Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-02-14
The Luck of LHIy'S
Mountain.
By George Madden Martin.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Nanny, tall spare, her blue and
white check dress tapping about her
bare ankles, her hair slipping from
its twist, was at that moment turn
ing the sizzling contents of a skillet
with quick-wristed dizziness into a
pan on the table, where the coffee
was already steaming.
Four-year-old Alfred and Griffith,
aged six, standing by the table. fol
lowed with keen anticipation each
movement that nanny made.
Don't We set 10 the table, Grit,
nor All, neither, don't We do it. Amt |
tole yer il air bad luck 'thout we uns
oil set down together"
And nanny stopped over tho
hearthstone. and shielding her face
with one hand. drew forth by certain
well-directed dabs into the hot wood
ashes a generous baking OF corn
PONIES. At the same time she adj
dressed herself to the shriveled, keen
eyed old woman who shared one side
OF the chimney corner with a spin
ming wheel
"Come on, granny. while the vie
tuals is tasty an hot. Here's Nanny,
come down 'thout the baby. Amt
she woke up yet?"
Nanny laughed one OF those clear,
ready little laughs that need no OBJ
ject; and rubbing brown ankle with
browner foot she shook her head.
Then she glanced at rude gun-rack.
II was empty.
Pap gomez" she asked
"Since daylight said nanny.
Mighty tedious trip 10 tavern and
back for a little chap like Hence. but
once his pap said he might 90, wan {
any holdin' him back The butter an
eggs was sp'ilnin' 10 be TUX, anyway,
an the coffee is mighty near 10
gone"
Nancy buried her teeth in the hard
pone nanny dealt her from the
store that she was keeping warm in
the folds of her homespun skirt. Aft
er the sizzling slices Of salt pork had
been handed around and the coffee
poured into the tin cups, Nancy
spoke:
II done put my dress on wrong side,
| did, nanny, an never sensed ~ till
IL war on"
There was an exclamation OF In
credulity from nanny and open
mouth contemplation from Alfred and
Grifath. Granny lowered her knife
with its portion OF greasy pork and
peered forward, to hear further.
XXI you amt the bestenes' chif fer
luck" said nanny.
But granny. with eyes puekered
shrewdly, shook her head. You low
fer sure you never sensed il till it
war clean on?"
Nancy was positive. Il never
thought nothin' about it, ! didn't,
granny. till there war the buttons in
side
Cause if you did, cautioned gran
ny, the luck's sure soured agin you,
an you must go back 10 bed an dress
over To undo it,
"Nanny's jus natchelly born to
luck. granny" said nanny, raising
her soft. drawing voice. she amt
never put her hand Co nothing in her
life that il didn't come right.
Don't We know how baby got your
knittin alla-snarl esterday, an you
an me all tuckered out over it, an
Nanny she come in a-teeterin' horse
shoe she done found. and first touch
she unsnarled it?"
Granny stirred the sorghum long
sweetening into her coffee mournful-
ly. and observed:
Yes. Nanny. she air born 10 luck.
Now | done always been the kind no
luck come to- war born on a Fri
dav. in the dark of the moon. and my
NANNY was that poly nobody sensed
to fasten nary piece of witches elm
about me. an natchelly | amt never
he'd no luck nor looked fer none"
Nanny nodded her head sympa-
thetically. but her mind was with
Nancy. When Nanny was not a
month old she laughed out. | held it
war fer luck. and she amt had no
call To quit her laughin yet. Get
down, Nanny, an drive them beast
Isles out. Seems like little more an
they'll be taken everything"
This referred To the long-eared
hounds crowding the open doorway,
through which stretched, in far per-
spective, the blue ridges OF the Ale
gheny mountains.
Nancy. born TO luck. trudged that
warm. cloudless June afternoon along
the railroad at the base of Lilly's