San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-02-02
drawn ND before the door, with Widow

utuWh VIZ OoAohS WIZ NV~'s "AN@@ W -N'N''
Ainslie bustling about and giving orders
to the driver. b... .-..
"Do you want to see Mandy, Mr..
Lathump" she called to Tim, while a
wicked, triumphant CLEAN shot from her
old eye.
Tim checked his horse, opened his
mouth to speak, then closed it again'
and slowly nodded his head. Amidst
the whirl in his brain, he remembered
that Josh Holly's mother was half the
time bedridden. Probably her neigh
bors had gone in to minister to her
needs. a.,
In a moment MANDY came out into
the soft spring sunshine. She was
dressed in one of her best gowns, a dark
blue stuff, which served as foil to her
fair skin and pretty light hair; but her
face was pale and her looks troubled.
Tim got of his horse and they walked
along the grassy roadside together in
silence for few PAGES.
Mandy" said Tim, at last, 81
thought would come over to-day and
have few words with YOU"
"Then you have heard, TimP" said
she, her mouth trembling and her face
looking white.
"No, haven't heard any thing. I
amt in the way of hearing much. But
you know, MANDY, we have kept COM
pany a long time, and it has
come into my mind of late that
you and me, being separate slaves in
the world, we might as we'll have the
hoop up on and be coopered up together.
'Tain't no use making great talk about
it. You know me and know you, and
if you will have me, Mandy, I'll try and
do the right thing"
There appeared to be particularly
large obstruction in Tins throat. He
was too busy with his own emotions to
think of Mandy. Suddenly she put her
hands before her face and began to sob.
"Oh! Tim, why didn't you speak be-
forep What made you so slow"
81 didn't think there was any great
taking of hurry, Mandy" said Tim,
discounted and hardly knowing why.
"I'm slow man, Mandy; slow, but
sure. I never thought of any other girl
but you; and I've thought of you sum-
mer and winter, year in and year out,
when was coopering away at the tubs
and buckets. If hadn't been dumb
creature, like the four-footed beasts
of the field, I might have
made something fine of all my thoughts
about you, Mandy; but it seemed as
though you must know what was going
on within me.''
"Don't talk like that, Tim," sobbed
the poor girl. cit will just kill me, and
it is too late now. Mother was always
against you, Tim. She said you was
one of them confirmed old bachelors
that only wanted place to run to.
She kept at me continually about Josh
Holly, and Josh would let me have no
peace. Mother was always complain
ing about the mortgage on the old
place. She said l could get her out OF
trouble and give her good home for
the rest of her days just by saying the
word. You have only been over to see
me once in five months, Tim. How
could know you meant any thingP On!
must tell you; but it will break my
heart. They hurried things up. They
gave me no rest, and was married to
Joshua yesterday"
Tim felt his knees giving way. The
bright spring sunshine turned black be-
fore his eyes. There was a sound OF
rushing and roaring waters in his ears.
He came to himself in an instant, and
Mandy had hold of his arm. t
"'Tain't nothing" said he, in faint
voice, unclasping her cold fingers and
keeping them for moment in his own
"Only I'm such dumb, slow, stupid
creeter. see now have done you a
great wrong, Mandy, and beg your
pardon. didn't mean to-" he added
in a half whisper. 81 wouldn't have
harmed hair of your head, more than
an old motherhood would knowingly
hurt its young ones"
Mandy stood there deathly pale and
rigid. She could not speak word
There was a contraction in her throat
that made utterance impossible, though
she longed to cry out and ask Tins for
:-O,,osn e. n,nr. having hnnhfed him