The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-05-30
BLACKMAN'S GULLY.
BY H. M. HOKE.

James blake, on his way to Mary Ora
hams home, came through the dense
woods browning the top of Blackman's
hill. The night was long remembered
in the neighborhood. A heavy snow
had fallen the previous day, succeeded
oy a rain which a sudden north wind
had frozen to a slippery crust. The
moon, n night on the wane, was a
half hour above the eastern mountain,
sllvering the long stretch of snow, and
turning the ice on the trees mo dia-
monds. Blake stopped a moment on
the summit of the hill, to admire the
spectral beauty Of the night, and to
cast an awed glance down to hehideous
gully into which the steep and jagged
side Of the hill fell. The place was
upon the farm of young Rodney Black
man, and ever since the accidental
death or murder of the elder Blackman
there manyyears before, ithad been re-
garded with aversion and horror by the
country folk.
1t may be that Blake stopped, to
more firmly to set his courage for his
errand. He was a prosperous young
mechanic in Templeton, the village
whose lights twinkled in the valley to
his left, and vas going to learn Mary
Graham's final answer to his declara-
tions of love. Beset by the customary
obstacles, the principal being elusive
ness or coquetry on Mary's part, he
had wooed her for two years. He was
now determined to have the question
settled that night.
Mary'sfather Wasa well to dofarmer.
Mary herself was a vigorous country
girl, who might we'll have been an ideal
of rural beauty, and who set upon her
self an estimate by no ear too low.
She was not backward in making
known the standard by which the sue
cessful 0 0 must measure. Whether
James Blake so measured was a much
discussed question in the locality. It
was admitted that he was an ideal of
muscular and honest manhood, and
If his means did not quite equal Mary's
prophesied dowry, he had a capital of
vigor and determination we'll worth
taking into consideration.
Another of the obstacles had been
set up by Farmer Graham. He de-
clared that. having no son of his own,
the man who won Mary must come
and live on the farm and learn to care
for it after he was gone. To many this
would have been-and, indeed, was
more Of an inducement than an OBJ
stacle, but Blake was interested and
successful in his business enterprises,
and he stoutly asserted that the wo
man he married must leave all for
him. 1t was to adjust this difference,
as well as to get a final answer from
Mary, that he knocked that bitter
January night at the front door of the
Graham farmhouse, and was hidden
Come in"
Mary sat knitting by the wood fire
in the capacious chimney place, and
seldom have hearth flames frightened
a prettier domestic picture, James put
his hat on the table, pulled a chair
over near her, and after q few prelim-
inaries, began to state the purpose of
his call.
MARY, do you know how long I've
been coming to see you nOW?'
cit must be-" she replied, pausing
mischievOusIy, as if she did not know
the exact time to the day, "a year,
anyhow, isn't it,"
ut was two years ago yesterday"
us it, indeed?" she said, in captious
establishment. "I wouldn't have
thought it."
Mary" he said, in mild censure,
I'm serious tonight, and I'd like you
to be, too. I think you remember as
well az I do that it's two years since
the first night I brought you home
from the p~rotracted meeting in Temple
ton. Ihave told you often that l love
you and want you for my wife, but
you have been pleased to turn away
the subject, aud I see you r disposed
to hold me off tonight. I want to tell
you that I came to get yes or no."
He paused, and she looked up in real
wonder at the decisive tone marking
the last statement.
Yes, I'm in dead earnest to night"
he continued. What is your answer?"
There was no sound save the clicking
of her knitting needles, but she gave
her head an independent toss. and
pursuing her lips in like spirit, she re-
piled
and suppose I don't choose to give
you any answer to night1"
well, no answer this evening will
mean no, To ne You have had time