Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-03-11

W
that Sticky Green and young Yates
had come down the road to meet the
surveyor.
Have you heard about Peggy's
death? ?' inquired Sally.
''Her death!" Antywine repeated.
Yes. She was buried week ago."
CHAPTER vi.
"I not believe you!" said Antywine.
.'Yeu ask them Rutledges, then. that
was hired to take such fine care of
herI Why don't you go and ask
them?'
'I notsbelieye you'll trembled Anty-
wine. He sat down on the doorstep
holding his blinded head between his
hands.
..eYou and Peggy thought you would
go to yourselves, didn't you? But she
lays in Concord buryin'-ground now,
right alongside of Shickshack; and
you know where he lays. The new
graves there.
.I not believe you! not believe
you! not believe you!"
Antywine 1eaped from the doorsiil
ing the young men and the oxen with
out noticing or hearing them. Ann
Rutledge was sewing by an open
window with her back toward him.
The two young girls were in the garden
with their mother. He did not see
Peggy anywhere. A hush was upon
the house, and as Ann turned and saw
him with frightened look on her
face, he could not ask any question.
but took the path down to Rock creek,
and ran to the stone where Peggy used
to hide her book for him. The sun
was down and ribbon of mist wavered
in front of the closed schoolhouse.
Nobody would ever wait for him at
that rock again. He ran along the
ravine below the gardens and returned
to his house, barring the door and
drawing the latch-string in. Lying on
the floor in the darkest corner, he hid
his weeping, and made no answer to
the young men, who called his name
through the window.
Sally was asleep in her own cabin
long before Antywine crept out of his
and took the road to Concord burying-
ground. 1t was long walk under
blurred stars, for the wind changed
after midnight, belying the promise of
q fair sunset.
Antywine tried to bring Peggy's face
befor. him, with its many fitting ex-
pressions. Her eyes were hazel, or
black, or gray, by changeabie turns,
swarming with points of light. He
remembered drinking from the gourd
after her, on the very side where she
had drank, and the pleased trembling
of her lips when she noticed it. All the
ways and traits which went to the
making of the companion he called
sweetheart were present to his mind,
when cropping among saplings in the
thfnly peopled burying-ground he came
to Shickshack's sunken grave which
he had himself helped to make, and
found fresh clay hillock beside it.
The latter part of the night rain
poured upon the chest of drawers
which Antywine had left standing in
front of the cabin and streamed down
it's polished sides. Rain beat upon
Antywine through sapling boughs, sat
urating his linsey hunting-shirt and
darkening his worn buckskins.
Drenched grass and a tangle of little
trees he scarcely felt or saw when
sodden and miserable daylight came.
BY the end of the afternoon some light
crept out from sunset, and there was
a clearing up in the west. Lincoln
climbed the burying-groundf fence, and
found Antywine lying asleep across the
new-made grave He was SO CHASTITY
that Lincoln at once shook him, feel
ing relieved when he opened his eyes.
The boy looked up at the mole like
a warm pulsing heart on his friends
cheek. But his friends eyes twinkled.
What are you doing here on old
Daddy Cameron's grave, Antywine?"
Antywine sprang as from rattle
snake. He was exhausted, so that Lin
coin gave him both hands to help him
rise.
Daddy Cameron died last week and
they buried him in the same row with
Shickshack He was fine old man,
but If l were you wouldn't lie out
all night and all day on his gravel"
"Sally have tell me this is where she
is bury'!'
wv liz. SS6y.
eyes, Sieur Abe. Where is she?"
cat the tavern"
"She is not dead?'
''Not a bit!''
HBut Sally have tell me-"
Haven't you summered and wintered
Sally long enough to know when she
is paying you grudge?"
But I run to the tavern myself"
"And scare Ann, and run away again
without asking any questions. I've
lad long jaunt through the mud and
searched the better part of day for
YOU"
Antywine threw his arms around
Lincoln and sobbed and laughed like
a woman. He swayed. and could
scarcely stand.
you've made yourself sick being SO
dovnhoa rtod wf, an Won Ouoht tn hava