The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-11-22
What Became Of
George Deering
By r. A. Mitchell

ut him intently.
Morning" he said. dofiing his hat
when he reached her.
Morning" responded the girl
Can you tell me where the Deering
family have gone tot They lived half
u mile down the road on this side"
II remember that there was a family
living thereabout when | was little
girl, but | don't know what has be.
come Of them"
Putting i'm beetsT' looking down at
a drill.
"No; lettuce"
"Everybody's gardening this year"
yes We've got TO garden or starve.
Prices of provisions are prohibitive."
There was a brief silence The girl
continued to loosen the soil with her
hoe, then took up a rake and smoothed
the ground from stones and tufts OF
grass. The young man showed no
sign of moving on.
so you can't tell me where the Deer
ing family have moved to-" he said
presently.
mo, I can't"
wasn't there son, GeorgeF'
GEORGE GeorgeT' repeated the
girl, as If trying to recall the person
mentioned.
i've been told he was the worst boy
in the county. No apple tree was safe
from him. and as for "A watermelon
patch, they say he would carry off a
melon as big as small barrel under
each arm
IF he was like that the county Is
well rid of him. the girl suggested.
lie was about eighteen when ne
left here. and I've been told that the
night before he went he made love to
one or the girls OF the place, asking
her to he his wife and telling her all
sorts of yarns about how he was go
ing to put her into big house and
dress her up fine. and all that The
next day lie disappeared and never
turned up again.
There are lots or men ike that In
the world.
Going to put in any potatoesT
Reckon not. Seed potatoes cost so
much that | question If 1t would pay.
IL certainly wouldn't IL the price OF
potatoes gets back to reasonable fig
ure."
You say you don't remember George
Deering"
IF he was any such fellow as you
have described don't want to remem-
Der him."
She started another drill The man
took Hp fork and opened the ground
FOR her. When he had done so and
removed some Of the earth with the
hoe lie said:
''Thatll be easier for you.
She thanked him and resumed her
work.
do you see that beech tree over
thereT he asked, pointing to tree
some fifty yards distant.
"Of course | do"
I'm going over to look at It,"
She made no comment. and he saun-
tered over to the tree. under which
was rustic bench. He glanced medi-
tatiyely at the bench, but proceeded to
the trunk of the tree and looked ut
some letters that had been made by
carving the bark. II had grown to-
gether so as to give them an appear
ance of having grown there naturally.
Wont you please come hereT he
called to the girl.
She dropped trowel and advanced
toward him. When she reached him,
pointing TO the letters ON the tree
trunk, he asked
"Whose initials are thoseF
"The upper onesf'
yes"
Those are mine"
And those beneathF
Il cant see them.
This was true; her eyes were dimmed
with moisture.
These letters continued the young
man, stand for Eva Butterfeld and
George Deering. know George very
well. He's faulty chap and no mis-
take; but there are palliating circum-
stances In his case. Sit down here and
III tell you something about him.
He led her TO the bench, where they
sat down side by side. Then he con
tinued: