San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-14
GILLIAD MOONS SPECULATION.
Copyright. 1897. by the Author.I
By E. S. GRANT.


The evening sunlight, slanting
athwart the waters, glistened like a
thousand fakes of silver, but down in
the shadow of the mountains, with the
beetling crags and the tangled leather
wood brakes along the banks, Kanawha
river looked but what it was-a wild,
rough stream, half muddy and half
clear from the nature of its tributaries,
the New river and the Granley, which
flow into each other about two miles
above the falls. Its surface looks
smooth enough, but it possesses an I'M
dercurrent as swift as whirlpool Gil
lad Moon brought his small boat down
ON the muddy side, and when N reach
ed certain briery landing he pulled
ashore and hid his boat among the iron
weeds which grew to the waters edge.
Then, followed by his dogs, he walked
up the path which led to his house I'M
der the threatening rocks Of the noun
tain. There was to be a war in his
house. One by one his l2 children had
scattered about and died. Only Laney
was left. and Gilliad was fond of her.
She was preparing his meager supper of
fried fish and griddle cakes. She WIS a
pretty girl, or would have been pretty
if tidy She wore a short cotton dress
turned up over striped balmoral after
the fashion of the Scotch fishwives,
only her clothes were dull and shabby
in coloring and texture, and there was
an utter absence of the picturesque. She
was thin and pale, and frown of dis
content, an unusual thing for Laney
darkened her face Gilliad entered the
open door, and, placing his gun across
the wooden pegs on the wall, flung
down before the girl huge spotted
wildcat Thar" he said "See tibet
varmelt, gal? WAL, thet'll fetch clean
two dollar, so git yer stumps clar'ed
erway an hope me skin i'm. "
"Ewh" calculated Laney An
thet's her critter | hearn Their dorgs
arter?'
The slim yellow cur and the bob
tailed, plug cared bulldog, faithful fol-
lowers of their master, wagged heads
and strutted about as if conscious of a
victory
The man took his knives and whet-
stone from box and went to the door
stone. where he seated himself to sharp
en- them.
Laney fried the griddle cakes, and
the pungent odor of the bacon rind.
with which she creased the skillet
fioated out upon the evening air and
mingled with the dampness from the
dripping rocks above the house
did ye hear anything erbout Their
party at Shady?' asked Laney as she
set the one cracked plate upon the table
and motioned for Gilliad to eat
Nav, an didn ak nothin erbout
eT, ne replied
"Taddy Green air a-comin fur ter tex
me up thar in his dugout, said the
girl "But kahn tgo 'thout no shews.
"Ye kin stay ct home 'thout EN-,
then, said Gilliad.
Laney flashed an angry glance at him
from beneath her frousy hair She
looked up the river and saw the white
buildings of the hotel and store gleam-
ing in the evening sun. If she only had
some money, she could purchase shoes
from the store on her way to Shady III
the dugout and size would be as we'll
equipped for the ''shindig' as the city
girls were for the gay balls at the hotel
At least she would be satisfied.
Laney watched the cloud of mist float
M from the rivers, where they came
together and dashed and broke into
spray over the falls. She was silent a
moment. Then, as she turned TO the
work of SHINING the wildcat, she said
firmly:
II air a-goin ter Their party, an "
ort 'er gin me par O. shews er money
ter git 'em with. "
II ort, ort ~ responded her father
as he slashed his long knife through thu
tough hide which Laney held.
81 dunno why We KANT, pap0y, Z" sh'
said, and the tears gathered in ner dull
eyes.
She had never been refused before, be
cause she had never made such request
"Ye dunno, eh?" sneered the old man
"Waal, eff We tell me whar ter git it
I'll gin it ter yer. =
'Out O. tibet box thar" said Lane,
boldly,
at hes got nothin whutsumever il
it, snapped the man, IAN / warn y
| II@