Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-02-13
THE TEAKETTLE
BY RUBY q. SPEER.


Knapp. in Il tone that ucGativch her
words, ~ she raised her eyes FROM the
note 10 Tool, after the rcircatin:: mes
.,crScr boy. A2uin she read The note.
Dear Mary--l'li be away Il few
days. suddenly remembered that we
l"r"o: to empty the camp ,cakcttle.
ana don't want it To freeze. Leaving
on the 1910. Yours. ED"
"Of all fooliShuess." breathcd Mary.
crushing of 100 miles into another
State to empty Il teakettlc. There's
something more in the wind" she hint
cd darEly. as she closed the door and
went toward the dining room.
She was not really hurt or gricved
at his sudden going. for they were rs
calm and undcmonstrativc as the aver
age middle-aGCd couple. and his bust
ness often took him on sudden trips.
He had badc her his usual atfectionate
good-by on leaving after breakfast, but
his curious CUES, vcxed. while II
amused her. With her thoughts still
In fog Mary stopped to pick up the
morning paper that had fallen beside
Eds chair at the table. As she
glanced cnrcleSsly at the paper her
eyes caught line announcing the
opening of the deer season in neigh
boring state.
so that's it," laughed Mary, drop
ping into 4 chair. The trukettie had
to be cmplicd. indccd"' Ed Knapp was
was never happy without his full
quota Of deer every season.
"Why didn't he tell the he WAS 60
ing! Afraid I'd think he ought TO
stay home working?" she chuck!ed.
"ld like To 20. too" she added regret
fully. for Mary had been a good shot
in her youth and she still hunted and
trampcd. Years ago she and Ed had
met one hurting season, she a farm
cr's daughter, he Il city sportsman.
Unknowingly they had shot ut the
same deer and it was Mary's shot that
felled it. Friendship sprang from
their similarity of tastes, and love and
marriage soon followed. The cares of
the crowding years soon took Mury's
time from craftsmanship. but each
year the family spent its vacation in
Il cabin near the site of her old hunr.
~ know the very deer he is after"
thought Mary. the big buck that drank
every evening from the brook below
the cabin. Pm going TO have = shot ut
II, too. l took Il deer from him once,
unintentionally, and III do ii this time,
malice afOrethought."
Mary flashed glance at the clock.
IT was Q 80 and Ed was leaving on tie
10: 80. Well. she would be on the
same train. seeing. bur unseen. She
thought rapidly Of preparations: her
bag to pack, her rifle to examine and
oil. and her house TO close First she
called Il cab. AS she IOnned her hunt
ing suit her busy mind checked OF the
necessary details. She found her
hunting license and cabin key snug!y
buttoncd in an inside pocket. She
must pack some clothing for Ed FOR he
had gone unprovided. Some provisions
would he Il good idea. She must put
out i note for the milkmnn and tcle-
phone the drcssmakcr who was com
ing tomorrow 40 her mind ran on.
Mary's heart was beating tattoo
as she took her seat In the train after
seeing kd enter the smoker. AS the
train whiZzcd OH she laid her plans.
Ed would doubtless go to the north
village from which 81 good road around
the mountain led to camp. He might
wall; or hire q rig. She decided to
stop at the south village; for she knew
4 short cut over the seemingly mac
ceSSible mountain. She had not spent
her girlhood in that country for moth
ing. She feared that Ed might see her
when she got of the train. but all was
well. She hired village boy to carry
her load over the mountain while she
led the way towards camp.
Light snow had fallen and the gaunt
trees tossed and strained.
At the cabin she set the boy to work
airing the bedding and making fire
while she loaded her gun.
Down through the pine WOODS she
slipped toward the brook to await her
quarry. Determination sparklCd from
her brown eyes and animation glOwed
in her rosy checks. Ed might come at
any minute. also the deer. Hardly had
she hid In clump Of pines when Ed
swung in view. 1t was cvidcn: to
Mary that he. 800. was hunting n
ph,ce TO hide before "the stag at eve
had drunk his fill"
Mary'S heart missed beat as Ed
headed for her covert. hut he stopped
by big tree and began putting his
gun together. COnvulScd with silent
laughter, Mary sat in her thckrt. She
longed 10 call out. ''Have you enpticd
the tcakcttlc. Ed But instead she
kept silently alert for the deer. Ed
had adjusted his gun and was search
ing for ammunition when the big buck
stepped daintily from a thickct on the