St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-03-26

chickenW
"A double murrain on you and your
neighborhood rooster" growled the
young millionaire under his breath,
and his eyes had turned, wide open,
to gaze at the lissome girl, whose
white gown filtered in the lazy
breeze.
To be frank, Melville had heard
quite enough about the cock o. the
Cherokee hills, how it was in the
habit of clinching with cock a-doo-
dle-doo every particularly happy in
cident of the neighborhood's life.
How it crowed on Nancy Ann Roe's
ashhopper just at the moment she
cast the last shuttle and finished
weaving her wonderful counterpart
of seven hundred and one stars; how
it walked right into Sara Hixscabin
and crowd in the middle OF the floor
when her baby boy Bob cut his first
tooth; how it trebbled its triumph
ant cry when Bud Peevy, at the end
of a terrible fight, whipped North
ShamIy, who had come all the way
from Arkansas to meet the mountain
champion, and how it crowed at
every house in the neighborhood the
night that Lock Tolliver got con-
verified at camp-meeting.
Hit air a fac AT Whenever that air
rooster crows theirs good luck a
comm ter somebody Peevy de-
cared. Hit never has failed Wit"
What, in a vague way perplexed
Melville's imagination was the con-
seriousness that this incorrigible cock
had been growing in his brain ever
since the day of the sklrmish, now
six long years agone; that this
brook had been babbling in his heart
all through the same period, and call
ing him back to wade in its sweet,
chill water and cast his line across its
melodious dimples.
Peevy doubtless felt the young
mans inhospitable mood, for he
strobe away over the hills, mutter-
ing something about not "keerin' a
worm-eaten dried apple dog gone for
any teller who air naturally too dad
burn lazy to look at man wen he
air conversin' to i'm"
Meantime the girl made her way
leisurely down the slope, plucking
large mountain violets right and left,
and singing little fragments of mel
ody, in voice that played hide and
seek between childish sweetness and
womanly timbre. When she reached
the spring-house she seated herself
upon great stone and began assert.
ing and arranging her flowers. Under
her hat brim some fluffy curls, loosely
pinned up, were shining like SHREDDED
amber. She had purely Greek pro.
file, fine throat and dainty white
hands.
Melville found that he was holding
his breath while gazing at her, ant
the next moment, by a turn of tn,
eye, she discovered him lying there sc
near to her A rose.leaf. flush spreaC
suddenly under the fair skin from
neck to cheek, and her parted iu
were cherry red; but she did no
start or rise.
The situation, Melville thought
was one demanding prompt actio
and adroit diplomacy. in order t.
prevent disastrous end to YER
pretty and romantic incident. H
got nimbly to his feet, and presente
, himself in all his stalwart glory {
manhood before her.
Good morning." he said. II wa
resting while from my angling
, hope | have not startled your"
mo, sir" she answered, with a Ii
5 tie indrawn breath, like the sigh {
e one who suddenly enters cold waite
She clutched her violets as if fearin
. he might pounce upon them. VI
there was something blithe and shyl
] friendly in her look.
q II am neither bandit nor a kit
T. napper," he added, halt in explain;
ton, half in apology. Gould yo
:, find me gourdful of fresh butte
milk in the spring house? I'm GU
; rageously thirsty" Helmet in han,
o he bowed.
ITO be concluded)