The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-10-23
OWNEY THE PEDDLER.
A Story of Country Life.

A gray colt came over the roat
drawing a cart behind him, with
man and q woman sitting on the eros
board of it. The sun was white upol
the road. Rushy pastures, speck lei
over with the snow balls OF the bog
cotton, were on each side. Above
were mounds and hilllocks covered
with screens of pine and larch.
There was moss as green as emerald
under the larches, and threads o
streams dwindled through it, anC
brown rabbits leaped over it. Betweer
it and the lower boughs black-birds
flew with whirr of wings and a chat
ter of golden tongues.
"We're up against the house of the
smith, said the girl in the cart. She
put into the mans hands the reins she
had been holding. She cracked the
colt with u sharp cutting stick. He
broke into a great gallop. The ker'
chief blew from the girls head. The
yellow of her hair shamed the sun.
The whiteness of the lily was on her
cheek. The red of the rose was the
color of her mouth.
The forge was by the side of the
lane. near the corner where the gap
between the hiliocks opened out upon
the bog. High mountains were be-
yond one end of the gap. The bog
was outside the other.
"Get down Shamus " said tie girl
to the man who vas with her II the
cart. "Tell the smith ye want shoe
10 the horse. Say that the Dublin road
is a hard road for horse to cover. III
put in a word then. Watch him and
he putin on the shoe. Bid him be
quick, and then say there's no hurry
upon ye." ,
They stopped at the smithy, that
was like witch's cavern with the
murk dark that was in it. The broad,
wheel-shaped stone was set in the
ground by the door. Hard at hand
was the pond for cooling the red-hot
iron. The galloping horse drew up of
sudden. The smith and his son
came out Of the dark cavern. The
smith looked at the colt. The son
looked at the girl. -,
"More power to ye, cord man ~ said
the smith to the driver.
We want shoe on the BEAST" said
Shamus, getting down out of the cart.
The girl got down after him. He let
her do it without help. The smiths
son said within himself, that thestran-
ger must be either the girls brother or
her husband. He felt his heart tight
en- when he thought of a husband.
He had taken two steps forward to
help the girl alight. He took them
backward and remained leanl ng
against the door post under the Intel.
The smith led the colt from between
the shafts.
"Tis long road to cover, that road
TO Dublin" said Shamus, pointing
down the road. His hand trembled az
he held it out.
He ground his teeth in his head.
"Twould be long road if one was
going it," said the girl. Owney Joyce,
the son of the smith, fixed his eyes up
on the girl.
The color Of the rose went from her
lips to her cheek. She turned her
head away.
The colt was walked into the forge.
Owney followed. He went to the fur
mace bellows. He blew the furnace
into fire and molten gold. The smith
Redeemed the iron. He hammered it
into shape. He was careful and slow
at his work.
"You'd be good messenger to send
for Death v' said Shamus, beating his
hand against the door post.
The girl sat on the bank by the road
outside. There were primroses on the
bank, and humming bees went about
it, and red ladybirds. The girl was
looking at them. and the tears began
to run down her cheeks. Owney
joyce wondered why the sight Of the
primroses and the bees and the pretty
lady birds should make the girl cry.
"The oak that takes longest to grow
takes longest to fall" said the smith.
But if you're in hurry, I'll do my
best to meet ye." -,
"There's no hurry upon me-" said
Shamus, turning toward the girl sit
ting on the sunny bank.
Except to 60 to our grandfather's
funeral" said the girl.
The colt was shod and brought back
to the cart and harnessed under it.
"Y'ought let me put clamp of iron
there upon the shaft" said the smith.
That's dangerous crack in it."
"Twas broken before we set out, )"
said the girl. AN havin' lasted SO
far, it will likely last all the way. We
can't wait"
The man got up into the cart. As
the girl did the same thing, Owney
stepped out and assisted her
"You're no more nor twelvemonths
married." he said to the girl,
"Oh, no." answered the girl. "I'm
not married at ALL"
Such a look came into the eyes ol
the young man that it was as if stars
were shining in them.
"You'll be passin' this way goin
home ?" he said. The girl was sitting
on the cross board, She knitted heI
brows at the young man. He stood
by the wheel of the cart. He had put
his hand on her arm.
"We may go by another road" she
said. She drew herself away. There
was straw Uttered over the floor of the
cart. As the girl moved away, her
skirts swept with them some of the
straw. Owney saw lying beneath it