The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-31
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
JINCY
BY Martha Mccullough Williams
Copyright, 1917, by the MCCLURE
Nyawsnan nor Syndicate.)

and her family had Deen coming LoL
wears to this mountain resort OF South
Carolina for the summer holidays. And
IN the course Of that time she had seen
much of the mountaineers. But never
had she seen anybody like the girl who
stood in the shade Of the carryall that
had lust come to rest In the street he
fore the Benton hause.
The hat was ten years out OF fashion,
and must have been fright to begin
with. And the hat was sufficiently star
ting without the rest Of the girl-the
wavy, very thick and Of the truest IT,
tian hue. 1t was wound in heavy rolls
about the girls head, and entwineo
with faded blue ribbon. Rhinestone
combs of unknown vintage were STUCK
here and there in the glowing expanse,
evidently placed with care that The
hat should not obscure them. The girl
stood there searching in the carryaIl
for sundry belongings-a flaming pur'
ple parasol, palm.leaf fan with long
red tassel, brightbordered handker'
CHEZ. The small lad her brother, on
the front seat holding the meek pair
of pIow horses, turned to help her. AND
that is why he did not see the Benton
wagon coming down the street at
smart trot, driven by Benny Benton
and laden with the belated band from
town, come to this town of Locust
Grove to do honor tot he Fourth OF July.
The band had started out vaingloriols.
" in motor bus, only to find itself
stranded seven miles from its destina'
ton. AS the town was crowded with
merrymakers from the surrounding
countryside, Their must be band. So
when Benny had heard, by telephone OF
their predicament, he had set out TO
rescue them with the farm wagon.
Now the carryall stood on the wrong
side of the road, and Benny had right Of
way. Moreover, he was hurrying to get
the belated band to its place before the
speaker Of the day should arrive. He
saw the carryall too late, His shouted
warning did no good, and there came
clutch and wrenching Of wheels, the
carryau skidded quite in motor style,
then topped rakishly aslant. The horses
moved sluggIshly little to one side. as
II bored by the whole proceedings. And
nobody was injured; but the carryall
was wreck
Benny, taking the blame, got down
from his wagon, resigning the reins to
some one else. After apologizing to
the girl, he went to his mother, watch
ing the crowd from the steps. The
neiyhborhood doctor had looked over
the girl and her younger brother and
finding no harm done, had given them
into his wife's keeping, who stood win
her arm protectingly around the girls
shoulder.
cts a shame" said Benny. Isn't ner
get.up-fierce? But-you can't blame
her Know who she is? Granddaughter
of that old miser, Granny Rollins, back
in the mountoins. Her father let her
run wild. Granny's dead now, and those
two-brother, and sister-are her only
heirs. They've come into the farm, the
cothes-everything Granny left. But
they've found no money. Everybody
thought the old skinflint had piles OF
it; but they hal to sell the best OF the
cows to pay fo1 Granhy's funeral. Ths
carryall was wreck, so rotten and
shaky 1 wondes they got here in it. or
course. I'd stand for that-thoug6 1t
never would have got home, the ten
miles they must drive through, with
out falling to pieces. After while YOU
20 speak to them. They're alone and
scared and shy, and you could nelp
them bave good time"
Mrs. Benton nodded-she could not
speak. She did so crave daughter, "
spite of her five sons, it hurt to see q
girl thus gone to waste. Her heart
yearned over the poor thing-no doubt
she had been bewildered by her ava
lanche of unaccustOmed possessions
and had tried piteously to make herself
fine enough for this her first merry
making. Where could she have got he;
idea Of style. In a flash Mrs. Benton
knew-from the fashion sheets and "up
Elements it had been Grannys habit u
save. Granny had bought by them
costly things but always eXtreme-and
had treasured them, going herself In
calico or theiCoarsest wollens. Stories
of her had gone countrywide-bu very
few had seen her. She had kept OF
home steadfastly, save for her yearly
trip to town, hated churchgoing and dis
couraged all visitors save such as came
in the way OF business.
The girl sat spathetic, clutching the
purple paraso which made a violent
dlscord against her red plaid frock
But when the band struck, up she
changed-sat upright, eyes glowing
lips parted, a deep scarlet showing
through the massed freckles all over
her cheeks. They we're so thick on
the nose they made it Indian color;
also they powdered her arms well a
bove the elbow. They were so thick on
the nose they the. fields-her shiftless
father had been one of Granny's crop,
pers until he died, just year ahead Of
her Even then she had not taken home
Jincy, her daughters child, choosing,
she said, to die as she had lived. alone
But at the end, when JinCy, venturing
in, found her stricken, helpless, speech
less, there had been an agony of entrea.
ty in the fierce old eyes. Jincy had
known Granny wanted to say some.
thing-to tell her something-the eyes
searched her face so steadfastly, but
no words came through the week she
fought back death. Jincy shivered still
when she let herself remember that
time.
She sat thru the music spellbound,