The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-26
COURSE OF true Love
BY JENNIE II. OLIVER.

| (Copyright)
It was a storm quite notable in his
tory. 1t came out of blur Of angry.
evening red, with wild sheets Of
screaming, white rain from the murky,
boiling river. Under it the little cabin
covered like beaten hound-even the
three shadows within looming gro
/. tesquely backward from the fireplace,
shrinking and flaring fitfully as the
eddying fame sprang upward and
strung itself like rubies on threads Of
cobweb swaying from the blackened
rafters.
Between crashes Of deafenins thun-
der two Of the shadows talked dogged.
i ~ and persistently.
Eyes, Steve" said one. lifting his
shrewd. calculating features in vain
endeavor to suck into life his neg
lected pipe, "yuh ricollict whut told
yuh last time yuh asst fer Retta-May.
|; Conditions is jist tn same now. and
allus will be.
Gurus, Steve. yuh KANT remember
that old Ike Pedigrew don't say things
fer tn fun Of hit. Twenty year ben
wantin' that north forty. Yer daddy
and l At hand tub hand over hit; but
he died a year too soon. Lived. an
I'd a had him. Reckon I've got yuh.
Steve, instid-fer hits that north
forty, er no Retta-May."
"They amt no jestice in hit, Ike"
cried the young man hotly. Hits
plum robbery. How'm goin' to take
keer O Retta eff give up the only part
O. my land that's with workin'?
II haint astin' yuh to take keer on
her; Jest tub figger on that land with
me- Ell thar's my other way tub 20
hit, 50 much the better, fer I've got
other plans for Retta-May. Not that
hit hain't fifteen fer her tub bring me
somethin fer her raisin'. as her sisters
never DONE
I "They was saller and skinny; but.
land, look at Retta-May; Blue and
peenk and gold-slim and straight;
strong as a young painter. Ell she
hain't with more tub yuh than the
north forty, why. yuh don't hev tub
take her-thats all.
There was q sudden. fierce outburst
Of the storm. as II the very prince OF
demons had broken loose; and under
it's clutching hand the stanch little
structure shuddered and ratified fear
somely. Dark streams of rain crawled
in from the sill-less door. and the girl
rose silently to sweep back the flood
and block its further entrance with an
old ragged coat.
"'Tain't jest. Ike" fumed the younf
man when at last he could make him
self heard. "Yuh know there's Goa
and mebbe gas on that paster-ridge
4 and that I'm raisin' money tub worl
hit Yuh think l didn't see yuh witt
that passed. O. prospectors from Little
Rock, but I did. And hits mine. Tx
Pedigrew, and I don't low tub CIV
hit up. low tub dress Retta like
queen when builds her new hous'
up under that bunch O. pine!"
"Well, Steve" answered the old mai
provokingly, slowly sucking at his re
lighted pipe. II reckon hit'l turn GU
by y'ur buildin' one on stills for he
over on the south forty under then
elms. Reckon yuh1l hev tub rails
rice tub keep her, fer I'm goin' tub he
that north forty-that, er she marie
Jake Dempsey.
81 Don't make much difference tu
me. Jake offered me mighty nigh "a
good a forty, and a fine Jersey COY
throwed in. Reckon I'd ruther he
Jake fer relation-he haint so blame
obstinate"
Pedigrew laughed disagreeably. an
bent to throw on another log.
Reckon yuh see how hit Is. Steve.
he went on, after he had gone to stu
up broken shutter and stop the swil
Of red embers that enveloped them fo
breathless moment. "Y'ur mort
forty and mine bumps heads at
mighty convenient bend in the rive
Now. whin I git busy with them con
modities that natur has packed
thar, kin mighty easy make use
natures waterway tub pack 'em Q
tub companies that needs EN-. Rec
on old man Pedigrew won't be a nc
man then-no, I reckon not"
"Whut ef Retta and takes thinl
In our own hands. Ike? Whut eff"
"I1l tell yuh. Steve, whut ef. Rett
Mayll marry Jake Dempsey In Il
mawnin', list as soon's hit is good ar
light. Asst him and Jestice Potter ov'
to witness the windin' up-be hand
tub hev 'em anyway the cat jump
Mother thing, Retta-May haint n
own boss by two year and then som
Retta-May haint ben outen this va
sense yuh an l tangled up in tn
deal. Guess I hold the whup-han
Steve"
The young man dropped his face
his hands and sat for some time
deep thought The roaring Zig
sprang rudely over his dark hea
over the old mans hard, shrewd eye
and the girls beauty Around the
roared and walled and crashed t
tireless fury of the storm. Final
Stephen Martin sprang erect. bra
resolve in his deep-set gray eyes.
'T'n give her up. Ike" he said, hus
lily. 'Td ruther she married some o
az has plenty then tub go out into I
world empty-handed with me. Heav
- a