Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-31
NECK OR NOTHING.
B, JEANETTE h. wALwoRTH.
Copyright. 1897. by the Author.l
CHAPTER XIV.

Copyright 1897. by the Author.l
CHAPTER XIV.
In those tempest driven times the un-
usual was the usual, and to il was
awarded an unquestioning acquiescence
born of stoical resolve; therefore Strong
Martin should not have been jostled out
of all stEso Of his own identity by the
crow,iing events whose initial note had
been struck when Mamie Colyer mirac-
ulously descended upon Neck or Moth
ing.
Pacing the rounds Of huge sycamore
tree that marked the limits Of his second
days march from Sans Souci, he found
| il almost impossible To believe that on
ly 30 hours Of time and rs many miles
Of space lay between him and the cabin
hearth across which he and she had
"come To an understanding.
The querulous clamor Of innumerable
frogs, 10 whom life III the Shiny fast
nesses If bramble fringed bayou near
by seemed suddenly grown unbearable,
did not tend To enlivcn his reverie- Both
time ana spot. starless night and un-
peopled space were prolific Of gloomy
suggestion. and not even the careful
recalling Of every kind word spoken 10y
Mamie and tenderly reproduced by
memory could render him even tempo.
rarily oliiyious Of the present that was
full of menace.
Impenc.rablc darkness surrounded
him. Overhead, when the night wind
stirred the branches Of the sycamore
tree with its fitful breath, an occasional
star became visible, glimmering coldly
and unsympathctically upon him from
q sky that seemed immCasurably far re-
moved. a rod OF two away, invisible
but audible, his tired horse Crunched
the supper If corn and oats flung loose
ly on the ground before him and stamp
ed his feet in irritated protest against
the swarming mosquitoes Other sounds
none.
He had been sent by his father ahead
Of the column u find camping place
for the night.
Houses, il You can, but water must
be nigh at hand, houses or no houses.
Thar's 200 head Of stock all told tn be
watered before We turn Ill 10 sleep to-
night, eoys. You can take Sandy long
with you and send him back To pilot us.
No use your comm back; better save
your horse You'll have need Of him. p"
Had the gift Of prophecy been given
to old Ebcn Martin?
All this Strong had done. Found the
tenantless cabins Of deserted planta-
ton, found the water course and sent
Sandy back to meet and pilot the ad-
vancing caravan that represented all
the mubiiized wealth of Sans Souci
Alone he had watched the yellow
sun sink lower and lower behind the
soinb,r crowrs Of the expresses that
stood knee deep III the dark waters OF
the bayou, leaving long trailing souve-
Mrs Of the dead day III swift fading
bannerets of purple and gold. Then
darkness. sudden, dense, uplifting.
To fight oil u creeping sense of un-
easiness, he resolutely turned his
thoughts backward Not very far, only
TO that moment of time when he had
written his note to Mamie Colyer, ex-
planning his sudden call To assist his IA
ther in moving Governor Strong's pos
sessions beyond reach Of danger and
telling her Of his resolution to enlist.
The note had closed trifie lugubrious-
ly.
Perhaps if can fetch home an arm
less sleeve or a broken leg may become
more valuable or less valueless III your
eyes than am now, even though the
uniform propose to don be blue y
Liza had scolded him in u whisper,
standing on tiptoc TO kiss him goodby.
She had called him the hermit pessi.
mist and credited his heavy heartcdness
70 habitual morbidness She had prom
ised him, with q quaint nod Of her
small, wise head, TO "see that matter
Of .Adrien's wife and boy properly at
tended To, and she mad comforted him
immensely concerning Mamie Colyer,
| saying sapien,ly:
I'VE lonely women will have TO col
onize for self protection. After all OF
you go away, Seth Will be the only
white man within radius Of 90 miles
Poor old Seth! Twill have to teach Ma
mie how to weave. Amy is getting on
splendidly. Eight yards yesterday. !
intend to keep Miss Colyer with us un-
til her father or you come for her. Dear
me- what lot of heroes We are turning
off our reels"'
And she had laughed while the Others
were weeping. Yes, decidedly, Liza
was Just the sort of woman one wanted
about in an emergency. The madam,
white and tragic, had stood, rs if turn
ed to stone, holding back the trailing
tendrils of madeira vine with one
long, jeweled hand. as she gazed i'll dry
eyed CONSERVATION ut the slowly NOV
ing column headed by her fatherin
law. Reb,cca, rotund, plebeian, sin
cere, had voiced her misery loudly and
shrieked adJurations and counsel after
them until they Were hidden. Liza
alone had stood inscrutably smiling,
bright eyed and composed.
Forward, in r. veIie, to the long todi-
Gus night. when. favored hv The dark.
/