Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-11

lam, you git out o my house"
Alec sat immovable.
EFF you git her you'll wish yer
hadn't" said Mrs. Townshend.
Alec's face hardened.
"Dely's a good gal an you amt no
call to talk that away about yer da'ter
l don't ever want ter hear no more o
that"
She stared at him dumfounded, then,
started up. hurried to the side wall
and beat her head against it till the
partitions creaked. Alec glanced
around. \ long wool scarf hung over
hook. On another hook were suspend
ed two or three saddle girths. In an
other second Mrs. TOwnshend sudden
ly felt herself grasped around the waist
and borne forcibly to the old splint
rocker She screamed, struggled, kick
ed and bit. and, though church mem
Der, said some awful words. 1t was Of
no use. Deity and quickly, though as
gently as possible Alec bound her firm
ly in the chair, and bound the chair
to the tall, four-poster bedstead and
confined her hands and feet.
rs really afeard We might hurt yer
self. Mis- Townshend,' he said kindly.
ALEC Penlan', how dare We. Turn
me loose. Turn me loose, I'll put yer
in the nenitentiary" yelled the victim.
"Sho. now. | wouldn't. There. Don't
fret. Will is or comm back afore sun
down. yer know. an he'll unite yer. |
i.,r, Il
He backed out of her presence like
a courtier, carefully shut all the doors
and hurried to the spring place. Poor
old woman. She gave one or two dis
cordant cries, and then establishment
got the better of anger. BY this SIM
pie expedient of beating her head
against the wall she had all her life
ruled with an iron rod her whole fam
lily. Was it possible it was going 10
fail now?
Alec found Miss DEFY sitting on the
steps at the spring house, churninS. She
wore a clean dark-biue gown and the
cream which foamed up around the
dasher was not whittier than her cape
bonnet. She looked, Alec told himself,
as pretty as posy.
She smiled at him and babe him
''Howdy,"
Alec thought of Bob Wilson.
'"Thar sha'n't nobody say he war a
better man than me!' he muttcred.
He went boldly up to Miss DEFY and
kissed her. Then he laid his shaggy
head close and whispered something
in her ear.
'Oh, no. no, Alec. Mad beat her
head off,
NO she won't. She can't
| DEFY looked scared.
"You amt killed her, Alec"
"Oh, Lordy, no. She's gone a-visit-
in"
Miss DEFY got up quickly.
ALEC, what you been crdOin'"
"Nothin. But I'm goin' ter kerry yer
off,"
NO, you amt. I caynt co.
"Now, DEFY! coaxingly. BE good
GAL Gomez
Il cayn't. Alec, what you done with
MAJ"
You come an III tell yer"
Il can't. The butter amt come"
Darn the butter. Gomez
mo, no, Alec! l cayn't-'
But say yer got ter"
Miss DEFY protested but her resist
ance grew weaker. Perhaps it was the
tender words he kept whispering in her
ear that Slapped her strength. He half
led, half carried her down the bank
Of the branch into a woodsy bride path.
There stood his big black mare Molly,
all saddlcd. He helped DEFY TO the
top of n bowlder close by and then
climbed into the saddle.
Gomez
He reached out his hand and caught
hers.
NO, Alec, no.
But she put her other hand on his
shoulder and sprang up behind him.
"Oh! l cayn't go, Alcc.'
Eyer cayn't help it," he said, trI-
umphantly, and the mare canered
down the shaded roadway toward
Asheville.
Three hours later when the wester-
ing sun was low they were slowly re-
turning in the same way along the
| same road. And SO returning, who
knows what pleasant castle-building
was interrupted by the sight of wood
wagon jogging along in advance Of
them.
There's WIFI exclaimed both.
Abreast of the team Alec drew rein.
Whoa cried VIII, and he stopped
and stared.
EFF l were you, WILL" said Alec, gen.
tly, I'D hurry home. Yer ma needs
yer. An Will, you tell 'er at DEFY an
me Is married, N ez fur ez we're got
we like it fust rate"
AS he rode on he turned to look over
his shoulder into her smiling, rosy face.
Don't we, hOucy?"
Dely's looks answered. She was not
an emancipated woman, but She had
changed tyrants. 1t was the happiest
hour of her life.-New York Tribune.
He Compromised.