Tales and Sketches.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1067, 6 May 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

Tales and Sketches.

SO AS BY FIRE] "My houso'll bo ready the first snow. But"-

Ho was a strongly-rancle, sunburned, vigor-ous-looking man, not yet thirty, and he stood on a high roll of the prairio, from which ho could overlook tho waving wealth of a vast field of corn, . His mouth closed suddenly bohind tho last short word, and a shadow camo into his bright, dark oyes. They had ceased to study tho cornfield, turning rathor towards a pair who were riding along its northerly border, Thoy were too far away for him to hoar the tall, bearded old man, on the heavy, bay horse, remark:, "Virginia, that's Marsh, Btandin 1 on tho rise, Reckon he's takin 1 a look of his corn crap," _ There was no verbal answer, butin another instant tho roan mare under his lady companion was curveting spitefully. "What on airth did you hither for? She was goin' well enough, You ain't safo with a . • whip." ' She was evidently safo in a saddle, however, and tho bay now imitated the roan in a manner which brought them rapidly to the summit of "the rise," " Mornin', Marsh. How's your crap turnIn'out? -Looks prime," . "Forty acres out and shocked. Goin 1 in on tho shucking to-morrowl I'm bentiiij on sixty bushels to tho aero," ' "Mebbe it's thar. Hundred and forty' acres of it. You're workin' ahead, Marsh Hayne, Corn's botter'n wheat, this year," | " When aro you going to thrash out your yield? You'll havo a heap of it," '' Best yield I ever harvested, if the market ' was wortli anything, They do say it's comin' up, Just look at them ricks of minol" They were a mile and a half due west, but no tree stood between to prevent a view of them, nor did any fence cross the fringe of tho open, unbroken prairio. A line of forest aroso beyond tho ricks, and beyond that, unseen from tho knoll, the great plain rolled away, with only a few scattered farms, sixteen miles to tho country seat and "town." "Your mare's uneasy this morning. Miss Crawford, What's the matter with her ?" That was Marshall Hayne's first discovery of something to say directly to Virginia, while her whole attention had seemed to be otherwise absorbed, "I've spoiled her; let her have her own way too much," " That'll never do. I keep a pretty steady band over everything I ride or drive," Every line of his face and overy tone of his deep, musical voice seemed to vouch for him, He was speaking of dumb animals, to be sure, but the color deepened in Virginia's handsomo face as she replied curtly: "Sodo I!" There was a world of firm decision in the words and in the sudden compression of tho red lips which uttered them, Even the roan inaro must havo comprehended, for she gavo up her pretty rebellion, and began to paw the hard, black' surface of the prairio road beneath her. " Marsh," remarked old Crawford, " isn't k, your house nigh done!" "All finished inside, Got a good many things in, too, All tho cribs'll be up in time to hold tho crop," " Gwino to live thar, this winter ?" It was Marshall rlayne's turn to color deeply, as he answered: " Can't say, Reckon old Bitters'll have to hoard mo a while," " If I wero Colerity," exclaimed Virginia, with the kind of smile which is no smile at all, " I would make you paint your house," The flush in his face was fiery red, as he suddenly turned to her father—- ," By the way! Did you take note of the prairio fire, last night, northeast ? The sky was good and red," "'Way boyond the timber? Yes, I saw it. It'll burn out whar it is, jest as it allers does, It wun't git across tho slough," " Don't you be too sure of that, now, I've a mind to do some back-firing on that side of my farm, A fire'd go through my standing corn likcit was dry grass," " Reckon it would, 'Twon't come, though, I've lived on this prairiemore'n ten year, and no firo ever come a-nigh me," "I don't care to have one come too nigh ine till my corn's in crib." "Come along, Virginia, Your mother'll bo lookin' for us," " Good-day," said Marsh, "Good-morning," said his two neighbors, almost in the samo breath, and Virginia added, "You may tell Celerity Bitters, for me, we're going to town to-morrow, If she wants me to get the things sho spoke of, she'd better let me know." "I'll tell her. Palm Bitters'll be glad of an errand to your house." In two seconds more Virginia's roan mare was fairly dancing along the road, while Marshall Hayne strode fiercely down the slope in the opposite direction, "Virginia," remarked hor father, "why can't you treat Marsh Hayne a leetle more neighborly ? Thar isn't a likelier young feller on this prairie. Thar's all sorts of real grit and push into him. Look what he's done with that thar farm I" "'Most any many can handle a quarter section," "Not tho way he does. I've two whole sections now, but he'll bo ahead of me, 'fore long." "Maybe so. "He ain't onsociable, neither. What time's ho got to run around, nowadays, I'd like to know!" "Nobody wants him to," "Virginia, how you hev sweated that maro of your'n I Looks like you'd ridden her twenty miles instid of ten, What's got you and her this morning ?" She was very busy with her unruly pet just then, and they were drawing near tho house, behind which rose the tall ricks of unthrashed wheat. It was a pleasant home, for that day and region. The out-buildings were good. There were even orchards and a garden, and in front of tho house an attempt at shrubbery.

Tho sole heiress of all that comfort, with so many broad acres around it, hardly needed Virginia's uncommon beauty of face and form to make her the acknowledged " belle of Crawford's Frairio," That sho was so, however, and was disposed to assert her < supremacy, was known to every living thing or person under or near that hospitable roof, her father and mother excepted, A somewhat stately, grey-haired dame awaited their coming, in the door-way, with a brief, matronly greeting: "Virginny, if you're goiug to town tomorrow, you've heaps to do to-day, 'Pears like everybody was a clearin' out at the same Jest exactly as well, mother," calmly responded her husband, "Wecan lock tho horses up." "We jest can, And we can throw the key in the well, Then, if any folks wants to get in, he can crawl through a winder." Many a dwelling on the prairie in those days was ignorant of lock or key, and well accustomed to take care of itself, but Craw- •. ford's contained more to tempt unlawful in- *■• trnsion that did the others.

There was a cloud upon Virginia's face when she followed her mother into thehouße, although she did not hear the father mutter: "If I was Marsh Hayne, now, I wouldn't let any gal that lives treat mo the way she's treated hiin. Ho's a right down good feller. He's a heap too good for Celcriby Bitters," Perhaps; but he was 'delivering' Virginia

Crawford's message nt that vory moment, and alio may have guessed as muoh. It had sent him to hold a'somewhat am. mated conversation with a young woman who did not at all resemble the bolle of Crawford's Prairie, but who appeared.vory fully to appreoiate her presont company, Sho was not so tall aa Virginia, but sho was nearly as haudsoino, in hor own way, and her black eyes flashed under her full oyebrows with as jolear a warning of a strong will behind them as came from Virginia's own, In truth, the iblue-groy oyes wore the softer and the pleasanter to look upon, . " Going to town, is she ? I'm obleeged to her for sondiu 1 me word. Palmer, ho's* a goin' off down the timber, aftor dark, I ; can't leave home this evening, Tears like it to do me any sort of good to have her ;go." : " Well, nover you mind, If you want to send word over, get your errand ready, I'll have to ride past Crawford's by and by, and I'll leave it for you," "Will you, now? I'd like it," " Where's Palm, I want him, Where's the old man?"

The long, one-story log-house, in front of which they were talking, stood about half a mile beyond the great corn-field, in the middle of which arose the now-huilt structure which was to bo the future home of Marshall Hayne, The logs showed signs of ago, but there was barely enough of ploughed ground around them to fend off a prairie firo. The Bitters family had not occupied it long, and they were not of the class that opon new farms,

" Palm I" shouted the dark-eyed maiden, " Mr, Hayno wants ye! Wants the old man, too!"

A brawny, rugged-looking, and not uucomely six-footer quickly made his appearance around the corner of the houso, but he came alone,

"What's up, Marsh?" " Well, Palm, it just this; I don't care to be fired-out of my corn crop, You take tho double team and break-plough, after dinner, and run two or three furrows along the northeast f enco and a little down tho east side, The old man can run two or three more about ten yards out, and we'll singo off the grass between 'em."

"That'd stop 'most anything, onless thar was a high wind. Most likely it would then. Awful waste of work, though, Take all day, and to-morrow,"

"Can't help it, Palm, There were some pretty smart blisters, last year, botween this and town, I don want any in mine," Celerity Bittors had been listening, and she now remarked:

"Hank Sanders, he said he'd he ovor to see me to-night, I'll get him for to stop ovor and help, Thars heaps of fun a fightin' fire," Tho inability of Celerity Bitters to carry her own errand over to Crawford's was explained, but Marshall Hayne mado no comment on the explanation, Palmer Bitters walked slowly away, leaving his sister to complete her conversation with the energetic young farmer, who, at the same time, boarded with and employed the Bitters family. They were people whose way in life required them to keep employers and boarders, " Gwine to rido by Crawford's ?" There was an inquiring archness in the uuflincliing black eyes, "Reckon so, 'Twon't be out of my way to do your errand for you." "Well, no, I s'pose not, You wouldn't think of steppin' in, now, if Jimy Crawford asked ye ? They do say sho doesn't make herself the pleasantest kind of company for them sho dosen't take to."

It may not have been said with the intention of sending her own "company" off to his work, but she had managed to do it, for he answered her a little promptly • " I am putting in my timo on my house and my corn just now. Don't care to have 'em burned up, either. Reckon I'll go over and tako a look at things," He marched away, and the black eyes followed him, keenly, "He's an awful worker, he is, He isn't so bad lookin', either, sometimes. Hank Sanders would lay him on the broad of his back any way, Hank orfc to bo doin' somethin' with that thar land of his'n, It's high time thar was a crap onto it."' The eastern or any side of a quarter section of land, United States measure, is half a mile long, and furrows of that length, though virgin prairio sod, called for strong pulling. Marshall Hayne had told no man that he was already the owner of the land upon which Palm Bitters and his father thought they were throwing away their work, that afternoon, and it was hard for them to break "nobody's land" for some unknown new settler. Neither_ Bitters nor Crawford knew of his added claim to the respect of his neighbors when he mounted his horse that evening, but either his land possessions, or Celerity's errand, or something else, was lying heavy on his mind. He paused for a moment in front of his own new house, and again he said to himself: " It will be ready by the first snow." Ho road onward then, with the air of a man who is willing, his horse and thoughts should take their own gait, until he neared the house with the ricks behind it,

" Will I go in ? Not unless she asks me. If she does, I will! And what then ? Yes, I'll do it, suro's I live I I can't staud this any longer," It was not from Virginia ho received his invitation to come in, but her father at the gate, said to him, " What, Marsh ? Ito tell her all that? Eeekonnofc. I'd miss half on it, sure, You jest light down off the horse, and come into the house, I'll find her for ye somewhar. Tell her yourself." Marsh obeyed, and in a few minutes more the young people were sitting together in the pleasant little parlor by themselves, To judge by the time required for its delivery and explanation, the message from Celerity Bitters must have been a long one, and-very well remembered.' It was an unpropitions piece of work for Marshall Hayne, however, if he had meant that any special errand of his own should follow. The very telling Celerity's words over and over, to make sure of them, brought too vividly to Virginia Crawford's mental vision a picture of her visitor in close 'communion with a comely maiden, who smiled upon him unutterable things through a pair of black, brilliant eyes. She noticed, too-antl a rebellious feeling rose within her as she studied it—how tho wilful look of set, determined purpose grew and deepened in the strong face before her. It seemed to look out aggressively and assail her, arousing something desperate and opposing from the hidden depths of her heart. It was a fierce and struggling feeling, and it swelled until she was almost afraid of hiin, She was angry with herself and that, but her fear grew fast when his eyes told her that his face was getting strangely pale, and her ears gave her to know that his deep, belllike voice was trembling—and that it seemed to well up from away down, down—some hidden place whenco no voice of man had ever before came to her, She strove not to understand it, and not to know why her heart was beating more quickly and harder and harder, although as yet he was not talking anything in particular—land, and crops, and stocks and his new house and so forth, The room was swiftly getting dark, as rooms will at the close of October days, but Virginia could see Marshall Hayne's face as plainly as before for some reason, It seemed to stand out of the gloom as if framed in it, white, fixed, determined, At last there came a moment when her heart stopped its hot beating for a pulse or two, and began to swell, Sho could hardly remember, afterwards, precisely what he had been saying, but when he came to the words: "It will he ready by the first snow, Virginia, Will you go into it with me?"

" If " The questioning examination burst from her lips m a great sob, as she sprang to her feet. "You will not? Tlion I will burn it down I" The first words had a sad and mournful sound, as if thoy camo from a distance, while tlw latter wero uttered in a harsh, hoarse whisper. She would havo given a world for the powor to speak again, there in the deepening gloom, into which hor baokward stop had carried her; but the swelling of her heart forobado it too long, and the noxfc sound sho heard was the rapid stroke of tho hoofs of Marshall Hayno'a horse upon the road, as ho galloped away. "Gone? What did I say?" She sank upon a chair, and the very dusk faced gloomily out of the ltttle parlor. Her struggle against the over-mastery of Marshall Hayno's will had apparently cost her something,

11. Neither old Mr, Crawford nor his wifo knew anything more concerning thoir young neighbor's evening call than that it seemed a somewhat shortened one, It had been quite plain that he had yet another errand "up the road.'l They know that by tho rapid gait at which he rode away,

Virginia, was woll satisfied to Bpond the following day " in town," and even that her father's business at last compelled them all to remain thero overnight. When, however, on the noxt.day, they set out for home, she was oonscious of a feeling of uneasiness, with overy mile they travelled. Herfaiher seomed to share it with hor, but sho understood that better whon he at last remarked—"They do say tho prairio was all afire, hereaway, last night, You canseo the smoke of it now. Reokon it didn't git aoross the slough. It couldn't, onless thar was a high wind; but then the wind's risiu', audits a blowin' the wrong way to suit me," Meanwhile it had been a great relief to Marshall Hayne to have a large job on hand —ono he could push along feverishly, "so we oan get at work at the corn chucking."

There is some exoitemeut in "back-firing," when you feel sure the blazes you are kindling cannot get away from you, There were three broad furrows along the northoast fence, and four more along the border of the ten-yard strip of prairio so inolosed, to bo burned over, Tho grass on this, whilo protty dry, was nowhero very luxuriant, and bofore tho day was over the work was done, with no harm to anybody, and a fine opportunity given Hank Sanders to "beat Are "at the side of Celerity Bitters, An average width of fifty feet of scorched sod and bare earth and a high rail fenco now protected the cntiro easterly front of Marsh Hayne's farm, and in all other directions it was fairly safe, for other reasons, The scaufc ploughingat Bitters'conld bo trusted toguard the log house and its surroundings, Tho night after was a bad one for sleeping, if only becanso of tho strong smoll of burning grass continually pouring in through open windows. It grow so terribly pungent by sunrise, but Marshall Hayne exclaimed, as he sprang out of bed—- " It's coming I Thero's no mistake about it, this time," A little later he remarked—

" Wonder if old mau Crawford got home I don't reckon ho has, I won't wait for breakfast, I'll go right over and soo about it, She won't be there, If sho is, I'll know in timo to keep away." He did not even wait to saddle a horse, but walked swiftly away from Bitters' without saying a word to a soul,

On he weut, with quickening strides, to and through his own domain. He paused for one moment in front of the neat but as yet unpainted frame dwelling. There was a patch of young fruit trees to the left of it. There were signs around it of more improvements to come, and it had a dumb look of loneliness which seemed to plead for human occupancy, Ho shook his head,

" No. I won't be a fool. It shall stay there, but I'll novcr put my foot over the threshold. They say there are good locations to bo had in Kansas, I'd rather go further—Nevada, now? Colorado?" On again until he was nearenoughto Crawford's to make Bure there was smoke rising from the kitohou chimney. Thoro was, howover, an abundance of smoke now floating down from the north and cast, and ho muttered gloomily—"Into tbc house? No,I don't feel like doing that, but I'll see that tho stock is safe, 111 tether evory horso out in tho whiter wheat. That's green enough. The homed critters'll run for the timber, aud the hoga are there now. I couldn't do much for anything else, and it may not reach tho house, No. 1 reckon I won't go it," It required somolittlo time to empty the stables, and transfer their equine contents to tho middle of tho wheat field, Virginia Crawford's pet mare was particularly restivo under the kindly hands that led her away, •She may have suspected that Marshall Hayne was stealing her. The liaze in the air seemed somehow to have settled upon his'soul by the time his self-imposed task was completed. He moved 'mora slowly than at first,, and his head drooped forward in a brooding silence. He kept to his purpose, however, about not entering the house, and now, as if it were a neighborhood to escape from, he walked away across the prairie, letting his undirected feet carry him vaguely northward, Tho first words he spoke came from him when, after wandering half a mile or so, ho found himself in a deep, tree-bordered, winding hollow, that was almost a ravine. "The slough, I declare I I'd no idea it was dead dry. The rosin weeds, too, Never saw 'em taller. If a fire should once get in here, now, wouldn't it burn!" There could bo small doubt of it, for tho white gum which exuded from the tall, drying stalks of the weeds, aud from their broad footleavcs, was the very treasuro-houso of terrible heat.

He. did not linger long in the hollow, but the moment ho was once more on somewhat Higher ground, beyond tho trees, he uttered .1 sharp exclamation: "Wind rising? I should say it was. The fire has crossed the slough I Look yonder I It's making straight for my place, Oh, hut ain't I glad I'm ready for it!" He stood still for a moment, and looked around him, Tho aceue ho was gazing upon was well worth some careful study. Tho wind was indeed blowing mere strongly, The line of the advancing fire was broken and irregular, hut if one fact was plainer than another, it was that tho great blaze to the eastward had not only broken the feeble barrier of thin forest in its way, hut was travelling furiously down along the slough itself, It would surely cut him off from going back by the way he came, and it would bo among Crawford's stubble-fields in ten minutes more, and then among his ricks and stables, and no power could save the homestead,

" It'll be an awful coinin' back for them," he muttered j but his next word was almost a shout: " I'm penned in I" His glances were swift and keen. "It's making head westerly, It'sgotinbohindme, The whole prairie's afire to the northward, I've heard of such things, but I'd no idea I'd ever be trapped this way myself. If I had a match I'd sot the grass afhi'e here, and burn a place to stand in, Haven't a one I Have I got to be burned alive ?"

That was a serious problem, surely, for a strong man to face, but Marshall Hayne faced it. He had turned deathly white tho night before in Virginia Crawford's parlor, but he did not lose a shade of colot now.

Ho did hut step briskly forward, saying to himself—

"Not on this low ground, anyhow. .The grass is too thick here, and there are' too many weeds, I must go for the highest knoll I can reach, and the thinnest growth. Thon, whon the fire comes, I'll try a rush, Reckon that's my only chance," . . [' He walked more swiftly after that fright caino to him. Then he even ran, for at some distance before him the prairie aroso in a knoll which was almost a knob. Tho grass would surely be short there, and he would be able to take a wider look about him. Ho reached it, and the air on tho little summit was easier to breathe in,

Fire, fire, fire, in all directions. It was sweeping vigorously down through tho tall blue grass and resin weedß of tho slough away there behind him, but there was too much black smoko from thorn to guess how near jfc might be to Crawford's. It was well for him that he had not sought' an escape in that direction, "The north road to town comes in over yonder, Tho fire has burned along on both sides of it, nobody .knows for how far, There's a double buggy, now, coming along away back, It must db old Crawford's. Ho, they are not in any danger, but then " He paused there, for the blazing, line in front of him was drawing nearer, Harder and harder blew tho wind, too, and higher leapt the fed tongues of the flame. . >; ... " I'll wait till it strikes into the short grass' on the slope, Then for a charge; but I'must go straight across, If I lose my way in the smoke, and run right or left, I'm a dead man,"

His trousers were already tucked into his boots, His coat was carefully buttoned up to his chin, and the collar of it turned up, while his handkerchief was made to cover, as much as possible of his neek, and a flap of it was drawn across his mouth, Then his slouched hat was pulled over his forehead, and all was ready. "If I'm not suffocated, and if I don't stumble, I believe I can get through." Cool and calm and strong; every nerve was tense 'and ovo'ry muscle was utterly ready. And now, sending before it dense clouds of resin-weed smoke, the prairie fire began its fierce charge up the slope, like tho English infantry at Merman. "Now for it I Life or death I"

He wont forward with a great, stag-like bound, aud the smoke cloud closed around him,

He had not been watching the double buggy for some few minutes, but there had been something in it worth watching, The driver was alone on the front seat, with a bag of flour beside him, and he did not turn to look behind him as he steadily remarked: "It isn't of any use, mother, Thatblaze'll reach our place before we do." Stern and silent sat old Mrs, Crawford, while hor husband was speaking; but a younger and better pair of eyes had been straining their vision upon the smoke wreaths and eddies ahead. "Father! There's a man on the hill IHe will be burned!" "God pity him I That's sol"

The buggy had been driven along the prairie road, as closely in the rear of the advancing firo as old Mr, Crawford dared to press his snorting, frightened span of bays, and the distance between them and the knob was not so very great. A gust of wind lifted the smoke from it, just for a moment. "Father I Father I Can't you see? Can we not do something? Mother—mothermother, it is Marshall Hayno I" The old man shivered from head to foot, and Mrs, Crawford turned suddenly around to look at her daughter, She needed but one look,

"Virginia I My poor girl! Oh, I did not know it!"

Virginia's lips were parted; and'she was staring fixedly at the black pall of vapor which had again hidden tho prairie knoll from view, Marshall Hayne was in there somewhere she knew, with the fierce fire smiting him, White, oh how white a face was hers for a mother to gaze upon ! There was no trace of color, even on her lips, Old Crawford reined in his horses, groan, ing aloud, It seemed but a minute more, an eternally long minute of horrible silence, when the staggering form of a man burst through the nearer lino of smoke, and a pair of arms were thrown wildly upward, as'if their owner mingled a word of thanksgiving with his first gasp of breathable air, He needed moro air and fresher, and he once again hurried forward.

The bays were suddenly lashed to a gallop, just as Virginia Crawford faintly muttered : "Is that Marsh! Oh, mother, is he saved f '

"Jinny!, Keep up! I'll hevhim iu ten seconds." '

The bays wero again reined in quietly, for there was a man in the road before them,

"Hold the reins, mother!" shouted old Crawford, as he sprang to the ground, " Marsh, is it you ? Are you much burned ? Can you speak ?" He might well ask him who he was, under the thick' dusting of soot and ashes that covered liiiri from head to foot,

At that moment there was a low cry behind old Crawford, and tho form of his daughter darted past him. "Marshl Oh, Marsh, why won't you speak to me ?" Her white hands were on his shoulders, and her streaming eyes wero studying his face, but there was color again in her own, now.

"I'm all right, Virginia, but I'm afraid there's nothing left of your place. I took your mare and the other horses out into the wheat field. She's safe,"

"You've been caring for us? Risking your own life for us 1 Oh, Marsh, are you hurt?"

"Not much, I reckon, Burned on my hands a little—that's all, Have to get a new pair of boots," Yes, and a new hat and coat; and his hair, beard and eyebrows had suffered, and the Crawfords would find some heaps of ashes where, they had left so fair a home. But what of that, What was any such loss, compared to tho treasure that had come to Virginia through the wall of smoke and fire, or to the one Marshall Hayne had found at the end of his desperate rush for life I " Git into the buggy, Marsh, He won't need no help, Jinny, Did you say you'd saved the critters ?"

"Reckon they're, all right, but I didn't get anything out of the house. You'd better take the road to mine, at the forks. We put in all day yesterday back-firing," . '' That's what I ought to have done, 'stead of going to town."

There was a great deal'of silence during the short remainder of that drive; but old Crawford followed his young neighbor's advice, for the right-hand road, at the forks, would have led him into a hotter country than his horses would have been willing to travel.

Before long they could all see the great blaze, which went up from house, and barns, and corn cribs and stacks of wheat,

" The land won't burn," said the brave old man, almost cheerily, "Glad the stock is safe, That was good of you, Marsh, I don't owe a cent, and it won't break me up. Glad your place isn't hurt; but you had a close call of it yourself," He heard a very long breath drawn at that moment by somebody on the back Beat of the buggy. At the door of tho new house they all got soberly down, and Mrs, Crawford walked straight to the door and through it. Her husband, stayed to care for his over-excited team, but Marshall Hayne and Virginia were

jiut a little bohind her, iyheh. buo' reached: tho threshold, ■,■.'■'■• ;!'.'>>'.■.•''; ! .'.'•'

i "Why, dear m'el" exclaimed the old lady. "It's nigh a'most furnished i-i.lt's real com-, fortablol" '"' ' 0 -Porhaps it-was more curiosity that.hurried her onward so quickly, then, out of hearing, although some experienced women aro very wise. ■"■" Will you go in, Virginia?" '•'■ "I? Marsh I" With me, I moan-Virginia?" He passed' the threshold as he spoke, and there JEe stood, holding out both hands, halfwelcoming, half-pleading. ,', . . " For ever aud.ever, Marahl"'. 1 '- .','. ' l! If, a few moments later, old Mrs. Crawford meant any more than she said, there may have beon some reason for tho high' color in her daughter's face, for part of. the added tint was dusky:-' " Marsh, you'd better get a clothes-lirush and some soap and water, I declare l ! Vir : ginny, you a'most look.as if; you'd; been through a fire yourself,"' 1 The further domestio arrangements of Marshall Hayne's new house were completed a good while bcfore.the "firstsnow,"although the winter set'in early that year; : He did not board with tho Bitters ,fam|fy. another day, but it.was : ; ohly ;: a weijk' oT so after the fire liad done its' work that' Celerity remarkedto Hank Sanders: . ' I v .> : ' l .' ~'';!' Nb/s'b?! '-I'm gwine to Crawford: r, Not till you've tobk'somo'kind'oFiv crop off that lahd-'b'yours,' and jjmtja .house onto it,"— AUatitil Monthly. : v'"\ '