The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-04-09
miscellaneous.
Romance OF Roaring Camp.

She was a little thing, says the Icadyillt
HerdH, with large luminous eyes, that light
ing up her features, rendered positively at
tractiye face that would otherwise be passed
in crowd without second glance, and q
wealth of coal black hair, neatly arranged, ex
cept single heavy lock that by its own
weight had escaped from its fastenings. She
seemed half frightened at her position, and
her dark checks and forehead flushed to the
roots of her hair as she stepped into the little
room where the Squire sat dispensing Justice
She seemed nofayer lG, and modesty was APP
parent in her very attitude, as she stood with
folded hands awaiting the commencement OF
further proceedings.
Her companion was griZ2led, awkward
looking man, apparently 50years of age, with
an ugly scar stretching from the inner point
OF his left eye across his check to nearly the
point of his chin, describing an arc, which
had left wide track bare of an otherwise
luXuriant growth of gray whiskcrs. Hair
matted and growing low down on his fore
head, together with the distortion of his eye,
occasoncd by the scar, gave his countcnancc
a sinister lccr, positively repulsivc
The ill-assored pair stood for moment
while his Honor disposed of some papers be-
fore him, the man fumbing n WORKOUT felt
hat, while the girl nervously twisted her
fingers. As the justice turned toward them
eXpectantly, the man stepped to the desk,
and leaning toward his Honor, said in a CON
fidential, husky whisper:
Squire, you marry people, SUPPOSE"
The official nodded
" Well, reckon can give you little job
this morning"
Who are the parties!'
"This little gal here an me-"
His Honor pushed back his chair, put on
his spectacles and deliberately SURVEYED the
man from head to foot. His inspection fin
ishcd, he turned to the girl, whose bushes,
under his earnest inquiring gaze, chased each
other over neck, checks, and forehead, until
she was one glow of burning color.
See here, my man," said the Squire
come into my private room for Il moment
Take seat, miss
Leading the way to the inner room his
Honor closed the door and turned fiercely
upon his companion. Amt you ashamed
of yourself, you old scoundrcl, to come here
expecting me to marry you to a child like
that ?"
Now don't get hot, Squire. | know
amt much to look at. I've been told that
since l was "a kid and this beauty spot"
touching the scar "aint an Improvement
An it's all along o this scar that this ere cir
cumstancc has come about. This was the
way of it: You see, what with being ugly
and awkward, and all of that, | amt been
the best man in the world. | never harmed
any body, but generally kept pretty full and
if | got ahead any, why it all went in few
days for liquor; and so travelled round, and
was never anything but vagahond Well
last spring | struck the camp, an saw men
making money, an after big drunk found
myself without Il cent. This amt no place
for a man when he's dead-broke, an | tum-
bcd to myself an hoped short worked
month in the Little Pittsburg, an never
got drunk once, an then | took my money
an laid in two months grub stake, an
went up South Evans an took up Il claim.-
There's where first met Kitty, out there
Her father had the next claim to mine, an
she kept house for him, an we got kinder
neghborly like. When got broke was
down forty feet, an the hole look good.
worked for the Little Chief month then,
and then went at il again All that time
didn't drink drop. The second day after
] went back to the hole Kitty's father sick
ened, and in three days he was dead. Me- an
two or three others did all we could for the
girl, but there wasn't many of us up there
then, an we was all poor, an she lad no
money TO get away with. So ! Just moved
my grub over to her cabin, an told her that
if she'd do my cookin', an | struck it, ia
share even with her She couldn't do any
thing else, poor thing, an so | went on work.
ing, an in a month got it. OF course felt
good, an if / had been broke il would have
been all right But had couple of dollars
an came to town, an when the money was
all gone | was too drunk to go TO that little
gal, and because ] knew she'd come over 10
my cabint TO call me to supper, thought I'd
go down the Shaft and sleep il Off But q
drunken man can't calculate you know, an
after I'd let the rope down and fastened il !
went 10 slide down the rope, an touched tho
bucket, which was ON the edge of the hole
and it came down on my face an left this
scar. don't know how Igot down the rope
but | know that when got down couldn't
get up, an laid there without KNOWN moth
| ing, and when | come to ii was mornin, an
| there was that little girls face lookin' down
| the shaft. | thought II was an angel, and
kinder swooned on again an the next thing
/ knew some one was tyin' the rope aroun(
under my arms, an blessed if it want that
little gal. When she got through she Just
Skinned up the rope and hoisted me up her
self i don't know how she did it, but she
got me out and nussed me an Tn well.
sold my hole yesterday, an got enough tc
| keep us Dotn Com10rtaDle, an I've got uSet
to her, an don't know how to get along with
out her, an so we want to get married, an
that's the long an short of it,"
"But there's such difference in you
ages"
Not so much, squire" said the man, will
amovement of his eye that would have beel
wink, had wink been possible. "She's .;
and Tn 52-thc same figures, you know"
"But is the girl entirely willing"
"You can ask her." and as the old MAJ
spoke the door opeued, and the girl, who hat
become impatient at the long conference
walked in.
There's nothing wrong about this, Judge,
she broke out. I'm turning 20, an my owl
mistress, an Jim is the kindest, best man ii
the world, an love him. an though he don
say much, know he loves me; an wev
got $4,000, and we're going to get married
unless" and here she broke down in sol
1 Whn chonpna bis mimi