Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-04-14

"hiSh iitNC DCCD cltucT IL river or
creek, it was wide, limpid and deep.
She was tall aud somewhat angular, a
woman in height, but the short cotton
frock and short red hair, aud something
In the way she stood, spoke ut once OF
youthfulness, had not her voice been
heard. She was in her eighteenth year.
With one long brown hand shading
her eyes from the glaring autumn sun
set, she stood apparently awaiting some
one.
All about her were the forest trees in
their richest colorings, aud the soft rustic
OF the leaves with the ripple of the water,
was oil that was heard for moment
after tho shrill echo of her voice died
away; then the big black dog lying at
her bare feet growlcd. and sprang quick
ly to his own.
'Comin' at last" the girl snid in an
undertone, as the dip of oars, ut first
family and then louder, fell upon her
ears.
O you're never tardy," she continued,
with slight sheer, rs n small skifr, con-
tanning one occupant, young fellow of
about twenty-thrcc years of age, rounded
the point.
He wore suit of blue denims. n
rimless straw hat, and his feet were also
bare. He was dark almost to swartincss
and his black eyes gave g!eam of
dissatisfaction for an instant, while the
rich blood suffused his neck and face
until it was fairly purple.
81 amt latc," he said SLOWLY. while
wide sweep of the oars with his strong
arms and brawny shoulders shot the
little boat far upon the pebbly shore, like
IN arrow from Il catapult.
"Awful smart" the girl said
sententiously, giving the huge brute at
her side several sharp cuffs on his cars to
emphasize her words and give vent to her
temper.
~ wouldn't kill the dog cause yer
mad at me-" he said.
kill nuthin'," she calculated
sullenlJ. "What time dye reckon it is,
Beechnut Lordf"
Nigh onto six, guess, ;" he answered
quietly, stepping from the boat and
drawing it still further on shore. GUN,
UNI, it's after seven"
He fastened the little craft, and then
as she started up the path he followed
her at the heels of the dog, and in much
the same detected way, through the
thick, winding interlacing of leaves and
vines.
The faint tinlllc of bells could be
heard in the distance, as the trio
followed in the foot prints of the LOWING
kline; and anon the whr of partridres
and twitter of night birds. Darkness
iellas they reached the bars, where the
Dig eyed COWS stood in the fading grass
and weeds, quietly waiting.
Beechnut took down the bars and
drove the cows into the yard, Wyhc fol-
lowing with her pink sun bonnet OH her
arm, her sallow face full of discomfort.
He put up the bars again.
"Good night" he said kindly, ana
turned away.
The big black dog still skunk at her
heels, and skulkcd after her as she On
tered the low doorway of an old lor
house, and then he crcpt under coarse
bed that stood in the corner of the low
ceiled room, and laid down with n
yawn.
Wylie Adams gay- little start as she
entered tho room. A bright fire burned
IN the wide fireplace, over which hung
an iron pot, from which issued savory
doors.
a tall, middle-aged woman was busy
about the room, and stranger sat before
the fire in one of the few splint -bottomed
chairs the cabin contained. He did not
see Wylic when she entered, as he sat
looking thoughtfully into the fire, but
the tall woman spoke.
"Wall, yer cum at lastf"
Wylie made no reply, but nod. and
Tor the first time in her life looked down
with blush at her bare feet, which
were both soiled and bruised.
1t was evidently something unusual
Tor stranger to be seen near Silver
Creek, ana this stranger. was certainly
out of the ordinary. Wylie's daring
spirit quailed.
He turned and arose as Wylie's mother
spoke, bowling and Offering his chair.
The gawky girl cast furtive chances at
the stranger, and thought how fair and
"good-lookin'" he was, how yellow his
hair and blue his eyes! so different from
Beechnut, aud other boys she knew.
Once she discovered him looking
keenly at her, and if she could have read
his thoughts they would have been in
this wise:
"Not such bad looking girl, ii she
was well dressed and educated. Nice
eyes. Badly tanned. No, don't ad
mire red hair. Most too thin and tall,
and why does she go barefooted2"
After the young man had been given
''tallow Dip" and shown to the innel
room, and the rude door closed afte
him for the night, Wylie crept to he
fathers side.
"Who is he, Pap2 an what duz hi
want hyer7"
ga young chap as is rich as all gi
out, an he's going to build big, fin,
house down thar by the old ford, an
reckin hell bring his folks hyer arte
that, tho he didn't say"
Wylio Adams didn't wait for moro