Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14


in hick town. You know those smart city
kids, and those big-footed country goofs. They
never saw me dance. All they saw was--was
legs. So I came down the river! Probly
was fool, only wasn't. No, indeed The
first thing, in less'n 10 days I heard your
music"
THAT'S the way We found 1t down old Mis-
sissipp'. Lots come down who don't neveh
md what they aches for Men trip down an
down. an floats. rollin' along the bottom into
the gulf at last. Women Is that-away, too
young ones an% old ones. But knowed q
preacher once who'd lost his hold an business
man who'd mixed In scandal, an others what
tried to lose themselves down the riveh-an'
firstest they knowed the gates Of happiness
spread wide open for them. x
Probably we understood each otheh that night
as well as even We would. There want much
talkin' an explainin'. We jes' had hit IN Duh
hearts. She stepped back, swung the chair
clear, an stepped four i've measures without
any music but the voices of the riveh dark
which she heard, an heard. She opened the
bow door, bowed pretty curt'sy to me, an
shut the wind out the cabin. caught up a
lantern to hand to her, but she had one of
her own under the skiff tarpaulin hood Lawse,
but that were a coy eddy that night!
Well sub, next day we had breakfast to-
getheh. She read some music had all kinds
that I'D picked up for my fiddling Course,
when came on the riveh If music wasn't
classic sort OF despised hit. But I'd been
growing careless I'd took to admiring the
music the river fiddlers played, some Of IL
awful to listen to. but always, two three meas
ures, perhaps one piece would be right out Of
the rivers heart I'd learn that piece I'd
maybe have to smooth 1t up, for my ear ac-
count Of somebody not knowing how to run
the times together or maybe breaking the re-
trains or splitting up the melodies the way
mountain fddlers- do. ls.>.e'
An when we'd settled our breakfasts, resting
around, ! brought out the old fiddle to tighten
up and tune the strings an she stepped, ex-'
ercising to take out the kinks the cold an
sleeping on the bottom Of her skiff'd hooked
into her knees an joints. An her tancin'
scales was purifier n some steppin' of lots of
heel-an-toe folks :
May Gardner was sure wonderful even In
those days, and patient. II some step bothered
her, shed work at 1t, steady, minutes, hours.
till she had 1t to the lift and fail Of q ripple.
while ! played the music she wanted steady.
oven an oven again. I hadn't practised so
much as I'd played. I used to let some hard
places 60. She made me 60 at those measures
till my fingers and my how'd walk through
swing. turn and charge. the balance and the
mark, the beat and the sway Lawse, man!
Hit want no work for me, but she'd toll along
till she dropped into a chair. plumb worn out!
"Lucien!" she exclaimed, you're so good to
me. You don't know what it means-this
chance to practice this-away!"
You'd think one day was like anotheh down
the reaches and bends. We had to drop pretty
well, account Of Winter coming on. I remem-
Der when the fresh meat was gone and we
was down to sowbelly and corn, for I'd neg
lected providing We hadn't any money. I
was looking along for a flock Of shoats on O
bar. or maybe a steer caved down at riveh
bank: you know what mean. I'd ben on the
riveh so long. staying my appetite that-away
never careless or being caught. that probly I
didn't rightly think about hit. the way should
OF. I told her I'd have to lift pig
"Lucien Prenaux!" she turned on me hard
and set. "You sha'nt!"
We had hit out. Shed rather starve n steal
she said, and I hadn't. She had her way
Course, one way 1t want none Of her bust.
ness how found my grub. We weren't moth.
in to each other, 'ceptin' we was professional
partners. But in way, we were eatn' to-
gether, hoatin' down together, an you mout
say, tol'ably close together-if we hadn't ben,
her an my boat tied together. we'd ben miles
apart cut away by the current So we jawed
two three days, me not graftin' any meat, an
she arguin' there must be some honest way.
Yes, sub! Theh we was broke hadn't q
cent. She hadn't any money. She went up
town in Mendoza an come back smnin'.
was dog-gone hungry, an shed lost weight,
practicin' on an empty stomach. She let her
lips SMILE when her eyes twinked to me.
1--WE get S. for turn into Paluras!" she
told me.
Course 1t was her steppin', about four fifty
for that an so cents for me. I'd never had
the nerve to play for the public that-away, but
she made me- We done a turn that night on
Palura's stage. He was hat-face Teller, who'd
killed three four men, an his place was show
for everybody from NOrleans to st. Louis.
T FELT mighty swell when sat in the corner.