The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-01
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AM 49, MMEN is that?"
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wind came
whistling and signing over the noun
tains and through the pines in way
that, to one experienced, indicated a
storm. John Maynard, in his light
buggy, on lonely valley road in
North Carolina, hungry, tired and
with weary horse, had concluded not
TO attempt to drive on to Shelbyville
until morning; and, under the suppo-
sition that he would ind dwelling of
some kind, had turned his horse up
steep, stony narrow lane, on either
side of which lay a low snake fence.
Having reached the first rising" the
horse paused of his own accord for a
breathing spell, and John, peering
about him into the darkness in a vain
fort to discover some signs of hab-
itation, became aware of a small light
in patch of woods on his left. 1t
was not the light from window of
house, for it was small, and moved
along slowly in a dancing, uncertain
way for short distance, then re-
manned stationary.
"A will-o'-th e-wisp in the dismal
swamp, perhaps" John muttered.
Anyway, | intend to find OUT and
he got out of the buggy, jumped over
the fence and made his way as rapidly
as possible in the direction of that
curious spot of flame
He felt, as he stumbled along in the
darkness, that he was doing a foolish
thing in thus gratifying his curiosity,
and he was conscious of slight shock
when, at last, he reached the light;
for it came from a small lantern which
stood at the head of a solitary grave
Enclosed by a low picket fence of
rough stakes. 1t was marked by a
plain slab of wood, on which was
painted, in big, black, crooked letters:
SARAH,
AGE, IS"
John Maynard stood looking at it a
few moments, wondering by whom the
lantern had been put there, and for
what reason. As he turned away he
saw q small box at the foot of the
grave. He picked it up and pulled off
the slide-cover, disclosing to view a
pair of iron bowed spectacles, and a
ball of gray yarn with four rusty steel
l1nittng-needles thrust through it.
i'll,
thing | ever saw before!' calculated
John, as he put the box down again
and walked back to his horse and
buggy in the lane,
lie drove on for about half mile
and was beginning to wonder if he
would be obliged to spend the night
in the woods, when the barking of a
dog told him that he must be near a
dwelling Of some sort; and few
minutes later he perceived a two-room
cabin standing in the middle of small
clearing. Before it burned a small fire
of pine brush; and as he stopped his
horse at the bars which did duty for a
gate, lank yellowand- black hound
CAME bounding down from the cabin,
barking loudly.
"Halloa." shouted John, at the top
of his voice; and 'IIalloa, yersef," re-
sponded a thin, sallow woman in a
coarse homespun dress, as she APP
peased at the door of the cabin, a
short clay pipe in her mouth.
My good lady, I'm looking for a
place to stay overnight. Can you ac-
commodate me?" asked John, in his
most ingratiating tone of voice. Il
can't very well sleep out in the woods
you know"
Wall, meow, stranger" responded
the woman, in q drawing voice and
without removing the pipe from her
mouth. the ole man en- the gals hev
gone up in the head of the cove ter
singin', en- they jist hain't anyone
hyah but me; but if yell light, I'll do
the best | kin fer We. Yen halter
look after We own stock. Jist we TEX
him down ter the barn, en- yen find
plenty o roughness en- some nubbins
o corn; en- when we git through jis'
come in the big house hyah, en- I'll go
outen the little house en- cook We some
supper"
Have you got lantern?" asked
John.
NO, l hain't. Pap he's got one, but
ne don't let nobody lay finger on it.
III put light outen the fence though,
en- we kin see by hit, I reckon"
Reaching up to little shelf near the
door she took down knife and a
piece of fat pork, from which she cut
a generous slice. Laying it in a tin
plate she carried it out to the fence
and set it on a post. Then, taking n
half-burned stick from the fire in the
yard, she lit the pork, and left it to
burn smolily in the wind. BY this
light John took his way to the barn,
found the ''roughness" and corn, and
made his wearied horse comfortable
for the night.
Returning to the house, he sat down
on a splint-bottomed chair just within
the doorway, until his hostess came to
the door of the little shanty in the
rear to summon him to supper.
Meow, come aout en- git a bite"