Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-02-16
WeCALl9f
0(lMBFRLANDS
% CHARLES NEVILLE BUCk
With nLUSTRAIIQNS FROM Mee11SSEE Pft0lEGqsRSAHpr y ~


offered you what 1 had, yet in my old
age YOU take away my mainstay."
"I lowed you was a-studyin' erbout
thet, Samson" he said, at last
1--WE done ther best fer we / knowed.
I kinder lowed thet from now on ye'd
do the same fer me. I'm gittin' along
in years right smart :"
Uncle Spicer," interrupted the boy,
"I reckon We knows thet any time ye
needed me I'd come back"
The old mans face hardened.
EFF We goes" he said, almost sharp
ly, "I won't never send for ye. Any
time We ever wants ter come back, we
knows ther way. Thar'll be room an
victuals fer we hyar."
"I reckon I mout be a heap more
useful eff I knowed more"
1--WE heered fellers say that afore.
Hit hain't never turned out thet way
with them what has left the mount
ings. Mebby they gets more useful
but they don't git useful ter US. Either
they don't come back at all, or mebby
they comes back full on newfangled
notions-an' ashamed Of their kim
folks. Thet's the way, I've noticed,
hit gen'ally turns out"
Samson scorned to deny that such
might be the case with him, and was
silent. After time, the old man went
on again in a weary voice, as he bent
down to loosen his brogans and kick
them noisily off on the floor:
THE Souths hev done looked to we
a good deal, Samson. They lowed they
could depend on ye. Ye hain't quite
twenty-one yet, an I reckon I could
refuse ter let ye sell yer prop'ty. But
thar hain't no use tryin' ter hold a
feller when he wants ter quit. Ye
don't low ter go right away, do ye?"
"I hain't plumb made up my mind
ter go at ALL" said the boy, shame
facedly. But, eff does go, hain't
a-goin' yet I hain't spoke ter nobody
but you about hit yet"
Lescott felt reluctant to meet his
hosts eyes at breakfast the next
morning, dreading their reproach,
but, if Spicer South harbored resent
ment, he meant to conceal it, after the
stoic's code. There was no hint OF
constraint in his cordiality. Lescott
felt, however, that in Samson's mind
was working the leaven Of that un-
spoken accusation Of disloyalty. He
resloved to make final play and seek
to enlist Sally in his cause. If Sallys
hero-worship could be made to take
the form Of ambition for Samson, she
might be brought to relinquish him
for a time, and urge his going that
he might return strengthened. He
went down to the creek at the hour
when he knew Sally would be maxi
ing her way thither with her milk
pail, and intercepted her coming.
AS he approached she was singing,
and the man watched her from the
distance. He was landscape painter
and not a master of genre or por-
trait. Yet, he wished that he might,
before going, paint Sally.
Miss Sally" he began. "Ive discov-
cred something about Samson"
"Ye can't tell me nothin' about
Samson" she declared, "withouten
hits somethin' nice"
Its something very NICE" the man
treasured her.
Then, ye needn't tell me, because
I already knows hit" came her
prompt and confident announcement.
Lescott shook his head, obviously.
Samson is a genius" he said.
whats thet?"
HE has great gifts-great abilities
to become a figure in the world"
She nodded her head, in prompt
and full corroboration.
IT reckon Samson will be the big
gest man in the mountains some day.
"He ought to be more than that"
Suspicion at once cast cloud
across the violet serenity of her eyes.
What does We mean?" she de-
manded.
1T mean"-the painter paused mo-
ment, and then said bluntly-'I mean
that I want to take him back with me
to New York"
The girl sprang to her feet with her
chin defiantly high and her brown
hands clenched into tight little fists.
Her bosom heaved convulsively, and
her eyes blazed through tears Of
anger. Her face was pale.
"Ye haint!" she cried in paroxysm
of fear and wrath. "Ye hain't
a-goin' ter do no sich-no sich Of a
damn thing'v She stamped her foot,
and her whole girlish body, drawn in
to rigid uprightness, was a-quiver
with the incarnate spirit Of the wo-
man defending her home and institu-
tions For a moment after that, she
could not speak, but her determined
eyes blazed a declaration Of war. 1t
was as though he had posed her as
the Spirit of the Cumberlands.
(To be continued)
I Kinr Cotton