The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-12-11

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In way they had been engaged for
q year or more, Tom Salters and Lin
da Green-in way, l say, because |
the humble people living in the coves |
or scattered cabins on the sides and |
crests of the southern mountains do |
not speak of engagements"
1t is taken for granted that when a
s.young Teller" hangs around the |
cabin of a mountaineer possessing
manageable daughter he has matri- |
mony in view, and when the nearest |
neighbors are called in to see the
couple jump the broomstick or stand
up before a travelling preacher to be
made one there is no surprise and lit
tie comment
The father of Linda Breen had no
questions to ask of Tom Salters. He
had known his father for years. Tom
had as yet no questions to ask Of Lin
da's sire. Neither Linda nor her moth
er had referred to the subject. Many
times when Joe Breen and the young
man were out hunting squirrels or
walking to the village together Tom
would suddenly say without preface:
Reckon men Linda better git
hitched"
And the father of Linda would throw
away the old quid, bite off another
aud after chewing away for couple
Of minutes would reply:
Eyes, reckon"
That evening the father would have
Q few words to say to the mother in
private, and at Mter hour she would
casually remark to the daughter:
from 6a1<ers wants you, and reck-
On, you'1 be gofn IN q few days."
Nineteen times out Of twenty the
marriage would follow. There would
be a new squat OF land taken up, a
new pole cabin butt, and another fam
fly would go on making mountain his
trry. But IN this case no marriage
followed It was all ON account Of the
ARRIVAL of Tom SRiter's uncle from a
village IN the Iowlands. He was in
business down there and wanted help,
30 be had come for Tom
Tom had no education, bat he had
native wit. He was known to be
~right smart young man. The uncle
talked of broader fiead, chance for
education and rise IN the world LIN
da must wait. At the end Of year or
two Tom could come back and marry
her and take her away.
And in the twilight of a summers
evening Tom and Linda sat. on log in
front of her fathers cabin, a space Of
a foot between them. Both looked into
vacancy, and he told her of the plan.
He taIked In a terky, dfsJointed way,
but she understood as well as IL be had
been silver tongued orator. He had
asked for her hand. He meant 10 mar
~ her. He had no thought Of dfsfoy-
atty. The road seemed straight and
plain to him, and he did not dream
that there was knife at her heart as
she listened.
Men will never understand how far
reaching woman's intuition is. The
girl followed Toms words and yet she
saw months and months and months
ahead OF them.
Two OF three times she -instinctively
reached out her hand as II TO detain
him, but drew It back without his hav-
ing observed the action. Two or three
times theme were tears IN her eyes, but
she took care that he should not Gee
them.
well, what do you reckonF' be
asked as he had finished and the ST.
lence had lasted for long minute
Better go, I reckon" was the reply.
What other answer could she have
Id
girl OF the mountains. and pet would
her woznznis pride seek to detatn hin
when hehad proposed the separation?
They sat together for Eve minute,
longer, and then they separated, she t,
enter the cabin and seek Its darizes
corner to let her tears TOW and he !,
shake hands with her father and moth
er and bid them goodhy.
It may be said Of the lovers tina
both could sswFite q scrawl or tw
and both could read scrawl or two
so scraMis passed between them
They were weekly at hrst, and thel
there were longer intervals. n Ton
did no6Swfzte, Linda could not, answer
Then one day there came a neighbo
who had seen Tom In person In hi
new fiefd.
The speaker dad not mean to woun
or bruise, but he had seen new Tor
SalteRs, one who was no longer o
those on the mountains. He had fol
gotten the crags and peaks for tn
streets Of the town.
When the man had departed Linda
mother wanted to look her in the eye:
Linda wanted to do the same by he
mother Instead of so doing bot
turned their heads away. They sal
nothing Of Tom.
What happened was all simple an
natural. Tom Salters had entere
upon new life. 1t offered numbe
less attractions to the young man VII
had never travelled ten miles from Il
cabin in which be had been born, an
it was but natural that he should 500
begin to forget the old iife and all tn;
he had left behind.
His scrawls were indited at long
intervals and finally ceased altogethe
He came TO almost ignore the fe
mountain men he had known in 9th
Thox- loorod Of hts r,orv olc%h q