The Delta independent., 1915-06-18

S,HhC
~ Have Opened My Home to You and
Offered You What ! Had, Yet In My
Old Age, You Take Away My Main
stay"
Her bosom heaved convulsively, and
her eyes blazed through tears of anger
Her face was pale.
"Ye hain't" she cried, in a paroxysm
of fear and wrath. "Ye hain't a-goin'
ter do no sich-no sich of a damn
thing!" She stamped her foot, and
her whole girlish body, drawn into
rigid uprightness, was a-Quiver with
the incarnate spirit of the woman de-
Tending her home and institutions For
a moment after that, she could not
speak. but her determined eyes blazed
a declaration of war. 1t was as though
he had posed her as the Spirit of the
Cumberlands.
He waited until she should be
calmer.
You don't understand me, Miss
Sally. I'm not trying to take Samson
away from you. If man should lose
girl like you, he couldn't gain enough
in the world to make up for it. All l
want is rnar ne snan nave the cnance
to make the best of his life"
81 reckon Samson don't need no
fotched-on help ter make folks ac-
knowledge him."
Every man needs his chance. He
can be a great painter-but that's the
least part Of it. He can come back
equipped for anything that life offers.
Here, he is wasted"
"Ye mean"-she put the question
with a hurt quaver in her voice-'ye
mean we all hain't good enough for
Samson
mo. only mean that Samson wants
to Erow-and he needs space and new
scenes in which to grow. / want to
take him where he can see more of the
world-not only little section Of the
world. Surely. you are not distrustful
of Samson's loyalty? want him to go
with me for while, and see life."
Don't ye say hit!" The defiance in
her voice was being pathetically tan
gled up with the tears. She was
speaking in a transport Of grief. Don't
ye say hit. Take anybody else-take
'em all down thar, but leave us Sam
son. We needs him hyar. We've Jest
got ter have Samson hyar."
She faced him still with quivering
lips, but in another moment, with a
sudden sob, she dropped to the rock.
and buried her face in her crossed
arms. He went over and softly laid
a hand on her shoulder.
Miss Sally" he began.
She suddenly turned on him tear.
stained, infuriated face. stormy with
blazing eyes and wet cheeks and
trembling lips.
Don't touch me-" she cried; don't
ye dare ter touch me! hain't nothin'
but a gal-but reckon could most
tear ye ter pieces. Ye're Jest pizen
snake, anyhow" Then. she pointed
tremulous finger on up the road. cit
away from hyar." she commanded. Il
don't never want ter see ye again.
Ye're tryin' ter steal everything ]
loves. Git away, tells yel-git away
-begone!"
Think It over" urged Lescott. quiet.
ly. See II your heart doesn't say am
y
turned, and began making his way
over the rocks; but, before he had
gone far, he sat down to reflect upon
the situation. Certainly he was not
augmenting his popularity. A half
hour later. he heard rustic. and,
turning, saw Sally standing not far of.
She was hesitating at the edge Of the
underbrush, and Leecott read In her
eyes the effort it was costing her tc
come forward and apologize.
Il reckon-I reckon I've got ter ask
yore pardon" she said, slowly and with
labored utterance. He looked up to
see her standing with her head droop.
ing and her fingers nervously pulling
flower to pieces.
II reckon l hain't plumb fool. ]
knows thet Samson's got a right ter
eddication Anyhow, knows he wants
hit"
Education" said the man, isn't 60
ing to change Samson. except to make
him finer than he is--and more
capable"
She shook her head. II haint got
no eddication," she answered. Hits
a-g0in' ter make him too good fer me.
I reckon hits a-goin' ter Jest about
Hill me. :" Her lips twisted
themselves into pathetic smile again.
and her chin come stialy up. But
she added, deterDinedly, "thet don't
make no difference, nohow."
Yet. when Samson that evening gave
his whippoorwill call at the Widow
Miller's cabin, Ne found detected and