Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-12-12

And naturally there was a right
smart talk about how Mary spent her
time. Some thought she'd took leave
Of her senses Fox hunters on the
mountain, passin' the shack late at
night, heard the whir Of her spinning
wheel and seen her settin' before 1t
with wild, starin' eyes. Now and tnen
somebody passed her in the woods
lookin' so dumb and stricken that they
turned their heads away in pity for her.
And Prim Mayberry had seen her
playin' dolls with the little girl. That
was the saddest sight of ALL Shed
frisk about to please the child, but al
ways with that lost, confused look on
her face as If she was in bad dream.
Mister, 1t used to nigh break my
heart first before people quit talkin'
about the way Bill had all but banish-
ed himself to his own house and field.
The years passed and we got used to
Bill sulkin down there in his house,
and used to the idea of Mary up there
in the shack. She faded from most
peoples minds except now and then
when somebody seen her standin' like
a ghost agin the sky line high up on
the shoulder of Blood Mountain. The
women claimed that it was a sign of
calamity, because shed be seen that
way every time before some baby died.
But of course that was just talk. The
thing I noticed was the change in the
looks of the shack. That little house
was like a prayer she'd published on
the mountain side, so red she made 1t
with the bugle blossoms Of the trum-
pet vine, so pink and golden with laur-
els and marigolds.
Mister, 1t used to nigh break my
heart to look at the flower garden, for
I knowed it meant that the pore crea-
ture was still livin' that terrible wait
in life of hope, and / used to wonder
If Bill Stark didn't understand when
he looked up from his dark house door
and seen all them flowers calm him,
but If he did he never let on. He was
a hard man. And l don't know how
things would have turned out If some
thing hadn't happened to turn 'em, as
it always does. One night he walked
into my house here, looked at me with
a foolish baby stare and asked If
knowed where Mary was. Lowed he'd
been lookin' for her and couldn't find
her. Well, sir, ! didn't know what to
make Of it, but before l could think he
was gone.
I'm about an hour he come back,
asked me again if I knowed where
Mary was and said he couldn't find her
and went off the same as he'd done be-
fore without waitin' for me to answer.
l knowed then that he'd had a stroke
and was out of his head. And I know
ed too that at last Mary was to have
the answer to her prayer. Mister,
there amt nothin more terrible than
the answers we git to our prayers.
And I'll tell you, sir, didn't feel like
no messenger Of glad tidin's as went
up the mountain that night to tell
Mary her husband wanted her.
1.-THE door was open and she was
settin' before the spinnin' wheel as
usual. The candle on the mantel shelf
spread a circle of light in the dark
above her head Her hair was gray.
For a minute / couldn't speak Some
how couldn't think of Mary's bein'
old and gray.
when she seen me standin' there
before her she stood up and looked at
me as If she knowed what was comm.
Mary sez l, Bill needs you. He's
had a stroke and he's lookin' for you
everywhere turned around and
started back down the mountain. /
knowed she'd follow by all them years
she'd obeyed the law Bill had laid
upon her. And she did follow at first
then she outstripped me, and had to
run to keep up with her.
I'VE found Stark teeterin' around in
his house calm her name and cryin'
that he had lost her. She went straight
to him, ketched hold of his arm with
both hands and sez:
Here's Mary, Bill; you amt lost
her!',
He turned round slow and seen her
face in the moonlight, stared at her