Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-04-15
MISS MHDRM.
By OPIE READ.
Copyright, 1895, by F. T. Neely.]
CHAPTER I.

pale young fellow and glGl, sat at
table placed upon long veranda.
"Now wonder who that can be?"
said the old man, craning his neck and
looking down the road. The girl and the
young fellow got up that they might OBJ
tain better view, and the woman, with
an air of keen curiosity, leaned over
the table, gazed down the road, and,
with woman's quickness to discover
intention, declared: "He's goin to stop.
See, papf'' clutching the old mans
arm. "He's goin to come in at the big
gate"
"He's not goin to do no sich Of a
thing" the man replied. "He's-hang-
ed if he amt Wonder who he can be.
Ridin putty good stock, anyhow.
The horseman who had thus turned a
quiet noon hour into a speculation OF
deep concern rode up to the yard fence
and, following time set fashion OF
that part of the country, cried, Hello"
"Git down and come in," the old
man answered. He had arisen from the
table and was advancing to meet the
stranger. ":Come right in, sub, and
make yo'self at home''
The girl vanished. The young fellow
hung about and stole an occasional peep
at the visitor. It was evident that
strangers were rare in that neighbor-
hood.
"We have jest been eatin a snack"
said the old man, when he had shown
the stranger into the house. won't you
eat a mouthful or so? Don't reckon,
however, that you will find much to
yo' taste.
"Pap," the woman suddenly inter-
posed, appearing in the door and wiring
ing her apron in embarrassed conscious
ness of the temerity of thus presenting
herself, eff he'll wait mint, I'll kill
q chicken and bake some biscuit, for,
goodness knows, we amt got nuthin
that is fitten for a body to eat. "
"Oh, don't let me put you to any
troubler' the visitor protested. "I'm
sure that anything you've got is good
enough for me-"
He was 80 easy in manner and 30
cordial of voice that the woman, yield
ing, though reluctantly, it could be seen,
said: "Waal, if you think You can put
up with it, you are perfectly welcome.
Pap, fetch cheer for the gentleman.
They seated themselves at the table,
but the girl and the young fellow did
not reappear. The girl, peeping from
behind the ash hopper and speaking to
the young fellow, who had taken refuge
behind corner of the smokehouse, said:
"He looks mighty fine, Little Dave"
i "a fiddle amt no whar to him, +" the
boy answered.
Little Dave" the old man called,
"why don't you and Miss Madam come
along here now and finish eatin yo' din
ner?"
"Don't want no mo-"
The visitor looked up, and the girl
and young fellow lodged out Of sight.
In some parts Of the country this
would have been regarded as an odd
family, but in certain wild region Of
Kentucky old man Bradshaw's "folks"
were quite conventional The head OF
the household was somewhat OF neigh
borhoood character. he was tall and
gaunt, with large, pioneer sort OF
nose, and with an uneven, grayish
beard. He had backwoodsman's ideas
Of the ludicrous, that broad estimate OF
fun which, when refined, but not too
much toned down, approaches the es-
tablishment of a distinctive class Of
American humor, and emphasizing his
conception Of the ridiculous, as though
an atonement must be offered, there was
a pathetic note somewhere in the gamut
of his voice. When young man, he
had built house on hillside, near a
spring that gushed from under rugged
bluff, green the year round-eternity's
moss covering the rock Of ages. Here he
and his wife had spent many year OF
toll, and it was here, in an old orchard,
that they expected to be buried.
The woman, too, was, in her way, a
type. She had two great fears-one that
she might not possibly have received
enough of the Spirit when, years ago,
she had sprung up from the mourners'
bench and shouted in the almost fren-
zied ecstasy Of her SOULS deliverance
from torment. She was supremely. she
thought divinely, happy for months aft
erward, but gradually she began to fear
that her conversion had been too vio-
lent, and that satan must either have
had hand in the work or had at least
thrown in a suggestion or two. Some
times her faith would be perfect, and
not cloud could she see in her serene
sky of hope. Then she would 90 about
the yard, singing. Everything seemed
to inspire her, and new songs came to
her as she stood, with her arms resting
on the fence, gazing down the lonely
road. The breeze that stirred her hair
was whisper Of love, and the sunlight
that fell in the lane was smile OF en-
couragement. Suddenly, and without
warning graduation from this mount OF
assured paradise, she would sink into
the valley Of doubt. The breeze that
stirred her hair was harsh with re-
proach, and the sunlight that fell in the
lane was threatening flame. Then she
would hasten to the field where her hus-
band was at work.
"Pap, jest know amt elected"
"How do you know? You amt seen
all the votes yet, have your"
"For mussy sake, don't talk that way
when body is in sioh distress. Oh, I
have done the best can, the Lord
knowsl"
"Waal, if you have, you are all right,
I reckon. You trust in the Saviour,
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