Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-02-06
"JIST IN TIME" F."

The sun was slowly lifting a rosy
crown from the head of the tall "King
mountain" in eastern Kentucky. Twi-
light was slowly creeping up the valley,
leaving black throated tunnels yawning
beneath the trees that crowded each side
of the creek. With quiet chatter the
chickens were gathering beneath the
trees in the front of old Bill Copfelds
log cabin, glancing about here and there,
seeking the best boughs in which to rest
through the coming night. A whip
poorwill was lifting its weird, monoto-
nous shrieks out on the mountain side at
the rear of the house. Beyond the yard
fence in front, on large oak, sat a
young man and a young girl. The lat
ter was Nellie Copfield, the prettiest
girl ''in all the country round" The
former was her big, rawboned, but
withal handsome lover, Tim Holbrook.
The two had been quarreling, but now
a short truce of silence had intervened.
Y young giant sat with his head bent
over, vigorously, but unconsciously,
whiting on pine shingle. The girl
sat twisting her fingers, making the
joints crack, and ever and anon flash
ing detecting glance at her lover. Oc-
casionally her sharp look would en-
counter his and then two chins would
suddenly drop toward two breasts.
Finally the young man, with a sudden
impulse, arose from the log, brushed
away the shavings that clung to his
clothes, and said:
"Waal, guess it's time fer me ter be
gittin outen this"
The girl glanced up, and with a sug-
gestion of sarcasm in her tones said:
I'm surprised at ye wantin to so so
sudding l thought ye was havin an
awful nice timer
Now thar amt no use in ye tryin u.
take up chat ar quarrel agin. l don't
feel like it. got up ter tell ye goodby"
"Thar's plenty o time yit ter tell me
that. The moon amt hardly up yit. Ye
don't want ter go off in the dark. Ye
ginerally stay nearly all night. What's
yer hurry now?' The girls tones were
full of affected pleasantly, and her eyes
glowed with soft radiance through the
gathering darkness. At the beauty of
that upturned face his joints weakened,
and down he sat again beside her.
He turned to the girl and said with
some desperation:
II love you, Nell, and ye know it."
"O' course | do" returned the girl,
laughing.
81 can't hep lovin ye."
Il know you can't"
81 loved ye the fust time l ever seed
ye."
Eyes, you did that!'
That's jis' why ye treat me like a
dog"
II don't treat ye like dog Tim"
"Ye don't.'
mo, sub, | don't"
"I'd like ter know why?"
because I'm alters good an pleasant
20 my dog"
Here the girl laughed aloud; but Tim,
exasperated beyond any further endur-
ance, leaped up, made a rush for his
mule, mounted it and dashed furiously
away.
As the echoes of the mules hoofs died
out in the night remorse sprang up in
the heart of this little mountain coquette
"Oh, goodnessw she cried, wonder
what got inter him ter treat me that
away? Jis' jumped up an run off an never
sed nothin. He's mad about somethin-I
know he is. What could it be? | never
seed such a fellow in my life; jis flies all
ter pieces, an body never kin tell what
it's erbout. Well, | reclin it wud be all
for the best if he stays mad-if he is
mad. Anybody that acks the fool that
away why they'd be no ivin with 'em
arter they married to 'em. never will
speak to him agin. Lordy goodness,
know | never done nothin. Wonder if
he was certain mad and won't never try
to make up with me no moret" And the
poor, injured little maiden smashed two
big tears on her pretty, plump cheeks,
crossed the fence, entered the house and
went to bed.
AS Tins mule trotted along toward is
home his thoughts ran something like
this:
"Oh Lordy Cord! what am Igwine ter
do? Life fer me now is busted gourd
layin by the side o the spring O happi-
ness I'll pine an perish in front O the
sweet warters, but CANT never drink
'em no more. My big feather bed will
now be full o rocks when lay down on
it at night. I'll git up in the mornin
feelin sorry l didn't peg out durin sleep.
I'll go ter my new ground ter plow, but
won't have life enough in me ter cuss
when a root hits my shin. The house
logs I'd got out ter build little home
fer me an Nell will now rot in the woods
The good milk COW l lately traded fe1
will go dry. The hogs bought ter make
US meat will wander away an go wild
amt got no heart never ter do nothin
more. Ivegotno more confidence in no.
body. 1 thought Nell loved me, an
believe she once did, but she is jis' like