Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-05-01
CHAPTER vIU--Contlnued.


1.-the, without hat or wrap, her hair
ivory black-an intense fieck of colour
against the snow. her plump figure
clad in a plain working dress, her
hands holding two buckets dripping
from the brook-an instant only, but
to Tom like camera snap. He lodged
automaticaly-he had not been stalk
ing game Ike this-and took several
noiseless steps, so as not to startle the
girl. 1t was useless. however; escape
was impossible She was coming
straight toward him, and in a moment
| more would be around the rock and
face to face with him. He wheeled
| about, and began to whistle, as he
| were strolling up the glen and had not
seen her. A moment and they came
full upon each other around the rock.
| She did not start or cry out, but stopped
instantly and looked at him with wild
eyes, as a deer will when one comes
upon him on a forest path.
'Why-bello-O- he said. bluff
surprise in his voice. II didn't know
any one was down here"
Her eyes, intensely black, had long
lashes; her cheeks seemed pale olive
against the jet Of her hair. She did
not speak; she made a movement as If
TO get by him.
"Oh. I see; you are taking 'em up to
Poppy MilIer's?"
Let me carry 'em. I'll carry 'em
for you"
She put them down on the instant
and started ahead. Involuntarily he
stood and looked at her. She was tall
and straight and full-fgured, and she
sprang up the rocks as agile as fawn
Wait don't run away he called,
picking up the buckets and trying to
follow, but in a moment she was out
of sight.
The girl was undoubtedly Iona He'll
er. He had never seen her before. but
he had heard of her as a strange, shy
creature, whom no one knew much
about. There was beaten path all
the way to the cabin; it was evident
that they got all their water from the
creek, and that the girl carried it,
Neither old Poppy nor Grannie
Miller was fit for such a task
He crossed a rail fence that lurched
drunkerly across the glen, and came
out into Uttered yard. yellowish
horse, harncssed to an old wagon,
dOZed before the house, but there was
no movement anywhere. The wildness
of the place, with its chaos Of rocks, its
ragged trees. and its strange arChitcc-
turc did not impress him. He was
looking for the girl What should he
do with the bucket? AS he stood de-
liberating, the old man himself, hOary
white and much bowed, appeared at
the door.
Leave 'em set right there" he quay
cred. Are yeh going down the road
wunst? Chump right in" Tom
jumped in, and the old man labOriously
followed. There was movement out
by the barn.
Huh Tat pccg's already. Wuts
wuts, wuts, wuts! Here, PEGGY! Hey
Loney! LO-ney-y-y-y! Huh! She
cant hear nothing still. Let i'm go it,
cup, tere!"
He slapped the reins viciously on the
old creatures back, and, after awaking,
II began to shamble down the moderate
slope. Tom watched the house mar
rowly. No sign Of life They reached
the end Of the yard; by sudden inn
pulse he turned again.
All! the upper window was open and
he caught the glimpse OF face. At
that moment the sun, just over the
ragged tear of the gap, broke through
the cloudbank, and a slanting ray fell
full upon the girl of the brook. lighting
up her face with a strange mOmentary
TRANSPORTATION. An instant, and she
had disappeared.
Clear t'morrow," observed the old
man oracularly. The shambling horse
turned the corner, and the house was
lost.
1t was not far to the Heller's Gap
road. and little was said, that little be-
ing from the old man and about the
waywardness and perversity of 'peegs."
Tom heard little and cared little. He
went home and, after the manner Of
young fellows Of twenty dreamed
about black eyes and a certain picture
framed in window. And Poppy Miller
resumed his reflections on "peegs," Just
as If he were not a pow-wower and
didn't know that something had hap
pened.
The circle about the squire's stove
greeted the old man warmly. He came
TO the store but seldom of evenings,
and when he did come it was an event.
1t is always comforting to have an un-
disputed authority on things superna-
tural close at hand for ready reference.
That's fine day, Poppy, already"
"Mmh- -huh!"-a sharp accent on the
first syllable, which meant no" 9th
erwise accented ii would have been
yes" "T'is amt no saplin bender;
It's the onion snow already. and
"'Onion snow 'twixt nine and twenty,
DrOoth and trouble and plenty"
NH n h. H. h-h!"
Gut your garden planted, Poppy"
"Mmh-huh! Signs amt right still"
Right for onions, ain't it? Yas?"
"Mmh- uh!-yas-plant 'em in the
down so t'ey'll strike down wunst.
"Oh, pshaw, this moon business
makes me tired" burst out Amos
Harding. He was sitting on a chair by
the stove, both of his legs folded up
before him, his heels on the front of
the chair seat. In this position he re-
| sembled nothing so much as a long
geared letter z which has been sat
upon.
Heb? heh?" The old man bristled
up and turned shakily.
| II plant by the sun, not the moon"
"'Spose I'm blind, do ye? 'Spose !
hain't been SEEM t'ese 90 year. heh?
You plant by tie moon, young man,
and you plant by tie signs If you want
to reap. Mh-h- -h-h-h hi"
What are the signs for planting,
| Poppy? Tell Amos"
PLANT your taters and turnups in
the sign of tie scales If you want 'em
to weigh. Plant cowCumbers in tie sign
o. tie twins, but don't yeh dast to plant
taters ten or t'ey'll all be runty and
scrotchy, and don't, for tie Lords sake
plant em in tie fishes wunst, or tey'll
be so watery you can't eat 'em still.
done it wunst and / knows. Every
sing tat strikes down you must plant
in tie unnergehende, but beans and
peas and such truck must be put in
when tie moons in tie up. l wouldn't
| plant beans in tie down of tie moon
more'n l would clean out stovepipe
in tie dOwn-not a bit more. Plant
| cabbage in tie lion still, so tie juice OF
the krout'll rise in tie crock. And you
uns all remember tbs: tat all kinds OF
vegetables and garden truck is best il
tey's planted by man. Mh-h- -h-h- A.
| "Pshaw!" snorted Amos. The ole
man did not hear. He drew his chain
nearer to the stove, unwound severa
| lengths of the red scarf from his neck
| fumbled for his pipe, which at length
he succeeded in lighting, then sat IN
wise contemplation of the group.
Dan tells us the postoffice at Gun
Stump was broke open last night anC
| everything took. Heern tell of it?'
Dan Tressler had come up on business
He was staying with Amos.
| "No-o-o! Dew tell" cackled the ole
man.
| Say, this is gettin' sorter kinder
close, as the darkey said when the mule
| kicked him." observed Amos. "Thi!
| makes five breaks tO nv carta in lnOWl.