The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-08-14
A Choice Between
Two Roads
BY F. A. mitchell


take me with him he accepted the prop
osition.
We hadn't got far on our route wheI
we came to a house standing besid,
the road, and girl carrying carpet
bag-it was an old timer, really made
IDENTITY to meet the wagon. She was
dressed up"-that is, she had on hel
best clothes instead of the calico dress
and sunbonnet of the typical southern
country girl.
"Josh," she said. 81 reckon III go with
yo'."
''All right. Sairy. Climb up yere."
There was room for three on the seat
but since my driver-Saunders was his
name-and the girl seemed inclined to
be spoony ! removed myself to soft
bale of some kind of goods in the wag-
ON behind them, saying that ! would
have a smoke.
Josh and Sairy. as they called each
other. were evidently enjoying the trip
together Neither gave me any infor-
the girl knew that he would pass the
house where she joined us at that day
and hour.
Having nothing to do, amused my
self trying to work out the relation
ship between them. While they said
nothing directly to indicate it, they
said great deal indirectly. At one
time the girl would chat about GER
tain farm, mentioning all sorts Of de-
vices for making the house on it attrac-
tive. She would put up some curtains
she had that would tit very nearly
and paper several of the rooms her.
self-she had done papering before
and line the porch with flowers, and
make q lot of improvements besides.
Josh assented to all this every time she
stopped long enough to give him an OPP
portunity, saying Just So That
would look mighty fine-beautiful." But
1t seemed to me that he was listening
to a story rather than facts. IL she
were picturing future home in which
he was to participate he gave me the
idea that he considered the girl to be
q rainbow chaser.
Striking crossroad. we found man
sitting on a fence whiting a stick. He
took no notice Of us till we came OPP
posite; then he said:
'Howdy, Josh2 Howdy, Sairy?"
"Howdy, Mart?" said Josh, pull
ing up
"Whar yo goin'?" asked Mart
Were goin' to Jasper"
"What yo' goin' to do thar-get mar
ried?"
Josh looked at the girl, but since she
did not seem inclined to make reply
he did so himself. I'VE allowed we
might get married IL we can find pa
son to marry u.s.
"a reckoned so. That's the reason
jist thought I'd wait TO 20 we're"
changed my position so that could
see the girls face. All the light heart
edness had gone out of her. inferred
that the man sitting on the fence was
a claimant for her himself, but he was
a red headed, freckled, loose jointed,
disagreeable looking fellow. and l
didn't see how he could have any
chance with Josh, who was quite good
looking and otherwise attractive. Mel
Their Josh nor Sairy made any COM
ment ON Mart's last statement, and
presently he drawled:
"See here, Sairy, this has been goin'
on long enough. Yo' see the sign
boards pointin' the way? The road
you're goin' leads to Jasper, t'other |
one to Chattanooga. Air yo' goin' to
Jasper with Josh or air yo' goin' tc |
Chattanoogy with mef'
There being no immediate reply &c !
this, there was dead silence. 1t was |
evident that the two men were wait |
ing for the girl to decide between
them. Presently Mart added:
This ends the foolin'. Yo' go &c
Jasper or to Chattanooga, and which
ever way yo' go you stay. There's
no 60 back"
Half minute elapsed before the de-
cision came and then not in words. |
Josh must have seen 1t in the girls
luce, IOf saw hliu iChSh uONh hhuCi
the seat, take out Sairy's carpetbag
and hand it to her. At the same time
Mart approached and handed her
down on to the road. Then Josh drove
on Looking back, saw Mart and
Sairy trudging along on the road to
Taking the seat had vacated In IA
vor of the girl, handed Josh cigar.
Smoker"
Reckon / will"
what does all this meanT' / asked
when he had lighted up.
"Waal, there's some wimmen hes a
powerful influence over some men and
some men over some wimmen. That
gal hes been wantin' to marry me 70
a long spell, but that Teller wouldn't
let her. Did 20 hear her talkin' about
the house we was TO live in after we
was married? I'd heerd all that afore.
| knowed 1t didn't mean nothin'.
knowed Mart was a-watchin' her and
had his spies out on her and she
wouldn't get far afore he'd stop her"
docs she fear himY"
mo II he'd "a tried to force her
I'd put a bullet inter him."
l asked Josh IL Mart noticed the
girl, explained to him what hypnotic
Ing meant, but all he had to say to
This was: .