Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-07-11

falls, hurrying. as men came or went
on one errand or another. A large
party had evidently arrived on a con-
veyance earlier than my own. I lean
ed against the front rail of the tavern
gallery and waited for some stable boy
to come. found my eyes resting upon
long figure at the farther end of the
gallery, sitting in the shade of the
steep hill which came down almost
sharp as house roof back of the tav-
ern and so cut off the evening sun. 1t
was apparently a woman, tall and
thin, clad in a loose, stayless gown,
her face hid in an extraordinarily long
green sunbonnet. There was no one in
all the world who could counterfeit
Mandy McGovern.
Mandy's pipe well nigh fell from her
lips well well, well! If it amt you,
sonl' she exclaimed
AUNT Mandy" l interrupted. "Tell
me, what in the world are you doing
herey'
"Why, me and the folks just come
down to look around. Her and her pa
was comm. and come toer'
"Who came with you. Aunt Mandy?"
"Still askin' fool questions. like you
didn't know! Why, you know who it
was The coloneHs ordered to jine his
regiment at Fort Henry. Gal come
along O. him O. course. come along
with the gal O. course. My boy and
my husband come along with me O.
course"
"Your son, Andrew Jackson?"
"Uh-huh. He's somewheres round.
I reckon. l see him lickin' a niger a
few minutes ago. Say. that boys come
out to be the fightenest> feller ever
did see. Him allowin' he got that
there Injun day we had the fight down
on the Platte, it just made new man
out'n him. My man and me seen there
was a good openin' there on the trail
up hotel in dugout."
sBut l don't quite understand about
the man-your husband
'Yep, my fastest one. Didn't you
know married ole man Auberry? He's
round here somewheres, lookin' fer
q drink O. ticker, reckon"
II hadn't heard of this last marriage
of yours, Aunt Mandy" ventured
"Me and him hooked up right soon
after you and the gal got lost
Where is Colonel Meriwether?"
asked her at last
inside she motioned with her pipe
Him and the gal too. But, say, who's
that a-comin down the street there in
that little sawed off wagon?'
l looked. 1t was my fiancee, Grace
Sheraton. By her side was my friend,
Captain Stevenson. and at the other
end of the seat was a shuttering and
animated figure that could be no one
else but Kitty.
Kitty seemed first to spy me and
greeted me with an enthusiastic wav-
ing of her gloves, parasol veil and
handkerchief, all held confusedly. after
her fashion. in one hand "P-r-r-r-tr'
she trilled, schoolgirl-like. to attract
my attention meanwhile "Howdy.
you man. If it isn't John Cowles, I'm
sinner! Matt. look at him. Isn't he
old and sour and solemn?'
'You sent me no word;'' began Grace
hurriedly. Il was not expecting yol
today, but you have been gone more
than two weeks longer than you said
you would be-
Stevenson had run on into the tavern
after his first greeting to me. and pres
emily heard his voice raised in sur
prise and Kitty's excited chattgr
heard Colonel Meriwether's voice an
swering. | heard another voice.
who is in there?" asked Grace
Sheraton of me curiously. | looked
her slowly and fully in the face.
"It is Colonel Meriwether," ! answer
ed. HE has come on unexpectedly
from the west. His daughter is there
also, think. have not yet seen her"
"That womanv' breathed Grace Sher-
atom, sinking back upon her seat. Her
eye glittered as she turned to me. ''Oh.
l see it all now. You have been with
them! You have met her again! My
God, / could kill you both-I could-I
say couldv'
CHAPTER XXI.