Mexico Missouri message., 1915-03-11

| hN9"SN' pOb soh pdEuOns bhe
said, quickly.
That's all right" treasured the
man. 81 know what ye're a.thinkin',
but hain't takin' no offense. The high
sheriff sent me over. I'm one of his
deputies"
Were you"-she paused, and added
rather timidly-"were you in the court
house?"
He nodded, and with a brown fore
finger traced the scar on his cheek.
Samson South done that thar with
his rifle.gun," he enlightened. He's a
funny sort of Teller, is Samson South. Z"
"How?" she asked.
wall, he licked us, an licked ue 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 q
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
figure 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 Adriennes
hand, he added THE Goops send you
| &c
changed, but the girl noted that his
hair had again grown long.
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, laughingly rejecting Samson's
assistance, and came with him to the
top of a 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 a. 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 milk-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 Sally's 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.
Its lovely!" she cried, with frank
delight. Its picture"
"Wait!" he commanded. Then, turn
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 it's shaded
dooryard a picture, but now she knew
she had been wrong. 1t was only a
! background. It 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
was 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
hotter, 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 a face or figure. Then the girl
came down the steps and ran toward
them.
"Drennie," said the man, this is
Sally. / 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. l do love you'll"
The girl in the calico dress raised
her face. and her eyes were glistening
'T'm obleeged ter ye," she taltered
Then, with open and wondering adj
miration she stood gazing at the first
fine lady" upon whom her glance had
ever fallen.
Samson. went over and took Sallys
hand.
'Drennie." he said, softly, lis there
anything the matter with herr"
Adrienne Lescott shook her head.
Il understand" she said,
81 sent the others on" he went on
quietly, because l wanted that first
| .I.o IL