The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-06-20

"There's them that's hunting me to
my death; for Gods sake, won't you
help mef"
All my life / have wanted to be
man, and now the time has come to
act like one. am rubbing Calico down
in her stall-pa and being the only
men-I mean pa being the only man
about the place, we do this sort of
thing ourselves when the dear old fell
low hobbies down the pathway and
puts his head In the door.
ISIS" be begins, with wide, excited
eyes, "did you meet a big fellow down
the road-a dark chap with lots of
bumps and black, frizzled whiskers ?"
! had not and / said so.
"Well, he came by here hunting up
some scamp who robbed a bank in
Richmond and got down to these parts
with the money in his pocket and
bullet in his flesh. 1 started him down
the main road. I wonder you didn't
see him."
"I drove round by the mill, an
swer. quietly enough, considering l
feel like a tornado; "but he won't
catch his scamp tonight, dad"
"Think not? Why?"
Because I've got him snug in the
barn p
Goodness, gracious then I'll
just"
He is making his way to warn JUS
tice as fast as his weak legs will let
him, whel l steady him against the
stable door and take away his cane.
"Dad,' l cry, savagely, II adore
you, but if you take another step to
harm that man, why-you've only got
a dozen daughters to go through the
rest of your life"
"You y gasps pa-and [ wonder
the wisp of straw he has been chew
ing does not strangle him black on the
spot" child Of mine help thief"
"Exactly and she means to make
you an accessory after the act Now,
see here, pa, 1 don't set up to be a
cherub but when q fellow-creature,
starved and bleeding, asks me to help
him in the name of God, why 1 mean
to help him if break every law in
Virginia to atoms--so therep
Pa looks stunned bit-as 1 knew
he would-wavers a bit, and then lay
ing one big brown paw on my head, as
I likewise expected, knowing pas
ways as do, cries stoutly:
"Spoken like a man, Sis; and now
let's have look at your villain"
When we stand at last before the
poor fellow, he looks so pitifully help
less stretched out there on the friendly
straw, that pas loving heart gets the
best of his law-abiding principles, and
he bathes the hurt arm as tenderly as
if it had never been raised in crime.
When pa first notices the Jug of
water 1 have brought from the spring
and the carriage-robe rolled up for a
pillow with the rough side in, he looks
at me wonderingly for second, aud
then calculates with most contented
happiness:
"Thank God, Sis, you are only a
woman after all -
Isuppose pa means well, but 1t dogs
not sound encouraging considering I've
been trying to do my duty like man
Even fathers are human.
, "It's no use," means the poor crea-
ture, when pa has done his best with
, the wound. "Pm a goin' fast, boss
but she said they should not-touch
me"
, "Don't worry. my lad" cries pa
cheerily. Fright or wrong, here you
stay until"
ut won't be-long-I feel it comm
| fast-and hard-I would have died out
t there on the black roadside except fol
/ her, God bless her If you-don't
t mind"-and here he looks at me like
some gaunt, faithful dog, that ] lear
| over him by pa to catch his dying
words ''if you don't mind-wil you
take this bag from-around my neck
3 1t chokes met chokes-"
: "There, there" says pa, tenderly
S "and now, my lad, before you go tC
sleep, tell me, does this money belong
[ to the bank?"
Eyes, yes" cries the dying man
with an imploring glance at pa while
[ he tries to touch my hand with his owl
f poor feeble fingers "take it back
t boss, and tell them--tell them-tha
he-reward-belongs to-her-"
-
Yes, that is the true and simpl
> story of my fortune, no matter wha
4 the papers said. For long time pi
would not let me touch a penny o
that five thousand dollars, but tn
4 people at the bank insisted that busl
o ness was business, [ had earned the
money and there it was.