The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1903-07-17
CHAPTER VI.-(Continued.)

lOm Hdu COne OUT upon tuo pOTCu.
For a time he stood, listening, then
quickly stepping down into the yard,
he gazed toward the dairy house, into
which, accompanied by a negro wo-
man, had gone a slim girl, wearing a
Bingham s%un-bonnet. The girl came
out, carrying a jug, and fastened to-
ward the yard gate. Tom heard the
gate-latch click and then stepped
quickly to the corner of the house;
and when out of sight he almost ran
to overtake the girl. She had reach
ed the road, and she pretended to walk
faster when she heard his footsteps.
She did not raise her eyes as he came
up beside her.
LET me carry the jug, Sallle.-
mo, I can carry it."
"Give 1t to me-"
He took the jug and she looked up
at him with a smile.
Flows your uncle, Sallie?"
HE amt any BETTER"
Her uncle was Wash Sanders.
Twenty years had passed since he had
first issued a bulletin that he was dy-
ing. He had liver trouble and a strong
combination of other ailments, but he
kept on living. At first the neighbors
had confidence in him, and believed
that he was about to pass away, but as
the weeks were stretched into years,
as men who had been strong and
hearty were n by n borne to the
grave, they began to lose faith in
Wash Sanders. All day long he would
sit on his shaky %verandah, built high
off the ground, and in answer to ques-
lions concerning his health would ans
wer: Cant keep up much longer;
didn't sleep a wink last night. Don't
eat enough to keep a chicken alive"
His COWS appeared always to be dry,
and every day he would send his
niece, Sallie Pruitt, for a jug of but
termilk. He had but one industry,
the tending and scraping of a long nail
on the little finger of his left hand.
He had a wife. but no children. His
niece had recently come from the pine
woods Of Georgia. Her hair looked like
hacked flax and her eyes were large
and gray.
II didn't think you could see me-"
said the girl. taking off her bonnet
and swinging it as she walked, keep
ing a sort of time with it.
"Why, you couldn't possibly come
and get away without my seeing you"
Eyes, l could il it was night"
mot much. l could see you in the
dark, you are SO bright"
"Pm not anything Of the sort. Give
me the jug and let me 90 on by my
self II you are goin' to make fun of
me-"
She reached for the jug and he
caught her hand. and walking along,
held 1t.
II wouldn't want to hold anybody's
hand that I'd made fun Of" she said,
striving, though gently. to pull it
away.
81 didn't make run of you. l said
you were bright and you are. To me
you are the brightest thing in the
world. Whenever l dream of you /
awake with my eyes dazzled."
"Oh, you don't, no such Of a thing"
They saw a wagon coming, and he
dropped her hand. He stepped to the
right, she to the left, and the wagon
passed between them. She looked at
him in alarm. That's bad luck" she
said.
What is?"
ITO let anything pass between u.s."
"Oh. 1t doesn't make any difference"
Eyes, 1t does" she insisted. mo,
you mustn't take my hand again
you've let something pass between
u.s."
He awkwardly grabbed after her
hand. She held 1t behind her, and
about her waist he pressed his arm.
'Oh. don't DO that. Somebody might
see us" '