The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-07
lIILLY'S RETURN.

-.
He did not hear my footstep OF see nc
until was close upon him. "Gocd
morning, uncle" | said. knew how
friendly he was to every stranger and
did rot fear his not answering mo O,
asking annoying questions about me
"Mcrnin, stranger. Fine mornin this!
From Yorli?''
Yes, sir; just this morning. at
what time docs the train-I mean the
next onc-lcavc the station going baclz?'
Bout i this afternoon. 1 wuz list
tryin to fix up this ole harness, SOS TO
meet the l o'clock train. It's list about
played out. Lowed 'twould last as long
as me an tho ole lady did, but seems
like it's jist fallin all to pieces all at
once. You sec, stranger" and glad
smile lit up his bearded, wrinl1led face
you sec, Milly's comm homo today.
Milly-that's my dartcr-been gone
nigh on nine years. She wuz our only
child, all we ever had, 'cept Andy. He's
been with us since ho wuz 8 years old.
Andy's good boy, sir; good bow as
you ever seed, and most anybody'I tell
you the same.
Yes, she wrote mo card. got it
here i'll my blouse pocket. Mas lust
wild fer JOY. An, stranger, yer ought ter
see the good things she's got cooked.
Mas wonderful good cock. There
amt woman i'll the country round
that can beat her She's been trapesins
round fixing up good things ever since
Andy bro't this card Yes, it'll lift Il
mighty heavy load from this ole heart
II Milly comes today, and it'll make me
ten years younger. These has been nine
of the most miserable long years ole
Uncle Ben Sinms ever put through
with.
You sec, stranger, it wuz this a
way And Uncle Ben wiped his ewes
on his checked blouse sleeve and let tho
old harness down carefully. "Dick
Plunmcr, he us't often to come out here
III the summer fer Il visit, ever since he
war the same age as when we took
Andy TO raise. He an Andy us t to have
SIGH times a-fishin an swimmin an hunt
ill., he warn't IL bad chap, in | didn't
mind his visits to our place-sortcr liked
to sec him III Andy together. But when
he Growcd up an begin to larn to be IL
doctor, | sorter somehow turned ac'in
him. He us't to tell bout cuttin people
to pieces an all. 1t gave mo the crccps
He us't to say 'twan't nothin to see
scholars where he studied play ball with
mans arm. Ugh, SIGH men! In our
day it was very different very different
Waal, one day l wuz out III the
smokehouse sharpnin my sickle-an [
want i'll very good humor either
mind-when Dick camc out thar an
told me he wanted to marry my Milly
L mind, sir, [ got so rilcd | wuz fairly
beside myself, for I'd sot my heart on
her marryin Andy, fer Andy wuz good
huff fer any girl-wouldn' t hurt a flea,
Andy wouldn't Why, sir, I've seed
him pet All coax an work with our ole
black boss (he's balky most all timc),
IN If twould been me I'd come blame
near KILN him. WAL, ain t so much
that way now since Milly's gone. I've
sortcr mastered my fiery temper, tween
thinkin of her an watchin Andy.
But that mornin when Dick came
ont thar an told me he wanted to marry
Milly-I told you 1 wuz on il high
hos, us old Parson Shockley used ter
say-an / wouldn't give III an inch, he
kept a-tellin me that he loved Milly an
She loved him, but it never made any
difference; wanted her to marry Andy,
but they went over to Rosevillc an WuZ
married that afternoon
When they came back can see her
now come i'll a-laffin-an she came mp
10 me an said, Pa, you amt mad, air
you:' mother She bust out a-cryin, fer
She knew / would act dcin fool fer
WIZ i'll Il terrible fit of temper, fer that
mornin old DUdson's boys had nigh
stripped my fine Bartlett pear trees ut
the back of the lott iist p'inted to the
door an, told hcr'-his voice again
wavcrcd and up went the chcckered
shirt slccve-"shc needn't ever come
here az i'll even if she lived TO be 100
years old. An mind, too, said, Some
day mcbby you'll want ter come back,
mcbby to beg food fer yer children, but
mind, am not grandfather to any of
Your children.
An so they left, but Milly says: Pa,
dear, let me kiss mother goodby. Please,
please do!' An she locked so pitifully to
her ma-I can see it now; / couldn't
then-hut [ Shut the door and left the
house ! went over thar meath that
sassairas hedge an threw myself on the
ground an lho't of what "a done, hut 1
couldn't help it. The very devil of
temper WIZ i'll me, an he would crop
out ut times.
Fool that L wuz! Why can't IL man
see when he's actin dern fool? An
Milly WIZ SIGH good girl-sich good
girl! Now, thinks |, who'll comb yer
ole ha'r before yo go to bed nights?
Who'll get you cool drink when yer so
tagged ont that you can't do it yerself?
Milly WAS IL good girl. sir-Shc wuz