Show UIL 1 UL J FINISH OF i ELIZABETH SHANKLIN R E OUNG A T 20 roo Elt abeth Shanklin wa was a AT 1 as small and ag aa one of the white belh on a lily Jib of the Valley Nt one In Pe ng ton had ever known her well w lI MId ad th thue who ho had bad known her at an all could BOt have told whether e liked imer er se Winter better whether he to live In town ton or r regretted t the e farm where here her ber seen Deed spent Whether she watered the Went be because cause she liked flowers or because mother told her het to water them I It may have baYe bet been n but to Elizabeth It ft did ROt nut right that after she wag wa Jet et alonG the very relief of Ite be being ing let It alone eanie a that was like a that the she belong anywhere and that she had mi ed There Thero were times when uLer the sensation he showed hOyed a pr affection for f r her father and or I drove by down Dower Doer to t the e farm humming bumming nad little bAllads to her hearts desire As A Elizabeth w we now new t S It maT be too much to say for ht that her desire still wore a hat bat cape capp and rid In boots It Is 18 not too much to say ay that it waa tops topped by It a feathery and quality p ue to a condescending degree that it ft wan wae encircled by a vel Vety pty and and that it stood its ground grund chivalrously in a ort of o ornamental sturdiness that bad alt all Ute the wide swee sweep and utility of oC riding boots nor I In It too much mach to SAY that when Elizabeth ws wa in 1 ber r shy delicate fashion somewhere behind the door of romance she ahe was In her own way a doing as much to prove up a large lane law of nature as any apple that ever eyer fell ripe and sul estive into the hands of science Mr Shanklin did dM not rent his house hoose With hi his tanu farni when the moved to town so that as t there ere was wasn n ver any one about the place to die Elizabeth except Hester the black woman wh was caretaker of oC the house Elizabeth was as often at the farm farmon on spring afternoons Miss Ii 8 came one of Hesters unseasonable interruption you m makin dat noise down de big road Soon Soun mi mighty lak Isk a 8 hose away Hesh Heah Soun Ink lak two er urn two er urn um Elizabeth turned and looked down don the main read with ith less interest than I irritation as a terrific clatter datter of hoofs smote upon bridge below belo the farm Seeing In a a flash that the horse that was making the datter headed straightway Into the lane Jane that turned in Iii from the main road to the farm Elizabeth went to the edge of oC the porch and ant waited So Something in her poise as hC stood there with her ner hands folded in iii front of her suggested that she hd had the courage in meeting events that she sheso sheso so lamentably lacked Jacked in meeting pee peo pl Ile Its that tha Shell Spence and his him hini an one or er bofe u urns crazy who shouted Hester and waved her bel apron and Executed an dance of fear a aGet i GEt in the lOUse house old pot protecting of the white hUe woman iN fi the black i itt her care are took immediate and unerring pus session of the kitchen door dior rn Ill go front and lock Up Quit bEing so foolishly frightened H Hester er erI I dont think the white hite mans drunk after him with a gun She had by this time got t thE headed for the kitchen and she ran ku Im mediately around the Ion long encircling rrth to the front of the bott house A and d dt stood t f on the threshold with her hand handon on oi the front door Tier Her mind was as bar ur TIng chaotically over the evil tbt things sl had heard aU all her life about the thema ma 11 Ion down the lane ane toward her herShe herShe She had neter seen ft Shell be because cause he had not been n in faver faur in P Pen On some unforgivable sues of oC his bis first youth and seldom n name arne ame t to the toai ry more but ie knew that lie be was wan down n Dover It a man An ho and nod uld swore sor great deal and whose hose 1 won him II a great t deal of moey on the St Loam Iou 8 and ami Kentucky money which a to re port as soon spent in riotous living Rut But I guess Elizabeth to tn her ber responsive to the that 11 life makes upon lif life If he gets get to thin door before re a bullet sets to In him T I wont 10 los O much time UllI letting hint him in no mat matter matter ter how little be hes worth h the bullets from a Win rifle in the negros hands banda were popping like Jike hail about the white man manai manas as ai b he put through the gate distinctly beard bim laugh as he be yelled bark StoP yOu black h w Stop HE lifted his ta face e to words a little but had to duck in t h u bullets Stop it you t ft 1 dout dont till ftH you fun full of lead in a about Olt one minute you whis t rang out the as gro s an answer er i in a Jong wild ild yell yel t that at bounded and nd leaped Oft u the air fr and mu twisted histed Into crazy fal falsetto yodel Who Vho mar now got gun gan and who hunt bunt rabbit r tp rp the ft of oC t the yard dash dashed ed cd the white man now swinging Jow On one side of hi his horse Uke a ridEr his left lell foot just Sn In th the stirrup his bis left hand b hugging ging the sad d dl dk bow TherE was wag no plume In his hat but the hat bat itself a rolling co cow cowboy boy felt was pushed back from a 8 mop of 0 yellow hair with a da and his Corduroy hunti hunting suit could not blat suggest a velvet cape Elizabeth lizabeth could see his brown reck reckless less Jess face plainly at last the lower part of it set tet In An anger r the eyes with daredevil appreciation of his hift own on danger dauger The next minute she had run mu lightly out on the porch Drop at as you rome Iome by and let the mare run for lor the stable she called re Ive got t the door dor The ma man n looked u ui sa saw tUza Elizabeth bEt h poised on the porch delicate At as a and nd with an aD unwonted ab abandon that mude her as graceful as a sapling and then d deliberately even elaborately Iy h tok his right baid and nd raised hi his hat with ith It white while M he h hung there on his horses side Yours to my lady he ca a as blithely as though the negro behind him were a canary bird came the negros roI weird and 8 again aln Who fill who fun full lead Who teach who man The ote man dropped from his mare marp while she still went a gallop a little vered ered hinC sprang lp p the steps to side aide and pulled the girl into to the hail Its a gun I want he sai just a gun n Got one Go ic that looks like a gun Hi qui red eMd JiS as though he would like to laugh but he bad mOred at on once into the sit sitting ting room and he kept his eye on the window with an alert s The yard stop him for a minute lIe went on but when h he gets eu through that I just must meet t him tm with some something thing or other on my He doubled up one hand lIand and pounded it Into the other thew he said kI his yes eyes se searching the room nimbly you dont know how shoulder can or a gun Elizabeths eyes ore at home borne With the houses than his Ius looked t him into the ball frow My lIy goodness she said we do There a guru gun in ins s the thc lou house e except fathers squirrel gun guns s Its on the dining room mantel iu get It for tor yom She he was running through the noW with the man manat manat at her heels 41 she ran she talked with an e lion that may have been lur Dure n and may have been CO ed or of other I 1 dont believe It stop a guin a au u w w wAt At a I ca t I j 4 w 4 II I Ia f a u Come along Casper come my boy e I hood hoo friend A e eu T Pig much less that nigg r but such Us there it She pointed at the tite gun gulL ott on the mantel then caught at her herlip herlip lip In n a little flare of anxiety and ap apprehension apprehension I dont believe It ft is loaded she sid said The man jerked tile the corners of his mouth down and gave a low ilow musical whistle as s he reached over Elizabeths shoulder and took the gun from the mantel There was wa something promis tog in the e ease se with which he adapted himself to the situation Nom not even a little bunch or of buckshot he said with an affection affectionate ate sarcasm as he licked clicked at the ham hammer mer of the gun Oh Ob dont you care He Hc got around by the window and looked out M My got at sate gate open Hoar him up through them trees Aint he fierce dont he think hes some He threw the gun on his shoulder and turned to Elizabeth Heres where I a nl er he said smiling Then with witha a sudden seriousness You want to luck lock that front dOOr as I step outside and whatever happens you OU dont want wantI to come out on the I tell you to He Be broke of off and ran back through the halt hall to the front porch where he be steed squarely out on the top steP with his empty gun on his shoulder Come along Caspar come along my fellow citizen come along m my boy boyhood boyhood hood friend The caressing quality or of his voice continued subtly permanent his hili words almost Immediately became e more forceful than fond Cass sang the white hite man with a 1 gloating imitation ion of the negros yodel how you like the landscape down don this Utis gun gUll barrel Who teach who long about now you whisk whisky kea ker yoU ro ExperIence had bad so 00 lang leng defined for fOt forthe Ute the ne negro his bis chances against the white bite man when the white man man had bad a agun agun gun that now he could only shako shake on Doan DORR yek h shout Marse Sh Shell n be 3 whined I 1 ala ain mean no noham ham I havin bavin a Iii Jil pJ I hurt yh hones to I yen woo shoot yeh yeb old oW nig gem ger under r yeh Ma Marse Shell You ew I shoot lihn said I the whitE maii do it for a cigar do it for foi a a diem chem of tobacco do it for fun He wept dov down one une of the porch steps toward t darky before continuing with an entire change ot of tone from deviltry to 0 au I Now put that gun on your saddle bow ow ride up here bere and hand it to me butt first and if I dent dont riddle I Iyo yo wit bullets while hile I youre doi doing it bf be beca because I dont w want nt to waste my i x Keeping bin 1118 e eyes OR on th the white mans eyes th the nEgro came slowly toward the porth r V t the rifle and held it out tremblingly rha yen yek gun blame I Shell Now you cut down cIon t that hat road home a add if you touch one them theiR black dren drell uC of I Mn You get et theme ther f r tont dont blow you nto rome come be because there aint any kin kingdom m come Silently and ly the negro turned and Jogged down the yard gate into the lane and so 00 Into Dover road aih stepp d out on the porch perth Vell you yeu HetUe him In a hurry you your she said ShO was u so 0 mu Is IR t foIt th thit t It did not occur to her lier to tobe tobe be afraid to seak l lc things b said tb the maw his eyes trail tn hi from 61 the g to rest or orUe oil Ue tl e girl before hint With a frank boy boyish tab ish smile Wb What i n u coward rd a ni ger can be saM said Yep coward devil evil any anyway anyway way you take him He leaned against one of the porch pillars all arid l lown own at his boo boots I 1 guess r I dog that of mine othe just to tobe tobe be doing lie sOld Ud A very slight red tt crept Into his face with the words was swept back baek precipitately before I the hard bard breezy laugh with which he finished I guess I do a lot of things just to be doing lie He looked beyond Elizabeth tt tj the open d do Wolli he said seid hI I lieve you ou I locked that door like I told you to at nil alt nilI I 1 d nt b I did said Elizabeth I I got Ot to watching and I forgot to lock it iL i Vell one thing for sure you rou arent much of a coward he said looking at ather ather I her with bold admiration I believe you enjoyed It ft ItI I believe I did said Elizabeth Wont you sit down I It came about that that Eli Eliabeth abeth had t tO t th t the c farm farl l alone nearly every day because her father canvas for reelection to the I county ce and because her mother ik to go to the farm farmand farmand and be reminded of what s had lived Jived through out there It was In hi July that Irs returning hOne home from Crom a surrey drive down Dover road passed Shell Spence in his buggy bugg On Ute the seat beside Shell was Elizabeth more like Jike a wild rose than any lily or of the vane valley sweet and flushed and laughing The explanation was simple Elizabeth had met with tn 11 accident to her phaeton on her way to the farm Shell SheU had bad overtaken her had trundled her phaeton the lane ane to the farm and had then taken Elizabeth in his buggy and rhen with ith Ifer fer to the cabin of Black Jeff who forthwith came up to the farm anti and repaired the phaeton It was a very good explanation I But a week later Mrs Irs saw I Elizabeth with ith Shell behind one ot of the fast horses from the SpEnce stables i whizzing down Dover road way b be beyond I yond Black BIRck Jeffs cabin way beyond the po of Elizabeths phaeton The next thing was trouble Well Vell youve told me how bad lIe he lIeis hes is s was what Elizabeth sa said id to her father mild and mother in a gray sort of tonO and youve told me how much too okI he be i iii ho how much he drinks how much he swears Inears and how much he but theres one thing youve forgotten to tOll tell me tats how much he hc loves me ins And theres one thing I might as well tell how I love Jove him was Uk like have bae put nothing of dellan lir tone and to lute have d n words final without being threatening g It w was S lik her simply to pIa place Ite herself ir on n record cord and leave the next move to the With iI Mary ry Shanklin lit at th the head of UM the opposition it was inevitable that the next move moe s come Ome quickly and sharply Elizabeth Ellabeth WAS to drive alone and Shell SHeil Spen was in informed informed formed in as 88 curt H a letter Jetter as a polite man like Mr Ir Shanklin could rould tt that JI Ills attention could be put to bet better ter elsewhere As Elizabeth begat bega 1 to get pale and thin the sur ur J over herber her became mOre jeal oual and when one one morning the prints of a mans riding boots were found in the front yard under Eliza Elizabeths beths Mr Jr Shanklin went to the f rm rought in the squirrel gun loaded it put it On n the hat rack mck mckin in the Mil hail MilB B e ln WaS intense intensely ly Iy interested Every morning Pt nanK lO see the Shanklin n aeton at atI I front gate and Mrs Irs She kiln and Elizabeth or Mr lr Shank lire Jill ed d dertIng for Eliza Elizabeths beths and very every morn Ii am came esme languidly to the phaeton would say ay with kind anxiety sh failing fast Then toward th the middle of the forenoon back would come orne the ton and as the girl went lan languIdly up the walk to the house would say One September day a d dy that opened up Quiet and drowsy through the Indian hazes haze the usual sad ad little start was wa made from the front gate abo S On the tho day ay that she had tb t last ride with E Elisa Elisabeth I beth eth While she was 11 the pret ty I pale girl beside her with reneWed Mrs did net know I whether to be m mout t or most glad to find that t at last there were tears in Elizabeths ee eyes I Why Elizabeth The girls voice voke shook stran strangely ely as she interrupted her mother I hope you and father wont think she began brokenly that I willingly math made a choice against It would have come out this way a if I c cOuld uld have naye seen any auy ot other hoPe hoe that you Ou wont ahra I treated you wrong She d and 1 th a tr 5 her chin hands eg fixed upon a clump of trees in Hickory just beyond the lane I that turned toW toWard rd the farm I denly she dropped her face into her hands and sobbed violently Dont cry ery Elizabeth began Sha klin ay all come round roun right yet et The Wolds fell away from Mrs lips t futilely as a man came t of th the trees beyond the lane and i walked rapidly toward JIe He reached the head of C Mrs Irs horse r as the l h ton rolled roBed into the ra lane You aint any r than I am that I had to Ell EliZabeth beth this wa way Mrs Irs Shanklin |