in the night.
There's lots o other girls in Chincapin
Holler, but yer takes the shine out of all
Of 'em They're no more like yer than
a dishrag's like silk handkerchief In
my eye yer as far above 'em as Pilot
Knobs above Cowskin Flat. I'd give
my mansion in the New Jerusalem fer
Jest one kiss o them purity little red
lips o yer's." SO saying, Van tried to
draw Mandy toward himself, but Mandy
with flashing eyes arose to her feet, and
as she did so gave him a smart slap in
the face and said
"Van Jones, yer a fooll Ye take yer
self right off from here or III call pa
I've been a-tryin to reason with yer as a
friend, but see yer amt got no sense.
Thar's the door, and don't yer never
come back here again"
"But, Mandy
Don't Mandy me-par
Van did not stop to meet "pa," but
took up his hat and, with a scowl on his
face and an oath in his heart, left the
house. He was an i'll visaged fellow.
| His features wore the unmistakable
marks Of cruelty, cunning and sensual
ity. His face was dark naturally, but it
was colored deeper dye by the smoke
| of his forge, for Van was the black
smith of Chincapin Hollow. His burly
black head was set upon thick neck
and thus fastened to herculean trunk.
He had all the characteristics of cruel
and ferocious being He wended his
wQy slowly up the Hollow, muttering
curses as he went.
81 know who she's stuck on; its that
darn Sam Gray, but by thunder I'll get
even with EN-" he Missed between his
teeth. "She wouldn't own to to it, but
4 I've had my eye on him, confound him. -
1t was lovely Sunday evening in the
month Of September, in that part Of Ar
kansas called the Boston mountains.
The sides of the mountains were covered
with luxuriant chincapins, scrubby oaks
and trailing, heavy laden muscadines,
The scenery in Chincapin Hollow was
delightful to one in frame Of mind to
enjoy it, but Van Jones saw none of its
beauties, in fact it is doubtful if he ever
was conscious of them.
If he took any further notice of them
at all it was as rock, water and brush.
He soon reached his shop, which stood
some distance up the hollow, 1t was
an old log building, whose caving roof
bore striking resemblance to a sway.
back horse. The tottering chimney Wis
ible above the gable had the ral1ish air
of battered silk tile on a drunken
sailor The door, hung on single
hinge, and being partly open, exposed
the interior of the building TO view
The tools were lying promiscuously
around, and it was evident that Van was
not neat shopkeeper, He entered the
building, still bitterly cursing his lucl
and swearing vengeance against hi.
rival.
"I1l get even with him if it takes fifty
, years." he snarled. "He shan't marry
! Mandy Piggin because he's got a goot
farm and a horse or two more'n Tv,
got. I'll get even with him If I've go
to burn his barn or pizen his well. II
let him know that the man he's buckiI
agin in this business amt no slouch, =,
and a diabolical scowl settled over hi
G. features as he ceased muttering an,
drew from his pocket a large clasl
y knife, which he proceeded to sharper
p upon grindstone
While Van was thus occupied the sun
was slowly sinking Long shadows fel
across the Hollow. Gradually the dis
% tant mountain tops were wrapped il
roseate mists, and over the valleys float
- ed purple yapors The shadows begii
to deepen in the Hollow, and finally tn
last ray Of light vanishes from the noun
tain's peak. First one bright star an
then another rises in the east, peerin
down into the shadows below. SlOwl
Il the heavens become decked with tn
q myriads of bright scintllating gems O
I night. 1t is a calm, delightful night i
early autumn; the pure mountain all
like an ethereal elixir, eXhilarates an
cheers both man and beast
In the starlit night a man on hors,
back is seen slowly riding toward Je
ferson Piggin's house. He seems to /
in no hurry, for he allows the splendi
mare ho is riding 20 choose her ow
IL gait, He rides up TO the front Of I'll
3, picket fence surrounding tho hous,
"a throws the bride over one Of the picket
r. and knocking gently at the door is ms
by the blushing Mandy and bashfull
invited in
"Howdy do, Miss Aandy7 How air )
this evenin;'
Purity wen, thank ye, Mr. Ora.
How air ye and how air yer folks:'
"lm purity well, thank ye, and d
folks air about as common. Been enj
ing yerself today, Miss Mandy"
le mo, haven't, Mr. Gray. Its be,
," an uncommon dull day 10 me, sc
been injying yerself today, Mr.. GrayT
mo, I can't say that ! hev, Mi
Mandy was down at shoot
match at Cowskin Flat, but there WI
no good shootin done, aud / came hom
But looks like purity gal like y,
shouldn't feel lonesome-hey, Mi
Mandy
,w "Why not. Mr., Gray? Don't yer thin
an gals cit lone ome sometimesy'
gTtor1aef oF al Ia aa,raninr- p