The Mountain Girl by Emma Payne Erskine Chapter 17 Page 8

“Oh, I don’t care a rap about the still.”

“Naw, I reckon not. Better light an’ have dinner ‘fore you go on. Azalie, keep the doc to dinner. I’m comin’ in a minute,” he called to his wife, who stood smiling in the doorway.

David willingly accepted the proffered hospitality, as he had often done before, knowing it would be well after nightfall ere he could return to his cabin, and rode back to the house.

While Azalea prepared dinner, Hoke sat in the open door and held his baby and smoked. David took a splint-bottomed chair out on the porch and smoked with him, watching pleasantly the pride of the young father, who allowed the tiny fist to close tightly around his great work-roughened finger.