Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-09-18
A MOUNTAIN DAISY.

most fashionable functions of the sea-
son. This seems a favorite situation
with fate while weaving the web of
human destiny. Fred Trevor, tall, dark,
self contained, with power apparent in
every look, movement and feature, stood
the magnificent woman he had just
seated.
"You know, Miss Alden," as he
leaned toward her, THAT my knowledge
of the social tenets is not profound.
"You have only to follow your in
stincts. Mr. Trevor"
"And you are the gentle mentor who
warned me against the sin of fattery?"
eff have paid an undeserved COM
pliment, it is to society in assuming
that it has attained to your standard.
''You're incorrigible, but Ill accept
the verdict and carry out the thought I
had i'll bringing you here"
She made no answer save to withdraw
her eyes from his and gather in the
folds of her dress to make room for
him to sit down.
Il want to tell you something of my
life and then ask your advice am not
assuming that the story has any special
interest for you, but | have selfish de-
sire for your opinion after have told
it,"
But don't you know, as a general
truth that, with the average woman,
x,-l,n ~,
ored glorites his antecedents, no matter
what they may be-"
eff you were the average woman, l
would never have sought this opportu-
nifty. When I first faced the world
alone, | was little, i'll fed, sallow,
ragged and half dressed boy in the Cum
berland mountains. did not know that
there was such thing as a railroad,
steamboat, a book, hereafter, music,
culture Or anything different from the
detestable surroundings from which l
longcd to escape. My father had been
killed i'll defending an illicit still, and
mother just seemed to go with the
mountain flowers which had gathered
for her till they ceased to bloom that
fall. During the winter l was kept
alive despite kicks and bruises by
family that had me as their sole reli-
ance in 'toting' water and gathering
wood.
In the spring went away; made
up little bundle and stole off in the
night. Till the evening of the next day
| hurried over the red clay roads and
paths, terror of being caught and taken
back crowding out every other thought
and feeling. But hunger and exhaustion
are not to be denied, and at last went
stealthily to a little cabin where girl
of my own age was 'keepin' house in a
hollow stump, just outside. She put
her TROUBLED head over the wall of her
primitive abode to conduct an exam
ination. who is you uns boy?' 'Whar's
you par?' 'Whar's you mar?' 'Whar
mout you be a-goin?' were questions
that l answered as well as l could.
Then she said wisely, Il lows thet you
is runned away
''This would have put me to flight,
but she sprang out, told me to take her
place, and while I sat in the cramped
quarters she brought me all that could
eat and a paper of food to carry with
me. After assuring me that she would
have her par shoot any one who might
be trying to recaptnre me, she pointed
the nearest way to a town, walked
way with me and said as we parted, Il
reckon you uns ill hev ter kim back
some time an marry me fur all them
whites an fur tellin folks we uns haven't
sawen you when they comes 'archin. 1
promised her, of course. "
But you never told us that you were
engaged, laughed his brilliant listener.
"Where can we find your mountain
daisy"
Il wish | could tell you. The Incl
dent was one of the events of my life.
For the first time knew the sweetness
of sympathy. l have grown to almost
detest the people from whom l sprang
because of their ignorance and lack of
ambition, but the little girl of the hol-
low stump has always had a warm
place i'll my memory. You know most
of my experience in the far west.
Before l had been there six months l
found the old man known as Hermit
Ben lying unconscious and apparently
dying i'll one of the mountain gorges. I
brought the aid that carried him to his
shanty, procured doctor and was his
nurse till he recovered. He felt toward
me as l did toward the ignorant little
girl back i'll Tennessee. l had been good
to him without any selfish motive, and
he no sooner was well than he an
nounced that was his boy Jim. This
was my protection, for, despite the fact
that he was a recluse, Ben was known
as a bad man when interfered with and
commanded a respect that was height
ened by the mystery with which he sur
rounded himself. Something had made
him at enmity with the world. For
years he told me nothing, though from
the first he showed me all the affection
of mother and care of father.
''It was soon matter of common re-
port that Ben's new boy was to be a
gentleman. The hermit himself took
charge of my primary education. He
was delighted with my lack of knowl-
edge and my endless list of simple ques
tions, for it showed him that he was
working on virgin soil. He nodded me
in accordance with his own conception
of manhood, forever impressing upon
me that ingratitude was the cardinal
sin. When | could comprehend, he told
me that would be rich, that l must
spend money generously and that some
time he would let me into the secret