Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1907-11-16
FROsTBURG, MD, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 49, 1907.

L ROS lBU KG. M
hurry. He had come to pass the sum
mer on the mountain He roamcd and
he rested. He visited other cabins
and made friends of all he came in
contact with AS they found him one
day, so they found him the next.
There We're those who could not un-
derstand why he should interest him
self in such a purSuit-why any one
should particularly care about birds
and squirrels and fowers-but they
liked and trusted the man for all
that 1t came at last that even the
owners of some of the hidden stills
talked of inviting him to visit them
For three long months Nancy lived
in Il new world There had been phys
ical and mental changes for the bet
ter. Unknown to even her mother,
she tried to teach herself to read
Shoes and stockings were precious
things among the people of the noun
tain, but never since that first day had
Williams seen her barefoOted She
had made herself n new Sunbonnet.
She had sewed a flounce on her best
dress. She had made a bow to wear
at her throat. She had cleared her
hair Of tangles and felt wave of
pride sweep over her as she caught
the young man looking at it admir-
ingly. She slyly watched him as he
ate and she tried to copy him He
had seen these things and hundred
others, and they had made him smile
He had treated her in a way as an
equal and in Il way as child He
had been friendly, but he had never
talked love. He had told her of ro-
nance and adventure, of the great
world to which she was a stranger,
but not with any intent to make her
dissatisfied with her surroundings.
Had he been Il bit more Observing he
would have seen the growth of new
sentiments and aspirations that she
lacked the womanly ingenuity to con-
ceal, but he went on regarding her as
n child
One evening he announced that on
the next morning he must take his de-
parture. Together they sat on the
doorstep in the moonlight and looked
down over the forests and peaks and
were very quiet At first he told her
of the great ocean lying hundreds of
miles away. of the great cities teem-
ing with human life. of the wonders
she might some day behold. and she
crowded closer to him like a child
Then she sighed and sighed and sigh
ed and moved away. BY and by she
entered the cabin and sought her bed
without a word. She did not appear
at breakfast She had risen and gone
out He waited half an hour to say
goodby, but as she did not come he
shouldered his pack and set out.
Half Il mile down the trail he found
her She was seated Oh Il rock at a
bend where they had often sat and
rested and talked
"Come down, Nancy. want to say
goodby," he called.
She came slowly. and lie saw her as
he had seen her on that first day. Her
hair was hanging down her back,
stockings and shoes were conspicuous
ly absent, and bow and tlounce were
missing Not exactly as he had seen
her on that first day. for now she had
been weeping
"Why, Nancy, what is it," he ask
ed as he took her hand
"ltS-it'S that can't read" she al
most walled. Its that can't write
can't talk, can't go nowhere, can't
no ,f,Np
pore and shacklety and ignorant and
have got to live and die ypre It's
it's
But, Nancy he began. and then,
realizing her feelings, he knew not
what to add
You'll never come ag'in?" she que
ried
perhaps not"
'And I'll have no one-no one"-
Her eyes We're cast down and her
tears falling as he held her hand. BY
and by he softly said:
II didn't know it till just now, Nam
cy"
but it cant be-" she replied as she
raised her head and threw her hair
back. 1T can't be no more than the
eagle and the crow. You-you are ev-
erythng; | am nuthin -nuthin' but
pore and ignorant and shacklety, just
ftten for such Il life as this"
Then she bent forward and kissed
him, wrenched her hand away and fled
up the trail and left him looking after
her and ponderng ana wondering and
feeling such pity as he would never
feel for woman again. He heard
her whiStling among the rocks. She
was fighting herself; he heard her
laughing. She was going back to the
he knew she was right