The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-05-26

scattered hay over him literally. She
was singing Justify, somewhat discord-
nntly, entirely by homemade methods,
while she was about it,
The trnmping of feet had succeeded
to that of hoofs. Filling her arms
with hay, still singing at the top of
her voice. Sue left the barn just in
time to confront her father. brothers
uud half dozen other mountaineers.
She leaned against the barn door and
stared ut them.
'In the name CIR wonder, folks,
what's up? A barn raisin'?"
On top OF the hay with which her
arms were filed lay her blue apron
folded about the old Bible. She spec.
ulated vaguely about the probable fate
of girl who should tell lie with the
Bible right under her nose. Her
father was spok osman for the search.
ing party.
"Jeb Wilson's been done for down
in Davis's Dell by town chap. We're
looking for him. Seen anybody pass
this way, Sue?'
Sue laughed scornfully:
Likely, amt it, 80 many folks pass
this way -
Her father laid his hand on the
clumsy latch to the sagging barn
| door. Sue Strengthened her back
against it resolutely.
mot in there, pop. I've Just found
that old yeller turkey hen we thought
the minks had got. She's sittin' up
in the hay-lolt, and I wouldn't have
her pestered for forty Job Wilson's
No, | wouldn't She do look so pence
full and proudlike. Bud Frank, take
the gentlemen to the spring house and
give EN- bnit er buttermills. Fresh
churned this mornin', gentlemen.
swallerin' yo' peck er dust all L oncet."
Lumley took his hand off the latch
and fnced toward the men.
'We're foolin' away vnlcrblo time,
gents. Will you step down to the
milk house and wet yo' whistles be-
fore we start ag' imp"
''Won't the gentlemen stay and take
II bite?" Sues hospitality wnxed
urgent rs she perceived her father was
bent on pushing forward. "'rwon't
take mo more'n half an hour, pop, to
get 'em somethiu' hot"
"Thcy'll have something hot when
we ketch the Teller that done for Jeb
Wilson SO will he"
This witticism revived the tagging
| energy of his followers, and after n
hurried excursion to the spring house,
Sue had tho satisfaction of seeing
them mount their horses and dis
appear down the steep, stony bride
path by which they had come.
When the last hoof-5eat had ceased
to sound upon the rocky ground, she
fed her prisoner, and loading him
down with provisions and good ad-
vice, sent him away in an opposite
direction from that taken by the
horsemen. He turned and waved his
hat TO her before tho black woods
| swallowed him up.
''Of course / won't never see him
again, she said stolidly, land | don't
know rs | care to; but | lied for him,
right on top of mammy's Bible, and
that's goin' to make it hard for me to
forget him out md out"
In point of fact, she found it i'm
possible to forget him "out end out"
She called herself mean spirited
creature for clinging so tenaciously TO
his memory, but 1T did not mend the
matter Mt Hll.
Jeb Wilson's real slayer was discov-
cred and summarily dealt with. Jeb
Wilson himself was we'll nigh forgot.
ten when Sue, sitting on the slab she'll
ing corn, rs she had been doing that
evening, lifted her eyes TO gauge the
lengthening shadows of the familiar
landscape, as she had doue on that
evening, and saw man standing on
the stllo that spanned the rude yard
fence.
Sho snt quite still, but slow, sweet
smile came to her lips and glad light
into her clear, steadfnst eyes.
"You he come back What for?"
He was 10y her side in few swift
strides. He held out his hands to her
and smiled down into her uplirted face.
'I'm building n house over t'other
side of the dell"
ooh, you bel"
"And I'm going TO live there"
eyes" The color came and went
in the girls sun burnt cheeks in q hot
torrent.
III bolhB W ttht my WHO TO i've
in my house when it is finished"
"Yes"-it was almost whisper.
She fell 10 Smelling corn as if the world
held no other possible occupation for
her trembling little hands.
He seated himself boldly on the slab
by her side. lie laughed and filed
his hands with corn she had shelled.
Don't you want TO learn some.
thing about the girl I'm building that
house for?"
IF you be anxious to talk about
her. "
az am.
He flung the corn from him, and
the pigeons came in white winged
throng TO repair the waste.
''Sho's the pluckiest girl ever saw.
She's worth ten dozen Of me. She got
/ tho dearest, clearcst brown eyes in the
world, aud-and once upon time she
saved mo from being hurr ell out of
tho world by "a lot OF idiots who in.
sisted upon calling me n murderer"
Slowly the truth dawned upon Sue's
mind She leaned toward him with
hands folded on her knees.
81 lied for YOU on mnmmy's BibIoI