The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-13
CHAPTER IL


The woman continued: "Ue did pint.
eddy feel bad; but he kept himself to
himself and went on fooling his money
away, rafting his timber down Black
and getting aground, and having to paw
n heap to boats to tow him off and that
way; and one day, Robinson had to go to
st. Louis to buy goods, and there he got
good place as clerk and sold out,
though Hetty didn't like it; but he hadn't
fairly asked her to name the day, so
she couldn't say nothing, but she hated
it the worst in the world and looked
like she couldn't bear to have him go;
but he did go and she didn't git but one
letter and news come in month he
was married to st. Louis girl. Then
Hctty she took up with Seth, and mar
ried him, and bout year after they
was married back comes young Robin
son, no more married than the door
post, and accuses Seth of knowing the
story was not true, and having had a
letter from the girl they told it bout
saying she wasn't engaged to Robin
son, and of sending him the paper with
the notice of the marriage, and making
him think lefty had gone back on him,
till he met up with some one from our
way and got the whole story. couldn't
begin to tell you all the row he made. He
drawcd on Seth, but Seth was not afraid
OF him no more than nothing and
knocked his pistil in the river, and said
he never did get that letter, and surcs
you're born he told the truth, for il
come out afterward that she thought
she'd sent it, but she hadn't. But Won
can imagine that Hetty felt terrible.
Robinson came up to our house-I was
back on visit then-and he begged me
TO get him speech of Hetty, once. He
wanted to explain and he cried, he felt
so bad. lie was right nice Teller only
little hard of hearing, and mad if you
spoke too low, and he was awful fond of
clothes and used to put pretty smelling
stuff on his handkerchief like girl. +
told him there was no use trying to stick
on chickens head that was cut off, but
he said here he'd come all the way to
see lefty, and how they had played to-
gcther, and all that, when they was chill
dren, and how was kinder mother
TO 'cm and SO he sorter got me all worked
up. / amt eXcusing myself, but when
he showed mo the ring he'd brought
Hetty and made like he was going to
throw it into the river-but he didn't.
He groaned like and stuck it back in his
pocket, and they do say his wife wears
it now; it was gold ring with little
blue stone and two pearls in it. But as
was saying, when he went on that
way, clean forgot to quiz him bout
why he hadn't written to Hetty for he
hadn't and he could write the best in the
world. ! Twas SO taken up with plying
him and looking Mt his fine clothes that
I jest let him wheedle me into promis-
ing that I'd give his letter to Hetty.
And did. 1t was only three months
before Leon was born. don't sec how
I could do it, but I did. Hetty read it
all through, and when she had finished
she, that was as strong girl as yea
ever see for all her littleness, she faintsd
dead away, right thcrc!"
'Did she go?"
Dwell, no ma'am, she did not. She
set and set there, she told me. after
wards, until looked like her head would
fair burst with studying. Then she got