The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1921-04-28

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speak to anybody except that little
! gal Annie Lee. I'll send her up here
to fetch and carry for you. We been
tryin' TO get home for her, and it
seems she might "a been yourn. So
| you got to take and keep her. We
amt goin' to git no divorce. We air
fined together SO long as we live and
I'll see that you don't forget it from
this time
IL stood by the door lookan' at Mary
after her husband was gone. She
didn't move, and it want Just his an
ger that maze her hang against the
table So limp like witder a spring
,.gh IT was her shame. A woman
car't stand that kind of shame, c!l.
A | seen Mary droppin' lower ard
K wer in her chair, anc thought Of the
night comm on, and Of her up thar
alone with just that, stepped in and
laid my hand on her head.
"'Poor galp SEE.
"Then she raised up very slow and
looked at me. | turned my head
away, | couldn't bar it, that look on
a woman's face. She didn't speak,
and l backed out without another
word, because, dang it, there want
anything fitten to say.
"Well, sir, from that day Mary
Stark began to serve her long, long
sentence in that lonesome house on
Blood Mountain, nor she never set |
foot in the valley, nor spoke to soul. |
Bill sent the little gal up next day,
but he never went near the place. |
Folks in the valley knowed what had
happened, but for once they didn't
NEEDLE. At the very beginnin' Broth
er Milum lowed he aimed to go up
and see what could be done; but he
had to pass by Bills door to get to
the trail up the mountain and Bill
seen him.
"'You can't gop SEE he.
Pm Mary's PASTOR SEE Milum.
81 don't keer if you were her guar
dian angel, you can't go!' SEE he agin.
"'You amt actin like human be-
in',' SEE Milum, gittin' his pious dan
der up,
"'But Pm actin",' SEE Bill, spittin'
in his hands and gittin' ready to
hist Milum back over the fence the
way he had come. Milum got back
,ver himself and stood there preachin'
1t Bill, but he didn't go up to have
prayers with Mary. And once after
hat old Misses Snow lowed as she
vas president of the Foreign Mission
Try Society it was her duty to go up ,
md see what could be done for Mary
n spiritual way. Well, sir, in about
N hour she come back, red as
turkey cock in the face and abusin'
Bill for everything she could think of.
She made straigh for his house and
it in. Bill Stark SEE she, l been I
Ip yonder to see your wife !
did she make you welcome
ez he, not even lookin' at her. No,
he didn't She dassent speak to a
oul but that ill-begotten child you
ent up there to torment her with, z
nd Pm here a-purpose to tell you {
hat your conduct is that of tyrant Ii
nd coward \
"I amt keerin' what you think of S
ny conduct, Misses Snow SEE he, n
out so long as | live Mary's will be !
urther from suspicion than any other
in this valleyP With that :
e walked in the house.
"And naturally there was a right !,
mart talk about how Mary spent her u
ime.- Some though she'd took leave
I her senses. Fox hunters on the
fountain, passin' the shack late at
light, heard the whir of her spinning :,
'heel and seen her settin' before it v
18th wild, starin' eyes. Now ard u
hen somebody passed her in the te
'oods lookin' so dumb and stricken nj
nat they turned their heads away
i pity for her. And Prim Mayberry
ad seen her playin' dolls with the lit
e gal. That was the saddest sight
all. She'd frisk about to please the
Mid, but always with that lost, con-
lsed look on her face as if she was L
/ bad dream. Il
sinister, it used to nigh i.reah my y
cart first before people quit talkin' y
bout the way Bill had all out banl5 l. y,
himself to his own house and field. =
he years passed and we got used to q
i'll sulkin' down there in his own .
ouse, and used to the idea of Mary -
, there in the shack. She faded %
ON most peoples minds except now .,
I'd then when somebody seen her ia
andin' like ghost agin the sky e.
he high up on the shoulder of Blood ~
ountain. The women claimed that ~
was a sign of calamity, because
ed be seen that way every time n
lore some baby died. But of course
at was just talk. The thing l no. OF
Led was the change in the looks of VI
e shack. That little house was like
prayer she'd published on the noun
in side, so red she made it with the
gle blossoms of the trumpet vine,
pink and golden with lsurels and r,
arigolds. 20 20
Mister, it used to nigh break my
art to look at that flower garden, T.
r l knowed it meant that the pore ON
eature was still Twin that terrible en-
Iintin' life Of hope, and l used to u
,nder if Bill Stark didn't under "
md when he looked up from his to-
rk house door and seen all them M
wers calm him, but if he did he 10
yer let on. He was a hard man. Il,
Id l don't know how things would III
We turned out if something hadn't n,
opened to turn 'em, as it always IA
es. One night he walked into my
use here, looked at me with fool
!. baby stare and asked if l knew Ca
ere Mary was. Lowed he'd been of
kin for her and couldn't find her. OF
ELL, sir, didn't know what to make
n n