The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-11-01

|
and pity for the poor girl, 1 felt as
brave as any fellow, however big,
could be, and full of ideas as well.
"Give me that" said, pointing to
her blue veil, "They won't see you're
gone if 1 sit here with it tied over my
head"
"Oh, no, no They'll kill you"
Not theml They can't interfere
with me-" Il declare, 1 felt as if
l could fight Sammy and a dozen
old ladies just then "Quick, now
or never" tied the veil over
my head and lowered the window as
softly as possible. There was no time
to lose, for the train was slackening
speed even then. unlocked the door.
She gave me one look that made me
feel Drawer than ever, and inclined to
cry, both at once; and in a second she
was out on the step. The train
stopped. saw her skirt flutter in the
stream of light that fell from our open
carriage door across the down line of
rails, and that was all-and l was
huddled down under the big plaid rug
with the old woman, wide awake,
standing over me.
"Drat the boy. Sammy, call the
porter; he's got out at the wrong
side"
"Call-un-yre-self," answered Sammy,
all in one word.
She pulled the door to and tramped
back to her seat, taking no more notice
of me than if had been a cushion of
the carriage. at don't matter if he
has broken his neck either" she NUT
tered, "perhaps we'd better make no
fuss" The train was off again. 1
dared not jump up while she was in
the way, and thought must take my
chance at the next station.
"Ohl my bones and bodyp she
groaned, presently. "Oh, what time
it has been! Sammy
No answer.
"Sammyl" She was up again and
l think she hauled him up and shook
him, for something fell with a crash
like a broken bottle.
"You idiot" she screamed. "When
you want all the brains you've got
and more tool To play me this trick ?
Serve you right if get out and leave
you at the next station-ughp'
1t sounded as if she were banging
his head against against the carriage.
That and the fresh air seemed to rouse
him. He got up and put his head out
of the window for a short time, and
then replied, slowly and impressively:
"Now, look here, old woman. None
OF your nonsense. When he's wanted,
Samuel Nixon is all there. And no
man alive can say he isn't" he went on
solemnly, holding carefully on to one
word till he was sure of the next.
" AS to this business, ask you-is it
mine or is it yours? Now, thenP"
yours, should think; as it's your
wife who is giving us all this trouble.
l wish I'd left you to fight it out your
selves"
Stop this" said Sammy, who was
talking himself sober and consequently
savage. "Pll not have it put upon
me. / didn't want to marry her; that
was your doing, and 1 don't want to
make away with her; that's your
doing, and if it's hanging matter,
I'm not the one to swing for it,"
Heaven forgive you, Sammy" said
the old woman, evidently horribly
scared. Don't ye talk that way to
your poor old mOther-don't. If the
poor creature was only in her right
mind she'd be the first to say her old
nurse was her best friend-the only one
she had in the world when her pa died
and left her"
Here she snifled a little. Sammy
gave a sort of derisive growl.
"And as to her marrying you; it
stood to reason that she must marry
somebody, sometime, left all alone in
the world with her good looks and her
fortune; and why not my handsome
son? 1t was luck for you, Sammy,
though you turn against me now,
There you were, just come home from
foreign parts, without a halfpenny in
your pocket or a notion where to find
one; and there was she without a re-
lation or friend to interfere with YOU
as simple as baby-not a creature to
stop her doing as she chose with her
self and her money. 1t would have
been a sin and a shame to lose such a
chance. Of course, 1 wanted to see
my handsome lad as good a gentleman
as the best of them" The old woman
seemed to be talking on and on pur-
posely, like telling a rigmarole to
child to keep it quiet. Sammy growled
again in a milder tone.
"Oh, yes. Say it's,all my fault, do
You can talk black white when it
pleases you"
at was your fault, Sammy. You
might have lived happy and peaceable
if you'd chosen. Haven't been down
on my bended knees to beg you to let
her alone when you was treating her
that shameful that the whole country
side was ringing with it. You know
it, and Others knew it. And l can tell