Miss Lou

ⶨMiss Lou

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Miss Lou, by E. P. Roe #4 in our series by E. P. Roe
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Title: Miss Lou
Author: E. P. Roe
Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5309] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on June 29, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS LOU ***

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THE WORKS OF E. P. ROE
VOLUME NINE
"MISS LOU"
ILLUSTRATED

In Loving Dedication
TO LITTLE MISS LOU MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
A GIRL'S PROTEST
CHAPTER II
SOMETHING HAPPENS
CHAPTER III
MAD WHATELY
CHAPTER IV
AUN' JINKEY'S POLICY
CHAPTER V
WHATELY'S IDEA OP COURTSHIP
CHAPTER VI
THE STORM BEGINS
CHAPTER VII
DANGERS THICKENING
CHAPTER VIII
"WHEN?"
CHAPTER IX
PARALYZED WITH SHAME
CHAPTER X
A BAFFLED DIPLOMATIST
CHAPTER XI
AUN' JINKEY'S WARNING
CHAPTER XII
A WHIRLWIND OF EVENTS
CHAPTER XIII
THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
CHAPTER XIV
A THREAT
CHAPTER XV
MISS LOU EMANCIPATED
CHAPTER XVI
A SMILE ON WAR'S GRIM FACE
CHAPTER XVII
THE JOY OF FREEDOM
CHAPTER XVIII
A WELL-AIMED SLIPPER
CHAPTER XIX
A GIRL'S APPEAL
CHAPTER XX
SCOVILLE'S HOPE
CHAPTER XXI
TWO STORMS
CHAPTER XXII
CHUNK'S QUEST
CHAPTER XXIII
A BOLD SCHEME
CHAPTER XXIV
A HOME A HOSPITAL
CHAPTER XXV
A TRIBUTE TO A SOUTHERN GIRL
CHAPTER XXVI
A BACKGROUND OF EGOTISM
CHAPTER XXVII
AUN' JINKEY'S SUPREME TEST
CHAPTER XXVIII
TRUTH IF THE HEAVENS FALL
CHAPTER XXIX
"ANGEL OF DEATH"
CHAPTER XXX
GLIMPSES OF MOODS AND MINDS
CHAPTER XXXI
THE DUELLISTS VANQUISHED
CHAPTER XXXII
SAD TIDINGS
CHAPTER XXXIII
CONSPIRATORS
CHAPTER XXXIV
CHUNK PLAYS SPOOK
CHAPTER XXXV
A VISITATION
CHAPTER XXXVI
UNCLE LUSTHAH EXHORTS
CHAPTER XXXVII
A NEW ROUTINE

"MISS LOU"

CHAPTER I
A GIRL'S PROTEST
A great, rudely built stone chimney was smoking languidly one afternoon. Leaning against this chimney, as if for protection and support, was a little cabin gray and decrepit with age. The door of the cabin stood wide open, for the warm spring was well advanced in the South. There was no need of a fire, but Aun' Jinkey, the mistress of the abode, said she "kep' hit bunin' fer comp'ny." She sat by it now, smoking as lazily as her chimney, in an old chair which creaked as if in pain when she rocked. She supposed herself to be in deep meditation, and regarded her corncob pipe not merely a solace but also as an invaluable assistant to clearness of thought. Aun' Jinkey had the complacent belief that she could reason out most questions if she could only smoke and think long enough. Unfortunately, events would occur which required action, or which raised new questions before she had had time to solve those originally presented; yet it would be hard to fancy a more tranquil order of things than that of which she was a humble part.
The cabin was shaded by grand old oaks and pines, through which the afternoon sun shone in mild radiance, streaming into the doorway and making a broad track of light over the uneven floor. But Aun' Jinkey kept back in the congenial dusk, oblivious to the loveliness of nature without. At last she removed her pipe from her mouth and revealed her mental processes in words.
"In all my projeckin' dat chile's wuss'n old mars'r en miss, en de wah, en de preachin'. I kin kin' ob see troo dem, en w'at dey dribin' at, but dat chile grow mo' quare en on'countable eb'y day. Long as she wus took up wid her doll en tame rabbits en pony dar wa'n't no circum'cutions 'bout her, en now she am all circum'cution. Not'n gwine 'long plain wid her. She like de run down dar--but win' en win' ez ef hit had ter go on, en hit couldn't mek up hits min' which way ter go. Sometime hit larfin' in de sun en den hit steal away whar you kyant mos' fin' hit. Dat de way wid Miss Lou. She seem right hyar wid us--she only lil gyurl toder day--en now she 'clinin' to notions ob her own, en she steal away to whar she tink no one see her en tink on heaps ob tings. Won'er ef eber, like de run, she wanter go way off fum us?
"Ole mars'r en ole miss dunno en doan see not'n. Dey kyant. Dey tinks de worl' al'ays gwine des so, dat means de way dey tink hit orter go. Ef hit go any oder way, de worl's wrong,