26. A Panther
Jim McGowan, of Hocky Fork, who had felt keenly hi a insecurity in the affections of Nancy Kirtley ever since the advent of young Bonamy on his electioneering trip, heard of Mark's encasement with relief. He had brought a load of wood to town and sold it to old Mrs. Tartrum, the ideal town gossip, who assailed the very children upon the street with persistent catechisms about the affairs of their parents, and whose love of hearing was only equaled by her love of telling. In the absence of any other unin formed hearer, she poured the whole story of the colonel's opposition and the colonel's arrangement and Amanda'.? " dudgeon," into the ears of the eager Jim McGowan, while he was throwing a cord of ash wood over her bach fence. She added the information that the Bonamyfe. were a regular big fish family, and that it was a great rise for a poor girl.
Jim drove home in a state of glorification. He was sure lhat Nancy would be humble enough now. She had always been gracious to him in proportion to Bonamy's remoteness. Now that Bonamy was gone entirely, Nancy would set her lines for Jim more carefully than ever. Ho would hold back, and let her see how it felt to be kept off. It was her turn to fish a while. Jim McGowan is not the only man who finds, to his sorrow, just when he thinks he understands, that he has not begun to understand a woman.
Jim was a little distant with Nancy. She was looking her best in a new calico, for she had seen him go down in the morning. It was all the poor fellow could do to keep up his lofty and half-injured air. He wanted to introduce the news he had to tell in an accidental way, as though if were a matter of indifference to him. But the <rirl wae so dazzling that he could not well keep his head.
Nancy Kirtley was a flower of that curious poor-white race which is called " tar-heel " in the northern Carolina, v " sand-hiller " in the southern, " corn-cracker " in Kentucky, "yahoo" in Mississippi, and in California "Pike." They never continue in one stay, but are the half gypsies of America, seeking by shiftless removals from one region to another to better their wretched fortunes, or, more likely, to gratify a restless love of change and adventure. They are the Hoosiers of the dark regions of Indiana and v the Egyptians of southern Illinois. Always in a half-barbarous state, it is among them that lynchings most prevail. Their love of excitement drives them into a daring life and often into crime. From them came the Kentucky frontiersmen, the Texan rangers, the Murrell highwaymen, the Arkansas regulators and anti-regulators, the ancient keel-boatmen, the more modern flat-boatmen and raftsmen and roustabouts, and this race furnishes, perhaps, more than its share of the " road agents " that infest the territories. Brave men and generous men are often found among them ; but they are never able to rise above Daniel Boones and Simon Kentons. Beautiful women, of th ! magnificent, swarthy, half-oriental, animal sort, spring now and then from this stock, and of these Nancy was one, a perfect gypsy queen of beauty as she stood there that day and set poor McGowan wild. She was more cordial than usual, and the poor, distracted fellow found himself prone to receive gratefully so much sunshine Getting desperate, he came out at last with :
" Nancy, you remember that air Mark Bonamy that come fool in' roun' here last year, runnin' fer the legislate! V
" I 'low you ricollect him. Jim. You've been mini enough about hi in ever since. And you got fined over't Republican meetin'-house for disturbin' his meetin'. And I'll bet he don't forgit me." With that Nancy tossed back her abundant dark-brown hair and threw out her chin in a saucy, triumphant fashion that set her lover wild. " I haint a gal to be forgot easy, now, am I, Jim ? And he's a feller worth while," she added, getting up and posing her magnificent figure on the hearth where Jim could see to the best advantage her perfec*. t>hape, her great black eyes with a soft sensuous droop in vhem, her rich complexion, her well-set red lips and white teeth.
" What a creetur you air, Nance ! " cried Jim, leaning forward in a frantic state of mingled love and despair. " I was going to tell you some news, but I sha'n't if you go on that way."
" What way. Jim ? Don't be a fool about Bonamy jest because he's so handsome. What about him ? Is he coming out here to see me ? I wish he would. He's as bioa fool as you air."
" I 'low I'd better go," said Jim, rising with an air of offense, but sure that his news would humble Nancy. "All they is about it is that Mark Bonamy is goin' to marry Bhoe-maker Adams's girl, and both on 'em is off for Texas in a month or two It aint no matter of mine, you know, but I knowed vou'd keer, seein' vou was so all-fired sweet to him "
Nancy bridled proudly.
"I'll show you whether he'll marry that girl or not, dog-on her." She turned to the high mantel-shelf and lifted an old tin cup which was turned upside down, and picked up a watch seal.
" May be you don't know who give me that?" she said, with her great black eyes snapping fire triumphantly under her dark brows. Then she seized from the other end of the shelf a red morocco Testament. " May be you kin read writin', Jim. I can't. But that's his name. I'm agoin' off to Luzerne to-morry morn in*. And you look at ine, Jim." Here she straightened herself up proudly, and her swarthy, almost oriental, beauty became more wonderful when her whole countenance was lit up with defiance.
"How long kin Roxy Adams stan' agin me? Look at me, Jim, and say whether I'm purty or not. You come here saying to yourself: 'Now, when that Nancy hears that Bonamy's clean gone she'll be down on her knees to me.' Jest as ef I haint got more beaus than I kin count. Jim McGowan, you may jest go to thunder, the quicker the better." And she turned fiercely away.
Jim saw his defeat too clearly to tarry. "With a few testy words of retort he made his way out to his wagon and started home. But ever as he drove over the rough road of Rocky Fork he recalled the vision of the fierce, dark, magnificent woman standing on the hearth and stamping her foot as she dismissed him. And over and over in his mind he compared her to a panther, thinking abud as men of his class are prone to do.
" Blamed ef she haint a painter. A regler painter, teeth an' claws an' all, by hokey ! Looked jest like a painter ready to spring on me and tear me all to flinders. And that's what she is, painter an' nothin' else. But gosh ! she's a splendid creetur ! Confound her picter."