The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-31

Ever since OF Gaddis (abbreviation for Oliver though most of the folks didn't know it) had been a beginner in the lit Ile school in Snipes' Hollow, Mary Smith had been his girl as the inhabitants of the mountainous township in which he lived would call it. Their fathers lived on neighboring hilltops, and every morn- ing during the three summer months of school-time they went together along the woodland path, at first because they were afraid to go through the deep pine woods alone, and later because they just wanted to. They had started together In the A-B of Webster's Blue-back Speller, had been promoted together to McGuf- fevs Readers. had finished fractions in arithmetic together, and the same sum- mer stopped school for good, because the teacher employed for the meagre sum ap- propriated to the district could teach them no more.
 The school children had fallen into the habit of calling or .'AIary's feller,a and as neither resented the term, he just con- tinued to be her "feller.' Mary's pa- rents. Ors parents everybody expected that or as soon as he became 2a ana his own master, with q. crop to himself, would trade for 40-acre tract or hlll- land erect a squatty little cabin there on. and begin the lifetime task of paying off the mortgage. or himself had dreamed about such time, had found his greatest pleasuge in it's anticipa- fion, had followed the thought or II as he walked the furrows of the blow, and always on Sunday afternoons had talked about it when he went to call upon Mary, with her hair slick and shining, and red rose of more or less artiticiality upon his coat
 These dreams of his youth would have come true. the course of his love would have been realized. had 1t not been for an event that took place in the summer be- fore OPs twenty-first birthday A mer- chant who had seen or upon the streets of the little town where he went once or twice year with his father to do the trading for the family interested him self in the boys behalf and offered to send him to an industrial school in an other part of the state. or was to help by working all he could and the mer- chant promised to see that the boy did not lack for funds until he had completed the course. The offer was to remain open until fall to be finally accepted or rejected then.
 And now fall had come. Ors father and mother had hooted at the idea, they could see no good in any further educa- tion. In fact, they thought that he was alIeaOY very well euQCdt6u t1t COuiu hS ure all right, could write pretty and was fair reader He must settle down near them and do as his fathers had done since they came into the county long years ago, and even as they had done back in the Carolinas
 or had talked the matter over with Mary a number of times. At first she was delighted that he had had what she considered a signal honor conferred upon him, but a little later she grew uneasy when he spoke of returning from the school and making a larger and better home for her than the one to be built in the pine clearing he had made with his own hands. Her womans intuition seemed to bid her fear
 noon to make final decision, Mary cried when he spoke of the offer. What wom- an would not have done so? She tried to smile when he spoke with cheer of re- turning and carrying her back to the place he would make for himself in the world. But 1t was weak smile for she was afraid to believe if. She began to beg him to stay. and when her prayers availed naught, she turned to threats. If he went, he must go forever Jim Hunt would be glad to marry her. He already had his cabin built. and she could be its mistress without delay. or must chose between her and school If he jstayed he could win her had her al ready won; if he went Jim Hunt would