The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-07

"Jack, Pn sure of that" she mur mured. 'Tt is grand thing for wo man to have the promise of a man who knows what promise is."
 winced at this, as l had winced a thousand times at similar thrusts un- consciously delivered by so many. sNo," said I, q think Orme is right. am only a very stupid ass."
 She reached out her hand. felt her fingers close cold and hard on mine. as though 10th to let me go. kissed her fingers and withdrew. my self at least very glad to be away.
 I retired to my room to arrange my portmanteaus for an early journey. And there. filling up one-half of the greater valise, was roll of hide, rag. ged about its edge. I drew it out and spread it flat upon the bed before me. whitened and roughened with bone reddened with blood, written on with rude stylus, bearing certain words which all the time, day and night, rang, yes, and sang, in my brain.
 "I, John Cowles-I, Ellen Meriweth- er-take thee for better, for worse till death"-I saw her name-E-l-l-e-n.
 Presently once more I departed. My mother also ended her visit at Dix iana, preferring to return to the quiet of her two little whitewashed rooms and the old fireplace and the sooty pothooks which our peoples slaves had used for two generations in the past. As to what learned at Hunt ington need say no more than that began to see fully verified my fla thers daring and his foresight. The matter of the coal land speculation was proved perfectly feasible.
 All the details of surveying and To- eating lands, of measuring shafts and drifts and estimating cubic yards in coal and determining the status of tenures and fees, had occupied me longer than I had anticipated. I had been gone two days beyond month when pulled up at Wallingford.
 As approached the little tavern heard much laughing. talking, foot 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. lean- ed Against the front rail of the tavern gallery and waited for some stable boy to come I found my eyes resting upon 8 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, tail and thin, clad in loose, stayless gown. her face hid in an extraordinarily long green sunbonnet. There was no one fin all the world who could counterfeit Mandy McGovern.
 Mandy's pipe we'll nigh fell from her lips. well. well, well! If it ain't you sonw she exclaimed.
 Aunt Mandy I interrupted. "Tel me, what in the world are you doine hereY'
 "Why, me and the folks just com down to look around. Her and her P was comin', and I come toov'
 sWho came with you, Aunt Mandy:
 "Still askin' fool questions, like 70 didn't kuow! Why, you know who was. The coloners ordered to jine rigiment at Fort Henry. Gal con along O him O course. I come alo1 with the gal O course. My boy al my husband come along with me course"
 Your son, Andrew Jackson"
 "Uh-huh. He's somewheres 'rount I reckon. see him lickin' nigger few minutes ago. Say, that boys con , out to be the fghtenest feller I evt did see. Him allowin' he got tn, there Injun day we had the fight dow on the Platte, it just made new ma out'n hiEl. My man and me seen thel was good openin' there on the tra. this side O the south fork, and we SC up hotel in dugout."
 "But I don't quite understand abou' the man--your husband"-
 "Yep, my fastest one. Didn't you know married ole man Auberry? He's round here somewheres, lookin' fer a drink O flicker, reckon"
 "I hadn't heard of this last marriage of yours, Aunt Mandy" ventured.
 "Me and him hooked up right soon alter you and the gal got lost"
 Where is Colonel Meriwether?" asked her at last.