The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-04-17

~ -. - kAAouBu Att anu
- n ~ kept tho grass
Sgrsen and tender,
and tho spring, which dubbed cold
and delicious at the foot Of a giant
planetree, contributed It's largess to
this end. A little square Of wet earth
just below the spring was almost con-
stantly marked by footprints.
An expert rider, swinging downward
from his seat, could easily grasp the
long-handled gourd that hung from
the trees brown bole and refresh him
self and his horse at the same time.
DEFY had spread the long breadths
of cotton sheeting, which had Just
come from her loom, on the grass to
bleach, and seemed now to be study
ing the footprints. Her eyes wan
dered from them to the farmhouse
on the hill, and again to the mountain
which lifted its blue shoulder above
the crest of the nearest hill.
at do pintedly seem like ma gifts
wusser and wusser the hull time.
amt he'd a mite Of peace all summer"
said DEFY, addressing the footprints.
"Why she should suspicion at them
ar hootmarks war made by Alec PEN
lan's horse 1 cayn't surmise. An Bob
Wilson a-comin' regular an the license
got an everything"
ooh, Misc DEFY, Miss DEFY |" called
a soft, drawing voice.
DEFY faced quickly around.
"That you, Bud Harris2 What yer
want? Don't holler thet-a-way2" with
q furtive glance at the house.
She looked at the boy as calmly as
if he had been a post. And yet he
was a picture. He set all hygienic
theories at defiance. Cornbread and
bacon, sodden biscuit and buttermilk,
stewed beans plentifHlly seasoned"
with bacon, made the menu by which
Bud had come to such a glory of
satiny, olive skin, clear eyes and
sturdy growth.
,"What yer want?" repeated Miss
DEFY, imperturbably.
Bud was only eight and DEFY was
twenty-nine.
''He's over yon-back o. the spring
house-waitin' ter see yer, p" said Bud,
breathlessly.
Looks of pleasure and fright
chased each other over Miss Dely'a
face.
''You go along, Bud, an don't tell
nobodyl" she said.
Bud giggled, caught his breath and
then gazed soberly after Miss Dely,
who went at once to the springhouse.
She opened the door and entered.
Itwas clean and sweet and cool, and
pervaded by soft gloom, only broken
by the streaks of light that marked
where the thinking had fallen from
between the logs. The stone Aool
was damp and messy. Jars of milk
and butter stood in a deep trough
along one side, and the water went
purling between them, dripped from
the trough into a channel and wen
gurgling off into the branch.
Miss DEFY bent her face to the wild
est crevice between the logs.
"What you want, Alec?" Tt was
shaggy head that approached hers ant
a pair of keen blue eyes, trimmed b,
blond brows, already trife frosted
that were frammed in by the edges o
the logs.
Jest ter see yer, DEFY /" was the re
ply, in softest tones. ''Jest ter Sc,
yer once't more. I cayn't come te
The weddin'-yer couldn't expec
that"
'Why mott" interrupted DEFY.
"She axes me whyl" groaned Alec
''Come out hyar, DEFY. It amt com
fable ter talk wi them logs atween us.
81 cayn't," answered DEFY. email
see me. And / don't reckon hits an,
use talkin'."
''Hit's the last time" pleaded Alec
''When give yer up ter Bob VIII
SON"
eyer didn't give me up, inter
rupted DEFY, almost angrily. ''Ye
couldn't, cause yer never he'd me.
"An' why didn't hev yer?" de
manded Alec, piteously. ST lowe,
'twere all settled, only we he'd tie
brek it ter yer ma gradooal-Mis
Towdshend's so sensitive. Oh, DEFY
come out hyar."
4 amt ergoin' ter. You war eleve
year a breakin' it an Bob Wilson onl
tV'z two months" said Miss DEFY, th
hid apple tint in her cheeks GROWN
Tosier.
"An' it never war all settled, nc
how. Ye had yer chance an Ye didn
tex it. ! dunno why. Eff you reel
he'd aredfor-p