The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-12-26
CHRISTMAS AT MUD FLAT.
BY LEANDER p. RICHARDSON.

who she was, no one could tell. But
she was in camp, and had come to stay
/ there was no doubt. She was quiet,
modest and simply clad-three qualities
which commended her TO the residents
of Mud Flat as a change from the ordi-
nary run of females who from time to
/ time invaded the precincts of that class
. ic settlement.
! Nor were these the only points which
/ had been noted by the boys. As Andy
/ McCorkle had gallantly handed her from
the lower step of his mud -bespattered
coach to the porticO of the hotel every
body saw that she chung cOnvuls'vely to
the little child whose arms were twined
about her neck. They observed, also,
that her features were pale and bloodless
/ to an extent that was almost pitiful
/ BY that delicate intuition which some
/ times exists under the toughest eXter-
( iOrs. the sturdy miners of Mud Flat un-
deIstood that the strange lady was suf-
( fering from mental as well as physical
/ illness. Their sympathy was aroused in
her behalf from that instant, and every
man in the place Immediately conStitu-
ted himself her champion and friend.
4 day later, when she had rented a
/ cabin near the outskirts of town with
out disclosing To any one her intentions
for the future or the story of tie past,
their interest was increased, and they
began to show their friendship in sub
stantial ways. y great heap of fire.
wood was mysteriOusly deposited with
in easy reach the first night. Bags of
-four. quantities of coffee and sugar
whole ham, and quarter of fresh veni
/ son likewise made there appearance from
some unexplained source the third morn
! ing.
Little was seen of the recipient of
/ these treasures, however. She had only
been on the street. once, and then only
to purchase a few necessary articles
/ Upon that occasion she met the reveren-
/ tial gaze of n score of loungeTs, and tur-
ned her head away, pretending not to
see, when the jOvial Bill Carter Snug
gled huge package of candy into the
child's capaciOus pocket. But aside
from that she had remained hidden
from view, and the miners knew as
little about her on the fourth day as they
had an the first.
The 23d of December was unusually
cold. even for that locality. As the fro
zen moon came up over distant cTag,
cutting with chilly hands the dusky
gloom, one might have fancied that he
had suddenly been trausplanted into the
Arctic region The ground was cover
ed with a shin layer of snow, which
gliSteued like FURNISHED silver in the
pale light Here and there along the
sides OF the gulch giant pines, standing
like guOStly SentineiS. threw spectral
shadows across the White expanse. The
roar of Potato creek, wrapped in the
icy arms of winter, was subdued to a
tiny. muffied trickling. And the wind
gently signing through the passes. played
. HOlian melodies among the needles Of
pine and taSSelS OF hemlOck.
In the main apartment of the MagnO-
LA saloon. a party of the boys were sit
ting around table, upon which steam
ed "A large bowl, emitting a fragrant
and aromatic odOr.
Whoever she mOught be- observed
a tall and rather angular parsonage
known to his companions IS Long Tom
Rollins" whoever she mought be, she's
alone. harrin' thet kid. and unprotected
besides She's sickly, too, and Orter
hev a doctor. This amt no sort of
place for IA inverlid," he concluded,
hesitatinglv, removing his heavy boot
from the table and helping himself TO a
liberal allowance OF the punch. Then,
after pause, he continued. Il wonder
what ailS the critter. anyhow ?''
A mans at the bottom of it, gentle
men. YOU hear me, - observed Judge
Gashwilder from the other side of the
table, nodding conviction at each of his
hearers in turn. Take my word for it
there's q man in it, as ther alters is in
any deviltry as rObs some poor woman's s
cheek of its bloom and her eye of its
light
The Judge was eloquent at all times.
But when bis round pate clistened from
the effects of good punch and his theme
was woman, he was thought by the men
of Mud Flat to have few equals. There
fore the little party seated around the
table was considerably startled when,
just as their tavOrite orator had thrust
his right hand into his breast as a pre-
paratorv gesture leading to more eX-
tended tribute to the sex, Long Tom
Rollins leaned forward and exclaimed /:
''See here, old man. How do yOu
know all this p
For n moment everybody was aghast.
Whether they were astonished at the
suddenness of the interruption. or ut the
T half-savage tone of the speaker, or wheth
er it occurred to them that the Judge
might possibly have 50 far over-stepped
the bounds Of prudence as 10 have at
tempted pumping the interesting
stranger, NAV never be known. But ii
is certain that they were astounded into
silence. Even Judge Gashwilder WAS
observed 20 lose his usual presence of
mind. For an instant his naturally Sc
. rene cOuntenance wore an expression
which in another would have been mis-
taken for guilt. If the confidence which
the others had always placed in him was
a trile shaken at that instant, it was
quickly restored when. after a moments
hesitation, the old gentleman explained
his peculiar position.
~ on see, gentlemen - he said, grad
ually resuming the attitude from which
he had been surprised by the abrupt
/ speech above quoted, Il was prowlin'
: round her cabin last night, when all of
a sudding | heered voices inside. The
door was open leetle bit. and by stand
in where | was l couldn't miss a syl-
laTbui. l viii here explain" he contin-
ued, thIusting his red bandana handEeT-
chief into his breast. ds was his wont
when speaking publicly, 'that | was
there for the purpose Of iindin' ont, II
possible. whether the gal was in need Of
anything that I could help her to-
(which accounts. - observed a bystan-
der ''for that CHECKING which was hung
up alongside the door when I came by
this mornin'.'
Il heered her talkin' with the kid, y
continued Judge Gashwilder, not MOTTO
ing the interruption, land l cOuldn t
help lissennen. As near as l could make
out, the talk was like this:
When shall we see papa 2
Heaven knows, my baby. We have