Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-05-23

| the slick-lookin' Teller from Maxwell's
is here at the same time, they passes
looks which means everything that two
sich fellers can do fur to win. 1 don't
like 'tother feller neither does the old
woman. He'd do almost anything, in
my opinion, an if you don't make
choice atween 'em soon, them fellers II
! fight, and that's sartin'."
The face which had been rosy grew q
little pale as he talked. The old man
had told his daughter nothing that she
did not already know; but she was
startled to think that the hatred of the
two men had been noticed by another.
| The question in Chuck's heart was not
which of the two men she would take,
but how to get rid of the disappointed
one. Therefore, woman-like, she had
encouraged neither of them. To her
acute mind the difficulty had been a
trouble for weeks, and the words of her
father had been fresh cause for disquiet.
| Old Sims, having thus broken, the ice,
would have continued, but his daugh-
ter stopped him with an exclamation,
and pointed to the sand at their feet.
Sims approached and peered cautiously
at the spot his daughter indicated.
| There they were, not an hour old, the
| ugly, in-turned moccasin-tracks of four,
| u,
| timidity and wit are often companions
to each other, and Chuck drew in her
| horse with determined air. 81 dom
like that" said she; Pm going back.
It can do us no harm if the held is
driven home, and want to see it done;"
and she turned her horse.
WY, now," said Sims, "what's the
use? Sich things amt uncommon
come on"
You can go alone if you think best, ~
she answered.
Before he could reply she was gop e,
and irritated by what he considered a
useless panic, he doggedly continued
his journey toward the post. The sight
of an Indian trail eighty miles from
home seemed poor cause for fright,
even in woman, Sims thought as he
continued his journey; and it was not
that which caused her to retreat; it was
to avoid being questioned further upon
the topic he had broached.z Gurus
critters is wimmin,' he said to himself
as he logged on. Sims spent the night
unconscious of its horrors, happy drunk
in the post guard house.
An apprehension which she could
hardly understand, filed the mind of
the girl as she urged her pony toward
home. Her fathers talk added to her
excitement, and she thought of what
Tom Harris, strong, daring and hand
some, would do at such time. His
tall figure, CHEEKY face and handsome
dress, as he sat on his horse at her
| fathers door, blithe and fresh after his
ride of forty miles for her sake, came
| wildly before her. Even in the midst
of her anxiety and nervousness she felt
that she and Tom, united in purpose
and effort, could do anything in this
world. Such were the strong woman's
thoughts of a man whom she loved be-
cause he was stronger than she. Two
miles from home, and the riders heart
sank at the sight of column of smoke
on the verge of the familiar horizon.
frightened indeed, now, she urged her
pony to its utmost, and at the crest of
the hill that overlooked the nook in
which stood her home the truth burst
upon her that while her father had
talked to her of her lovers, and while
she was yet specializing upon the foot
prints in the sand, the Indian torch was
being applied, and now herds, house,
mother and sisters were all gone.
Amid all the conflicting griefs and ter
rors of the momentarose an overwhelm-
| ing sense Of utter loneliness and help
lessness. The beautiful and subtle
strength of woman may guide, but ii
| can neither guard nor revenge. There
seemed no help, and the girl wished in
her heart that she had gone with the
rest. But she was not SO entirely alone
for as she came nearer she saw the tall
figure of Tom Harris, newly alighted
from an all-night ride, standing by his
painting horse, SO entirely occupied
with despairing contemplation OF the
| IL /
noticed her approach. But when he
face took color like flash. In truth
Toms paleness was not the pallor O.
fear. Words were inadequate to ex
press the tone in which he had cursed
the Apaches, by all that was holy ano
all that was evil, as he stood contem
plating the burning house, and think
ing with a pang that penetrated hi
very soul that she was among the vic
Tins. But when he heard and ther
turned and saw her, all was thencefortf
fair and serene to Tom Harris. With {
frontiersman's quick perception of cir
cumstances and situations of this kind
he understood and asked no questions
"The 'Paches are clear gone will
everything miss" he said. "The.
must a. done it in ten minits. Come
glG uoWn new, WON'T yer 1nat pony
about done for, and-w'y, now, miss
faint no use grievin'. Ye can't brini
'em back, and ye can't catch the Injun
NOT to-day. I'll be even with 'em
l live, but I've known many sicl
things in my time, and" ...
Tom stopped for he had sense G
how tame and meaningless his rud
efforts at comfort were to the silent an
horror-stricken woman before him
whose whole soul seemed engrossed il
q struggle with the calamity which ha
befallen her. The wellmeaning fello,
went some distance apart and waited
And while he waited the white, despair
ing face grew still whittier, and she sliI
ped helplessly from the pony and lay
limp and ifeless heap upon the grounc
This was the time of the frontiersman
:, utter despair. In all his hfe's Weiss
tudes there had been none like thi
! But all his endeavors were the sensibl
ones of a practical man. He kne'
nothing of what he ought to do for tn
restoration of lost consciousness, an
was afraid to try. But with the celerit
of habit hestripped the heavy blanket
,, from his horse and the pony, and hu
| riedly spread them in the shade by tn
bank-side. Then he made pillow {
L, j L Al.