The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-14
! Our Daily Short Stories J
A LOW-COUNTRY FEUD.
BY c. AUGUST MITTELL
tcopyright. 1901. by Authors. syndicate0

4 forward was her answer. She was
married, her husband was still alive,
and in fact she expected him home that
very evening. He had been away for
a long time, but to-day he would re-
turn. Tatton saw the look of JOY in
her eyes, heard the ring of gladness
in her voice. He turned from her and
left the house. AS he walked detected
ly to the front gate, the little girl ran
after him. shyly slipped her hand into
his, and told him not to look so. that
her papa was coming home that night.
Tatton stopped abruptly took her in
his arms. and held her close for a mo-
ment. Gently placing her on her feet
again he continued his way to the
woods, while the little girl returned
and told her mother what the man
had done.
When he came to the village the let
ter, notifying him of Toms death, was
given him. Out by the Old Fort swamp
he brooded over it all. He wondered
in a mechanical way how much it
would cost to reach Kentucky. Once
there. he would shoot Jenkins. Tom
would rest easier in his grave If he
knew of it,
Late that evening he came to the
Hawkins House. He came late pur-
posely, that he might miss seeing Mrs
Hawkins husband. AS he approached
the house he took refuge in the clump
of saDlings. to see If the road were
clear. A glance convinced him that
it was not. Coming towards him, along
the path were man and woman; be-
fore them, in childish glee, ran a lit
tie girl. He knew the three at a
glance. AS they came nearer some
thing about the man seemed familiar
Tatton watched him closely. The man
raised his face to look at the full moon
in the east. There was no mistaking
hint was Ben jenkins. Tatton's first
emotion was one of ferocious pleasure
His blood surged hot within him, and
then ran cold. Already was his enemy
within his reach. He paused not to
think how he came, or why he came;
but pulling out the pistol was pre-
he hesitated and then it was too late.
Softly he replaced the pistol and as
softly slipped from the sappling thick
ct deeper into the woods.
1T mout scare Mis- Hawkins an
the leetle gal" he muttered "Ill
come back tonight an git him wen
they amt so clost to him."
True to his word. two hours later he
returned with his rifle Long he
paused in the thicket, but he could see
no one about the house. Finally he
slipped up close to the front door and
lay in hiding. From within came the
sound of voices. Soon Jenkins ap-
peared on the small front porch and
with him came the little girl. She
climbed into his lap as he sat on the
step, and called him papa"
Up to this time Tatton could not
conceive of jenkins relations to Mrs
Hawkins and her daughter. With a
sudden shock it now came to him.
He remembered having heard that
Hawkins was Mrs. jenkins maiden
name. For some reason she had adopt
ed it when her husband went to Ken
lucky.
Tatton had just raised his Winches-
ter when the words of the little girl
| came to his ears. At this moment
from within doors came the sound of
Mrs. jenkins voice in song Sweetly
the words throbbed in his ears. 1t
was the old song, dear to every loyal
| heart of the old state. She Was Bred
in Old Kentucky" Tatton thought the
gates of paradise had opened, and that
this was the fragment of an angel
song. Enraptured, he listened until
the last word floated on the night air
and died away. He dropped the muzzle
of his gun, arose to his feet, softly
slipped out to the pine thicket, and
thence along the path to the Old Fort
swami.