El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-03
;ILLIAD MOONS SPECULATION.
By E. s. GRANT.
copyright, 1897, by the Author

By E. s. GRANT.
Copyright 1897. by the Author1
The evening sunlight, slanting
thwart the waters, glistened like
thousand flakes of silver, but down in
he shadow of the mountains, with the
eetling crags and the tangled leather
wood brakes along the banks, Kanawha
liver looked but what it was-a wild,
roygh stream, half muddy and half
blear from the nature of its tributaries,
the New river and the Granley, which
bow into each other about two miles
above the falls. Its surface looks
smooth enough, but it possesses an un-
dercurrent as swift as whirlpool Gill
I1iad Moon brought his small boat down
on the muddy side, and when he reach!
I'D 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
tup the path which led to his house un-
der the threatening rocks of the noun
tain. There was to be war in his
house. One by one his IL children had
scattered about and died. Only Laney
was left, and Gi1liad was fond of her.
She was preparing his meager supper of
fried fish and griddle cakes. She was a
pretty girl, or would have been pretty
if tidy. She wore a short cotton dress
turned up over a 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 a huge spotted
wildcat. "Thar,' he said. "See tibet
varment. gal? Waal, thet'll fetch clean
two dollar, so git yer stumps clar'ed
efway an hope me skin i'm
''EwhP' CALCULATED Laney. ''An
thet's her critter 1 hearn ther 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 q
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,
d0ated out upon the evening air and
with the dampness from the
dripping rocks above the house.
Ibid ye hear anything erbout ther
party at Shady?" asked Laney as she |
get the one cracked plate upon the table |
and motioned for Gilliad to eat.
Naw, an l didn' ak nothin erbout |
st, he replied
'Tad6y Green air a-comin fur ter tex
rs up thar in his dugout," said the
girl. But kahn t go 'thout no shews."
"Ye kin stay ct home 'thout EN-,
hen, said Gilliad.
Laney flashed an angry glance at him
rom beneath her frousy hair. She
ooked up the river and saw the white
buildings of the hotel and store gleam-
ng in the evening sun. If she only had
'ome money, she could purchase shoes
rom the store on her way to Shady in
he dugout, and she would be as well
,quipped for the ''shindig' as the city
girls were for the gay balls at the hotel
1t least she would be satisfied.
Laney watched the cloud of mist float
up from the rivers, where they came
Ogether ard dashed and broke into
pray over the falls. She was silent
Then, as she turned to the
work of skinning the wildcat, she said
irmly:
II air a-goin ter Their party, an ye
ut FER gin me par O. shews er money
er git 'em with
81 ort, ort L ?'' responded her father
ls he slashed his long knife through the
6ugh hide which Laney held.
81 dunno why We kahn It, papny," she
aid, and the tears gathered in ner dull
yes.
<SShe had never been refused before, be-
ause she had never made such request
"Ye dunno, eh?'' sneered the old man.
"Waal, eff We tell me whar ter git it.
III gin it ter yer.
'Out O. tibet box thar" said Laney
Oddly.
sit hes got nothin whutsumever in
t, snapped the man, IAN I warn. ye
E[Ey:z:S,