The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-30
MANDY.

| ly looking and burn yellow in the sun
almost as soon us they are green. He
| was strong and rugged, this sturdy
farmer, with his big, bony hands and
nut brown, lean cheeks, and as he
stood out in the burning August sum-
| striking vigorously at hidden sassafras
| roots with his homemade hoe, he was q
striking illustration of those people who
toll throughout their lives with little
thought of tho rest of tho world or its
pleasures Between the rolling, poor
land on which Eph was working and
the road stood two room log house,
scantily protected from the suns rays
by a few scrubby black oaks.
AT a grindstone Mt the rear of tho
house stood All old man grinding away
at All AK. His hair wns snowy white.
His wide brimmed straw hat, with its
shoestring band, did not conceal the
deep wrinkles on his face. His hickory
shirt was torn and faded, and the skin
looked blistercd through the rents He
rested once in awhile and tested the
edge of his ax with his thumb This
was Eph's father. A woman almost rs
old and long past the age of work sat
OH stone in shady spot Watching the
grinding of the aX and remarking III Il
cracked voice the chances for 81 cron
They had failed in this the last season
and it was of great importonco to them
The corn bread and bacon had bccn very
scant of lote Ennis n,rcrts ,vorc vor,
old and feeble. but they helped as best
they could
y tall, angular woman of perhaps 10,
though She looked much older, came TO
and torn i, ,.;r of C,,,,. Ion+, ,,.;.,,
great matches os r,vhidc and with tho
bcc1s rru ove, noo,,,I n,,. f,.n,,, ,,,,la,.
her tucked nm dress Her f.,cn was hard
and niuchod Tho s,Ilow colon, romtrnst.
ed strongly with ,hc dark almost ll,cl,
bluc of her Gown and whom rho slcnvrs
were rolled to rho nlhows Ln,. arms ,yn,.c
brown ono lo,,v hand ,Intcbnd i, d;.h.
RAG. whic:, she held oroinst rho s;dn of
the door ms She sb,lcd hc, nv.ns wifi rho
other. She was loo,iur at her husband
rs he worked across the rod clay fnld
The CHATTER of - horsc,s boofs ON rho
hard and gravel washed rc,,d ,vo. boord
Her ewes We're turncd in thc direction of
the rapidly approaching rider. A half
dozen children, the eldest a boy of 10.
came from a gully near bv. where they
had been playing, also attracted bv the
sounds. All moved around to tho front
of the house. To the surprise of all, the
stranger pulled up mt the fence:
''Eph Parks live hcre:''
Yep that's him over there i'll tho
field - answered the woman.
The stranger dismountcd, tied tho
bride rein to the rail fence and started
across the field toward Eph. The chill
drcn instinctivcly clustered around their
mother and tuggcd unconsciously ut her
dress. She smackcd them right and left
impulsivcly. She was watching tho
stranger. The man finally reached Eph,
and the two had parlcy for several
minutes. When they started toward the
house, the stranger had hold Of Ephs
arm. Eph's parents and his wife and
children We're all standing close together
when the pair reached the house.
Mandy, this 'crc'S COVE mcnt oSsi-
fer, and he's cum ter take me way to
Jail fur maxim them dollars. "Twan't no
harm nohow, lc'stwise I'm or church
member yet. y
Hurry up, hurry up," said the de-
tcctive. Il want to get to the station in
time to catch the night train
How long will yer be gone, Eph?"
said his wife. His aged parents stood
with their mouths open. They did not
understand it at all.
"Doan' know" answered Eph as tiie
handouts We're adjusted TO his wrists.
Then the men climbed over the fence.
The stranger got ON his horse and told
Eph to walk along in front of him. He