The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-23


wrong, an he seen no cure fer to him
tibet girl wnlkin long tho road not &c
rods from his house was like Il chunl;
of bread danglip jest bcyant the reach
OF Il starvin man.
fcrhaps you uns wonder why he
didn go down All speak to her The;
WASH I Absalom's way. He might "a
walked thct fur TO git warm But to
speak 20 ;;:rl? Never! Oncct he called
TO her, but shc was bashful an hung
her head an Walked on the faster
Nance, SEE he to his sister the;
night at supper, Two kinder anotion
fer Annie May Crimmcl, ho SCI.
Hcv you'll sez she, loollin sur
prised, though of course sho know'd it.
an fer weeks he'd ben a-wontlcrin what
'u'd become of her.
An perhaps, sez he, you wouldn't
mind steppin over there tomorrcr an
tcllin her
'UmphH she scz, perkin up hcr
nose. You IL see mo a-gaddin round the
valley settin up with girls fer youl'
He set thinllin IL piece. Then he SCI
trem lous like, Nance, how fur is it to
Crimmcls'?'
a milo to an inch, SCI She
E1c Jest give IL groand an went off to
bed ag'in.
They say tibet next day toward even
i'll Absalom was seen to rise from his
chair, to hesitate, to set down. Cit up
aS III an begin movin toward the road
lie got to the gate, pushed it half open
an leaned on it. Tell sunset he stood
there, again wistfulliko toward Grim
mcls place. Then he give a groand an
went to supper
Winter drove the lazy folly inter the
house. All day long he'd stay bv the
windy watchin fer Annie Nav Grim
mel, an us she passed he'd smile soft
like. When she was gone he'd look sol
cmn ag ill., An all the time he KEEP git
tin fattcr an fattcr All moro an more on
rastlcSs
Tho winter broke. March come an
went. April l was Il fine, warm day,
so AbSalonl took his cheer ouf on the
porch an set there loollin down the ridge
into the valley, whcrc tho men was
a-plowin fer oats. All at oncet he heard
crcakin of wheels IN !. rattle of gears
tibet caused him to turn his eyes up the
road. Outer the woods como Il wagon,
piled high with fnritur'. 1t was Il
fittin, the Crmmcls fifth, as he
know'd wncn he seen Andy a-drivin
an the missus AZ Annie May scttin on
the horses Bunllelwas stunncd-clcin-
ed stunned. Tho ilittin wont crcallin
past the house him Jest scttin there
starin. He llnow'd what it meant to
him. He lnow'd it WIS fer him the
same as tho death of Annie May, hut
he couldn't do nothin. The wagon
swung round the bend below the house
IN was outer sight.
"Whcn he seen the last of the red
bonnet flashin i'll the sun, he th'owcd
his hands to his head like they was Il
pain there. Sudden he jumped from his
chair an run toward the road yCllin:
Hey, hey! Annie Mayn
lie tore thrOo the gate, down the
road az round the bend. They was in
sight agin.
Annie May he called. Annie
May!
1.-The wagon stopped. The girl climb
cd often the horse an run toward him.
When he seen her comm, he set right
down to wait fer her. She stood still.
Annie May, he called, come here.
I've somcthin to tell You.
But she turned round an walked,
with hangin head, back to the wagon.
He jumped mp an begin rllnnin after
her ag'in. She heard his calm, an
throwod ont her hands I'M started to-
ward him, cryin, 'Absalom, Absalomr
But Absalom Bunkcl mover spoke
his mind 10 Annie May Crimncl. Aforc
he reached her he stopped sudden, kinder
hesitated. then fell for ard, face down
ward, inter the road The girl went to
him. but found him dcad-dcad from
overcXcrtin. New York Sun.