The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-08-10


there and would he have to be among
and not one was dressed like him.
Panic assailed him, and once more he
looked at the clothes on the bed, and
then without hesitation walked
through the hallway, and stopped on
the threshold Of the front door. 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
farthest edge of the great plantation.
No son Of Powhatan could have stood
there with more dignity, and young
Harry Dale's face broke into smile
of welcome His father being indoors
he. went forward with hand out
stretched.
II am your cousin Harry" he said,
} and taking him by the arm he led him
on the round Of presentation.
Mrs. Willoughby, may present my
cousin from Kentucky?"
'"This is your cousin, Miss Katherine
Dale; another cousin, Miss Mary; and
tilS lS your COuSln 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 If ever a rapier flashed
from human head, 1t flashed from
the piercing black eye of that little
Kentucky backwoodsman when his
wifi thnr ,,e;n,
smile, bowed with a politeness that
was trifle too elaborate Mrs. Gen.
eral Willoughby guessed how the lads
heart was humping with the effort to
conceal his embarrassment, and when
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, shave you
shown your cousin your ponies?"
The little girl saw her motive and
laughed merrily:
"Why, 1 haven't had time to show
him anything. Come on, cousin"
The boy followed her down the
steps in his nOiseless mOccasns, 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 imper-
ouSly:
'Ephraim, bring one of my, ponies :"
And In moment out came a sturdy
little slave whose head was all black
skin, black wool and white teeth, lead
ing two creamywhite little horses
that shook the lads composure at 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 unconsciously
he dropped into his Indian speech and
did not know it until the girl asked
laughingly:
"Why, what are you saying to my
pOniesr'
And he blushed for the little girls
artless prattling and friendliness were
already eginning to make him quite
human.
"That's Injnn talk"
Hugh had followed thern.
Barbara. your mother wants you."
he said, and the little girl turned
toward the house. The stranger was
i'll at ease with Hugh and the latter
knew Ii.
"It must be very exciting where
you dive"
"How?"
"Oh, fighting Indians and shooting
deer and turkeys and buffalo 1t must
be great fun"
Nobody does 1t 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
a survival of his Indian life, and
turned to go back to the house.
But all this, 1 suppose. is as
strange to YOU"
"NIore."
Hugh was polite and apparently sim
cere in interest, but the lad was
vaguely disturbed and he quickened
his step. The porch was empty when
they turned the corner of the house,
but young Harry Dale came running
down the steps, his honest face alight.
and caught the little Kentuckian by
the arm.
Get ready for supper, Hugh--cOme
on, cousin" he said, and led the
stranger to his room and pointed to
the clothes on the bed.
Don't they fitr he asked, smiling
II don't know-I don't know how to
git into EN-"
Young Harry laughed joyously.
"Of course not. wouldn't know
how to put yours on either. You just
wait" he cried, and disappeared to
return quickly with an armful of
clothes.
"Take off your war-dress," he said,
land I'll show you"
With heart warming to such kind
ness and helpless against 1t, the lad