The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-10-09
GILLIAD MOONS SPECULATION.
copyright. 1897, by the Author.l
By E. s. GRANT.

The evening sunlight, slanting
athwart the waters, glistened like a
thousand fakes of silver, but down in
the shadow of the mountains, with the
beetling crags and the tangled leather
wood brakes along the banks, Kanawha
river looked but what it was-a wild,
rough stream, half muddy and half
clear from the nature of its tributaries,
the New river and the Granley, which
flow into each other about two miles
above the falls. Its surface looks
smooth enough, but it possesses an IN
dercurrent as swift as a whirlpool. Gil
lad Moon brought his small boat down
on the muddy side, and when ne reach
ed a certain briery landing he pulled
ashore and hid his boat among the iron
weeds which grew to the waters edge.
Then, followed by his dogs, he walked
up the path which led to his house un-
der the threatening rocks of the noun
tain. There was to be a war in his
house. One by one his 12 children had
scattered about and died. Only Laney
was left, and Gilliad vas fond Of her.
She was preparing his meager supper of
fried fish and griddle cakes. She WIS a
pretty girl, or would have been pretty
if tidy. She wore a short cotton dress
turned up over a striped balmoral after
the fashion of the Scotch fishwives,
only her clothes were dull and shabby
in coloring and texture, and there was
an utter absence of the picturesque. She
was thin and pale, and a frown of dis
content, an unusual thing for Laney,
darkened her face. Gilliad entered the
open door, and, placing his gun across
the wooden pegs on the wall, flung
down before the girl a huge spotted
wildcat. THAR" he said. "See tibet
varment, gal? WAL, thet'll fetch a clean
two dollar, so git yer stumps clar'ed
erway al hope me skin i'm"
"Ewh!" calculated Laney. IAN
thet's her c~ritter / hearn Their dorgs
arter?"
The slim yellow cur and the bob
tailed, plug cared bulldog, faithful fol-
lowers of their master, wagged heads
and strutted about as if conscious of a
victory.
The man took his knives and whet-
stone from a box and went to the door
stone, where he seated himself to sharp.
Ell them.
Laney fried the griddle cakes, and
the pungent odor of the bacon rind,
with which she CREASED the skillet.
loated out upon the evening air and
mingled with the dampness from the
dripping rocks above the house.
Ma 90 Lnn, n,-th;ar ncIo,,t {hn,
party at Shady" asked Laney as she
set the one cracked plate upon the table
and 1notioned for Gilliad to eat.
"Naw, an | didn' AK nothin erbout
et," he replied
"Taddy Green air a-comin fur ter tex
MI up thar i'll his dugout," said the
girl. "But l KANT go 'thout no shews.'
eye kin stay ct home 'thout 'em
then" said Gilliad,
Laney flashed an angry glance at hin
from beneath her frousy hair. She
looked up the river and saw the white
buildings of the hotel and store CLEAN
ing in the evening sun. If she only ha(
some money, she could purchase shoe
from the store on her way to Shady il
the dugout, and she would be as wei
equipped for the "~shindig" as the cit.
girls were for the gay balls at the hotel
At least she would be satisfied.
Laney watched the cloud of mist f1oa
mp from the rivers, where they cam'
together and dashed and broke int
spray over the falls. She was silent
moment. Then, as she turned to tn
work of skinning the wildcat, she sal,
firmly:
II air a-goin ter Their party, an y
ort 'er gin me a par O. shews er none,
ter git 'em with"
Il ort, ort II" responded her fathe
as he slashed his long kuife through tn
tough hide which Laney held.
81 dunno why We KANT, par0y," sh
said, and the tears gathered in ner dul
eyes.
She had never been refused before, be
cause she had never made such a request
"Ye dunno, eh?" sneered the old man
"Waa1, eff We tell me whar ter git il
I'll gin it ter yer"
"Out O. tibet box thar, " said Lane
boldly.
1T hes got nothin whutsumever i
it, snapped the man, ian / warn y