The Red Cloud chief., 1881-07-28
A WILD-GO0SE CHASE.

1t hung above the cEimneypiece in
the whiicwa>hcd parlor OF the little
Carolina country inn-the portrait of n
young girl, in n simple dress and straw
= hat. with her hands iull of cherry
branches laden with frnit. 1t was 4
= Southern IA q, with Il dark. rich bloom
\ of colOring, and a passionate. half-shy,
half-coquettish expression which fasci-
mated me at the first glance; and the
more | looked at that beautiful face,
and met the gaze of the dark eyes al
ways benz down upon me and following
1ny motions, the more fascinated | be-
came, until r day | awoke suddenly
10 the consciousness that L was actually
in love with a picture?
Who was the original, InOw bean to
wonder? Ii was clearly a portrait, N
the painting still SO fresh that it could
have been taken but within 4 few wears
past. For Some time L heSitated TO
make the inquiry. for felt ashamed of
my own folly. and had a guilty fear of
lis being discovered and exposing me
10 ridicule. But one day. finding my
cood-natured landlady seated on the
piazza. Just outside the parlor window,
shellirg peas. | yentured to remark,
with an assumed air of indifference, that
. il was a pretty picture n well exc
. cutcd.
lis it?' she answered. glancing up
over her sp~ectacleS. Wei, | dare say
II is. though ! amt much of n jedge of
p;cturs. Pears TO me-, she's too peart
nd SASSY lookin', and 5 got n temper of
her own. or I'm mistaken. She might
ilv favors nv brother Ebnn's darter.
2 Barberv- line. bouncin' gal, who had
' ALWAYS more EeauN on a Sunday than
most gals have in n year. and come to
nick out the wust o the lot, aher all"
"Do YOU know whose portrait it is?"
i inquired.
..Well. can't say / do. We found
it here with the rest o the furn:ur'.
we come from Gates County a
while ago. You see"-brightening in
70 interest-..the new railroad spilled
our cd place III Gates for a tavern
stand: aud as me and my old man was
used to that business, we had TO root up
and look out for another. And jest
then. old Davis. who kept this place,
.d;sN and all he left had to 90 for debt;
nd we concluded to leasn the tavern,
furnitur' and all. jest as 1T stood. That's
how we 1Ounu 'S
..;t;s we don't know" -,
..Porbans MIR. DAVIS had a daugnue.r
..pIoss IN. no! He was q ionesonie
=. bacheior. with only hall a ~ ana
% 70 help him keep tave, ~ :, :"
seIor ,b;ngs. Now L thlnk
Ne La Quickly, 81 did heas nh,nt
she a1de1, qNevs say something aoous
them olo ,,'hen he was down mere one
that pictur VIZ liz anybody KNOWS
whose tits, II : NV miles up the river
he moved aMaynp of his own, where
to a little In TO raisin' peanuts ana
he ssolons for the marSe.
wsstermeiS" Tou b'iieve that his wife-a
Nno,oadv. drivin' sort o woman
snl3it, .n6 worth an ordinary dozen
she ID house and managed
@ L. business for old Davis? L would
h nan heen glad to keep her. for were
ha,,, a GOOD run o custom here'
Es:ch hears a little toe hard on nv
ehnnidnrs. considerin' I'm not as young
FL uSed to be-. If Miss Mandy hadn't
Lonned along Jest about that time,
Iop't skeersely know how i should a.
1T alonp. She was old Davis cousin
End come a long distance to pay him :
H;sit- lest in time to find him dead; ane
sLa,,rerced to stay awhile and help mt
a little for her board. She might,
snry and smart. Don't Won agree VIII
me. Mr. Cour;enav? And such store q
she sets on YOU! Why. size SAYS your
aperfect gentleman; and it was she a
briled The cartridges for vour snPpe
! last night. with her own hand; AM AN
tha& reminds me-" Concluded ME-
Bowling, busting up. shat 49,,
be SEEM after dinner, 20 'ha' sn
pease are shelled." an,
Il turned from the O Minu SOTO
lay down on the Oh ors .n resd
facing the picture. eres over III
newspaper. but the =, me an
ch~i7ney-piece smiled 6a;ns curve,
the Formers of the rich tic mocs
downward in 2 MT Of and fe
Fry, until lie eed the
forpr areaG1