The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-19

1P from the banks of Kentucky River, II | Gray Knob rugged and uncouth II o | Two lonesome cabins stood upon the
 clearing it's summit stood and glar I&XNGu ed at each other in fair weather and 1S foul, as if determined to stare each other out of countenance. The larger cabin was evidently getting the adv antage of it; it stood forth clean. firm, and aggressive. while the smaller enc leaned shiftlessy against the hillside apparently indifferent to what supported it, the nowes on the dnapidated sill as impertnent posy In the buttonhole of beggar.
 rn. shese dwellings lived the skittleses Mrs skit- uss in the selfrespecting cabin and MT. Skittles in the shiftless one. and between them lay fifty feet ef hillsde and an ominous VOW of silence.
 One bfustery day Mrs. skittles carrying vigorous cleaning campaign; she charged down the middle of the kitchen floor with her broom then made . left oblique and right obnque. coming to and imposing. with a figure that had made no con- oessions to forty years of hard work She . veteran in the army of labor. but not from the ranks; Mrs. Skittles had been in command. Her communications to the world were still issued in the form of orders, and she marched through life schedule time, wanting to court-martial all who failed to follow instructions.
 In her small encampment upon the clearing, there was but deserter. Two years ago MT. Skittles had found the martial life too strenuous, and, fail ing in his duties. had been condemned to solitary confinement in the cabin adjoining that of his su- per1or officer. For living he stripped tobacco for diversion he chewed it. He still accepted his rations daily in tin bucket, which carried to him from the mess-room by one of the little Skit- ties, in for which he expected to render obedience to Mrs. Sk1ttles, who though no word spoken. used code of signals at once coer- cive and harassing
 As she stood at the door of the cabin she shaded her eyes with her hand and looked up the river
 Tt must be gttin' to twelve o'clock" she said; T heard the Little Sandy whistle four times since breakfast Rhoda Ray" she called over her should CT. have you seen the children comin home from the yillage?"
 Rhoda Ray. long and lank, emerged from the bedroom She had drab skin and weak little drab eyes that looked patiently out from under a mop of drab hair. Her calico dress cut at the slant to display to the worst advantage pair of knocked knees. Her mothers question seemed to strike her dumb with confusion not that her lips were sealed; it marked characteristic of Rhoda Ray that she never closed her mouth when 1t was possible to keep 1t open. After a moments Aogttation she stammered:
 F seen 'em oomin' up bout a hour ago."
 1rr. 6httles tossed her head angrily. "No use to saZ no~more. Rhoda Ray; know where they ase at"
 Throwing . shawl about her shoulders she stalk. sd aeross the strip of land that divided the two eatins. Before she reached the door she heard shE1ekS o6 m0rriment from within, which served as fuel to the Ire of her wrath On the threshold she paused. an avenging deity about to descend upon the uncouscious revelers.
 Tho interior of the room presented an aspect of Gtart1dng contrasts Tn the corner was an unmade cot. covseed by an old piece of rag carpet, while bsside 1t stood imposing selfrocker upholstered in crimsou pfush- On the plain wooden walls hung two multicoored chromos, resplendent in wide gold frames. while beneath them stood a stove decrepit with age and general debility.
 Ms. 6kittles viewed these objects with increas- ing ire, for MT. Skittles be known was chronic vcn of the instament plan, and his utter inabili- ty to withstand the allurements of travelling agents had been the rock upon which their conjugal fel- lefty had been wrecked.
 Al she stood there wrathfully recalling the past, i've ecstatio shrieks recalled the present. On top of the deal table. in the centre of the room, five noisy little Skttles were clinging and laughing, and crowd1ng one another, while from under the table, MT. Skttles, with his tied over his head made frantic grabs at stray legs and arms emitting dreadful gruwls and snarling with ferocious nter- sity.
 Suddenly there was a pause. The bear subsided Bud Sklttles slid to the and slipped past his mother. while Lottie. Susan and Eddie Jo helped threeyear-old Ted down from the table. Only Jin- nie was left, sitting crosslegged in the center of the table, fascinated into immortality by her moth CTS fixed glare.
 "Jinn1e," exclaimed Mrs. Skittles in awful tones, "you tell yer paw to come right out from under that fo9l table,"
 Jimmie obediently repeated the message and MT. Skittles clambered forth with as much dignity as his enveloped head and the obstructing table legs would permit He was small, slight man, with slanting shoulders from which his dangled in
 perpetual state of relaxation struggling beard but half concealed the weak mouth where vacil- lating smile was ever on the point of breaking