Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-14

| turning suddenly to the row of young cot
ton plants, she began chopping again, the
| noe blade sending out series of clear
| rings as the edge of it came in contact
with the stones.
| 81 fingered few minutes watching the
| work of the girl then turned to his pa
| tient old mule in the road.
Hannah" he called once more. as he
placed his hand on the bride rein, tell
| Bill L said to squeeze down on his bacon
and corn bread an his coffee for 1 reckon
1t would be better for the health of all of
we to leave off coffee"
| Hannah had paused again to hear what
| he had to say, but made no reply; and 81
/ climbed into the saddle
zone thing more, Hannah" he added. Eye
might do little right good thinkin' 'twixt
| now and the Fourth of July. I've got an
| idea some purity hot weather would help
We to change your mind. T"
| Giving his mules shanks a savage whack
! with his riding switch he rode away, fol-
| lowed by the vigorous ring of Hannah's hoe
| among the rocks
| When Lunt was out of sight. Hannah
| stopped and leaned for some time on Tie
handle of her hoe feeling sick at heart.
| Presently sound reached her ear, low.
reverberating sound that came over the
| hills and through the ravines from town: 1t
was the chime of the II O'Clock whistle at
| the cotton mill Hannah listened until the
| last echo had died away among the ridges.
Then, chopping on to the end of the row,
started briskly across the field toward a
cabin in the edge of a piece of woodland.
| Almost the door of the cabin she was
met by middle-aged man who had come
| from another field.
Dad" she said, addressing the man.
Mr.. Lunt said we'd have to cut down on
our bacon and corn bread, because that
| lien was goin too fast"
| "Cut dowl!" exclaimed Bill Dukes. at
pears to me we're eatin' about as little as
| we can make it on, less'n the ground warn't
| so eternal rocky" He followed Hannah
| into the house. Was that all he said Han
nah?' he asked, throwing his hat into a
corner
We'll, no. He asked if.Td-Td changed
my mind any about what he asked me two
or three weeks ago."
AN l reckon We told him We hadn't?"
Yes, I told him 1 hadn't. Feehn' any
better. mar Hannoh had turned to frail
little woman sitting near one of the small
windows. two of which lighted the room.
Some better, I reckon, but none too
stout. yet" was the reply.
The midday meal was eaten in silence,
and Hannah and Bill Dukes again went
to the fields. Hannah returned SLOWLY
ing bunch of violets she Systematically
pinched away their petals, one by one, as
she went along.
The afternoon work dragged slowly, and
Hannah frequently found herself staring at
the hills, while her hoe rested. Sometimes
she was wondering what kind of q wife
Tom Lunt had got In Arkansas. Some
times she was wondering what kind of
work was to be done in a cotton mill and
how 1t looked in there.
At last the sun dropped from view ana
Hannah chopped out another round before
the first half dozen stars showed family
in the sky This time she did not hurry
so briskly toward the cabin. She took the
bonnet from her head and swung it in her
hand, allowing the breeze to cool her fore
head and cheeks
AS Hannah laid the table an hour later,
Bill Dukes sat near the fireplace smok-
ing a mixture of tobacco and fig leaves,
which filed the room with not unpleas-
ant odor.
Dad" said Hannah, as she poured the
meat and It's grease together from the
frying pan into a dish on the table, "how
much cotton are we goin to make on the
ten acres we got in?"
"Get four bales, 1 reckon" answered Bill,
"but that amt 'lowin for any droughts or
wet spells That's about all the land we're
'tendin'n hatchery make, with everything
fair
"And how much will our part be-"