Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-22

ansver calmly. SO. M
II think 70 had ought TO 60. Sam.
son..
The boy was astonished. He had
avoided the subject for fear Of her op.
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-
FMS" Her glib words ran out and
ended in sort OF inward gasp.
| Compliment came hardly and awk-
wardly to Samson's lips. He reached
for the girls hand. and whispered
| II reckon won't see no gals thet's
as purity as you be. Sally. l reckon ye
knows. whether goes or stays. we're
a.goin' ter git married"
| She drew her hand away, and
laughed, little bitterly In the last
day, she had ceased to be child. and
become . woman with all the soul-ach-
Ing possibilities of Q womans intui-
tions.
Samson" she said. II hain't askin'
| ye ter make me no promises. When
We sees them other gals-gals tibet kin
read an write-I reckon mebby yen
think different. 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 woman.
| Hits mighty important fer man, but
you're gal"
you're a.goin' ter think ditf'rent at
| ter awhile" she insisted. When ye
goes, hain't a-goin' ter be expectin'
! ye ter come back But"-the
resolution in her voice for q moment
ouavered as she added-"but God
knows I'm a-goin' ter be hopin'!"
Sally" The boy rose. and paced
up and down in the road. AIR We
goin' ter be ag'inst me, too? Don't ye
see that l wants ter have chanst?
| Can't We trust me? I'm jest a-tryin'
to amount to something. I'm plumb
tired of bein' ornery an no count"
She nodded.
1--WE done toldye," she said. YEARLY,
"thet thinks We ought ter do hit"
Lescott and Samson discussed the
| a
was obstinate in his determination to
remain; at other times he gave way
to the warnings for change and oppor
tunity.
The dance on Saturday was to be
something more portentous than q
mere frolic. It would be clan gath
ering to which the South adherents
would come riding up and down Mis-
cry and it's tributaries from nigh
abouts" and "over yon." From fore.
noon until after midnight, shuttle, Jig
and fiddling would hold high. II rough,
carnival. But, while the younger folk
abandoned themselves to these diver
sions, the grayer heads would gather
In more serious conclave. Jesse Purvy
had once more beaten back death, and
his mind HAD probably been devising,
during those bed-ridden days and
nights, plans of reprisal. According
to current report, Purvy had an
nounced that his would-be assassin
dwelt on Misery. and was marked
down." So, there were obvious ext
gencies which the Souths must pre-
pare to meet. In particular. the clan
must thrash out ITO definite under.
standing the demoralizing report that
Samson South. their logical leader.
meant to abandon them, at crisis
when warclouds we're thickening.
The painter had finally resolved to
cut the Gordian knot, and leave the
/ mountains He had trained on Sam.
son to the last piece all his artillery of
| argument The case was now submit
ted with tho suggestion that the boy
take three months to consider. and
4 that, il he decided affirmatively. he
should notify Lescott in advance Of his
coming. He proposed sending Samson
j small library of carefully picked
books, which the mountaineer eagerly
agreed to devour in the interval.
\ Lescott consented, however, to re-
main over Saturday, and 30 to the
dance, since he was curious to observe
what pressure was brought to bear on
the boy, and to have himself final
word Of argument after kinsmen had
spoken.
Saturday morning came after night
of torrential rain, which had left the
mountains steaming under reek OF
fog and pitching clouds.
But, as the morning wore on, the
sun fought It's way to view in q scrap
Of overhead blue. From log cabins
and plank houses up and down Misery
and Its tributaries, men and women be-
gan their hegira toward the mill. Les
colt rode in the wake Of Samson, who
had Sally on pillow at his back. They
came before noon to the mouth Of Dry
hole creek, and the house Of Vile Nc
eager. Already. the picket fence was
lined with tethered horses and mules
From the interior Of the house came
the sounds Of flddling. though these
strains Of Turkey in the Straw" were
only by way Of prelude. Lescott felt
though he could not say just what con
crete thing told him, that under the
shallow note Of merry-making brooded
the major theme Of troublesome