The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1897-01-02

the world besides Then he begged Enston
ter go back with him en- carry the fiddle,
20 as ter bring hi1nluck.
"Easton he went, an shore 'nough the
Frenchman won the first turn. As the
second begun it i0oked like his eyes wuz
glued ter the ball. Toward the last 1t be-
gun ter roll slow, aDsslow We jest barly see
II move. Seemed Ekeit wanted ter stop on
his color IN couldn't somehow manage ter
do 1t. He wuz betnin still on the black.
When the ball crope over on hit so slow an
easy We saw II couldn't git OF, he flung up
his hands an fell back, dead as er door nail.
When the doctor come, he said the French.
mans heart wug weak, IAN the strain had
been too much fer him.
"Then Easton he t0dk whit the Teller
had won an whut he'd Iborryed o. him an
had him buried decent er thar didn't pear
ter be nobody else ter sac whut become o.
him. When that wuz DONE he come tromp-
in home with the fiddle under his arm, the
only mortal thing he had ter show er all
he'd took erway."
"Po' ole Teller! He wOn't have that
much, chen, after terday," the thin beard
ed man said, winking his eyes hard. Then,
leaning across to the sheriff: "Say, Bixby,
give us one mo- look at MaGg ret, wont
we? She's er fiddle, an no nistake I'd
know the sound o. her eff she wuz playin
with 30 others. 'Tain't so loud, but mel
iar as harvest apples, an carries so ye kin
hear 1t at the yard gate mighty nigh as
we'll as ye kin on the peazzo. useter al
ways could tell when l rode past thar how
things wuz goin with the majer by the way
he played. Ef he wuz feelin jolly, had sold
his terbacker fer ernough ter set him
squar with the warehouse an the st0'keep-
In, Lord, how he did rattle off The Ar
kansaw Traveller an Tom Meriweather,
an Henry Phillips an Black Satin an
sech like tunes. But eff hewuz beset over
things, hadn't paid taxes, er the corn wuz
out an no money ter buy mo-, Ter may be
he'd seen Elizabeth turnin an patchn her
ole frocks, that wuz jes' fit fer the ragbag
why then, tell ye, Marg ret jes walled
out Billy in the Low Grounds er some
er them ole time camp meetin tunes that
sounds like er lost child cryin fer its
nanny.
Many times this summer I've rid by
thar at er gallop, jest ter keep frum hearin
the ole gal. Majer's got er white head,
but l tell ye he keeps er mighty timber
elbow yit lay he's got mo- satisfaction
out er the hundred dollars he give fer
Marg'ret than out er any other money
that ever he spent. That's what makes
me wonder SO that ever he'd give 'Bige
Potter lien on her. I'd "a thought he'd
most as soon give him one on 'Lizabeth. !"
Bige thought hit mounted ter bout
the same--that' S why he wuz so keen after
it, reckon" said lounging fellow in a
suit of patched jeans who had hitherto
been silent He had keen, small eyes set
under thatch of grizzled hair and skin
ments.
"Ye see, wuz thar when all this yere
wuz a-happenin," he went on. cat the
majer's, mean, thar with that Teller frum
up moth, that come down yere a-bird
huntin, an got me ter sorter show him
round. We boarded at the majer's-
mighty good board, too, 1t wuz. Liza
beth's er number one housekeeper an STIR
my, eff she jes' could "a happened
ter "a been born boy, we'll, thar wouldn't
be no talk er this yere sale terday. She'd
work out the debt, she would, an never
bat her eye,
"She wouldn't git the chance. 'Bige
Potter closer n the bark to or tree But
20 on with yer tale, Shock. 1t was gittin
mighty interestnl' Bob Lumpkin inter.
rupted Shocky Waters, the hunter, eyed
GnanIy for ho1f t,,tnrfQ than v,t
Oil:
"AsIwuz telln when that thar oaf put
in his mouth, seen an heard the whole
thing. One day in November that thar
no then feller-Rayne his name is-lost
er letter he had writ ter somebody back
whar he come frum, an he wuz put out
over hit er sight. So let in ter huntin 1t
up. 'Twuz long toward A o'clock-we'd
been out all day-an traipsed out through
the orchard, whar we went that mornin as
sse started. An who should stumble on
out thar but 'Lizabeth, a-getherin the last
er the winter apples, an 'Bige Potter a-set-
tin on his hawse an lookin at her like he d
give his ears ter eat her up. AS come up
/ heared him say:
"'Miss 'Lizabeth, my mind is made up
ter git married fore this time next year.
Tell me, now, whut do ye think o. my
chancesp'
ooh ses 'Lizabeth, colorin up, but
settin her teeth tergether, Il reckon you
can do it, eff you'll 60 fur CROUCH way
frum home. Thar's women a-plenty that
would marry Old Scratch hisself II he
asked 'em fer the sake of havin Mrs. VI
on their tombstones.
Ellis face got pokeberry red, but fore he
could open his mouth come through the
high weeds, an ses l. Hello, 'Bigel III
trouble ye fer that thar letter l see a-stick.
in out o. yer side pocket. I've searched an
searched fer it, tell I'm nih about hip
shotten.
"Thet was pyore bluff. I hadn't nc
reason in the wurld ter think he had whit
wanted But it wurked. He gimme the
dockyinent with no two words an rid of,
sayin he must go find the majer.
"That night the ole man tolc me how
'Bige had come er dingdongin at him bout
intrus money an wouldn't let him erlont
tell he'd give him this yere lien on Mar
g'ret"
"Wonder of 'Bige thinks she's with any
part of it, $500? Reckon he's SAFE though
The land oughtor fetch considerable more I
the debt. But dunno, neither. Money!
skase, an there amt nobody much likely
ter want sech er big place, the thin beard
ed man said meditatively, twiddling hi
thumbs. Shocky Waters glared at hin
through narrow lids, then said darkly:
Gentlemen, hear my racket, now while
ye've got time. 'Bige Potter knows HI
CANT have 'Lizabetb. He thinks, though
he'll take his spite out gittin Marg ret
Now, there's some on us here wouldn'
mind seein him fooled. When the sale be
gins, he'll bid lively--no doubt O. that II
the world. Now whutever he cries, ye al
help me ter cry ergainst him. Never mint