Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-04-16

window and clasped her hands on
the sill and rested her little dark head
on her arms.
She had never been in the habit of
praying, and she did not pray now.
But her thoughts ran on wildly:
Nobody loves me; they just want
me to stay and work for them all my
life. They don't want me to marry
Jim because they want me to work for
them. 1t is nothing else in the wor Id
nothing else. And Jim loves me-"
There was an agony of bitterness in
the girls soul. In doubling her par
ents, the foundations of the world
were set astray. 1t was not the first
time that they had set themselves in
opposition to her Wishes but it was
the first time that she had doubted
their disinterestedness, their veracity,
their motives. In the desolation of
her sorrow the familiar world became
q wilderness in which she lost her
way.
Sometimes in the midst of our de-
spair the thought comes: ''It is not
hopeless. After all, it lies in your own
hands. Only a little effort, a little
courage"
The girl rose. 81 can do it," she
whispered. II cdn." Without hesita-
tion she turned to the door, opened it
and stepped into the darkness of the
passage. There she stopped.
They were still talking downstairs.
"Ef 'twere any but Slocum," she
heard her mothers voice, plaintive and
rasping. "But they're a shiftless lot
the hull on 'em. There just amt no
good into 'em."
Carry drew in her breath. She ran
down the short fight of stairs and
threw open the kitchen door. A silence
followed her sudden entrance. Her
mother glanced at her furtively; her
father half turned, uneasily, and be-
gan filing his pipe.
The girl looked at them both with
devour ing scorn. She was very small
and slight, but she had beautiful eyes
and a deep curved little mouth that
set itself pro udly.
The mothers sad, patient face seemed
fairly to wither under the vindictive
anger of her daughters glance. She
had been beautiful, too, once, and
young and in love. Now she was
broken and faded-fairly nonentity
before this youthful vision Of passion
and resolve.
The baby in her arms began to cry
fretfully. The children quarreling in
the corner had stopped and were re-
garding Carry curiously.
The girls breast heaved. She pressed
her hands upon it.
~ am going to marry Jim Slocum,"
she said. 1--WE are going over to Barn
ton tonight to get married."
Her father dropped his pipe to the
floor.
"You shet up, and get away from
here" he said, with an oath. In his
passion his nose seemed to grow larger
and redder; his little contracted fore
head was mass of wrinkles.
He was contemplate object; but
Carry's glance was q shade less scorn-
ful as she looked at him. She could
feel faint respect for anyone who
had courage to swear at her, to defy
her. :.
81 am gong upstairs to get ready,
she said, turning. Her mothers voice,
shrill in wild, weak crying, followed
her as she went. When she came down
again she had on her best fawn-colored
dress. and her small white hat trimmed
by herself with towering ribbons.
Her mother had put down the baby
(it was screaming in the cradle) and
was rocking herself to and fro, her
face hidden in her hands Her father
was standing in waiting attitude, and
as she came in he turned to her.
Now, Carry" he said, in conciliat-
ory tones, you're girl that's alius
had lots done for you. You amt got
no call to act this way. Now I'll tell
you; If you won't marry Jim Slocum
IN give you hundred dollars to have
for your very own i've got Almost that
In the bank now), or I'll buy You an or
gan and some new dresses. Now, amt
that fair? You give up suthin. Tor
us, and we do suthin' for you. There
amt no call for you to act foolish.
Carry looked at him. !.
"pm going to marry Jim siocum'
she said. moving toward the door. Her
mother sprang from the chair. and cast
herself at the girls feet and clasped
hey round the weist