The Pleasantville press., 1912-05-08
CHAPTER vi.
Betty Sets Out for tennessee.

Bruce's first memories had to do
with long nights when he perched be-
side his father on the cabin roof of
their keeLboat and watched the stars
or the blurred line Of the shore where
It lay against the sky, or the lights on
other barges and RATS drifting as
they were drifting, with their wheat
and corn and whisky, to that COM
mon market at the rivers mouth.
Bruce Darlington had seen the day
of barge and raft reach its zenith,
had heard the first steam packets
shrieking whistle, which sounded the
death-knen of the ancient order,
though the shifting Of the trade was a
slow matter and the glory of the old
did not pass over to the new at once,
but fingered still in mighty fleets OF
RATS and keel-boats and in the Ho-
meric carousals of some ten thousand
of the half-horse, half-aliigator breed
that nightly gathered in New Orleans.
After the reading of the warrant
that morning, Charley Balaam had
shown Darlington the road to the
Forks, assuring him wheT they sep
arated that with a little care and
decent use of his eyes it would be
possible to fetch up there and not
pass plumb through the settlement
without knowing where he was.
He was on his way to Fayetteville,
where he intended to spend the night,
and perhaps day or two in looking
around, when the meeting with Betty
and Murrell occurred. The girls face
remained with him. 1t was face he
would like to see again.
He was still thinking of the girl
Cleggett's Tavern. Later, In the bar,
ne engaged his host in idle gossip. He
had met a gentleman and lady on
the road that day! he wondered, as
he toyed with his glass, If it could
have been the Ferrises? Mounted?
Yes, mounted Then it was Ferris
and his wife-or it might have been
Captain MurrelI and Miss Malroy.
Miss Malroy did not live in that part
of the country; she was friend OF
Mrs. Ferris, belonged in Kentucky or
Tennessee, or somewhere out yonder
at any rate sne was bringing her
visit to an end, for Ferris had in
saructed him to reserve place for
her in the north-bound stage on the
morrow.
Darlington suddenly remembered
that he had thought of starting north
in the morning himself.
The stage left at six, and as Car
rington climbed to his seat the next
morning Mr. Cieggett was advising
the driver to look sharp when ne
came to the Barony road, as he was
to pick up party there. 1t was Car
rington who looked sharp, and almost
at the spot where he had seen Miss
Malroy the day before he saw her
again. with Ferris and Judith and a
pile of luggage bestowed by the way
side. Betty did not observe him as
the coach stopped, for she was in
tent on her farewells with her friends.
There were hasty words of advice
from Ferris, prolonged good-bys to
Judith kisses place
was being made for her many boxes
and trunks. Darlington gathered that
she was going north to Washington;
that her final destination was some
point either on the Ohio or Missis-
sippi, and that her name was Betty.
Then the door slammed and the stage
sEas in motion again.
All through the morning they swung
forward In the heat and dust and
glare, and at midday ratified into the
shaded main street of a sleepy village
and drew up before the tavern where
dinner was waiting them.
Betty saw Darlington when she
took her seat, and gave scarcely
perceptibIe start of surprise. Then
her face was flooded with rich col
or. This was the man who saw her
with Captain Murrell yesterday!
There was brief moment OF irreso-
aufion and then she bowed coldly.
1t was four days to Richmond. Four
days of hot, dusty travel. four nights
of uncomfortable cross-road stations,
swhere Betty suffered sleepless nights
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