The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-29
A FLAG OF TRUCE
Bv MARTHA McCULLOCH- WILLIAMS.
copyrighted, 1900, by NJ. McCulloch- Williams.)

last Of a line of spotices gentlemen.
He had no more dreamed that Nor
ris could marry beneath himself than
that the sun could drop out Of the
sky.
.Yon-must-love this girl-yery
deeply" he said al last. with his eyes
on the smouIderino fire. Morris set
his teeth hard.
Yes. ! love her" he said, very
slowly. And away from her ! hate
her almost as much. | know all you
can say-that She is ignorant, vain.
vactlonS. that She knows ,othinG o:
the reserves. and rcfincments. which
should belong t0-the Woman who
shall take my mothers place. What
is the good Of talking. thought an
a man. She is the most beautiful wO-
man in the world. And She loves me.
Yes. she does-Ioves me madly. |
might have made her anything |
chose. You have brought me mp TO
know that q scducer was worse han
a mad dog, and SO | married her.
1t seemed to me | must disgrace
either Your name, or your training
and let the name go.
You did not think of me-" the
ma ior said. very low. Morris covered
his eyes and groaned.
over and over and over he said:
but look back. governor, remember
what it is to be twenty-five. Fancy
Yourself loved. and loving: fancy. too.
leaving the woman YOU loved. in the
recklessneSs OF heartbreak. TO throw
herself into the bottomless pit. SWan
is loud and gay. and free. but she IS
good. | kept my head until-weii, I'M
til it happened that | kissed her. Then
well. nothing mattered beside keep
ing her always and only mine"
Maj. billiards. hands clinched hard
upon the arms of his chair.
Tell me what YOU mean to do?' he
said lifelesslv. Morris smiled a dreary
smile.
Il have not made a plan. governor"
he said: but be certain of this
shall not bring Swan here. My moth
er's memory forbids. Wherever Swan
may go. there the tribe of Hinton will
90 likewise. Perhaps the best thing
can do is to ask YOU for money
enough to take the tribe and vanish
by the Lord. YOU shall not! | will
not be left desolatc. You shall not
throw away your life. your future, in
this fashion," the major roared,
springing to his feet. "Morris! Nor
ris. Why did You keep all this dark?
You are under entertainments: clean
out your mind? | say nothing against
this poor girl-but tell me. has the
marriage been made public?."
Norris shook his head: "Old Nat
suSpects-but nobody knows, except
the minister" he said. The people at
the party thought Swan was only
fooling-as she was when she called
herself Mrs. Ben Isham. Ben Is mad
about her-but she will hardly look
at him now"
You are sure of that?." Maj. Hill
lard asked, Norris smiled, half an
grily. half confidently.
Swan would break her fiddle over
his head if he even looked love at
her" he said. But tell me. governor,
do YOU mean to disown me? You
would be justified in doing it."
God knows-perhaps-I do not.
Maj. billiard said: But promise me.
my son. to keep quiet, for three days
longer
The shiftlessness of all the river
bend settlement reached it's flower
ing in the Hinton house. 1t was a
tumble-down log structure. Just on
the edge of the water. There was 4
low rail fence about it. Where the
gate should have been the rails were
stretched apart. 'po' whites. they !
bound ter stick ter po' white ways
Old Nat Hinton said to Mai. billiard
as that gentleman walked through
the gap. upon the morning after Nor
Kiss confession.
Old Maj leaned against the lamb of
the big room door. hitching up the
single-string gallus hat supported
ms patched trousers. He wa; coat
less. and had one shoe half off. A
StlbbN black pipe sent up Il mighty
rrek from one corner of his mouth.