The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-01-06
THE MISSING HUSBAND;
Christmas at Mud Flat.
OIL

CHE HAD been in camp four days.
- Where che came from, why she
came, or 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 q change In the kind OF
women who from time to time invaded
the precincts of that classic 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-bespat-
tered coach to the portico of the hotel
everybody saw that she clung convul-
slvely to the little child whose arms
were twined about her neck. They
observed, also, that her features we've
pale and bloodless to an extent that was
almost pitiful. BY that delicate intui-
ton which somtimes exists under the
toughest exteriors, the sturdy miners OF
Mud Flat understood that the strange
lady was suffering from mental as well
as physical illness. Their sympathy
was aroused in her behalf from that
instant, and every man in the place
Immediately constituted himself her
champion and friend.
A 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 the past,
their interest was increased, and they
began to show their friendship in sub
stantial ways. A great heap of firewood
was mysteriously deposited within easy
reach the first night. Bags of flour,
quantities of coffee and sugar u whole
ham, and quarter of fresh venison
likewise made their appearance from
some unexplained source the third
morning.
Little was seen of the recipient of
these treasures, however. She had only
been Oh the street once, and then only
to purchase few necessary articles.
Upon that occasion she met the rever-
"
turned her head away, pretending not
to see, when the jovial Bill Carter SNUG
gled a huge package of candy into the
.child's capacous pocket. But aside
from that she had remained hidden from
veiw, and the miners knew as little
about her on the fourth day as they had
on the first.
The Esd of December was unusually
cold, even for that locality. AS the
frozen moon came up over a distant
crag, cutting with chilly hands the
dusky gloom, one might have fancied
that he had suddenly been transplanted
into the Arctic region. The ground was
covered with thin layer of snow, which
glistened like FURNISHED silver in the
pale night. Here and there along the
sides of the gulch, giant pines, standing
like ghostly sentinels, threw spectral
shadows across the white expanse. The
roar of Potata creek, wrapped in the icy
arms of win ter, was subdued to tiny,
muflied trickling. And the wind,gently
signing through the passes, played 40
liam melodies among the needles of pine
and tasses of hemlock.
In the main apartment of the Magno-
liza saloon, a party of the boys were
sitting around table, upon which
steamed a large bowl, emitting fragrant
and aromatic odor.
Whoever she mought be-" observed
tall and rather angular parsonage
known to his companions as Long Tom
Rollins" whoever she mought be,
She's alone, barrin' thet kid, and unpre-
tected besides. She's sickly, too, and
orter hev doctor. This amt no sort
of a place for IA inverlid," he conclud-
ed, hesitatingly, removing his heavy
boot from the table, and helping him.
self to liberal allowance of the punch.
Then. after a pause, he continued, "I
wonder what ails the critter, anyhow p''
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 1t
there's man in it, as ther alters is in
any deviltry as robs some poor woman e
cheek of its bloom and her eye of Its
light"
The Judge was eloquent at all times.
But when his round pate glistened from
the effects of good punch and his theme
was woman, he was thought by the
snen Of Mud Flat to have few equals
Therefore the little party seated around
the table was considerably startled
when, just as their favorite orator haC