Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-02-12


said Liza, cooling her correction as Ca
ressingly as if Seth's grammar was the
only thing in life Of any importance to
her at that particular juncture.
But before they reached the overseer's
house she had bestowed one more de-
scriptive adjective on Mr. Randall
Chambliss-''and impertinent."
CHAPTER TX.
"Mid reedy fens widespread" Strong
Martin had established his hermitage.
The river front or bottom lands of the
Hill Place partook of the character Of
their swamp neighbors over on the
Louisiana side of the river-rank yege-
table growth and teeming animal vital
ity everywhere!
Gloomy Expresses lowered in funereal
grandeur high above the spreading
crowns of Broad branching water oaks.
Vivid green canes grew in serried ranks
close beside the loose leaved wild cher
ries, that in autumn waved their terra
Gotta fambeaus over the dark bosom OF
a stagnant green pond-''thick and
slab as q witch's stew. Pallid cypress
knees lifted their blunted cones above
the Opaque waters Of the pond, offering
coigns Of vantage to countless Shiny
things that undulated sinuously about
their roots or coiled tenaciously about
their crowns. Spanish moss hung In a
melancholy profusion of gray bannerets
from every branch and twig that showed
the slightest inclination to separate and
let in stray sunbeams. Frogs croak-
ed at high noon among the coarse bull
rushes that fringed the oozy banks Of
the pond. The stridulous note Of the
grasshopper, punctuating the dreary
quietude, made itself heard between
whites.
All of which won't toward the giving
Of such al evil reputation to the Black
Moccasin pond that it was considered
the evil ones own dominion by the
slaves for miles around. A few yards
beyond its somber boundaries rose the
crumbling wooden stile that stood
Strong instead Of a front gate. 1t was
not a cheerful spot, even under the full
blaze of the MONDAY sun. In the gloam-
ing it was trying to the stoutest nerves.
The wooded cliffs that led upward to
the brighter tableland where Sans Souci
reared it's stately white and green IA
cade girdled Neck or Nothing with
verdant palisades that were almost per-
pendicular in places and quite inacces-
sible for ordinary pedestrians.
Such as her brothers. hermitage was,
Liza got her first glimpse of it on the
morning after her day Of humiliation.
He was sitting before a table belittered
with books and newspapers, amid which
was placed an unappetizing array Of
plates containing his MONDAY meal.
Not reading, not eating-pondering,
with both elbows planted squarely
among the newspapers and the books
and his chin resting in his palms. He
!!:x:.eeG! his head at sound of Liza's rus
Ting skirts and looked at her in unwel-
coming surprise as she stepped daintily
over his sunken doorsill and glanced as
wonderingly about her as might a wood
nymph who had lost her way and stray
ed into a mortal's habitation entirely
against her own will.
Upon my word, Strong, this spot
would have made the reputation of a
Salem witchv' She shivered prettily
and came farther into the bare room.
II am in a delightful state of goose
flesh and can feel nerves sprouting all
over me. I had to skirt that remarkable
sheet Of water out yonder and I actually
feel creepy. Please offer me a chair"
Strong rose and placed his one chair
at her disposal. She settled herself in
to it composedly. A pretty flush from
exercise or nervousness had spread over
her face with enhancing effect. Strong
could feel himself warmed and cheered
by her presence in spite of himself. 1t
was like letting a brilliant ray of sun
light into a long closed closet. He had
showed some books aside and was sitting
on a corner of the table, swinging II
foot a trile petulantly. After all, even
stray sunbeams would expect some sort
Of entertainment.
He knew that she was taking in every
particular Of his poor surroundings with
bright, alert glances, and never before
had his M unglazed window, with its
clumsy wooden shudder tapping drear-
lily in the wind, his shelfess chimney
jamb, with it's dusty litter of pipes and