The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-16
THE FORK OF THE ROAD.
BY Martha Mccullooh Williams.

CneChlnS MS morse. tie might nave
sworn, but that the day and the coun-
try We're too glorious for Immature
1t was a September day--either hand
of him there stretched the picturesque
~ undulent Virginia landscape, thread
ed with bright waters. and trimmed at
the skyline with far blue hills. AS
the road ran up and down he caught
slimpses of farmsteads nesting in the
valleys, or the chimneys of plantation
houses rising above the trees of their
shady lawns. 1t was all so new, so de-
lightfully unlike his own prairie coun-
try, he had ridden through 1t as
through a world enchanted.
He rode well-further he had a good
horse. There was really some excuse
for mistaking him for native. The
culture of contact had robbed his
speech of it's western burr 1t had
pleased him not a little when chance
travellers greeted him civilly after the
manner of the country to find that
there was no Earring contrast between
the greetings, and his own answers
lie had not come to spy out the land
still he did not care TO have speech
betray him at the first blush.
When he left the railway 20 miles
back, he had asked only the course he
must follow. The civil travellers had
so Tar served him for guide posts. The
last of them had said: Keep the plain
road, and you can't miss your way"
And here was the road, a smooth beat
en-, red-clay track. forking to north
and south, and each branch apparent
~ as Well-traVeled as the other
lie refined in under the shade OF a
Dig white oak standing just within
The forks, and said. patting his horses
neck: "Old fellow, we'll rest bit
Somebody may come along" The
words We're still hot in the mouth
when some one came-a little lad, rid
ing Greback upon bIood-1ilIe filIy,
whose name and tail were full of burrs.
Inc lads face was all freckles and
good humor; he sat well forward.
swaying easily as the filly loped along.
But at sight of Alleyn he pulled up
dotted his cap and said. Good nawn-
in. sir. Anything wrong?"
"Nothing-except that I'm a bit puz-
zled as to which is the main road"
Alleyn said, smiling back at the boy.
who puffed out his cheeks the least
bit as he replied: 60 that the road"
pointing due north: "the other amt
nothin' but the cut-off-what makes 1t
so plain is the wagons haulin lumber
from Col. JAlleyn's mill to Guild the
new bridge"
us Col. Alleyn's house." Aileyn be-
gan. The lad cut him short, demand
ing: who are your"
Who do 1 look like?" Alleyn re-
turned
The boy stared hard. shook his head
and said: Nobody. That is, nobody
I ever saw. But yau CANT be that Yam
kee-you don't talk like err buzz saw"
What Yankee?" Allewyn asked, half
turning his head. The boy eyed him
doubtfully. How come it you know
about Col Joe2'' he asked
II have--a letter of introduction to
hinl-maybe shall hunt him up before
! go away Alleyn said, smiling at his
interlocutor. The lad frowned judi
cially, saying: well. 1 tell you, you
better hunt him up down t the mill
at the house it's just same as a funeral
and goin to be all this week"
''Why?" Alleyn asked
The boy drew a long breath. you
don't know Miss Julia" he said. "She's
no old maid, If the Yankees did kill
her sweetheart, back in the war times;
her cheeks are red yet, and not much
wrinkles in 'em--and she dances
Christmas and all times same as Peg
gy, Col. Joe's girl, that is same as
twins to my sister Betty. / jest now
LETT Betty up there--they wanted me
to stay too, but l wouldn't. you see
they're lookin for a Yankee-the very
meanest sort, a Kansas Yankee. Miss
Julia says Kansas folks believe Won
can't go to Heaven without a black
skin and woodland that black skin
and wool is all you need to take you
lnefe, or wear after you get there.
she, hates Yankees of every sort like
D1ZGn-haGn't laf
be brought in the house since the war.
You. bet, she wouldn't have had this
man COMM but he's grandson to Col.
Joe uncle that moved to the Eellenoy.
back before everything-and his son.
that fought under Grant went off to
Kansas. Last spring this cub of his
writes back here to Col. Joe, askin' him
about who all the Alleyns were at the
start. That's how they got it started
and now the cubs comin--Col Joe
put his foot down right hard-it had TO
be. He's goin' to show the cub all the
old Alleyn tombstones-and the CHM
neys of the old house-Sheridan
burned it down. Miss Julia says she
don't know what he'll do for company
when Col. Joe amt cartin' him around
she won't see him except at meals
Peggy has got to stay in her room till
he goes, and the niggers on the place
they're all Alleyn niggers, you know
are too well raised to associate with
anything from Kansas"
Poor fellow. He will have a bad
time" Alleyn murmured, laughing
heartily. II must certainly call while
he Is there. want to see how he
stands it,"
( Hospitality was religion at AL
lentry, Col. Joe's place, so IL is not
strange that Leonard Barker. the
handsome young engineer who went
thither with a letter OF introduction
from the delayed Kansas cousin.
found himself so pressed to stay, in
the cousins place, he could do no
less than Yield. Possibly the Yielding
was the reader because he had en-
ccuntered Peggy upon the piazza.
and lost his heart hopelessy, before
he had looked half way to the bot
tom OF her violet eyes. He was sure
there was never such another foot.
or dimpled baby hand, or turn OF
head where II was set upon a white
neck. Where vagary had sent him
love held-he slipped graciously into
the guests place, and settled down
TO steady wooing. Betty Symes like
Peggy! Preposterousi Betty was
merely a very pretty girl, fair. rosy
and dimpled. Aunt Julia even out
shone her-Aunt Julia who had the
sharpest tongue and the softest
heart in the world.
1t was she who asked questions
questions Barker answered with
soul Of elfin glee, though he did his
best to seem bored. Joe Alleyn, of
Kansas, was not bad lot, he said
Las