The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-04-14

THE WEDDING AT LUMLEY'S PASS.

The settlers who constituted what
was locally called the "Lumley Pass
folks" we're few, Woodworking and
unimaginative. They were much
given to staying at home and mindlng
their W business, in the sense which
conveys total lack Of interest in any
body else.
Long reaches of rough mountain
roads; frequent torrents, which rushed
rudely wherever resistance was most
readily overcome, combined with som
Der stretches of dense forest to dis
courage sociability.
Nevertheless, when it became known,
In a general way, that the old tip
tilted log-house-a house hoary with
age-abOut which the halo of romance
had never chung, was to be the seat of
o wedding, interest in it became vivid
and visitors multiplied miraculously.
The house stood at the head of the
pass, n gave it it's name. 1t was
Peter Lumley's daughter who was to
be married.
That piece of information percolat-
ed through Peter himself one even
ing when he had fingered at the store
in Hogan's gulch long enough to for
get his usual taciturnity and wax con-
fdential with the other late layers.
On that occasion Mr.. Peter Lumley
remarked, in a general way, that
Women folks was @ cussed lot of
trouble when they got marryin' in
their heads, an he was considuble
thanful that he didn't have but one gal
to turn the world upside down Just
because a fellow had asked her to
change her name"
This amiable allusion to his only
daughter, coupled with the fact that,
earlier in the evening, Mr.. Lumley
had openly invested in ten yards of
white "cross. bar" muslin and a
"scalloped" handkerchief, fastened
the impending change of name on Sue
Lumley.
Until that cross-bar muslin ard en-
broidered handkerchief were actually
transferred from Hogan's counter to
the gunny sack which already held
Peters supply of tobacco, whiskey, seed
potatoes and rope for pillow lines, the
stress upon Peters outburst.
Never before had Sue Lumley been
an object of even passing local interest.
NO one had ever associated her name
with q possible lover. She was &C
counted rather q spiritless creature,
totally lacking in grit. Grit is a moral
quality in high repute with young
mOuntaineers.
Being motherless and sisterless,
Sue had grown up with even fewer
feminine accomplishments than fell
to the lot of other Lumley Pass girls.
a wedding presupposes u man. 1t
was q long time before local gossip
fastened upon the right man for Sue
Lumley's beau" When it did curiosity
was merged into amaZement bordering
On Indignation.
Was Brad Martin bent on throwin'
his-self clean away? Had Brad Martin
turned. plum idiot" we're questions
which everybody was asking but no.
body answered.
Bradley Martin was what might be
called a newcomer, having lived in the
neighborhood of Lumley's Pass only
four or five years. None of his fore
bears had ever titled the rockey acres
he called his own.
He was a handsome fellow, with
broad shoulders and strong, swift legs,
which carried him over the steep
mountain paths with the s~urefooted-
ness of h goat.
There wasn't q girl within twelve
miles of Potter Lumley's old gray house
that would not have lent a willing ear
to Bradley Martin If he had come a.
counting. But Sue Lumley, of al the
pass girls!
Martin and Sue alone kne } the very
beginning of the loye- affair whose
imminent culminaSffon was ~agitating
the scattered settlers of Lumley's Pass. |
They had first seen each other when
the pass lay in the shadows of even |
ing, which came early and fingered
long In the mountain-walled clearing. |
Sue was sitting alone on the rough
pine slab that did duty for frOnt-door !
steps. Her lap was full of corn and !
corn cobs. A pile of unshelled corn
was stacked on the slab within EASY
reach. With q fine disregard for her |
own c~uticle, she rubbed the grains free
from the cob with the Redeemed ball of
her right thumb.
When all the corn should be shelled. |
she would lift up her voice shrilly.
and countless feathered pensioners
would make glad response. BOOSTERS,
forgetting to be stately, Guinea fowls
grown suddenly g%regarious, pigeons
s%wooplpg from aloft to share in the
tering, flying, sciambling, hurrying,
each filled with genuine human greed,
striving to eat ahead OF its fellows.
Sue rather liked "feed-time" to
come. 1t broke up the dreadful mono.
tony of her day, and introduced cheer
full clamor into profound silence.
She was left very much alone during
the day. Her father and her four
uncouth brothers were always off as
o as the breakfast OF nlack coffee
and greasy bacon she got up at dawn
10 prepare was dl8posed OF.
What their b0einess was, beyond
the makip2Napdae A~arperipg of the
Amed never to