The man gazed long and thoughtfully at the fresh young face of his child; and the black eyes looked into the brown eyes keenly, as he answered her question with another question, “Do you reckon you love him right smart, honey?  Are you sure, dead sure you ain’t thinkin’ of what he’s got ’stead of what he is?  I know it’ll be mighty nice for you to be one of the fine folks and they’re big reasons why you ought, but it’s goin’ to take a mighty good man to match you—­a mighty good man.  And it’s the man you’ve got to live with, not his money.”

“Ollie’s good, Daddy,” she returned in a low voice, her eyes fixed upon the floor.

“I know, I know,” replied Jim.  “He wouldn’t do nobody no harm; he’s good enough that way, and I ain’t a faultin’ him.  But you ought to have a man, a sure enough good man.”

“But tell me, Daddy, why ain’t we got no folks?”

The faintest glimmer of a smile came into the dark face; “You’re sure growed up, girl; you’re sure growed up, girl; you sure are.  An’ I reckon you might as well know.”  Then he told her.

CHAPTER IX.

Sammy lane’s folks.

It began on a big southern plantation, where there were several brothers and sisters, with a gentleman father of no little pride, and a lady mother of equal pride and great beauty.

With much care for detail, Jim drew a picture of the big mansion with its wide lawns, flower gardens and tree bordered walks; with its wealth of culture, its servants, and distinguished guests; for, said he, “When you get to be a fine lady, you ought to know that you got as good blood as the best of the thorough-breds.”  And Sammy, interrupting his speech with a kiss, bade him go on with his story.

Then he told how the one black sheep of that proud southern flock had been cast forth from the beautiful home while still hardly grown; and how, with his horse, gun and violin, the wanderer had come into the heart of the Ozark wilderness, when the print of moccasin feet was still warm on the Old Trail.  Jim sketched broadly here, and for some reason did not fully explain the cause of his banishment; neither did he comment in any way upon its justice or injustice.

Time passed, and a strong, clear-eyed, clean-limbed, deep-bosomed mountain lass, with all the mastering passion of her kind, mated the free, half wild, young hunter; and they settled in the cabin by the spring on the southern slope of Dewey.  Then the little one came, and in her veins there was mingled the blue blood of the proud southerners and the warm red life of her wilderness mother.

Again Jim’s story grew rich in detail.  Holding his daughter at arm’s length, and looking at her through half-closed eyes, he said, “You’re like her, honey; you’re mighty like her; same eyes, same hair, same mouth, same build, same way of movin’, strong, but smooth and free like.  She could run clean to the top of Dewey, or sit a horse all day.  Do you ever get tired, girl?”