The Lincoln County herald., 1872-02-08

cotton. a tidy corn patch, drove Of hogs,
and . few niggers, We managed to scratch
along pretty we'll. All my relations had
passed in their checks long ago, except
sister Sal, and guess a prettier, smarter
and more stylish gal wasn't to be found
in the State Of Floridy.
Here Lsfe seemed to suffer from q
slight huskiness, but imbibing q huge
draught Of Santa Cruz, went on, visibly
refreshed:
"Wall, poor Sal was run after pretty
much by the boys, but kept q pretty
sharp eye on EN-, 1 did, for though not
very rich, we was high toned, no high
tonoder family lived in them days, and
my sister was all in all 10 me, more nor
any body will be agiu. Then come the
war, and you gentlemen know what that
mi Misunderstanding brought about We
Southerners rose like one man, and me
aud Bill werent bohindhand, you bet
Many a hard days march aud a hard
days 6ghtin we had together, with nary
shoe to eur feet, aud nothing but a pocket.
iul of parched corn to live on for days
together. At last came the bad day at
Gettysburg. and me and Bill was in the
thicksst of it. Four times we charged up
to the muzzle Of their everlastin' guns.
and four times we got druv back. Yer
see We had to cross kinder open space
right under their fire, and our regiment
shrive;led up to mere skeleton afore we
got within arms length. Wal. we come
agin and agiu. yellin like devils, but it
warn't no good they druv US back, and
at last missed Bill.
"Wal, l amt no hand to brag o that,
but went out IN the hottest fire | ever
seen, and brought in Bill, hit pretty hard.
We had hard time that day, but l
brought Bill, and somehow he pulled
through, and was sent home down South
to recuperate. To make long story
short, went through the whole wsr, aud
when our side bust up, went down home
with a sora heart, ragged suit, and q
darncd empty pocket.
Through all the cussel affair, had
looked forward to seein' sister Sal and
hefty Bill, with kinder feeliu' dessay
you can understand, but when got one
evening to Augustine, | found the old
shauty shut up, aud wonderin, what was
the matter, made tracks for the corner
grocery. There l found the folks glad
enough to see me, but seemiu to look
queer, and act silent and dummy, as ii
they was funeral. So l says right
out, What in thunders the matter with
you all, and what's come O Sal?' Wal,
you see, the whole thing come out at last
Bill Slocum had become invaded aud
dead broke, and Sal, Of course, took him
IN, and nusssd him as if he'd been her
brother, aud, after the manner Of wimmen
folks, fell 10 love with her patient. Sal,
| guess. warn't the first fool Of her sex,
and won't be the last by long shot.
"Now come the worst part Of the story.
Ono morning they was both missed, and
there was no doubt that that scounireI
Bill had run off with her to one OF ia
cities North, without leaving letter "
line to track EN- by. My mind was soon
made up. | sold the old place and what
little stuff was in it for what l could get.
and made tracks for the North to 6ud
Sal, and mayhap get square with Bill
II went through the North. city b,
city, in my weary search, and at last
found my poor little sister, but, gentle
men, I would rather have found her head
stone in the cemetery than have found
her as | did. 1 took good care of the
poor girl, but it wus no use she pinned
away and l buried her in Chicago, and
then looked around for hefty Bill.
"Nary soul could tell a word about
him, and poor Sal, bless her, never would.
She was true to him, bad as he had used
! her. Wal, could not end Bill any
| where's, and as l had to do something to
, live, came down here huntin' round q
! little and dripkin' a great deal, when one
! day, at Tim Mulligan's bar, who should
see but hefty Bill Slocum. Gentle
mon, have been through big war, and
in many a dasting charge, but never
, felt as l did at that moment. My head
swan round like young gals 10 her
first waltz, q fog came over my eyes, my
+ hand was on my Derringer, when saw
+ fash across my eyes, felt warm splash
heard a shot, and all was dark. They
told me afterwards that Bill fred little
too quick for me, and that the shot
brought 90 quite q pretty free fight.
There was o roaghish lot arou ID Multi
gan's, and they weren't the boys to let q
, muss 20 past without taking hand. So
Bill scored the 6rst trick IN onr small
!, game, but I'd got to get square with him
and tried moro nor once, but his ever
lastin' luck helped him till to day. But
to-day, and here Lafe dropped his head on
his Ghost and stared into the fire, "I
+ guess got square with him !"
The following notice was served upon