The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-01-07
CHAPTER Vl-contlnued.

lars a-gotn ter be dancin'
over ter Wi,o McCager's mill
Saturday" he insinuatingly sug
Sted. Il reckon yen go over thai
with me, won't ye. Sally?"
He waited for her usual delighted
assent. but Sally only told him absent
Iy and without enthusiasm that she
would study about it," At last. how
ever, her restraint broke, and. looking
up. she abruptly demanded
Air ye a-goin' away. Samson?'
Who's been a-talkin ter ye?" De-
manded the boy. angrily
For moment. the girl sat silent.
FINALLY, she spoke in grave voice:
"Iiit 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 ye,
Sally. If I'D been plumb sartin in my
mind. I'd a-told ye myself-not but
what ! knows" he hastily amended.
tibet he meant hit friendly"
Air ye a.goin'?"
I'm studyin' about hit"
He awaited objection. but none
came. Then, with a piquing Of his
masculine vanity. he demanded:
"Hain't ye a.keerin'. Sally. whether
! 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 rising
lump in her throat before she could
answer calmly
Il think ye had ought to go. 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
Mills fer ye, Samson Down thar, yen
see lots Of things thet's new-an' civil
fzed an beautiful Yen see lots OF
&als thet 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.
Compl. .ment came hardly and awk.
wardly to Samson's lips. He reached
for the girls hand. and whispered:
Il reckon | won't see no gals thet's
ms purity as you be, Sally. reckon ye
knows. whether | goes or stays, we're
ngoin' ter git married"
She drew her hand away. and
laughed, little bitterly. In the last
day. she had ceased to be a child. and
become a woman with all the soul.ach-
ing possibilities OF a woman's intui.
tions.
Samson" she said. II hain't askin'
ye ter make me no promises. When
ye sees them other gals-gals thet kin
read an write-I reckon mebby yen
think diff'rent. can't hardly spell
out printin in the fust reader
Her lovers voice was scornful OF the
imagined dangers, as 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. ''ye needn't fret
shout thet. Readin' an writin' can't
make no difference fer woman.
HITS mighty important fer a 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"-ths
resolution in her voice for a moment
quayered 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 ye
goin' ter be ag'inst me, too? Don't We
see that wants ter have chanst,
Can't ye trust me? I'm Jest a.tryin'
20 amount to something. I'm plumb
tired OF bein' ornery an no count"
She nodded.
1--we done told ye," she said, YEARLY,
'thet ! thinks ye 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 be gave way
60 the yearnings for change and oppor.
tunity.
The dance on Saturday was to pe
something more portentous than a
mere frolic. 1t would be a clan gath.
ering to which the South adherents
would come riding up and down Mis-.
cry and its tributaries from nigh
abouts" and "over yon." From fore
noon until after midnight, shuttle, Jig
and adding would hold high, II rough.
carnival But, while the younger folk
abandoned themselves to these diver.
,ions. the grayer heads would gather ,
n more serious conclave. Jesse Purvy
had once more beaten back death, and |
IFS mind had probably been devising.
Turing those bed-ridden days and
lights. plans of reprisal. According [
% current report, Purvy had an
1ounced that his would-be assassin
iwelt on Misery, and was marked ,
lown." So, there were obvious exi.
,encies which the Souths must pre- {
,are to meet. In particular, the clan /
must thrash out to definite under. I