The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-20
Mark Heber's Luck
AN INDIAN STORY.

idtucE luuCEdi WIN thC Pioo'NA ~
own future pressing upon his thoughts,
and demanding prompt solution.
His home had been, from his earliest
remembrance, upon a stony, WORKOUT
farm of fifty acres, situated upon the
Seneca Lake, in Western New York.
His father had become 80 heavily IN
volved in debt, that two weeks before
his death the farm had been sold by
foreclosure OF mortgage.
And now what was Mark to do?
He was a lad OF nineteen, slight and
boyish in frame, but with the strength
OF man in bis sinewy arms. He had
had the usual advantages of education
afforded to farmers sons.
He returned home from his fathers
grave to the small, implanted story and
half house, and after him came his
fathers only brother, a well-tO-do far
mer, who resided in the nelghborhood.
This uncle, Mr.. William Heber, was
man OF sixty years, pompous and self
important. His soul was Of the small
est pattern, and he bad never been
known to do a generous deed, while he
had done many mean ones.
well, Mark" said his uncle, eve
sent nv folks on home, so that | can
have a good talk with you. Morgan
tells me he wants the farm. He has
held off two weeks while George was
dying, but he wants to move in next
week. What are you going 10 doY
81 don't know, uncle. l am trying
to think. What can | doy
81 have thought the matter over"
said Mr.. Heber, land have thought
upon a plan. am willing to takeyou,
Mark, and treat you as my own son.
You shall have a home at my house,
aud seat at my table. What do you
ssyY'
"You forget, uncle, that have some
one to provide for besides myself" said
Mark. Suppose | were to accept this
offer of yours, what will you do for
Gay?'
The girl is no relation of yours
Mark"
The boy sighed.
Poor little Gay" he said; "hers is
hard lot"
"Do you remember now the child
came by her name7 1t is thirteen
years this spring since lady stopped
at our door and asked leave to remain
over night. She staid on dav after day,
growing weaker and weaker 1t did
not take long to discover that she was
insane. She called the child Gay, and
sometimes Gabrielle, which is Gays
true name. But she did not tell her
surname, nor anything concerning her
self. Late that summer she died. No
one ever came to inquire after her or the
child"
Her mother was crazy tramp, and
nothing more No wonder George was
behindhand, when his wife adopted the
child OF tramp and brought her up a
lady," said his uncle.
Mark colored.
81 cannot hear a word against my
mother, sir" he said. 81 shall protect
Gay while live, and she shall not be
separated from me-"
Then | wash nv hands OF you. ex-
claimed Mr.. Heber angrlly. You can
90 your own way, and get your own
living.
Very well. sir" said Mark quietly;
that is settled then
In one week Mark bad sold pair OF
colts which he had. raised himself, for
five hundred dollars, the household
furniture for nearly as much more, and
was on his way, with little Gay, to the
far West, to seek their fortune.
The young travellers arrived at Leav-
enworth, after . long and fatiguing
journey.
Here Mark, while looking for wag'
on and a yoke oil oxen with which to
cross the prairies, fell in with an old
farmer named Whitman. who had been
living in Western Kansas, but did not
like It, and was now on his way to
Nebraska. Mark concluded to join
him, and Mr.. Whitman assisted him in
purchasing q suitable ontfit, and that
same night Mark and Gay were snugly
ensconsed in their huge travelling wag
on. outside OF 1.-The city, on the edge Of
the prairie. where Mr.. Whitman, with
his wife and seven children, had en-
camped. Six other families were with
them-the seven wagons being parked
in the form Of a circle-that is, the pole
OF one wagon resting upon the rear Of
another-and the oxen, mules, horses,
COWS, dogs and pigs being gathered
into the circle thus protected.
Outside the circle Of wagons q great
fire was burning, and as Marks wagon
drove up, the conductor OF the train,
Mr.. Landlord, came forward and well
coined the new corners.
1t seemed to Gay and to Mark that
they had entered a new and wondrous
world.
Both lay long awake that night in
their wagon. close up under the canvas
root, and they talked in whispers Of
their great future, and wondered what it
had 10 store for them.
The next morning at day break the
camp was astir. By sunrise the wagon
train was on ito way toward the north
west.
At night they halted beside q small
stream and parked the wagons, and
had supper, and talked and sang songs
and told stories, like one great joyous
family.
At daybreak again they were on the
way.
+ In the course Of ten days, having
travelled rapidly for OK teams, they
reached the Little Blue river, branch
of the Big Blue. The women built fires
aud began the preparation OF supper.
The men proceeded to park the wag-
ons.
1.-The last train l took over this route
wss attacked by Indians just here"