The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-03-03

All the hills were melting in the opal
dimness of the soft October haze, through
which, among the pines, aspen groves
shone like yellow flames. Day by day
the ne-colored frouds of the sumach
were scattered by autumn winds. The
air in its mingled brightness and vigol
rekindled that pure JOY OF living whose
loss the etfeminate world bewails to-day.
But it also reminded the miner that it
was time to bank his cabin or leave for
the valley, thing he was likely to do
earlier than usual this year on account of
threatened Indian troubles. 1t likewise
set Mrs. Kent to making preparations for
her only daughters wedding. On5 there
weddings do not occur every day, nor
are they generally Of great Importance
when they do. This, however, was a
special affair. Mrs. Kent, having been
widowed by accident some years before,
had proved herself a brisk, capable wo-
man, had opened stopping place on
the road to the mines, and made it with
Mandy's help, so clean, so home-like and
popular that she was i'll a fair way to be
come a capitalist. She owned on claims
named more or less openly after herself or
her daughter; she had more than one
present by which to remember grateful
guests she had her regular profits, and
her regular position.
1t could not be expected that such q
state of things would long endure without
some matrimonial catastrophe, though
both We're adored with that general atteC-
ton which is not very dangerous in its
results. Mandys choice had at last fallen
on young ranchman we'll started in life,
but no great tayOrite of Mrs. Kent.
She would not have welcomed Prince
Arthur if he had come to take away her
right hand, but, seeing there was no help
for it, she determined to give, in honor
of the occasion, the grand "spread" OF
which only such a housekeeper was ca
pable.
The poor, hearty, generous miners.
All the delicacies of Delmonicos cannot
50 please the cloyed appetites of its pa
irons as the prospect of a wholesome
square meaW does them. They We're
invited cordially, where indeed, would
Mrs Kent have been without them
She had her two hired girls tidy to the
utmost, the tidy dining room that had
welcomed such various figures from the
tony capitalist and his toner hireling,
to the last dead broke adventurer. Under
her direction caldronS of oysters, stacks
of ham, bOuntiful cakes and coffee were
prepared to invigorate the guests who,
mostly masculine, might be depressed by
the coming ceremony.
At the very moment, however, when
the minister was ready to unite George
lnI
bonds, the young lady proved her woman
ly qualities by an engaging fit of hesita-
ton. She didn't know as she wanted to
get married at all. In vain her girl
friends soothed the sobbing bride elect,
urged her not to disappOint every one.
She only retorted half-angrily, "Just wait
till you 60 to get married and see if it
isn't serious" Finding that they could
neither reason nor joke her out of he1
whim, they left the field to her lover,
whose proteStations finally induced her t.
dry her tears and consent to their union
The patient preacher had Just opened
proceedings in the orthodox manner, when
a galloping horse, the western sign of dis
after red-headed youth burst in the
door, but no one resented his want OF
manners as the new arrival gasped-
''The Arapahoes isis a comm. Hun
dreds of em. | saw 'em and run"
"Where? How fast ? How many y
were the questions hailed on the unre-
spending herald, who, pitching himself
on horseback, was out of sight in a twink
ling.
OF course it was fine chance to make
a piece Of border history, to die in de
fence of the ladies, and the dinner, but
no one happened to see it in that light
Miners, so far from loving bloodshed, are,
in their daily lives the most order loving
people in the world. Danger does not
trighten them, but many had no firearms,
many had little ones back in the East to
be left helpless. The house was wood
Ell one, ten miles from town, unfit fol
lack OF ammunition to stand siege at all.
So to the immense relief of the women,
they resolved to evacuate the premises.
or to use old Sands expression determined
''to get out of this as quick as the Lord'll
let you"
Helter, skelter not without a fierce
regret for the lost provisions, they mount
ed and rode off. Mrs. Kent's light wagon
was filled, George and Mandy were to
ride behind, when the girl suddenly re-
1ueSted him to wait moment. George.
white as ashes, demurred, but she was
resolute, declaring she should go back
alone if he did not wait While she ran
up stairs, he remained by the gate shak-
ing in every limb as he looked at the low
hills OF the East. The last of the fug
tives had disappeared, still she did not
come. He pushed back his crisp black
locks impatiently. "Mandy, Mandee, y
he called rather family, then turned, and,
IN veritable paroXysm of terror, drop
ped her pony's rein and hurried away
toward town.
In five minutes Mandy Kent came
down, dark cloak thrown over her light
dress. Nothing living was to be seen
except her pony and the chickens. who
pecked away as TRANQUILITY as if chicken
was deadly poison to savages. Long gray
clouds, coming up from the west, had al
ready covered halfthe sky. With feel
ing of bitter and indignant disappoint-
ment, she tried to catch her pony The
sklttlsh beast retreated up a steep gulch
she followed it a little distance, then
looked back and her heart sickened as
she saw, coming up the plain swan of
Indian ponies. She ran up the ravine to
little cabin, put there, long ago, for
calves, drew out and examined the cause
Of her delay, handsome dagger she had
played with as child, and crouched in
the darkest corner Of her retreat, her
heart beating till she was almost blind,
her nerves strung to the highest pitch Of
excitement and terror
If you do not know what an Indian
scare is, it is useless to describe it, No
civilized understanding can conceive the
horror of dealing with a foe apparently
as subtle and as crnal as the evil one