Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-23

In This Way She Probably Saved Her
Own Life.
dict made up by those who furnished the
details. was that Pa-maiee was stark
crazy.
The only fact given in the account was
that Parmalee had killed his sweetheart,
and this could nave been made clear in
much less space than a column of reading
matter occupies for Hatchers Ford is
fifty miles from the settlement where the
affair occurred. That settlement is known
HdJchs Clearing because, as Mrs. Pru-
EFT says. nobody by the name of Hatch
ever lived there. any clearing on that
side of Tray mountain. and as for the
other Side-wcll. that was in another part
CT the county altogether.
so much for the first mistake. and now
70: the second Was roog Parmalee crazy?
There's no need for you to take the word
of an outsider on that subject, but be-
fore you make up your mind, go and ask
Mrs. Pruett- II Is a tireSCme journey, to
be sure. but it is always worth the trouble
10 find out the truth. You may go to
GAINESVILLE from Atlanta. but at Clarks-
Vile you'll have 10 hire a buggy, and, al
though the road is a long one. it Is very
Interesting. 1t would be well to take a
companion with you. if your horse is skit-
ttSh, for il will he necessary to open a
great many big gates you go along. All
the farms are under fence in this partfcu-
lar region, and the gates necessity.
As you get nearer to HatCh's Clearing you
Will see barricafes built across the mouths
OF all the dark and Shadowy rayineS- This
also is a necessity, for in these ravines
grows the moss or fungus which, If eaten
by the milch cows. causes what Mrs Pru-
EFT calls the milk ST Knot among the
cows. but among those who drink the milk
or lat the butter made from the milk. Mrs
PrUett lost two children in this way, and
She would have lost her old man, too, If
Mrs. Bohannan hadn't happened along in
tirIa to give him a steaming with blank
cts on which scaldIng water had been
poured The blankets were so hot that
MI PrUett's skin peeled off in places He
made such protest his feebeness would
permit him TO make. but Mrs. Pruett was
firm in her purpose. He got well. and
though the scalded patches on his neck
give aim a piebali appearance to this Gay
he has never mad another attack of sick
ness of any kind.
But this IS neither here nor there.
Though the road to Hatch's Clearing is a
long and winding one, you can't miss your
way. You turn into it suddenly and unex-
pertedly twelve miles from C1arksyiIle ana
after that there Is no need of making in
quiries. for there are no crossroads ana no
forks to embarrass you There's only
one trouble about it. You ascend the noun
tain by such a gentle grade that when YOU
reach the top you refuse 10 believe You are
on the summit at all. This lack of belief
Is helped nightly by the fact that the
mountain itself is such big affair. 1t
slopes from each end to the middle so that
Iie road on the very summit seems to be
WlEding through valley. If you are
Very close observer you will see that the
Oaks and hickories have a stunted appear
ance- They seem to be scrubs; but even
then you may be deceived by the noun
tain oaks. You may mistake them for
chestnut trees. and wonder why it is that
ch'stnuts flourish here, while the oaks are
as scraggy as black-jacks.
presently you will hear a COW bell ling
ling somew here in the distance and ten To
one. you Will meet a ten-year-old boy in
i L.
pender and old wool hat fopping on the
back of his head. Naturally you will ask
him how far it is to Hatch's Clearing He
VIII stare at you. scratch his bare ankle
with his bare toe, turn slowly around on
his heels. as If to be sure of his bearings,
and then reply with a drawl that cannot
be reproduced:
ny, reckon you're right spang In 1t
now. mister
You will be surprised and somewhat irri
tated SO much Sc. indeed that YOU will in
q'ire with some scorn If this is what the
people around here call n clearing The
boy VIII stare at you again. with a half
smile playing around his pale Inns and saw
as he rubs his thumb under the lone sus-
psuder to give it a ftrmer seat on his shout
der:
where's"
Then you will ask how far It is to Mrs
IFuetts and the boy will say, with more
animation:
Hit amt no ways, skeerseIy. I'll show
you where She's my granny"
Nhereupon he will turn and walk by the
buggy. examining horse. harness and We
hICls with critical eyes. To keep up the
conversation. you will ask him if he's ever
been to Atlanta, and he will say. with an
uEconCerned air:
Il never has. but my Budd Bill. he ever
has They tuck him thar. Mister, that
hOss is plum tired out"
II you are wise, you will fall to talking
about the horse. and so take the mind of
the boy on the compulsory journey to At
Ienta, for such things as these do not con-
stitUte the pleasanteSt memories of TRAY
mountain nor of any other mountain or
valley whatsoever. The boy will conduct
you cheerfUliy, II not gayly. along the
road. and in little while you will hear the
hens cacklng in Mrs. Pruetts horse lot
This will give the lad an excuse to run on
ahead Of YOU He viii exclaim, with as
command:
On, Lordy, them plecGed dogs Is done
run the Of dominiCker hen offn the nest"
WhertEpon he viii start to running and
pretend 10 go 10 the horse lot. But it is all
q prettnSe, for when YOU come in sight of
the mouse you VIII see three or four nnavha
a nall dozen, white-heaGed children IN The
1eace watching for you. and IL Won beya
sali Kind word to the boy who volunteered
10 De your guide Mrs Prlett herself nil ~
standing on the porch the rigbt WI D
sIetched across her ample bosom 90 ~.
the nand may serve as rest for the elbory
or the left arm, which Is bent so that a.
Teeu stem OF her beloved pipe may be held
ON level with her good-humored mouth
1 gu VIII have time to notice as your boraa
ascendS the Incline that leads 10 the bio
gate. that the house Is a very comfortabIs
2ne for the mountains, neatly weather.
rooms and a shed" which serves as a din
Ing room and kitchen Two boxwood