The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-02-17

ana mOIner SHlpLoni VINO was actually
relaxing into amiability. els this
yer q id picnic ?" said Uncle Bill
ly, with inward scOrn, as he surveyed
the sylvan group, the glancing fire
light and the tethered animals in the
foreground. Suddenly an idea min-
gled with the alcoholic fumes that
disturbed his brain. 1t was apparent
ly of q jOcularinature, for he felt I'M
pelled to slap bis leg again and cram
his fist into his mouth.
AS the shadows crept slowly up the
mountain, 8 slight breeze rocked the
tops of the pine trees, and moaned
through their long and gloomy aisles.
The ruined cabin, patched and covered
with pine bOughs, was set apart for
the ladies. AS the lovers parted, they
unaffectedly exchanged parting kiss,
so honest and sincere that it might
have been heard above the swaying
pines. The frail Duchess and the ma
levolent Mother Shipton were prOba-
too stunned tQremark upon this last
evidence of simplicity, and so turned
withouI a word to the hut. The fire
was replenlshed, the men lay down
before the door, and in few minutes
were asleep.
Mr.. Oakhurst was a light sleeper.
Toward morning he awOke benumbed
and cold. AS he stirred the dying
fire, the wind, which was now blowing
strongly, brought to his cheek that
which caused the blood to leave it
snoWI
He started to his feet with the in
tentIon of awakiHg the sIeepers, f0T
there was no time to lose. But turn
Ing to where Uncle Billy had been
lying he found him gone. A suspi-
cion Ieaped to his brain and a curs6 to
his lips. He ran to the spot where
the mules had been tethered they
were no longer there. The tracks
were already rapidly disappearing 10
the snow.
The momentary excitement brought
Mr.. Oakhurst back to the fire with
his usual calm. He did not Waken
the sleepers. The Innocent slumbpr-
ed peacefully, with a smile on his
good-humOred, freckled face; the Vir-
gin Piney slept beside her Trailer
81 sters as sweetly as though attended
by celestial guardians, and Mr.. Oak
hurst, drawing. his blanket over his
shoulders, strOked his mustachi0s and
waited for the dawn. 1t came slowly
in whjrling mist of snow-flakes,
that daZzled and confused the eye.
What could be seen of the landscape
appeared magically changed. He
looked over the valley, and summed
up the present and future in two
words showed in!"
A careful inventory of the provi-
sionS, which, fortunately for the party,
had been stored within the hut, and
so escaped the feloniOus fingers of
Uncle Billy, disclosed the fact that
with care and prudence they might
last ten days longer. ''That is,o said
Mr.. Oakhurst, soto Voce to the InnO-
cent, ''if you're willing to board US.
If you aint-and perhaps you'd better
can wait till Uncle Billy
gets back with provisions. For some
occult reason, Mr., Oakhurst could not
bring himself to disclose Uncle Billy's
rascality, and SO offered the HyDothe-
esis that he had wandered from the
C mp and had accidentally stampeded
the animals. He dropped warning
TO the Duchess and Mother Shipton,
who Of course knew the facts of their
associates detection. ''They'll find
out the truth about us oil, when they
find out anything" he added, signifi-
cantly, land there's no good frighten-
ing them nOW."
Tom Simson not only put all his
worldly store at the disposal of Mr..
but seemed to enjoy the
prospect of their enforced seclusiOu.
. Wen have goud camp for a week,
and then the snow'il melt, and We'll
all go back together" The cheerful
gayety of the young man and Mr..
calm infected the others.
The Innocent, with the aid of pine
Doughs, extemporiZed thatch for the
roohess cabin, and the Duchess direc-
ted Ptney In the arrangement Of
the interior with taste and tact that
opened the blue eyes of that proVin-
clal maiden to their fullest extent. "I
now you're used to fine things
at Poker Fiat" said Piney. The
Duchess turned away sharply to con-
ceal omething that redeemed her
cheeks through its professional tint,
and Mother Shipton requested Piney
not TO "chatter. But when Mr..
Oakhurst returned from a weary
search for the trail, he heard the
sound of happy laughing echoed from
the rocks. He stopped in some alarm,
and his thoughts first naturally re-
verted to the whisky-which he had
COCltCUs Anu HCE II
somehow sound. like whisky" said
the gambler. 1t was not until he
eaught sight Of the blazing fire thrO'
she still binding storm and the group
around it, that he settled to the con-
victiOn that it was square fun"
Whether Mr.. Oakhurst had cached
MS cards with the whisky as some
thing debarre,l the free access of the
10TUrnffwy
certain that in Mother Shipton's
v ords, he "didn't say cards onee''
Turing the evening. HAPPILY the
lime was beguiied by an ACCORDION,
produced somewhat ostentatiously by
Tom Simson, from his pack. Not
some difficulties attend
ng the manipulation Of this instru-
nent, Piney Woods managed to pluck
several reluctant melodies from its
Keys, to an accompaniment by The
innocent on pair of bone castinets.
But the croWning festiYity Of the
evening was reached in a rude camp
Meeting hymn, which the lovers,
dining hands, sang with great earn
.stness and voeiferation. ] fear that q |
ertain defiant tone and Convenanter's |
wing to its chorus, rather than any
devotional quality, caused 1t to spec
lily infect the others, who at last |
oined in the refrain:
I'm proud to live in the service of the Lord |
And I'm bound to die in his army"
The pines rocked, the storm eddied |
nd wnirIed above the miserable |
,roup, and the flames of their altar /
capped heavenward, as if in token Of
he VOW.
At midnight the storm abated, the I
olllng clouds parted, and the stars
Uttered keenIy above the sleeping
amp. Mr.. Oakhurst, whose profes-
lonal habits had enabled him to live
n the smallest possible amount of
leep. in dividing the watch with
'om Simson, somehow managed to /
AXE upon himself the greater part of
hat duty. He excused himself to
he Innocent, by saying, that he had
often been a week without sleep"
Doing what ?1 asked Tom. Poker =
eplied Oakhurst sententiously; when
man gets streak of luck-nigger
don't get tired. The luck
ives in first. Luck" continued the1
ambler, ref1ectively, sis a mighty
ueer thing. All you know aboHt it
)r certain is that its bound to change.