Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-06-28

thought she did-and Bob was jealous,
especially of Jake Hargood.
81 don't care for him, Bob" Chari-
ty said once, glancing up at him, with
soft depreciation, from under her
curled brown lashes.
"Fhen tell him SO, said bluct Rob.
"What big silly you are, Rob p
she answered. "He might say l better
wait till he asked me to care. The
time to refuse anything is when it is
offered"
But Rob shook his head, and failed
to see the logic of this.
"Better let him know before he does
ask" he said, sagely.
Notwithstanding this good advice,
Miss Charity very reprehensively went
buggy-riding that same evening with
Jake Hargood. But as she tied on
her hat and smiled at the pretty vision
of blue eyes, corn silk curls and baby
pinkness in the looking glass, the
thought of Rob did come up and
trouble her peace and her conscience.
"He's a dear boy," said she, "and
it too bad to be tleacherous to him ;
but it shall be the last time. After
this evening I'll reform right straight.
But the "last time" often proves the
fatal one time too many.
Rob saw them as he was driving up
the COWS from pasture, went home in
rage, and did not go near Charity
that week.
"Reckon you're about to lose yer
beau, Charity" said Aunt Hulda
Pitcher, who dropped in one day to
borrow a yeast cake. 81 hear tell
how Rob Redwood is going off to the
Injies or some sich furrin place, to
stay with a uncle.
'Lawsy" said good Mrs. Mead
ows, concernedly. 81 hope not.
That's awful hot land. He'll get plum
scorched up yaller!'
"Oh, l reckon he won't stand no
chance of that, replied Aunt 2ulda,
cheerruIly. "Betwixt the wild ami
miles and the sayages, he'll git eat be-
fore he gifts scorched."
Anything at all "furrin" necessarily
embraced cannibals and wild beasts
in Aunt Hulda's mind.
81 don't believe it !" said Charity,
to herself 81 don't think Rob would
make up hi, mind TO go off there with
out letting me know about it.
B It the next day ROb's mother was
over.
Charity saw her from o window
where the was sitting, busily engaged
in putting squares of patchwork to-
gether with blocks of pink AMI white
muslin for quilt.
She was going to have quilting
the next day, and had not quite
finished her own work on it; SO she
did not go down stairs now, but she
could hear the conversation on the
porch below.
"This here they're a-ttllin about
Rob a-goin' off to the Injies amt
true, is it?' Mrs. Meadows asked, as
she set out the big cushioned rocker
for her visitor.
"Yes, shouldn't wonder if it was"
returned Mrs Redwood, shaking her
black sunbonnet dolelulIy. "dis
Uncle 'Lijah, he got rich ont there,
and wants him to come mighty bad,
and he aiu't plum made up his mind,
but he's a-studyin' about it consider
able"
"Shucksl l hate to see him a-goin'
off there. He'll get bakel to a crisp.
l low to tell him so. l s'pose him
and Tillie'll be over to Charity's party
tomorrow
"lillie will, repliel Mrs. Redwood.
"I do'no whether Rob will or not.
He says maybe he might and maybe
he mightn't. It'd depend on circum-
stances.
"Now, that's toe bau of Rob-" said
Charity, dropping her head on the
window sill and brushing away sud-
den tear with square of patchwork,
"when he's went and stayed away SO
long already. He's just right cruel to
mel .Rut if he don't want to come to
my party he NEEDN'T, AMI I'll dance
with Jake HargOod till l drop on the
floor"
According to the Higginsville
etiquette regul ltiug qniltingl, she
lndles usually assemble in the moyR-