Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-08-05

y 3 y
atty. What did you come here for,
anyhow?n
Il want to find my father" was
the brief reply.
"Precious little use he would
have been to you if you had. II he
had been the right kind of a man
you wouldn't have been here"
II don't know. | haven't seen
him since / WAS four years old.
Mother used to say that he was a
cross old brute, but / never believ-
ed it. He was the only person in
all this world who was always kind
to me. / can remember yet how
he looked when | used TO hide be-
hind the rose bushes when / saw
him coming, and wait until he said:
Where's papa's boyY before / ran
to meet him. But he went away
me day and mother took me and
ran away. She never seemed to
think anything of him, but ] could
hardly live without him. used to
cry to go to him and she whipped
me, ana hard life I've led ever
since. She wasn't like him. She
smothered me with careSseS at one
time and vented her wrath upon
me the next. | always wanted
him. She said he had gone to Dem
yer, and when | was fifteen years of
age | ran away, hired out to some
drovers and crossed the plains.
But didn't find him. | went to
every party of miners that could
hear of. Sometimes / worked my
way with freighting parties, some
times / followed trains on foot.
found a man who said he knew
him and that he had gone 10 the
Black Hills, and | came here. |
heard there was Il party of miners
over in Rattlesnake Gulch, but my
feet were so sore that | couldn't
walk any farther, and / found the
horse grazing down there by the
stream and / thought would ride
him, and if my father was there he
would help me through, and if
didn't find him didn't care what
became OF me. Hang me, if you
want 70; il WORT be any worse than
what / have borne"
The miner pushed the hat back
from the tanned. forehead and gazed
intently into the prisoners face IA
moment, then dropped upon his
knees beside him.
"Are your wrists very painful,
bOy?" he asked, huskily, as his
knife descended, cutting the thongs
away and leaving the prisoner free,
"There, let me battle your poor,
swollen hands, and bruised and
blistered feet :" and the tears rolled
down the sunburned cheeks and fell
upon the bleeding wrists so recently
freed from cruel bonds. "pve al
ways longed for justice, and now if
the boys will take me out and hang
me, IN feel as if I'd had it."
care you my father 2" asked the
boy, winding his arms around the
miners neck and pressing his
cheek against the bearded face.
"rm your father" returned the
man, clasping the boy to his bosom
and sobbing cOnvulsively. "Id
have found you long ago if she had
not bribed doctor to write me of
your DEATH"
The next morning, when the
men came for their prisoner they
found him sleeping peacefully, with
his head upon his jailer's breast and
his wrists and feet bandaged with
strips torn from one of the miners
shirts. The father had not slept,
and when he saw the rope and the
astonished faces of the group, and
the full significance of their coming
flashed across his mind, he said,
with a strong effort at self-cOntrol:
"BOys, move for a new trial.
If hadn't known you would treat
me with more kindness than l
deserve, daylight wouldn't have
found me here, but | preferred to
trust to your generosity rather than
leave you with the matter uneX-
planned. 1t IS thirteen years since
! left my boy, expecting to see him
again after the lapse of few short
days, but for all these years have
thought him dead. l have been
bitterly wronged and it broke my
heart, soured my nature and made
me hard and stern towards trans
gressors. Look !" he said, carefully
unwinding the bandages. "Look
at the bruised and blistered feet
that have tramped from Illinois to
Denver, and from thence to these
regions in search of the father whose
face he had not seen since the day |
babe him goodbye, after carrying
him down to the gate upon my
shoulders, and then get your rifles
and shoot the brute that wanted
you To hang him just for borrowing
Il horse to ride over 10 another
gulch, after his feet were so tired
and worn and bruised that he
couldn't walk any farther. II you
feel like hanging somebody deserve
it more than he does, and that rope
mustn't be put around any neck but
mine. Tell your own story, boy"
And the youthful culprit told his
wanderings, his hardships, priva-
tons and disappOintments i'll search
of his father, and asked to live, il
only for a little while, now that he
had found him.
You'll die of old age before we
harm q hair Of your head" said
the Judge, drawing his sleeve across
his eyes and walking away, follow
ed by the others, leaving the father
and son alone. 1
care your wrists painful yet ?''
asked the miner, at length, lifting
one of the bandagcd hands tender
ly. /
"I've no complaint to make of
now, since l can look up
on your face" replied the boy, and
the father bathed the bruised feet
again and then prepared their
breakfast.
From that hour his nature SEEM
ed to change. A happy light shOne
in his eyes and touching tender
ness came over his features when
ever he met the loving gaze of the
boy, who had endured 50 much TO
find him. They were never known
to be apart during their stay in the
mines, and in few weeks the IA
Their took the wealth which he had
already accumulated and which he
said was worth something to him
now, and went back to his native
State, that his son might enjoy the
of cultivation and refine
ment; and ever since that night in
Lonely Gulch the miner is disposed
to deal leniently with youthful
offenders, offering the somewhat
obscure apology: HES somebody's
boy" - kas st
s.- The August vennor Promises.
Nennor makes the following pre-
dictions for August. He is evident |
ly determined to Keep people at !