The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-25
Continued from Last Sundays News)
CHAPTER VI.


Continued from Last Sundays News)
CHAPTER VI.
JUNE.
Judge Briscoe smiled grimly and
leaned on his shotgun in the moon
light by the veranda. He and William
Todd had been trampling down the
elder-bushes, and returning to the
house, found Minnie alone on the
porch. SAFER" he said to his daughter,
who turned an anxious face upon him.
They'll be safe enough now, and in
our garden"
Maybe 1 oughn't to have let them
CO." she returned. nervously.
POOH They're all right; that seal
awag's halfway to Cross Roads by
this time. isn't he, William"
HE tuck up the fence like a scared
rabbit" Mr.. Todd responded, looking
into his hat to avoid meeting the eyes
of the lady. Il didn't have no call to
foller, and he knowed how to run.
reckon. Time Mr.. HAIRLESS come out
the yard again, he was near out o.
sight, and We see him take across the
road to the wedge-woods, near half
annie up. Somebody else with him
then-looked like kid. Must "a cut
acrost the field to join him. They're
fur enough towards home by this
Did Miss Helen shake hands with
you four or five times?" asked Bris-
coe, chuckling.
mo. Why"
Because Harkless did. My hand
aches, and l guess Williams does. too;
he nearly shook our arms off when we
told him he'd been a fool. Seemed to
do him good. I told him he ought to
hire somebody to take a shot at him
every morning before breakfast-not
that it's any joking matter" the old
gentleman finished. thoughtfully.
Il should say not" said William,
with a deep frown and a jerk of his
head toward the rear of the house.
He jokes about it enough. Wouldn't
even promise to carry a gun after this.
Said he wouldn't know how to use it.
Never shot one off since he was a
10y, on the Fourth of July. This is
the third time he's ben shot at this
year, but he says the others was at
a-a-whatd he call it?"
"A merely complimentary range"
Briscoe supplied. He handed William
a cigar and bit the end off another
himself. Minnie, you better go in the
house and read, 1 opportunities you
want to go down to the creek and Join
those folks"
Me-" she responded. IT know when
to stay away. 1 guess. Do go and put
that terrible gun up"
No" said Briseoe, lighting his
cigar, deliberately. ITS all safe;
there's no question of that; but may
be William and 1 better go out and
take a smoke in the orchard as long
as they stay down at the creek"
In the garden. shafts of white light
pierced the bordering trees and fell
where June roses lifted their heads TO
breathe the mild night breeze. and
here. through summer spells, the edi-
tor of the Herald" and the lady who
had run to him at the pasture bars
strolled down path trembling with
shadows to where the shallow creek
tinkled over the pebbles They walked
slowly, with an air of being well-ac-
cUstomed friends and comrades, and
for some reason it did not strike either
OF them as unnatural or extraordinary.
They came to a bench on the bank.
and he made a great fuss busting the
seat for her with his black SLOUGH har
Then he regretted the haiti was a
shabby old hat of a Carlow county
fashion.
IL was long bench, and he seated
himself rather remotely toward the
end opposite her, suddenly realizing
that he had walked very close to her
coming down the narrow garden
path. Neither knew that neither had
spoken since they left the veranda:
and 1t had taken them a long time to
come through the little orchard and
the garden. She rested her chin on
her hand leaning forward and looking
steadily at the creek. Her laughter
had quite gone; her attitude seemed
a little wistful and a little sad. He
noted that her hair curled over her
brow in a way he had not pictured in
the lady of his dreams: this was SO
much lovelier. He did not care for tall
girls; he had not cared for them for
almost half an hour. 1t was so much
more beautiful to be dainty and small
and piquant. He had no notion that
ne was signing in a way that would
nave put furnace to shame, but he
turned his eyes from her because he
reared that If he looked longer he
might blurt out some speech about her
beauty His glance rested on the
bank; but it's diameter included the
edge of her white skirt and the tin
of a little, white, high-heeled slipper
that peeped out beneath it; and he
had to look away from that, too. to
Keep from telling her that he meant
TO advocate law compelling all wom-
en- to wear crisp, white gowns and
white slippers on moonlight nights.
She picked a long spear of grass
from the turf before her, twisted n
absently in her fingers, then turned to
him slowly. Her lips parted as if to
speak. Then she turned away again.
The action was so odd, and somehow.
as she did it, so adorable, and the
preserved silence was such a bond be-
tween them. that for his life he could
not have helped moving halfway up
the bench toward her.
What is it?' he asked: and he
spoke in a whisper he might have
used at the bedside of dying friend.
He would not have laughed if he had
known he did so. She twisted fine
spear of grass into a little bali ana
threw it at a stone in the water he