The morning call., 1892-09-18

lDhE uQW lUE htl AuDNS OU DuE L lay 6Z
so0n's Alb Hale an the boys let up affirm
maybe they KEN to thar senses. They wuz
the wuSt skeered creatures / ever seen. But
I'll say this much fur 'em: I'd a durn sight
ruther hev Alb Hale an his boys for me than
agin me-"
Hartredge Joined in the ganeral laugh
which followed this addendum.
'Tm sure now that ! met moonshiner
yesterday" he remarked; 'in fact, two or
three Of them, thought L never thought OF it
at the time. This one, though, that started
to speak Of was a rather young man, and he
was in a covered wagon. | thought possibly
he had apples, and wanted TO buy some. l
asked him first If he could direct me TO your
house, and he told me entirely wrong. Then
l asked him what he had for sale in his
wagon, and he replied:
Gourds, durn yep"
Josh Coffee and the boys gave a deep
"Yawi yaEl yaw!'
"I'll be boun' he did p was the old moon
sinners exclamation. Hits plum wonder
he didn't up an shoot ye! We uns ia the
mouptings air plum 'spieious NV our own
shadGers a bein' revenUers."
But" HaTtredge remarked slYly TO his
host, "your wife told me that you were not
a moonshiner-in fact knew nothing more
about a still than l did. I'm in total iguor-
anee."
"Orh, phsawl You uns mustn't mina the
ole 'oman's foOishness. The ole oman heZ
reg'laT im--jams, a-seein' of reVenuers Std
o snakes"
"Waal, be-" Mrs. Coffee admitted, with
an embarrassed laugh. Then she rallied
and turned on her husband.
You uns had better open yo' eyes ter
L 'em leetle of'ner yo'se'f." she remarked.
dryly. EFF ye'd a he'd sense like lead
mule ye'd never bin coch up long o the
boys yistiddy."
IL.
Lncian Hartredge was what the mothers
of Savannah called "a safe young man."
That is he had capital income. was in
paying business besides, and was amply
able to support a wife in luxury, whenever
be chose to take until himself that expen-
sive commodity; be came from good
family-th best, in fact. the most arist0-
cratic in the whole Of Chatham County
and, last but not least, he had fewer vices
than any young man In their list OF ac-
Quaintanees. He bad strong self-control,
which never allowed him TO debase himself,
and his respect for womanhood amounted
TO reverence.
Therefore when the realization stole
coldly over him that he had begun to love
an unrefned, uneducated mountain Crack
er"-loyed her merely for her great beauty
of face and form, for her simplicity OF heart
and soul, but loved her desperately never
theless-he stood appalled,.
During his first visit he had remained at
the cabin about week, and in that week
with Clarissa, but his eyes followed her
every movement. her every EXPRESSION. He
was completely fascinated. That she was
conscious OF this close surveillance be could
not doubt, for, looking up suddenly, she
often caught his gaze fixed upon her and
burning blush would dye her face and milk
white throat and then die away. leaving her
very pale.
The ore be carried home with him was
pronounced worthless. and all thought of
Il
doned. he told himself that he was glad OF
| this-that he would not again be exposed to
the danger Of that beautiful face and the
magnetism of those brown eyes.
Yet, at the end OF two months he again
| found himself on Screamer Mountain. Ii
| the iron pyrites was q failure, he had dis
covered another mine more tempting aud
| even less likely to bring in any returns.
1t was Aprll, ana spring was all over na-
ture. The pines, though preserving their
| dark greenness all the year round, now
| seemed different. The sap was rising and
| flied the air, while the branches were
tipped with little tender shoots of lighter
| color. The laurel, also perennially green.
showed foliage lighter in tone aud was in
full bloom, the large, delicately pink
I flower, cup-shaped, the edges deepening in
hue almost TO rose color.
Lucian Hartredge pursued his way up the
mountain rather slowly, for his love was
still eontending with his Self-c0ntenlpt, and
The latter was dying hard. Then suddenly
the object Of his meditations stood in his
path. His horse SHE'D and Clarissa started
violently
He dismounted and stood at her side.
'I'm afraid my horse frightened you" he
said gently, his hungry eyes drinking in
every detail Of her marvellous beauty.
Probably at 30. when~ her bloom was gone,
she would be Yellow and wrinkled and
homely as her mother, but now she was ex-
quisite.
Il caan't say ez the creetur skeered me-"
she replied, Iruthfully. Il wuZ tuck back
at seein' you uns. Hits bin so long sence
ye left, 'cose we uns never lowed ter sot
eyes on ye again.
1T has been longer TO me than ii could
| possibly seem TO you. | had no earthly
business coming back now, oDly-I couldn't
| stay away" The glance with which this
vas accompanied gave no room for misun-
| derstanding, for, though unsophisticated,
| she was still woman. The flush faded,
leaving her very pale. and her eyes, meeting
| his IN one heeting glance, looked like the
| startled eyes of a fawn.
| But there was no time to speak further.
| They had reached the fence, and Josh Cof-
fee was sitting in the door cleaning his gum
His greeting was cordial.
IVY, stranger" he exclaimed, dropping
! bis gun and coming forward with his long
strides, ''Ihe sight O. you uns air good fur
So eyes. KEN along In. The ole oman III
be plum glad ter see ye-she tuck bodaci-
Gus shine ter ye befo'. KEN to see sump'in
mo- bout them 'inpyrirs?"
We'll. yes" the young man replied
bringing out chair and tilting il against
the side of the house. "You see my part
value to us-they think that it doesn't con-
tain pnoupb pyritas But don,t agree with