The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-01-09
CHAPTER W-continued.

Aoi . d-SO1A LC1 NC q
party over ter Vile McCager's mill
come Saturday" he insinuatingly sug-
gested. 81 reckon yen go over thar
with me. won't We, 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-
manded the boy. angrily.
For a moment, the girl sat silent.
Finally, she spoke in grave voice:
Hit hain't nothin' ter git mad about,
Samson. The artist man lowed as how
We had right ter go down thar, an
git an eddication." She made a 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 myseIf-not but
what I knows" he hastily amended,
''thet 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 a rising
lump in her throat before she could
answer calmly.
81 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
hills fer ye. Samson. Down thar, yeGl
see lots of things thet's new-an' civil
lied an beautiful! Yell see lots of
gals thet kin read an write, gals
dressed up in ali kinds of fancy fix
ms" Her glib words ran out and
ended in a sort of inward gasp.
Compliment came hardly and awk.
wardly to Samson's 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. 1 reckon We
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 a child. and
become a woman with all the soul-ach
ing possibilities OF a Woman's fntui.
tons
Samson she said, 81 hain't askin'
ye ter make me no promises. When
ye sees them other gals-gals tibet kin
read an write-I reckon mebby vel
think din'rent. can't hardly spell
out printin' in the fust reader
Her lovers voice was scornful of the
imagined dangers, as a recruit NAV 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
about thet Readin' an writin' cans
make no difference fer a woman
Hits mighty important fer a man, but
you're gal"
You're a-goin' ter think dif'rent at
ter awhile" she insisted. when &c
goes, l hain't a-goin' ter be expectin
ye ter come back But"-the
resolution in her voice for a moment
cuavered as she added-"but Goo
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 W
see that l 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' ornery an no count"
She nodded.
I've done told ye." she said. YEARLY
''thet thinks ye ought ter do hit"
Lescott and Samson discussed the
matter frequently. At times the boz
was obstinate in his determination Il
remain; at other times he gave wal
to the yearnings for change and oppor
tunity.
The dance on Saturday was to o,
something more portentous than
mere frolic. It would be a clan gath
ering to which the South adherentl
would come riding up and down Mis-
cry and it's tributaries from 'nigl
abouts" and cover yon" From fore
noon until after midnight, shuttle, ii,
and f1ddling would hold high, If rough
carnival. But. while the younger foil
abandoned themselves TO these diver
sions. the grayer heads would gaths
In more serious concIave. Jesse Purv.
had once more beaten back death. an'
bis mind had probably been devisine
during those bed=ridden days an,
nights, plans Of reprisal. Accordin:
TO current report. Purvy had an
nounced that his would-be ASSASSIN
dwelt on Misery. and was "marke'
down So, there we're obvious exi
gencies which the Souths must pre-
pare to meet In particular. the clal
must thrash out to definite under