The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-17

day"
Amt fair" hesitated key "Bein' a
stranger you naturally don't know what
kin do with the best part of a day afore
me and a whiskey barl behind me-
Oh that's all right. I'll risk it,
An l kin go straight ahead, Mister?'
enquired the gratified Ikey
of course, however devious your ulti-
mate movements may be-" said the stran-
ger. presume the local lightning
rod has been analysed by you so often that
it is perfectly innocuous?"
"Eh?'' blankly enquired Ikey. you've
got me, stranger pass"
The stranger motioned to the landlord to
bring drinks, and Ikey modestly gulped
down half a tumbler of whisky-whisky
which would have eaten the rivets out of
an Neutrality-suspicious. winking.
The stranger sat down on the verandah
in basket chair and refused the vile IL
quor placed at his elbow by the obsequi-
GUS host. With hat tilted half over his
eyes and chair propped against the wall,
he languidly let the scorching sun play
over him and permeate his being
One or two buggies were hitched to posts
in the front of the hotel. Millette's goat
stolidiy consumed the sleeve of a habi-
tant's coat as it hung down from
blackboard. The intense heat
told Visibly on the painting dogs
the stranger appeared to enjoy it, Lam
guild fowls, half buried in dust, scorned to
snap at suddenly rising grasshoppers.
Above, the blue sky; around, the fresh
sweet wind tempering the hot
sun; in the distance, recently clothed will
lows, as the wind rustled among them dis
played their silvery surfaces. Between
the village and the mountains the OF
tawa rippled onward, it's transparent wa
tiers dancing up to the light of the SUM-
Next door to the hotel, Old Man Waters
steadily made up his garden for the sum-
mer, whilst his pet blue jay INDUCED in
profane exercises as a squirrel danced up
and down the same branch Two or three
thieving blackbirds waged war on a colony
of innocent robins by the waterside But
dominating the landscape and making a
brilliant spot of color in it sat Logan's Sal
wearing her long locks and singing 1.-The
little old log cabin in the lane
The stranger languidly watched Sal for
half-an-hour. He did everything languid-
ly, as if so fashionably attired a being
could not reasonably be expected to dis
play the energy of baser natures.
1.-THE stage for Caledonian Springs goes
at two. 1 think you said?" he remarked
to Ikey.
That worthy nodded to tail, rawboned
young fellow, clad in blue trousers red
sash, and cotton shirt. On his head, he
wore Cow breakfast" that is, a large
hat of common straw, so called because
occasionally used as a substitute for fod-
der when hay became scarce.
Ikey regarded the newcomer with ILL
disguished scorn. IT'S Hank Peters," he
said. Hank Peters, come bothering
Sal to take her to the bah tomorrow
night
Tomorrow night, Ell ?" enquired the
stranger, without vouchsafng a second
ola Of onlr r1,.nr
an angry colloquy with the somewhat will
full Sal.
Eyes; tomorrow night, in the Mechanics
Institute
why Mechanism" asked the stranger.
81 dunno" said key. i've never seed
none; but old Logan lowed to have tone
about it. He reckoned to call it that He
did think of The Tower, but that amt
no tower, and so he had to give in
The stranger complacently shifted his
chair a couple of inches. DO 1 under
stand you to say that it is the custom in
these primitive parts for a man to take a
girl to a dance and engage to do so the
day beforehand"
keys utterance grew a little thick 81
can't quite follow all them dictionary
words, stranger, but that's about the size
of it,"
The stranger lounged into the bar. Keep
my things I'll stay over Tomorrow" he
said listlessly, and returned to the veran-
dab.
I'm go to the dance,"he said, resum-
ing his seat. Introduce me to that young
lady over the way?"
"Dussent do it," said key. THAT Hank
Peters is the ugiest man in the place He'd
wipe me out"
"oh, very WELL" said the stranger, "I'H
do it myself"
keys speech became thicker. "Dutish
hoshp taPty" he said. "Shah-shah-
shant let you"
The stranger thrust Ikey back into the
chair, poured out for that veteran soaker
some more whisky, shook himself, stified a
slight yawn, and, slowly strolling across
the dusty road, lifted the latch of the little
gate.
"Goshr said key, trying to follow. But
the whisky asserted itself, and chained
him to his chair.
Sal looked up with a smile at the hand
some young fellow, as he saluted her with
an easy bow. Miss Logan, l presume? ?"
he said, nonchantly, and their eyes met.
Logan's Sal had ever been famous for
the quickness with which she arrived at
conclusions. The somber fire Of her blue
eyes disappeared; her lips parted in a smile
of delighted surprise, and she half rose,
striving to curb her riotous locks as they
wantoned around her. Yes" she said,
softly that's my name"
The strangers blue eyes laughed back
into hers, although a scarcely perceptible
blush dyed his erstwhile brazen cheek He
was saying to himself: Il go no further
It's kismet."
This encounter of eyes last half a
second, perhaps three-quarters. When
Sal lowered her long lashes, Hank Peters
scowled.
My friend Mr.. Marston," airly explain
ed the stranger has expatiated 50 elo-
quently on your many virtues that / re-
quested the honor of an introduction I'm
fortunately, circumstances over which Mr.
Marston-and his legs-had no control
prevented him from accompanying me
across the road. He has been quenching
his thirst for some little time past-quench-
ing it not wisely, but too well-and the
sun has proved too much for him. ! there
fore considered Il my duty 10 explain his
apparently shameful neglect OF you"
Again the girls beautiful eyes were mo-
mentarlly lifted to his. Sweet surprise
dlmpled breaks Of oAin and lips, with pink
bushes chasing each other over her white
throat, made themselves manifest at this
display Of consummate assurance and du-
plicity. Ou!wardly calm. he was gasping
to himself AT lasti at last My ideal