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Updated: June 24, 2025
She got up, went into the house for the pistol and cartridges, and came out again, the weapon dangling from her hand. "Shucks!" he said, when he saw the pistol, comparing its huge bulk to the size of the hand holding it, "you'll never be able to hold it, when it goes off. You ought to have a smaller one." "Uncle Jep says this ought to stop anything it hits," she declared.
"Why I dunno," said the mill hand, puckering his brows. "Think!" she commanded again. "Why why old Jep Parloe drove up for a grinding." "He's not a stranger." "Oh, yes he is, Ruthie. Me nor Mr. Potter ain't seen him before for nigh three months. Your uncle up and said to him, 'Why, you're a stranger, Mr. Parloe."
She was shuddering as though he had struck her, and he was on the edge of his chair, looking at her pityingly, when Aunt Martha came to the door and saw them. She was out on the porch instantly, flushing with indignation. "Jep Coakley, you're up to your tricks again, ain't you? You quit devilin' that girl, now, an' go on about your business!"
"Jep." Amazed at the girl's extraordinary proficiency in modern languages, the Countess looked at her narrowly. Where had she seen those lineaments before? She passed her hand over her brow in thought, and spit upon the floor, but no, the face baffled her. "Enough," she said, "I engage you on the spot; to-morrow you go down to Nosham Taws and begin teaching the children.
Nor did Ruth know that on the day she had discovered the neckerchief dangling from the knot, Aunt Martha had spoken again to Uncle Jep concerning it. "Jep Coakley," she said earnestly; "you like your joke, as well as any man. But if I ever hear of you mentioning anything to Randerson about that bandanna, I'll tweak your nose as sure as you're alive!"
He saw Uncle Jepson looking at him searchingly; and he caught Ruth's quick, low question to Aunt Martha, as he was letting her gently down in a chair: "Where is Willard?" "He came in shortly after dark," Aunt Martha told her. "Jep was talking to him, outside. He left a note for you. He told Jep that he was going over to Lazette for a couple of weeks, my dear." Randerson saw Ruth's frown.
"She's seen one killin', an' I reckon, if she stays here a while longer, she'll see another: Chavis'." He stopped and then went on: "Why, I reckon Chavis dyin' wouldn't make no more impression on her than Pickett dyin'. But I reckon she thinks a heap of Willard, don't she, Uncle Jep?" "If a girl promises " began Uncle Jepson. "I reckon " interrupted Randerson.
As the lone horseman walked out of the door, one the loungers remarked: "I believe that's Clay Allison, an' ef it is it's all up with Jep." He slipped out and gave Jep warning, told him Allison was in town, that he had known him years before, and that Jep had better quit town or say his prayers. Concluding, he said, "You done barked up the wrong tree this time, sure."
"I mean," said Ruth, with patience, "anybody whom you have never seen before or anybody whom you might suspect would steal." "Well," drawled Ben stubbornly, "your uncle, Ruthie, says old Jep ain't any too honest." "I know all about that," Ruth said. "But Parloe did not leave his team and go down to the summer-house, did he?" "Oh, no!" "Did you see anybody go down that way?"
He sniffed in eloquent preparation for speech, but Aunt Martha averted the imminent clash by saying sharply: "Jep, you hop in there and get that ball of yarn off the dining-room table!" So potent is habit that Uncle Jepson started to obey automatically, Ruth interjected a word, speaking to Masten, and Uncle Jepson's opportunity was lost.
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