The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1915-09-09
Inded IN . eort Of inward gasp.

/ 1 IEthOii NOi L SEE III gas tnCL
as purity as you be, Sally. ! 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
4 day, she had ceased TO be child, and
become a woman with all the soul-ach-
! ing possibilities of woman's intui-
tons.
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 yen
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, "ye needn't fret
about tibet. Readin an writin' can't
make no difference fer a woman.
Hits mighty important fer a man. but
/ you're a gal"
You're a-goin' ter think diff'rent at
\ ter awhile" she insisted. when We
1 goes, | hain't a-goin' ter be expectin
ye ter come back But"-the
resolution in her voice for a moment
quayered as she added-"but God
knows I'm a-goin' ter be hopini"
SALLY" The boy rose, and paced
up and down in the road Air We
goin' ter be aginst me, too? Don't ye
see that | wants ter have chanst?
Can't ye 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,
tibet 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 he gave way
to the yearnings for change and oppor-
tGpity.
The dance on Saturday was to be
something more portentous than
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 fiddling would hold high, If 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 to definite under
standing the demoralizing report that
Samson South, their logical leader,
meant to abandon them, at a crisis
when war-clouds were 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. r case was now submit
ted with the suggestion that the boy
take three months to consider, and
that, If he decided affirmatively, he
should notify Lescott in advance of his
coming. He proposed sending Samson
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 go 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
s,,c;- a.-
Saturday morning came after night
Of torrential rain, which had left the
mountains steaming under a reek of
fog and pitching clouds.
But, as the morning wore on, the
sun fought its way to view in a 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 adding. 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 a troublesome |
problem. The seriousness was below
the surface but insistently depressing. !
He saw, too, that he himself was mixed |
up with it In fashion, which might |
become dangerous, when a few Jugs
OF white liquor had been emptied.
While the young persons danced
and spanked" within, and the more
truculent lads escaped to the road to
pass the jug, and forecast with youth |
ful warfever 'cleanin' out the Holl- |
mans the elders were deep in ways
and means. II the truce could be pre-
served for its unexpired period of |
three years, it was, of course, best. In |
that event, crops could be cultivated, |
and lives saved. But, if Jesse Purvy |
chose to regard his shooting as a |