Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-04-01
A amAILcAaRIER.sExPEREENcE

late War-there was young man VIII,
carried the mail between Madison ano
Macon, Georgia His name was Boil
Lowe. He used his eyes and dears pref
ty we'll and never-fond as he was OF
| good story-told lies. To say 9Bol
Lowe says SO" was to certify to tht
| truth of statement, which was Ger
tainly to his credit; and, moreover
/ he was as honest as the day, and coulo
have been entrusted with untold golC
or uncounted diamonds Morally you
could not find fault with Bob Men
tally, he was very we'll for an uneduca
ted man but he had one. great failing
great particularly in the eyes of pret
ty Annie Wesley, who otherwise es
teemed Bob perfection. He had allied
! himself with certain class of persons
who termed themselves "free think.
ers"
This theological difference at last led
to little quarrel, and Bob tried to get
Annie out of his mind, but failed to do
| it; and Annie was very miserable, as
well for the sake of Bob's soul as for
herself for, though she had offers in
! plenty, not one-not even rich John
Grab, who had ever so many acres of
land-could be compared for mo-
ment in her mind to Bob, had Bob on
ly held proper sentiments.
So, though they kept apart for a
whole month, at last one bright morn
ing, as Bob rode along, slowly and stu
pidly for him, he saw, sitting under a
tree, little figure in blue dress that
he couldn't pass to save his life. So he
stopped his horse and called out
annie, is that you?"
Eyes, Bob" said Annie, showing a
pair of wet eyes. 81 came here on pur-
pose to see you. I've talked in my
poor, weak, womanish words, but you
talk so much better than / that, of
course, its of no use and all the while
there is One who talks so plainly to us,
and the words are here and I've
brought them to you, and please, dear
Bob, to read them, and perhaps"
. She did not finish the sentence, but
placed a pretty Bible in Bob's hand.
"Pve had it bound very nicely for
you, and oh! for my sake read tit
will teach you so much, Bob-so very
muchw
Bob took the book. For a moment
he felt annoyed, and much like sneer-
ing, but Annie was very dear to him !;
so he kept his anger down for her sake,
thanked her for her present, and placed
it in the breast-pocket of his coat.
CAS- if | were to be converted like
a sinner in a tractr' said Bob after he
had ridden on IL little. "But women
are not expected to have minds like
ours" And out of another pocket he
pulled an infidel tract, which a friend,
an unbelieving doctor, had loaned him,
and fell to reading.
1t was not wise thing, as the event
proved, for his horse, left to himself,
stumbled over something in the road
and was lamed not badly, it seemed,
but it forced Bob to dismount and stop
at country store to examine and bathe
the limb, and then he had to let the
beast take his own time afterward, so
that instead of trotting briskly into
Macon before sundown the young man
found himself belated on lonely road
hours after the sun had quite vanished
his horse growing lamer and his
hopes of supper quite gone.
Hang the tract!" growled Bob ;
what did | bother it for ?" And he
gave the paper a toss into a clump of
bushes, and then his mine went back
to Annie Wesley's Bible.
He felt for it. 1t was safe. He
wished that he was somehow better,
and he walked along with the bride
over his arm in quite a melancholy
mood.
Suddenly a shadow fell across the
road Bob looked up. Straight before
him sat a. mounted man with black
mask on his face and pistol III his
hand.
"Halti' commanded the individual,
ferociously; and Bob halted. "If you
are quiet you will come to no harm"
said the man. Il only want your mail
bag. happened to know that it is
worth something tonight, and I've fol-
lowed you from the store back yOnder.
There amt a soul in hearing, and you
may as well take it cody; | am armed,
you see; you are not. Hand over the
bag"
'Never" exclaimed Bob. "The mail
bag is in my care-entrusted; I'll
guard it as long as Ihave breath in my
body.
That won't be long," with a coarse
laugh, "if you don't listen to reason"
Bob, for reply, mounted his horse
and sat behind the mailbag.
Your life is in danger" warned
the robber. II intend to have those
letters, and life isn't worth much to
me. I'm in earnest; no fooling," and
he took deliberate aim at Bob Lovics
breast.
Bob was unarmed, and he loved life
dearly, but he was no coward. 1t was
useless to try to overcome the rObber.
He had only his fists-rather useless
weapons under the circumstances but
he showed fight" and as the robbers
anger kindled he fired. The aim was
good The little ball of lead lodged in
Bob's coat, just where his heart should
have been, and Bob staggered.
He was shocked rather than hurt;
and in that moment of excitement he
having heard that it was
often so in mortal injuries. Probably
he had received his death wound, and
the robber would walk off with the
mailbag, where Bob we'll knew reposed
the money which energetic Dick Dorr
had sent to take his poor old mother
from the alms-house, and other trusts
were in that leather bag-the humble
hopes and dreams of those who wrote
the letters twined about them.
The doctor and his infidel tract had
done Bob Lovic little good; but he was
honest and kindly yet.
"I'll fight while | Ihave drop of blood
left" he said to himself. "And help
may come and the mailbag be saved, !
even if | die"
He leaped from his horse and sprang
upon the highwayman with such vigor
that the man tumbled from his saddle. |
Then Bob struggled for the pistol, and |
gaining it, knocked the ruffian sense
less with the butt end, and sat down |
on his bosom to keep guard, expecting
to die every moment, but praying that |
help might come before the rObber re-
covered consciousness.
About this time a party of young
men, who were out on coon hunt, |
came up with faring torches, and a
score of dogs at their heels. They all |
knew Bob well, and the most Jealous |
were for dispatching the rObber; but |
the voice of the majority were for
binding him and carrying him to the |
city, to meet his reward at the hands
of Justice, and with this party Bob |
agreed.
He felt weak and his breast ached,
aDd ba avDaotad avnry moment tn feel |