The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-10-09


did its work but still Robert fingered,
10th to, leave the genial climate, he
said but gossip gave to the bright
eyes of Ella Tanning the magnetic
power that detained him. Certain it
was that he seemed perfectly contented
to remain under her fathers roof, where
chance had first led him to select his
location, and that his friends in the
East were surprised, to say the least,
when he announced his determination
to pursue the study of law for some
time under the guidance of Judge E.,
a resident of the little village.
But, whatever success attended his
efforts in this direction, his wooipg
seemed to lag !; for Miss Ella led him
over a uncertain way, making up by
frowns to-day for fear of having be-
slowed too many smiles yesterday in
short, keeping a kind Of debt-and-credit
running account which she balanced
regularly, and which, let him try his
utmost, ne never found sufficiently in
his favor to permit him to draw on for
any considerable amount. Yet he was
very far from being discouraged, for
something that he once or twice saw
away down in the depths of the little
maiden's brown eyes told that, after
all, she might care for him more than
she was willing to make known. This
"care," however, had not progressed
further than delightful little strolls on
the beach, or an occasional boating,
when an incident happened which ma
teriaily changed what a Yankee would
term "this state of fix" and which is
the cause of this little sketch ever being
written.
Not far from the ranch of Mr.. Fan
ming a family of Mexicans lived occupy
ing a low, d~irty-looking adobe cabin,
subsisting in a kind of shiftless, uncer-
tain way, and strongly suspected of
preyirg upon the focks and granaries
of their more enterprising neighbors.
1t consisted OF an old wrinkled bag,
| almost ready to blow away, and two
beetle-browed brothers-supposed to be
either sons, grandsons or great-grand-
IONS of the old N 1t happened
that Robert, while rambling, gun in
hand, in search of game n day, came
suddenly upon the younger of these
brothers, engaged III cutting up and Sc
creting a fine young bullock, which he
had driven into a deep, bushy raviue
for that purpose. 1t is very probable
that had he been unarmed he would
never have left the canon to reveal
the theft, but as it was he promptly ar
rested the thief, who was convicted and
sentenced accordingly.
The other brother swore vengeance
among his own class against Robert, AS
the cause Of his brothers disgrace,
which oath at length came to his ears
but knowing the mans revengeful dis
position, he only laughed a. any sup
posed danger.
One evening, a few days after the
above event had TRANSFERRED, Robert
said, carelessly, to Ella
81 am going to row out to Selkirk
Rock to sketch the sunset on the
waves; would you like to accompany
me?"
every much" returned she, gravely,
"but 1 could not think of msrring your
satisfaction at being for nee monarch
of all you survey by my presence, so 1
will remain at home and prepare the
Kings dinner, and criticise his artistic
power after he returns"
He turned away, justine least piqued
at her chatting, and started down to the
beach, turning a moment to hear her
call, as a parting voiley:
"Don't be so enthusiastic as to re-
fuse to ~relinquish your throne when the
tide in. You'd look frightfnlly
~undignified in wet robes"
"Selkirk Rock" as Robert had fanci- |
fully termed it, wal a broad, rugged
pile that had apparently become loos-
ened from a near hillside, and rolled
down with such force as to carry it out
some distance from the shore, with
which it was connected by a narrow
neck of sand, IN which, at low tide, the
water was quite shallow, but at high
the approach to it very deep and dan