Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-11

The Daily Story
A Mountain Girls Ruse

girls rcd hair into n golden halo as she
sat upon the log, her bare feet showing
beneath the hem Of her cheap print
I skirt On the log beside her was sun
| bonnet, and pressing against the sun
bonnet was the helve Of an ak, such as
| only n very strong man was accustomed
| to WELD
rho girl was evidently resting after
! a day Of hard labor, for deep around
her were scattered the still odorous pine
| chips, and on the other side OF the log
rose huge pile Of wood cut into two
foot chunks to nt the regulation fire
place of the mountain log-and-mud CABIN.
/ \ handsome. powerfully built man had
come down the mountain path, barefoot,
and, as he seemed TO think, unnotlced,
for he stopped few yards away and
regarded the girl for some time with
an air of admring ownership. In the
sunlight her hair was beautiful. and her
form, even In its detected attitude, was
graceful and pleasing. The only appear
ance of feminine ornamentation was
pitiful attempt at rufle on the sun
bonnet.
, Don't stand there gawkin all day,
Hokc," at last the girl called pettshly,
but without turning or raising her head.
you amt no scared rabbit with one paw
up, and amt no great to look at. How's
all?"
"rolerablc." answered the man as he
came forward shccpshly. But I want
scared; an you needn't say you amt
no great to look at, Tirzy for t 'taln't
so. I've come clear from Rear Lick TO
ask YOU what I asked last week When
are YOU going to marry me-
Don't know as ever shortly
But your daddys dead" earnestly,
land your cabins plumb two miles from
any other You can't live here all by
yourself Tirzy. Tain't proper
And why not?" lifting her head de-
family. "Ain't got bigger truck
patch than any man on the mountain,
and amt l kept 1t better worked? And
didn't l help father build the cabin,
cutting and toting the logs and mix
ing the mud myself? And did any man
on the mountain ever cut more fire.
place wood in one day than that?' ris-
ing suddenly to her feet and fllngng out
one hand toward the days work.
Hoke surveyed the wood critically, ap-
precatingly.
"N-no, | don't reckon ever did see
so much cut in one day, Tirzy," he
acknowledged, though | amt sayin'
but lots of men could If they set out"
Yes, that's just it, scornfully, "If
they set out. But men folks round
here don't set out to do nothing but
hunt coons and drink still whisky and
smoke corncob pipes It's the women
who work truck patches and chop
wood and milk cows. and do every
thing else that's sure-enough work.
But what's the use talling?" dropping
her arms again istlessly. There's no
difference between you men folks I
think heap of YOU, Hoke, like | said
last week. You're big and good natured,
and the handsomest man round but all
you've got In the world is rifle and four
dogs and tumblc-down cabin that's
scarcely fit to live in, and I've heard you
say yourself that YOU could drink moro
corn whisky than any man on the noun
tain and not show it. And you go bare
foot. too, Hoke. May be I'll have to
marry somebody some time, but I used
to say when n girl that I'd never marry
II man who didn't wear shoes"
Hoke looked down at his feet reflect
lively. II reckon there's but one man
on the mountain who wears shoes
steady" he observed sarcastically. "May-
be he'd marry you If you asked him."
You mean Ground Hog" flashed back
the girl instantly. well, he asked me
last Tuesday. and I told him like I did
you. I'd study 1t over SPELL
Hoke looked at her inCredulously for
a moment, then threw back his head
in roar of laughter, that echoed through
tho forest. 'rold-him- you d-study-it-
over" he calculated, between his bursts
of merriment, told Ground Hog that
Hol no! I'll sure have to let all tho
boys know" Then instantly he became
sober. "Why, Tirzy." he demonstrated,
its scandalous! You're the handsomest
and prettiest girl on the mountain and
the best worker. Any man would be glad
to have you. And he" contemptuousy,
hes just an outside onstepper, coming
here and fencing in land and digging in
the dirt the whole enduring day. and he
totes his truck stuff down into the valley
on his own back and peddles 1t round,
Huh! He couldn't hit n bear 10 foot off
with a shotgun, and he don't chew and
don't know the taste of whisky-why, |
low one spoonful would set him plumb
crazy. But he does wear ;.-h-o-e-s-'
proonging the word derisively, land
you're going to-study-'bout-him."
Yes, l am" quietly. "Ha knows how
to work, and amt scared of 1t. And up
where he comes from, women folks don't
milk and cut fireplace wood-up there the
men folks look out for the women. If
Ground HoE-I mean Mr. Allen-marries
me, 1t won't be just because he aims
to be more comfortable But h'sh! here
he comes now.
A man had emerged suddenly from
the woods and was approaching them
rapidly. Hoke was still standing several
yards away AS the stranger came to
about the same distance an idea seemed
to strike the girl, for she raised her hand
Warningly
Don't come any closer, either of YOU"
she called, II was down TO Back Creek
yesterday"
Back Creek" echoed Hoke, recolling
a few steps. "Why, that's where they
have the smallpox, and they do say it's
terrible this season-everybody catches 1t
that goes near!"
Yes, I've heard So" calmly,
"Oh, Tirzy. how could you?"
Hoke took a few more involuntary
backward steps
II was obliged to, Hoke. / heard a girl
used to know was down there, and I
wanted TO find out for sure"
well, I'll see you agin, Tirzy," Hoke
called from a still greater distance. And
/ hope you won't catch it, but I'm mighty
afraid for you"
~ don't reckon there's much danger,
Hoke," the girl retorted, "for I didn't
go across the creek Just called, and a
woman answered that I wasn't the girl
l knew at all"
Hoke paused abruptly, and was turning