Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-16


corted by youth of his own age, who
carried his hat under his arm and
bore himself as haughtily as his
elders. No sooner did he see them
mounting to the porch than there was
the sound Of horn in the rear, and
looking out of the other window the
lad saw coach and four dash
through the gate and swing around
the road that encircled the great trees,
and up to the rear portico, where
there was joyous clamor Of greet
ings. Where did all those people
come from? Were they going to stay
there and woald he have to be among
them? All the men were dressed alike
and not one was dressed like him.
Panic assailed him, and once more he
looked ut the clothes on the bed, and
then without hesitation walked
through the hallway, and stopped on
the threshold of the front deor. A
quaint figure he made there, and for
the moment the gay talk and laughter
quite ceased. The story Of him al
ready had been told, and already was
sweeping from cabin to cabin to the
,fartlicst edge Of the great plantation.
No son of Powhatan could have stood
there with more dignity, and young
Harry DaEe's face broke into smile
of welcome. His father being indoors
he went forward with hand out
stretched.
81 am your cousin Harry" he said,
and taking him by the arm he led him
on the round of presentation.
Mrs. Willoughby, may l present my
cousin from Kentucky
"This is your cousin, Miss Katherine
Dale; hlother cousin, Miss Mary; and
this Is your cousin Hugh"
And the young ladies greeted him
with frank, eager interest, and the
young gentlemen suddenly repressed
patronizing smiles and gave him grave
greeting, for IL ever rapier flashed
from a human head, 1t flashed from
the piercing black eye of tnat little
kentucky backwoodsman when his
cousin Hugh, with rather whimsical
smile, bowed with politeneSs that
was q trine too elaborate. Mrs. Cen
eral Willoughby guessed how the lads
heart was humping with the effort to
conceal his embarrassment, and when
a tinge of color spread on each side
of his set mouth and his eyes began
to waver uncertainty, her intuition
was quick and kind.
Barbara" she asked, "have you
shown your cousin your ponies?'
The little girl saw her motive and
laughed merrily:
'"Why, l haven't had time to show
him anything. Come on, cousin"
The boy followed her down the
steps in his noiseless moccasins, along
grass path between hedges of an
cient box, around an ell, and past the
kitchen and toward the stables. At
the gate the little girl called imperi-
ously:
"Ephraim, bring one Of my ponies"
And in q moment out came sturdy
little slave whose head was all black
skin. black wool and white teeth, lead
ing two creamy-white little horses
that shook the lads cOmpoSure ut last,
for he knew ponies as far back as he
could remember but he had never
seen the like of them. His hand al
most trembled when he ran it over
their sleek coats. and unc0nSciously
he dropped into his Indian speech and
did not know it until the girl asked
.laughingly:
"Whv, what are you saying to my
ponies"
And he bluShcd, for the little girls
artless prattl!ng and friendlines:' were
already beginning to make him quite
human.
"That'S InjIn talk" .. !
Hugh had followed tlcm.
Barbara, your mothe: wants YOU"
ae said, and the little girl turned
toward the house. The stranger was
i'll at ease with Hugh and the latter
knew it,
1T must be very exciting where
you live"
"Iow?'
"Oh, fighting Indians and shooting
deer and turkeys and buffalo. 1t must
be great fun"
Nobody does it for fun-it's mighty
hard work."
"My uncle-yOur father-used to
tell us about his wonderful adven-
lures out there"
"He had no chance to tell me-"
but yours must have been more
wonderful than his"
The boy gave little grunt that was
survival of his Indian life, and
turned to 20 back to the house.
but all this, l suppose, Is as
strange TO YOU
"MOre."
Hugh was polite and apparently sim
cere in interest but the lad was
vaguely disturbed and he quickcned
his step. The porch was empty when
they turned the corner of the house,
but young Harry Dale came running
II =1.N