The Delta independent., 1915-09-17

He nodded, and with brown lore
finger traced the scar on his cheek.
Samson South done that thar with
his ri1e-gun," he enlightened. Hes
funny sort of feller. is Samson South"
How" she asked
wall, he licked us, an licked us SO
plumb damn hard we was skeered ter
fight ag'in, an then. Std of tramplin'
on us, he turned right round, an
made me a deputy. My brothers a
corporal in this hyar new-fangled mi
lishy. l reckon this time the peace is
goin' ter last. Hits a mighty funny
way ter act, but pears like it works all
right"
Then, at the ridge, the girls heart
gave a sudden bound, for there at the
highest point, where the road went up
and dipped again, waited the mounted
Ggure of Samson South, and, as they
came into sight, he waved his felt hat
and rode down to meet them.
Greetings" he shouted Then, as
he leaned over and took Adrienne's
band, he added: THE Goops send you
their welcome" His smile was un-
changed. but the girl noted that his
hdii hdu o6oih 6iOWh ioh6.
Finally, as the sun was setting, they
reached a roadside cabin, and the
mountaineer said briefly to the other
men:
You fellows ride on. want Dren-
ME to stop with me a moment. Well
join you later
Lescott nodded. He remembered the
cabin of the Widow Miller, and Hor-
ton rode with him. albeit grudgingly.
Adrienne sprang lightly to the
ground, laughingE rejecting Samson's
assistance. and came with him to the
top of stile. from which he pointed
to the log cabin, set back in it's small
yard. wherein geese and chickens
picked industriously about In the sandy
earth.
A huge poplar and great oak
nodded to each other at either side OF
the door. and over the walls a clam
bering profusion Of honeysuckle vine
contended with mass OF wild grape,
in joint effort to hide the white chink-
ing between the dark logs. From the
crude ilk-benches to the sweep of
the well, every note was one OF neat
ness and rustic charm. Slowly. he
said. looking straight into her eyes:
This is Sallys cabin. Drennie."
He watched her expression, and her
lips curved up in the same sweetness
of smile that had first captivated and
helped to mold him.
It's lovely!" she cried, with frank
delight. It's picture"
ha Tbon
ing toward the house. he sent out the
long, peculiarly mournful call OF the
whippoorwill, and, at the signal. the
door opened, and on the threshold
Adrienne saw a slender figure. She
had called the cabin with its shaded
dooryard a picture, but now she knew
she had been wrong. 1t was only
background. 1t was the girl herself
who made and completed the picture.
She stood there in the wild simplicity
that artists seek vainly to reproduce
in posed figures. Her red calico dress
wan patched. but fell in graceful lines
to her slim bare ankles. though the
first faint frosts had already fallen.
Her red-brown hair hung loose and
in masses about the oval of face in
which the half-parted lips were dashes
of scarlet, and the eyes large violet
pools. She stood with her little chin
tilted in half-wild attitude OF recon-
noiter, as a fawn might have stood.
One brown arm and hand rested on
the door frame, and. as she saw the
other woman, she colored adorably.
Adrienne thought she had never
seen SO instinctively and unaffectedly
lovely face or figure. Then the girl
came down the steps and ran toward
them.
"Drennie," said the man. this is
Sally. l want you two to love each
other" For an instant. Adrienne Les
colt stood looking at the mountain
girl, and then she opened both her
arms.
Sally" she cried. you adorable
child do love you."
The girl in the calico dress raised
her face, and her eyes were glistening.
I'm obleeged ter ye." she faltered.
Then, with open and wondering ad-