St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-10-26

being a shade worse than Border Ruf
fans, who are prO-slavery men but i
+ seems to me to be n choice between
t Beelzebub on the one side and Apoll
t yOn on the other"
. When people make journey o
fifteen hundred miles, in order to visi
their relatives, it is naturally to be eX
pected that their stay will be a Ion;
one, and although no time had beeI
fixed for our herOine's return home, i
was vaguely understood that they wer,
to stay until fall, when Mr.. BOOke
would make his annual trip to St
Louis in order to buy goods, and starr
them thence safely on their hOmewart
journey.
1t was still summer, when one pleas
ant morning, as Jessie sat quietly
reading, her Aunt Susan rushed into
her room in great excitement. Mrs
Booker had been suddenly taken i'll
and her husband and the doctor must
at once he summoned. The children
were all out, at the store or at school
and Jessie must go. She was hurriedly
starting OFF, When Aunt Susan came ia
her again with the youngest child, a
spoiled boy of three years Jessie must
take him with her, in order to prevent
his disturbing his mother.
Thomas, Jr., obeyed no one except
his mother, and the walk to the store,
was chase after the boy, who insisted
on walking alone and keeping ahead.
She congratulated herself that the dis
tance was short, and it was nearly ac-
complished, when suddenly, just as
L.
after him, Il band of horsemen came at
full speed around the corner. She
caught the child, feeling the hot breath
of a horse on her cheek as she did so.
There was All awful moment of terror,
us the animal reared in air, reined back
on his launches, by the strong hand
of his rider,-then she turned faint and
giddy, and Il minute later found her
self standing safely in front of her
uncle's store, with the handsomest man
she had ever seen, bOwing before her.
and holding Tommy with one hand
while he lifted his sOmbrerO with the
other. She took it all in,-the manly
figure in the blue hunting-shirt and
crimson sash: the bowie-knife and
pistols stuck in the belt; the long
feather in the -brimmed hat,
though she hardly raised her eyes as
she gasped out, "Thank YOU" and
clasping Tommy in her arms, burst
into tears on Uncle Toms shoulder, as
he, having witnessed the hairbreadth
escape, from the porch of his store,
came hurrying out to claim and com
fort her.
She sobbed out her errand, and Il
messenger was ut once dispatched for
| the doctor, while Mr.. Booker hurried
home, leaving her to the care of his
brother-in-law. Then, growing less
! hystcrical, she learned to her horror
and astOnishment that the hero, whose
steady nerve md strong hand had
saved her and little Tom from being
trampled to death, WAS none other
| than the terrible outlaw of whose wild
deeds she had heard so much, the re
nowned and redOubtable "Gentleman
.JiuI."
As for Gentleman Jim, never, prob
ably, in all his life had he seen such II
vision of beauty as this golden haired
| Virginia girl, and he was VanquiShed
on the spot Jayhawker though he
was, he had too much good taste to
| intrude himself on her in her then
| hysterical condition, but before he left
town that afternoon, he had learned
her name, and all there was to hear
about her, and a few days later came
in state, attended by dozen of his
troop, to announce to her uncles his
desire to make her his wife.
They heard him with Il degree of
patience which, on Carter Byrd's part
ut least, was due to wrath, too great
for words. 1t was just as well, how
ever, that anything kept him quiet,
while his prudent brother-in-law TEN
porzed with the unwelcOme wOOer,
politely explaining that they had no
legal control over the young lady, who
they preferred should choose for her
self, in II matter which so closely con
cerned her happiness for life. He
would inform her of the proposition
made her, and if the gentleman would
return in Il day or two, he should re-
ceive his answer from herself. At
present he could not invite him to call
both because his wife was just recOv-
ering from il severe illness, and because
his niece, being wholly unprepared for
the honor paid her, could not reason
ably he expected to give him an an
swer. Then standing treat" literally
all around, he parted amicably with
the men he would gladly have lodged
in Jail instead.
The vials of Carter Byrd's wrath
were poured out harmlessly after they
left, but Mr.. Booker, who luckily for
his success in life, had not Inherited the
hot blood of the Southern aristocrat.
heard him calmly.
"I say, Cartel" he said at last. yOu
ought to know me well enough by
now, to know that | don't dare the
devil with dozen more at his back,
unless | see my way clear to fight it
out. We had to gain time, tell you!
When the matter was reported to the
ladies', Aunt Susan ragged aloud at the
mans impertinence, and Aunt James
CONSERVATION was pitiful to behold.
AS for Jessie, she laughed at the affair
as a good joke, until her friends
gravely assured her that it was no
laughing matter; the man was n des-
perado, who would hesitate at no
measures by which he might gain his
point.
''DO you mean to say that he will
try to marry me by force, whether
am willing or not?" she asked.
Exactly so, or at least have a fight
for it with the sheriff of Blank county,
answered that functionary. 81 can't
say who will whip, but promise you
we will do our best to protect you, and
if it is necessary, | shall ask for squad
of cavalry" he added by way of en-
couragement. Thereupon his wife and
, her sister wept over their niece i'll con-
cert, until Jessie's naturally light heart
sank down into the toes of her shoes
, 1t was the first time in her life that
: she had ever been called on to face
its responsibilities, and the circum-
stances, it mnst be confessed, were
alarming. She might, indeed, flee t.