The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1871-11-16
THE LEGEND OF POTATO cRERK.
From the Tribune,

THE LEGEND OF POTATO cRERK.
From the Tribune,
Big yellow butterflies were wheeling about
| in the drowsy summer air, and towering
above the moist little sand bars OF Potato
Creek. A shady dell, wrapped in the hot
lull OF August, sent up the spires and domes
Of its walnut and poplar trees, clearly de-
fined and sheeny, while underneath the for
est roof the hazel and wild rose bushes had
wrung themselves into dusky mats The
late violets bloomed, here and there, side by
side with those wax-like yellow blossoms,
called by the country folks "butter and
eggs" Through this dell Potato Creek
meandered fantastically, washing bare the
roots of few gnarled sycamOres, and muir
muring among great heaps of diminutive
bowldep. Ii was not strikingly piciur-
esque or romantic place; but much after the
usual type Of ragged little hollows.
Perched on the topmost roots of an up
,urned tree, sat little Rose Turpin, sixteen
that very August day, pretty, nay, beautiful,
her second life just ended, her womanhood
just beginning to cl,the her face and form
with fascinating mystery. From her high
seat she gazed down into the transparent
wafer Of Potato Creek, and smiled at the
funny gambols of the little fish, A sketch
book and case OF pencils lay reside her
'Whoa. no! wo! now can't We? Look
yere now, just face round this ere way, blest
we're old hide, no fOolin' now-wo, | sayw
The voice was mans. Rose looked round
md instantly saw the speaker, who, lew
rod. further down the creek, stood holding in
| ~ hal e g.. l..
horse, and in the other heavy woodman's
axe.
"WO-up, now hate like dernation TO
BY this ere August fifteen. I'd knock We on
the head, and shore 'nough, here you are
with the fistle-O wus'n ever so now stan
still till do it to We right a-tween those
eyes ~
BY this time Rose had come to understand
the situation, which was in truth about this
the horse was badly diseased with that
scourge Of the equine race, scrofulous Shout
der or fstula, and because it could not get
we'll, the man was on the poin; of killing it
by knocking it ON the head with the Ak.
Of all dumb things the horse was Roses
| favOrite.
"Wo-up, yere, say. Ding it, amt We got
no sense at all. How dye expect me to
hit yer blamed ole head when We keep it
a-gOin that way"
The fellow had lied the halter-rein round
the body ola snail tree, and was now pre-
pairing to deal the horse with the Ak blow
between the eyes.
so, sir, stop, don'tm cried the girl, her
sweet trcmulous voice breaking into silver
echo-fragments in every nook in the little
hollow
The man looked in every direction, and,
seeing no one, let fall the Ak by his side.
The birds taking advantage Of the silence,
lifted a tw,ttering chorus through the dense
tops of the dark trees. The slimmest breath
of air lang,lidly cart-xsd the leaves of the
rose vines.
"Twarnt mammy's voice no howw he
multered ''should like to know who's WIS
though"
He stood moment, as if attentively lis
teDing, then again raising the Ak, continued:
Must = been jaybird squeaked. Wo-
up yere, now, I'm not going to fool all day,
20 hold still will YEP
That was critical moment for the lean,
miserable hone for it lowered its head and
held it quite still. The Ak stesdily poised
in air. The mans face wore stony look of
determination. He was perhaps twenty five,
tall, thin body, with countenance sallow
almost to greenness, sunken, pale blue eyes.
sun-burnt hair, thin faxy beard, and lregl-
lar, half-deCayed teeth. Although his body
and limbs were shrunken to the last degree
of attenuation, still the big cords about his
neck and wrists stood out taut, suggesting
great strength.
20, o, o! Indeed sir, you must not
o, don't please don't hit him, o, sir"
And, futtering down from her airy perch,
Rose fed to the spot, and cast herself, pale
and trembling, between the horse and his
wOuld-be execntiOner.
The axe ell from the mans hands, his
eyes became exactly circular. his under Jaw
dropped 20 that his mouth was open to Its
fullest CAPACITY, and high up on the dead
spire of walnut tree woOdpecker began
70 beat a long rafting tattoo. The horse
very lazily and innocently winked his great
brown EYES, while he shifted at the skirt of
the girl's dress.
"rm clad, o, I'm ever 20 glad you'll, not
kill him." murmured the little lady, as she
saw the axe fall.
The man stood for some seconds, gazing
AMI gazing in utter astonishment; then,
somewhat recovering, he re-seised the axe,
and flourishing it high over his head. cried
In a voice, that, shr,ll and cracked, rang pet
ulently through the woods:
81 said I'd kill him, If that are garcling
oil didn't cure him, and Pm darned eff
don't, toor'
20, sir, please, please, please DON'T" ex-
claimed the girl.
Taint no use beg in. he amt no count
but for to cut up corn an fodder an hay and
the likes, and his blasted fistle-o gifts wusaer
every day. Ant spent morn he's wo',h
irwin to cure i'm, and don't everybody laugh
at me cause Tve got SIGN derned old SUM
mux of hos, and jist dash my pictur eff
III STAN it; %, now, we've heard my tin
horn"
'But. sir, I'll take him of your hands
may /? Say, give him TO me, please"
AN vhai in thunder good would he do
you, I'd like to know. cause you see he
can't work nor nothin."
'Never mind, give him to me, I'll take
care Of him."
We'll, I'd - soon you'd ave i'm as not
ef t'want that I've swose to kill i'm, an the
fact ia I've had such q perky derned time
with i'm that it looks kinder hard that
shouldn't have the satisfaction of Dustin his
head for it,"
''But you'll let me have him. tharsa good
man ~
sI'n admit it'd be orful onery in me to
refuse the request Of such 4 poorly gal ~ you,
bu. I'D he parinry, gal, parinry, dog on ef
| il txouldn't swore I'd kill i'm"
JuA then The peculiarties Of the mans
character were written upon hls face. His
more denoted Puenscity, his lips sensuality,
his eys ignorance and rough kindness, his
chin firm, and his complexion the ague. lam
not sure that because . man has the agus Tor
seven yean without . fortnisht's respite, il
should thus be enumerated among his char
acGuisfics, bat IL truth i, chilh and fever
vim a9ss oss's chasacaer most radically. I
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