Evening star., 1915-06-19
j., THE EVENING STORY.
THE STILL TONGUE.
Copyright, 1918. by W. wernerJ

In little clearing in the yellowing
woods Travis Bassett faced Rule
Fletcher. Bassett. a slender young man
with handsome, mobile face, had come
upon Fletcher, a stocky young FELLOW
with an earnest eye and firm mouth,
digging out coal from a mountain coal
hole" for his parents winter fuel.
you come here this summer. good
lookin, fair-speakin' stranger, canvass
in for pictures to get money to keep
you in law school," Rule said. his black
eyes holding Bassett's unsteady ones,
"and while l was in the timber gettin
out railroad ties to get money for my
schoolin' you was havin' fun a-cheatin
the old ones and maxim mischief be-
tween the young ones that was happy.
You made Alb Ankin so mad at Min
ME Belle Purd he won't speak to her;
you hung around Molly Kate Cyprus
and got Jonas Rambo. the man she was
goin' to marry, mad at her; you sepa-
rated Mammy's little niece and her
sweetheart and" Rules voice trem-
bled. she can't git over hit-she's
pinin' until we're plumb uneasy about
her. What you've got to do now is to
hunt up Arnold SkeenS before the
weeks out and tell him you was just
pretending to court Tabithy. and that
she don't keer a thing for you and is
a-wantin' him back tell her hearts a
breakin'"
Bassett laughed heartlessly. Il see
myself"
When Rule allowed him to rise from
the broken ferns some minutes later
he had promised to do all he demanded.
but that evening Bassett left the
county.
Outside of Mrs. Amariah Clump's
winters night was pitchy black. A
cheerful blaze leaped in Rule Tletcher's
CRATE and the lamp glowed brilliantly
on the young mans thick black halr,
the little room.
IF Florida marrles MIN, Rule
Fletcher" he murmured, you ought to
be glad she'll be getting man thatll
Travis Bassett! l said I'd not tell
my God. 'tshard!
my God. it's hard!
For two years Rule had been the prin-
cipal of the graded school at PawpaW.
with elderly Miss Rachel Sutphin and
young Florida Neeley assistant teach
ers. Florida, a gentle hammered girl.
with pretty, fair. curling hair. had
There was pink aced Asa Harkle, the
wellto-do bachelor storekeeper. and
Leroy Belden. who ran the auto iine TO
Blodgett and made more off the travelling
did in months teaching.
, But Florida had accepted their atten-
tions lightly, and because of some
thing in her manner toward him Rule
young Bassett had come to Blodgett
to practice law. boarding in Pawpaw
and going to and from the county seat
In Belden's auto each morning and
evening.
by God. Fletcher" he had said to
Rule, II never expected to run upon
you. But I'm a changed man now. and
about those little affairs on Pigeon
creek. can't you keep still tongue""
iou broke your promise and Fabitha
lied. Rule had answered. Il can't for
get that. but I'm not one to rob a man
of his chance when he claims he's try
wont speak.
In less than month Bassett had so
charmed Pawpaw that not one of its
900 inhabitants but believed implicitly
he OWNED Immediately Rules secret.
That girls going to be mine" he
said to himself. Maybe it won't be
paving back with interest some of
those blows Fletcher struck me six
years ago. the big brute."
one day In midwinter Bassett showed
Rule an elaborate little pearl and sap
phirss ring; RI &, ia sa have made it dao
told him. but, I've got to save for a
fit cage for my bird"
Rule clinched his hands now as he
Il love her! 1 love her"
kept time In his mind to the bea. of the |
rain. Il wish something would happen |
to prove-to prove"
Something. was happening. No. 6 of |
the q. and w. railroad, loaded with |
coal with Big Eddie" in charge. rum
Big Eddie sounded SKIS" hoarse whis-
tie for the last time for him. Just At /
the entrance to the village the water