The banner-enterprise., 1883-05-24


knows as well as l, and while she
dawdles along 1t with a languid ele.
gance that suits us both, sit, tailor.
fashion. in the bottom of the cart
thinking, thinking, needless Of whiI
or rein.
read story once of a devil-fisl
crawling over the roof of pretty cot
tage by some southern sea. l don't
suppose there was a word Of truth in
it; but, some way, ever since pa made
a clean breast of his troubles, l can't
get that shiny black monster out OF
my thoughts night and day. should
say, indeed, that a mortgage like ours
was triAe the worst of the two, be
cause there's only one weapon to fight
it, and where in the world is pa to get
the first red telt of that terrible
$1,000.
Echo answers-where ?
If pa had only told me in time, per.
haps l might have done something
heroic with my poultry-a flock OF
gray geese did grand things for his
tory once on a time--but no, he kept
as dumb as Chcops, until found it all
out for myself, and no thanks to aLy-
body.
The way of 1t was ma started me
down to the meadow one evening last
week to see what pa meant by keeping
supper waiting, and when found him
leaning against the barn there as quiet
and gray as the shadows, l think the
One who doeth all things well must
have put 1t into my heart to wake
him up and tell me the matter.
There is no woman in all this big,
glorious world so weak as Samson
with his head shaved, and so he told
me between sobs-I don't ever want
to see my father cry again-how the
big family had gobbled up the small
earnings, how at last there was moth
ing to do but to borrow money on the
dear, shabby, old place, and now vii
lanous bill Of some sort was coming
due.
Never mind, dad," l said, "come
along to supper; I'll get you out of
your fix"
don't think pa realized at the min
ute-and | am sure | did not--that |
hal never seen so much as a hundred
dollars in all my life together, for he
followed me home c0ntentedly, put
his head unde; the spout while |
and then, with his hand on
my shoulder, went into the house and
eat supper enough for two.
The next day pa was out of his head
with a fever, and now to see him
orodding about the farm with stick
n his hand and a pain in his back
ooor, dear pa! OF course, the first
hing that suggested itself at his bed
,ide was blood, and plenty of it-and
did saddle Calico and race off to
murder the mortgage man-but l
night have saved myself the trouble,
or the vile creature wasn't at home
hen l turned the old mares head
oward the family sons-in-law, but
here wasn't a husband among them
Who had the cash to spare-tbey don't
eem to spare anything quite so con-
eniently as children l even decided
o.
"Say, young woman ~
am not a coward, but the creature
vho has brought the cart and my
houghts to such sudden halt looks
. like some great famished wolf,
tanding there at Calico's head, that l
hiver from head to foot, and he sees it.
"You needn't be afeard," he gasps,
A a rasping sort Of whisper. 81
aven't tho strength to harm you if |
~ will was )od for murder-look at |
hisw
His eyes turn toward his breast
is right arm lies stitlly across it clotted
nth something that must be blood,
nd the fingers look like the flesh of a
cad man.
| think he understands that I am
Drry for him, for before my heart can
imp back to its right place again me
rops the reins and touches his mangey
ap.
GIVE been skulkin' in these ERE
'oods, mis-, nigh onto week, and
hat with starvin' and the pain o
his, I'm most about dead played out"
"lf you will cut across the fields to
nat house over there" say, kindly, l
IN sure-for God knows | pity him
rom the bottom of my heart will
se that you get good supper"
:" l couldn't crawl there, much less
ak, and my time for suppers is over
,r this word, | reckon"
l am so sorry for the poor, misery
dden creature standing there In the
INNER twilight, with the fragrant
oods all around him, and the birds
lirping sleepily in the trees so very
,rry, and | tell him so
He totters as | say it, and l am Just
aking up my mind that Calico and l
I'VE disagreeable job before us when
, lays one miserable hand on the
heel, and, drawing his face near
Tough for me to see the ghastly seams
at want has scared there, cries i'm
oringly:
There's them that's hunting me to
y death; for Gods sake, won't you
lip meY
All my life l have wanted to be a
an, and now the time has come to
t like one. am rubbing Calico down
her stall-pa and being the only
EN- mean pa being the only man
'out the place, we do this sort of
ing ourselves when the dear old fell
W hobbies down the pathway and
IT. his head In the door. /
ISIS" lie begins. with wide, excited
es, "did you meet big fellow down {
9 road-a dark chap with lots of {
mps and black frizzled whiskers ?" {
l had not and l said so.
4" Well. he came by here hunting up