The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-12-03

LlAMs.
Copyright, 1918, BY the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
esgT1tAR! / ,kcwed we'd better shoe
hat old rooster clean AWAY.
= low he's done croISed right at
The door, somebody's shore ter come
and ketch us right in the thick o
peach dryin'," Mrs. Beech said plain
lively to her daughter Catherine.
They were under the big oaks IN
the back yard, peeling for dear life
and cutting off the sweet yed wv
peach flesh in deep, thick Cups.
4 Thus It dried richly flavorous. 9th
er neighbors might slice their fruit
. or cut it anyway Mrs. Beech always
stuck to cups. She likewise refused
To, dry aught but the big clingstone
fruit, as sweet as sugar, especially
when you waited till It was dead ripe
on the trees. :,
Il amt sxeered over company"
Catherine said smiling. Everybody
In hoEerin' distance has been and
been and been. And the circuit riders
down 'tothef end O. the county-tnen
lisa full month too early for candl-
dates to be ridin'."
Don't keer II it is-somebody'n
come. never knowed 1t to fail-the
rooster sign" Mrs. Beech said dog
red1y. Her son Tug, who came from
the orchard with fresh basket OF
fruit added teasingly as he set II
down:
"Ipll be some o. your beaus, Kitty
Cat-.you got sech terrible many Oh
'em don't hardly see how veal ever
git anything DONE"
Catherine flushed deeply but tr1eG
to laugh-she was nineteen and mad
never had'a beau, Yet she was not ug-
~, nor awkward, nor a shrew.
Penny and Jincy, the cousins she
came between in age, were both mar
ried and even Ellen-Lou, Uncle
Ben's girl, only rising fifteen, engag-
ed. It was hard to be set down al
4 most before she came to herself
fill-blown old maid. But that seemed
Inevitable already people talked OF
her when likely widower developed
as one who would make mighty good
stepmotherp More than that she had
twice been sent for to help bake
wedding cake. Her mother said with
q sigh If it happened again GATHERINGS
fate was sealed-she'd never known
the sign to fail-bake cake for three
Weddin's-you'd never go to your own.
Maybe you will see somebody pass"
Tug added magnamtnously, again
Rhouldering his basket. Cup high in
the tree seen a whole passel o. men
yam side the parster-no they amt
y.din'-jest hoppin' erbout and stick
in down sticks and doublin' over like
they was lookin' for pins and need
les"
Il hope they amt up to no meanness
Aconjurin' nor nothin," Mrs. Beech
, said anxiously. "But df ct amt that.
what in the name o. peace can 1t be?"
She was soon to find out. The sur
veyors, out locating tentatively new
railway cutoff, came upon her around
II o'clock begging and praying for
dinner. Five men, young and hungry,
were rather formidable-stNl Mrs.
Beech never let any hungry soul get
away.
b shb whirled in, and with GATHERINGS
help set out such meal by IL O'clock
as made those who ate it her bond
slaves. After camp breakfast, ham,
fried chicken, black eyed peas, roast
Ing ears, crisp cucumbers and squash
mashed in butter and cream were
beyond nectar and ambrosia.
Top these off with peach cobbler.
Veryi crisp, as to crust, very rich and
Sweet as to filling, and gorging was
Inevitable. After the gorging the men
. lay at ease in the shade, smoking, say
Ing little but looking gratefully at the
Thus lying, embarrassment fell upon
them. They had meant to pay well for
what they got; now the longer they
talked or listened to the two women
the more impossible became the offer
Df money. The Beeches were 80 sim
ply, SO joyously hospitable, 30 eagerly
kind, their guests felt instinctively the
pffer of money would hurt them,
But to go away without making
some return was equally impossible.
Once Acton, the head surveyor
thought Of suggesting that the cutoff,
almost sure to come through the out
bactlre, might mean round price to
The Beeches for Its right Of way. But
that seemed rather low-as II he
limited at payment through favors to
come Whispers went around from one
10 another, behind the backs OF their
hands, or under the pretense OF filing
pipes from a common pouch. They
established the fact that all five
agreedLa money offer was out Of the
question, yet something had to be
done. -.
AZ last Acton had a brilliant idea
namely to take Tug along when they
let upon plea of needing guidance.
md send back by his hand either an
lonorarium fitting the case, or an inc
timation that the Beeches would get,
little later something more sub
tantial than thanks. The rest was
agreed, still in whispers, that It was
way out. They were young fellows,
alI, and gentlemen, therefore they
stirred at Catherine only when she
IA looking the other way.
The was not strictly pretty, but
there was classic grace in her lengths,
her poses, the turn Of her head, with
crown Of heavy plaits, even in
ne simple lines Of her blue checked
aingham frock. Anderson looked al
er least Of all-he was the youngest
81 them, Just twenty-one and out Of
school. After each look he turned
4.