The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-04-21

YES" he said.
The girl looked him up and down
again with innocent curiosity. "How
much does he give your" she asked.
Nothing but my board and clothes, -
the man answered, aud smiled. He
did not seem to find it hard work TO
stand still and watch her while her
black eyes swiftly catalogued each rag.
When they reached his bare brown
feet she laughed.
''Then think .ie had ought to dress
you better, am give you some shoes"
she said.
ale does-winters,n the man an
swered calmly.
She gave an impatient shake of her
sunbonnet. THAT isn't the thing
just to keep you-all warm," she ex-
planned. "a man like Mr.. Collister
had ought to keep you looking 'risto-
cratic"
The man who worked for Collister
grinned. ''Not very much in Coils
ter's line" he said. ave might get
mixed up if was too dressy." He
pulled a cracker-box forward, and dust
ed it. "If you amt in hurry, you'd
better come inside and take a seat" he
added.
The girl sank to the doorstep instead,
taking off her bonnet. Its slots folded
together as she dropped it into her lap,
and she gave sigh of relief, loosening
some crushed tresses of hair from her
forehead. She seemed to be settling
| down for comfortable inguisition.
'What kline of clothes does Mr.. Collis-
ties wear" she began.
The man drew the cracker-box up
near the doorway, and sat down.
"Dressy," he said; ''bout like mine"
The girl gave him look witch dar
ed to say, ~ don't believe it."
"Honest TRUTH" the man nodded.
"Would you like to have me call him
up from the field, and show him to
your
Not to assent would have seemed as
if she were daunted, and yet the girl
had many more questions to ask about
Collister. pretty soon," she said II
suppose if you don't call him, he'll be
coming for you. They say he works
you mighty hard"
1t is never pleasant to be spoken of
as something entirely subject TO anoth-
er persons will, A slow flush spread
over the mans face, but he answered
loyalty, "Collister may be mean to some
folks, but he's always been mighty
good to me-" He smiled as he looked |
off from stump to stump across the |
clearing TO the far rim of the forest. !
The stumps seemed to be running after |
one another and gathering in groups |
to whisper secrets you've got TO re- |
member that this is God-fersaken /.
hole for anybody to be stuck in," he
said; ''t amt in humanity for him TO |
keep his soul as white as natural, more |
lin his skin; but there's this to be said |
for Collister: he's always good to me-"
''I'm right glad of that" the girl |
said. She too was looking out at the |
loneliness, and little of it was reflect
ed on her face. "You-all must think a
heap of him." she added wistfully.
"You can just bet on that" he de-
clared. 1--WE done him heap of mean
turns, too; but they was always done
cause didn't know any better, so lie
don't hold me any grudge."
Wouldn't he mind if he knew you
were a. losing time by sitting here talk
ing TO me?" she asked.
The man shook his head. mo" he |
answered cheerfully; ''he wouldn't care
not for me. There isn't anybody else
he would favor like that, but he makes
it point to accommodate me-"
The girl gave her head a little turn.
''Do you think he would accommodate
mie?" she asked.
He looked her over as critically as
she had first looked at him. "It's
dangerous business answering for Col
lister" he ventured; 'but maybe if L |
asked him to he would"
Well, you are bigoty," she asserted"
CANT noways see what there is b.
twixt you. Why, they say that whilst
you're working he comes out in the |
field, an bosses you under a umbrelly; |
an" laugh carried her words along |
like leaves on dancing water-''an'
that he keeps stool strapped to his
back, ready to set down on whenever
he pleases. Ii is true-'hones' truth?''
A great mirth shook Collister's man |
from head to foot. ''Sach a figure
such figure as the old boy cutsp' he
gasped. "Sometimes / ask him if he'll |
keep his stool strapped on when he
goes acquiring; and he says maybe so
it'll be so handy to hitch along closer
to the young lady" Without think
ing, he illustrated with the cracker
box as he spoke. ''And as for the UNI
brella, / certainly amt the one to OBJ
ject to that; for, you see, when the suns
right hot he holds it over me-"
He leaned half forward as he spoke,
smiling at her. 1t is hard to tell ex
actly when new acquaintance ceases
to be stranger; but as the girl on the |
doorstep smiled in answer, she was un-
expectedly aware that the shrewd.
kindly, furrowed face of this young |
man who worked for Collister was
something which she had known for "A
long, long time. 1t seemed as familiar
as the scent of pine-needies and myrtle,
or as the shafts of blue, smoke-stained
sunlight between the brown trunks of
the pine trees in the fall, or as the
feathery outline of green pine-tops
against the dreamy intensity ofa South
ern sky; and when all this has been
said of girl who lives in the 'pineys,"
there is no necessity for saying more.
She gave little nervous laugh.
The man began talking again. at
amt such foolery as you would think,
his wearing the stool and carrying the |
umbrell," he said. This is the way
he reasons it out, he says. In the first
place, there's the sun; that's pretty |
good reason. But what started it was
a blazing day up North, when he was
hustling four deals at once; a man would |
need head the size of barrel to keep |