Frontier and pioneer life -- Southern States -- Fiction; Love stories; Mountain people -- Southern States -- Fiction
Soon he followed her out. "I reckon I won't sleep thar whar that doctah
have slep'. He might put a spell on me, too," he said, standing in the
door of the shed and looking in on her. The night was lighter now, for
the full moon had glided up over the hills, and she worked by its light
streaming through the open door.
"I can't see with you standing there, Frale. I reckon you'll have to
sleep here, because it's too late to fill your bed to-night."
"Oh, leave that be and come and sit here with me," he said, dropping on
the step where the doctor had sat when she opened her heart to him and
told him about her father. It all surged back upon her now. She could
not sit there with Frale. "I'll make my bed myself, an' I'll--I'll sleep
wharevah you want me to, ef hit's up on the roof or out yandah in the
water trough. Come, sit."
"We'll go back on the porch, and I'll take mother's chair. I'm right
tired."
"When we git in our own cabin ovah t'othah side Lone Pine, you won't
have nothin' to do only tend on me," he said, drawing her to him. He led
her across the open space and placed her gently in her mother's chair on
the little porch.
"Now, Frale, sit down there and listen," she said, pointing to the step
at her feet where Thryng had sat only a few days before to make out the
lease of their land. Everything seemed to cry out to her of him
to-night, but she must steel her heart against the thought.
"I'm going to talk to you straight, just what I mean, Frale. You've been
talking as you pleased in there, and I 'lowed you to, I was that set
back. Anyway, I'd rather talk to you alone. Frale, our promise was made
before God, and you know I will keep to mine. But you must keep to
yours, too. Listen at me. Mrs. Towers wrote me you had been drunk twice.
Is that keeping your promise to leave whiskey alone? Is it, Frale?"
"You have somebody down thar watchin' me, an' I hain't nobody a-watchin'
you," he said sullenly. She felt degraded by his words.
"Frale, do you know me all these years to think such as that of me now?"
"I tell you he have put a spell on you. I kin feel hit an' see hit. Hit
ain't your fault, Cass. I'd put one on you myself, ef I could. Anyhow,
I'll take you out of this fer he have done hit."
"Do you never say that word to me again as long as you live, Frale," she
said sternly. "Listen at me, I say. You go back there and work like you
said you would--"
"Didn't I tell you that thar houn' dog Giles Teasley war on my scent? I
seen him. I got to come back ontwell I c'n git shet o' him."
"And that means another murder! Oh, Frale, Frale!" She covered her face
with her hands and moaned. Then they sat silent awhile.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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