The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-07-01
CHAPTER Vi--Contlnued.

~Thar's a-goin' ter be a dancin'
party over ter VILE McCager's mill
come Saturday" he insinuatingly sug-
Gested. II reckon yen so over thar
with rec, won't We. Saliyr"
He waited for her usual delighted
assent, but Sally only told him absent
0y 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.
Fer q moment, the girl sat silent.
Finally, she spoke in grave voice:
Hit baint nethin' ter git mad about,
Samson. The artist man lowed as how
ye had a right ter 60 down thar, an
git an eddication." She made q weary
gesture toward the great beyond.
HE hadn't ought to Of told ye,
Sally. If I'd been plumb sartin in my
uaind. I'd a-toid ye myself-not but
what / knows" he hastily amended,
tibet he meant hit friendly"
Air re 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
che crumbling plank Of the stiles top
fightened 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 notiin' in these here
eflls fer ye. Samson. Down thar, yeIl
zee lots Of things thet's new-an' civil
SEED an beautiful! Yell see lots of
gals thet kin read an write, gals
dressed up in all kinds of fancy fix
FMS" Her glib words ran out and
ended in sort Of inward gasp.
Compliment came hardly and awk-
wardly to Samson's lips He reached
Cor the girls hand. and whispered:
Il reckon won't see no gals thet's
as purity az you be. Sally. l reckon We
&nows. whether goes or stays, we're
a-goin' ter git married"
laughed, little bitterly. In the last
day. she had ceased to be q child. and
become a woman with all the soul-ach-
ing possibilities Of q woman's intui-
sGions. ~~&~ ~sa.ss So
Samson" she said, 81 hairt askin'
Ye ter make me no promises. When
Se sees them other gals-gals thet kin
read an write-I reckon mebhy yen
think dif'rent. I 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, I'VE needn't fret
make no difference fer a woman.
Hits mighty important fer a man, but
you're gal"
You're a-goin' ter think dtffrent at
ter awhile" she insisted. when ys
goes, hain't a-gofn' ter be expectin
We ter come back But"-the
resolution in her voice for a moment
SAavered as che added-"but God
knows I'm a-goin' ter be hopin'!"
ap and down In the road. Air We
xoin' ter be ag'inst me, too? Don't We
gee 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 boy
was obstinate in his determination to
remain; at other times he gave way
co the yearnings for change aid oppor-
c0nity.
The dance on Saturday was to be
something more portentous than a
suere 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
a0on until after midnight, shuttle, fig
and nGdling would hold high. if rough.
carnival But, while the younger folk
abandoned themselves to these diver
sions, the grayer heads would gather
tn more serious conclave. Jesse Purvy
Gad once more beaten back death. and
pis mind had probably been devising,
turing those bed-ridden days and
nixhts, plans of reprisal. According
10 current report, Purvy had an
moEnced that his would-be assassin
dw9lt on Misery, and was marked
down" SO, there were obvious ext
gencirs which the Soutks must pre-.
pare 10 meet Ia particular. the clan
EsIlst tAra@h cut to deanite under