Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-03-04

I nm ness. evidently need
Ad,-Aap, ing only cultivation
Ss:'.e-, to bring it into
49, power.
The girl, for 1t
was one, stood just
On the bank of clear, running stream,
which might have been either a river or
creek, it was wide, limpid and deep.
Shs was tall and somewhat angular, a
Soman in height, but the short cotton
rock and short red hair, and something
n the way she stood, spoke at once of
Touthfulness, had not her voice been
leard. She was in her eighteenth year.
With one long brown hand shading
Ter eyes from the glariug autumn sun
Jet, she stood apparently awaiting some
)ne.
All about her were the forest trees in
heir richest colorings, aud the soft rustic
If the leaves with the ripple of the water,
vas all that was heard for moment
Ifter the shrll echo of her voice died
way; then the big black dog lying at
Ter bare feet growled, and sprang quick
y to his own.
"Comin' at last, the girl said in an
indertone, as the dip of oars, at first
aintly and then louder, fell upon her
ars.
"You're never tardy," she continued,
With slight sheer, as small sl1iif, con.
aiming one occupant, young fellow of
bout twenty-three years OF age, rounded
he point.
He wore suit of blue denins, a
Unless straw hat, aud his feet were also
rare. lie was dark almost to swartiucs,
nd his black eyes gave CLEAN OF
dissatisfaction for an instant, while the
ich blood suffused his neck aud face
Until it was fairly purple.
81 amt late" he said slowly, while
t wide sweep Of the oars with his strong
rms and brawnv shoulders shot the
little boat ia. upon the pebby shore. like
IN arrow from catapult.
"AwGul smart" the girl sale.
ententiously, giving the huge brute at
ler side several sharp cuffs on his ears to
emphasize her words and give vent to her
emper.
81 wouldn't kill the dog cause yer
ndd at me" he said.
"Kilr nuthin'," she calculated
iullenly. "What time dye reckon it is,
3eechnut Lord?"
"Nigh onto six, guess, y he answered
quietly, stepping from the boat aud
irawing it still further on shore. I'm,
am, It's after seven.
He fastened the little craft, and thea
Is she started up the path he followed
ler at the heels of the dog, and in much
he same detected way, through tho
.hick, winding interlacing OF leaves and
zines.
The faint tinkle of bells could be
heard in the distance, as the trio
followed in the foot prints of the lowing
kline; aud anon the whir of partrdges
lud twitter of night birds. Darkness
;ellas they reached the bars, where the
( Dig eyed cows stood in the fading grass
and wccd;, quietly waiting.
Beechuut took down the bars and
irove the cows into the yard, Wylle fol.
owing with her pink sun bonnet on her
urn, 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 SUNK at her
heels, aud skulked after her as she en-
cred the low doorway Of an old log
house, and then he crept under q coarse
bed that stood in the clrncr OF the low
,eiled room, and laid down with a
yawn.
Wylie Adams gave little start as she
entered the room. A bright fire burned
the wide fire bllce, over which hung
an iron pot, from which issued savory
doors.
A tall, midde-ageI woman was busy
about the room, and a stranger sat before
The fire in one of the few splint bottomed
hairs the cabin contained. He did not
see Wylie when she entered, as he sat
cooking thoughttully into the fire, but
The tall womln spoke.
"Wall, yer cum Mt last!'
Wylie made no reply, but nod, and
for the first time in her life looked down
with a blush at her bare feet, which
were. both soiled and bruised.
1t was evidently something unusual
ior stranger tn be seen near Silver
| Creek, ana this stranger was certainly
out of the ordinary. Wylie's DARN Z
spirit quailed.
He turned aud arose as Wylie's mother
spoke, bowmg aud offering his chair.
The gawky girl cast furtive glances at
the stranger, and thought how fair aud
"good, lookin' he was, how yellow his
hair and blue his eyes! so different from
Beechuut, 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
mot such a bad looking girl, if she
was well dressed aud educated. Nice
eyes. Badly tanned. No, | don't ad-
mire red hair. Most too thin aud tall,
and why does she go barefootedW
After the young man had been given
a "tallow dip" aud shown to the inner
room, and the rude door closed after
him for the night, Wylic crept to hel
| fathers side.
"Who is he, Pap au what duz he
want hyer2'
"A young chap as is rich as all 81
out, an he's going to build big, tn'
house down thar by the old ford, an
reckin he'll bring his folks hYer AFTER
that, tho be didn't saw"
Wyie Adams didn't wait for more
but hurried away and up the ladder t
the loft she called her room, but Sue die
not go to bed; she sat down on the hoo
by the tiny window, with a look on hel
face it had never known before, an,
watched the moon As it came slowly M
/ through the trees and silyered I'll
waters OF the wide creek.