The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1914-12-17
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

"Thar's a-goin' ter be a dancin'
party over ter Vile McCager's mill
come Saturday." he insinuatingly sug-
gested. Il reckon yen go over thar
with me. won't ye, Sally?"
He waited for her usual delighted
assent, but Sally only told him absent
ly and without enthusiasm that she
would study about it," At last, how
ever, her restraint broke, and, looking
up. she abruptly demanded:
Air we a-goin' away, Samson?"
Who's been a-talkin' ter ye?" de-
aanded the boy, angrily.
For moment, the girl sat silent.
Finally she spoke in a grave voice:
Hit hain't nothin ter git mad about,
Samson. The artist man lowed as how
ye had a right ter go down thar, an
git an eddication." She made weary
gesture toward the great beyond.
He hadn't ought to of told We,
Sally. If I'd been plumb sartin in my
mind, I'd a-told ye myself-not but
what / knows" he hastily amended,
'thet he meant hit friendly"
Air We a-goin'?"
I'm studyin' about hit"
lie awaited objection, but mono
came. Then, with a piquing of his
masculine vanity, he demanded:
''Hain't we a-keerin, Sally, whether
l goes, or not?"
The girl grew rigid. Her fingers on
the crumbling plank of the stiles top
frightened and gripped hard Her face
did not betray her, nor her voice,
though she had to gulp down a rising
lump in her throat before she could
answer calmly.
y think we had ought to go, Sam
son"
The boy was astonished He had
avoided the subject for fear of her OPP
position-and tears.
Then, slowly, she went on:
There hain't nothin' in these here
hills fer ye, Samson. Down thar, yen
see lots of things thet's new-an' civil
lied an beautiful Yell see lots of
gals tibet kin read an write, gals
dressed up in all kinds of fancy fix
ms" Her glib words ran out and
ended in a sort Of inward gasp.
Compliment came hardly and awk-
Yardly to Samsons lips. He reached
for the girls hand. and whispered:
81 reckon l won't see no gals thet's
as purity as you be, Sally. l reckon We
knows, whether / goes or stays, we're
a-goin' ter git married"
She drew her hand away, and
laughed, a little bitterly. In the last
day she had ceased to be child, and
become a woman with all the soul-ach-
ing possibilities Of a womans intui-
tions.
Samson" she said, Il hain't askin'
ye ter make me no promises. When
We sees them other gals-gals tibet kin
read an write-I reckon mebby ye'll
think diff'rent. | can't hardly spell
out printin in the fust reader
Her lovers voice was scornful of the
imagined dangers. as a recruit may be
OF the battle terrors-before he has
been under fire. He slipped his arm
about her and drew her over to him.
Honey" he said, Eye needn't fret
about tibet. Readin' an writin' can't
make no difference fer a woman.
Hits mighty important fer man, but
you're gal"
You're a-goin' ter think diff'rent at
ter awhile" she insisted. when We
goes, / hain't a-goin' ter be expectin
ye ter come back But"-the
resolution in her voice for moment
uuavered as she added-"but God
knows I'm a-goin ter be hopin'l"
SALLY" The boy rose, and paced
up and down in the road. Air ye
Eoin' ter be ag'inst me, too? Don't ye
zee that / wants ter have a chanst?
Can't We trust me? I'm jest a-tryin'
to amount to something. I'm plumb
tired of bein' arpery an no count"
She nodded.
1--we done told ye," she said. wearil 4,
tibet I thinks We ought ter do hit"
Lescott and Samson discussed the
matter frequently. At times the boy
was obstinate in his determination to
remain; at other times he gave way
to the yearnings for change and oppor-
tunity.
The dance on Saturday was to be
something more portentous than a
mere frolic. II would be a clan gath
ering to which the South adherents
would come riding up and down Mis-.
cry and its tributaries from nigh