Dixie Hart

e store Cahews was nailing the top slats on a coop of scrambling, squawking chickens, and with a pot of lampblack and brush was marking it for shipment to Atlanta. In a clo

s a poor beast of great age, and the wagon was none the better for wear. It had lost all its original paint, the woodwork was cracked by the wea

hen he called out to Cahews: "Say, Jim, get through there and stop that nigger's clatt

oned gingham she looked decidedly well. She was radiantly bright, and smiled merrily as she extended her hand and shook his over the

f the market is off to-day, back I go to my

s your load consist of?" he ran on, jovially, as he glan

y debt. You and Jim had better give me tiptop bids all through or I'll peddle

ening boxes and bags and making notes with a pencil on a scr

she always asked, and she did so now more from ha

do that, but we've got customers that simply won't ea

t if I ever get out of debt. I've got sense enough to know it would pay, and pay big, considering that there ain't no such business established. Well, Alfred, I'll take your offer. I don't l

said. "Jim and Pomp will unload and weigh

houlder and sprang lightly to the ground. "He's moved all he wants to to-day. It would ta

a seat near the open door as the clerk and the porter went out to the wagon

ur work," she said

slip of paper on which he had noted the weights, quantities, and values

has rubbed a rabbit-foot on Jim so that he can hardly add two and t

she counted on her fingers. "I know in reason it's correct," she said, extending the slip to Cahews. "No, wait a minute," drawing it back and looking a

was to set the store afire, under the circumstances. I've seen him wash his hands in the kerosene tank

nd I'm sure I'd be just like her if I had half the chance. She called to see me the other day, and Ma and Aunt Mandy fell in love with her. They think she has lots of common-sense, and they know. I had another call. Carrie Wade waited ti

ews, flushing with delight over the compli

her skirt she said she was going over to the lumber-camp again with Martha Sims to another big all-day blow-out. She said she was to start early and had so much fi

said; "she ought to have,

down and out. It all started through no fault of mine, too. You remember that young preacher, Mr. Wrenn, that boarded about in the families three years ago. Well, she made a dead set at him. She literally tagged after him everywhere he went till folks here in Chester was laughing about it and calling her his little dog Fido. They say he

ied. Your Pa said he couldn't see why you was so offish. The fellow made no beans about how he felt, and when the rep

n I had a foolish notion about love, anyway. I'd been reading novels, and got an idea in my silly head that when a girl met the right person she went through some sort of dazzling regeneration; and a

t it?" Henley was leading her a

It rankled and still rankles. She gloats over my hardships and makes a point of flaunting her good luck in my face, and is eternally telling me of her chances to get married. She's half crazy on the subject, and thinks every one else is like her. I know one thing, Alfred Henley, when I do slip off

o say that you have got some '

omen to support and a big debt to pay, and I'm about to the limit of my endurance. I might have put it off, but I'm itching to see my prime enemy's face when I march him out to meeting. It's all on the quiet, and is going to

pink cheeks as she drew a folded paper from her pocket

"Why, you take my breath away; but, of course, I'm

do." She reached for his pen and dipped it, and b

o him, you say?" Henl

n arch, upward glance. "Stamps and paper cost too

' chap you've decided on," said

rted. He writes a good, flowing hand, and has plenty to say, and I got interested in the whole thing. He sent his picture, and wanted one of me. So I put on my best outfit and had a tintype struck off under that tent on the square and sent it to him. It was a frightful daub, I tell you; but he liked it, or said he did; he said it was fine, and if the goods come up to the sample that was all he could ask. I've got his in my pocket. I don't tote it about all the time, but it happened to be in the pocket of this dress. My two women want it to stay in the clock, so they can get it out and peep at it when I'm in the field. They are more crazy about him than I am. They sneak and read my letters, and ask ten thousand questions about him. There are some of his long epistles that I wouldn't show 'em for money-they are so silly. At first we just wrote about what was going on, but he kept edging closer and closer, and I never, in so many words, told him to let up. Once he drew a round rin

re Pomp came back with a telegram. It was an order from an Atlanta hotel for a quantity of eggs and butte

rder, suh," s

is. Well, ship i

ie asked. She had taken the crude tintyp

ced eye. There was something that bespoke prodigious vanity and lack of principle in the low brow, over which the coarse, black hair was plastered down so smoothly; in the

of old Welborne's flabby jaws, blinking eyes, and harsh voice snarling at me. Folks may say such an arrangement ain't customary-that it is out of the common-but it seems to me that everything about me is out of the common, anyway, and why shouldn't this fall in line? Customs are just what the most folks want to do. Custom don't look after the under dog in the pack. But when right is on a body's side there is no need to fear, and there won't be a shade of wrong in this if I have anything to do with it. I've made up my mind to do a wife's part in every sense of the word, and let it go at that-nothing risk, nothing have. I never used to think I'd ever marry a man I never saw-in fact, when I was young and silly I used to see myself strutting by whole regiments of fellers all making signs to me to come be his darling, but that was when my eyelids was glued down and before they was jerked open

nd now-well, you see, I reckon it is natural for me to be sorter afraid that you may be making a mistake in what you are doing. I feel like begging you not to do it, and then ag'in I don't, for I've always made up my mind t

t. It is a good one. I was determined to give Miss Wade a treat. I do things right, and I've spent some cash. My trousseau will attract attention, and I reckon Peter won't be ashamed. But it is to be kept quiet. Don't you say a word to a soul. A week from to-da

e stopped her, standing before her, a grave look i

red; it's settle

"if you didn't like him when you

d. "I think I'll like him; but if I didn't-well, if I

at his desk and bowed his head in troub

ves the best in the land, and this