Westerfelt

tove stood far enough back in the capacious fireplace to allow its single joint of pipe to stand upr

-pocket and drew out a thick envelope containing the dead girl's letter, and read it as he had done almost every day since it came to him. It was part of the punishment he was inflicting on himself. He had been tempted a thousand times to destroy the letter, but had never done so. He forgot that a

our or five young men had come out to wash their hands in the pans on the long shelf; they were passing jokes, laughing loudly, and playfully striking at one another. Two of them clinched arms and began to wrestle. Westerfelt heard them panting and grunting as

d the victim; "yore sp'ili

the laughing reply. "Heer, Joe,

o be obeyed, when Mrs. B

orgot thar wusn't a sign of a towel on the roller; I wonder what you intended to wipe on; here, take this

dy, young ma

replied, c

friend. Mind you look atter yore intrusts. The boys over in Fannin know ho

. Bradley drew him into the sitting-room. The buzz of conversation ceased as she introduced him. They all

o look at you. Here, Jennie Wynn, turn yore face round, an' give Frank a chance to talk to Lou." She whisked off

e said over her shou

ace, ef you have got on a new

hat he was showing discourtesy by continuing to talk

him," said Westerfelt; "he

eckon," she said; "men think girls d

w that he was about to ask the couples to take their places for the first dance. She did not want Westerfelt to

the lancers?" a

an' they make a botch of it whenever they try to teach the rest. Unc

h short curly hair, slender body, and small feet, and a

"Too short for a fellow as t

s music. Westerfelt did not want to dance. He had ridden hard that day, and was tired and miserable, b

e girl at his side. "I am not a good dan

as formed. Old Mack noticed that three couples were left sitting, and cried out, autocratically, "Double on de sides!" Two couples sprang eagerly forward and took places, leaving one couple alone in a corner. The girl remaining with her partner attracted Westerfelt's attention. She had rich brown hair, deep gray eyes, a small, well-shaped mouth, and a rather sad but decidedly pretty face. There was

wn beard, and long curling hair. He wore a navy-blue sack-coat, large checked trousers tucked in the tops of his boots, a gray woollen shirt, and a broad leather belt. He was

his partner, and asked: "Who

she asked, in surpri

Sarah's

he take o

ulsively. "I'll tell you why he always keeps it on in the h

bow across three or four strings at once, producing a harmony

ac

e, as he rubbed the rosin out of his eyes and grunted, half amused, half vexed at th

fellow keeps on his hat," We

ddlin'; then he 'lowed ef any man thar tried to oust 'im he'd put windows in 'im. Frank Hansard, Lum Evans, and Andy Treadwell made signs at one another an' closed in on 'im. They didn't fully realize who they had to deal with, though. I hain't got much use for Toot, but he'll fight a circular saw bare-handed. He backed into a corner over a pile o' split pine-knots an' grabbed one that Thad Muntford declared wuz shaped like the jaw-bone o' Samson's ass. It had a long handle an' weighed about fifteen pounds. On my word, it seemed to me he slugged Frank and Andy at exactly the same time. You could 'a' heerd the'r skulls pop to the gate. They both fell kerflop in front of 'im. That left j

d. "Who's the you

e hotel. They 'ain't been here so m

ethe

r. I reckon she likes that sort o

o you

h to say; it always seemed to me she was afraid somebody would find out some'n' about 'er. She never mentions Tennessee. Bu

back of his fiddle with his bow. "Salute yo' pahtners; balance all!"

ambush, as she swung past the old

rd across to her. "He hain't drawed a bow in two w

ly be heard above his shouts and the laughter of the dancers. Luke and Mrs. Bradley stood in the open door leading to the kitch

nsard, as the "grand chain" brought hi

at straws,"

contradictory guffaw, and shook

she pushed him towards the fidd

ticks from Mack's coat-pocket. The old negro laughed and sang all the louder as he

ed faster and more noisy, till the exhauste

yo' pa

irls against the wall, and Mr

riet, whose profile was towards him, gave him a glance out of the corner of her eye, but she turned her head and continued talking to Toot Wambush. There was something he liked in the ease of her position as she sat, balling h

a new man had come into the settlement who could not, and

g himself alone, Westerfelt got up. As he did so, he caught another glance from the corner of Harriet Floyd's eye, but she looked away quickly. She thought he was going to ask her to dance with him whe

remarked, with a glance at Wambush and Harriet, as

sorter sprained his foot

dance without h

' the boys won't ask h

see-e

ut Toot sorter lays

e don't

ghed. "It don't look

never saw them

rolics, an' the picnics, an' to meetin'. He lives out at his father's,

he had in her. She was looking straight into his eyes, as if she had divined that he was talki

he flying heels of the revolving circle. Westerfelt, in turning h

ed with my Fannin young man

Westerfelt's eye again, and kn

evasively, "You are ha

seem to be enjoy

than the others. He concluded that she must have received a better education than the average young lady in that section. The dance was nearly ended when Weste

rked the little gossip at Westerf

. They passed Wambush and Harriet on the porch, leaning against the banisters in the

ush, who, with Nelson Baker, led the promenaders. "We're

something bright, added: "Harriet's got a bad cold, an' B

anion heeded it. Westerfelt observed that they turned their

as they were returning from the walk under the a

r Mrs. Bradley when she came to say good-night. He heard her say she had enjoyed herself very much, but she spoke hurriedly, as if she did not want to be the

would never l

t went to bed, Bradle

'n, an' see that thar ain't any danger o' fire while w

st r

n' on well enough-talke

eck

I think-that

kon, or soon will be; she's as purty as re

the side of his bed a

of a man is

o wuss in s

ting

m, an' that hain't wuth much in time o' peace. I reckon ef yo're through with

d drew the covers up to his chin. There was

e a-flirtin' the'r tails about. They'll settle down te

I'm no hand

crawl out with t

uk

at the door. "W

ike Wambus

s hand over his mouth. "

trifle with the affec

Again Brad

raise the very devil ef he was slighted. We'd never heer the end of it. Ef we'd left 'im out to-night I'd 'a' had 'im to fi

th to-night, has she

est her an'

isky for her to go

s been warned; my wife an' among 'em has talked to her plenty o' times. I reckon s

ng the eye of his host as he put the question. He could not

r an' talked to her free-like, as you did to most o' the rest, an' I remembered I wus jest that big a fool when I fust met Marthy. But you wus a-watchin' of her, though. I'll bet ef you looked at 'er once you did forty times. As for her, I happen to know some'n funny. You see, I heerd her

" ejaculated

e'd ever seed, an' that you looked like a born gentleman, an' one thing anuther. I couldn't heer all that passed betwixt 'em, but he wus as

the dark, Westerfelt found himself unable

dn't talk to her as I did to the others