The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-12-15
HAHNvLLE, LOUISIANA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 49, 1885,

"Tom, I've bin thinkin' over what
you told me last night, an / dunno but
what 'twould be a good thing At any
rate, lad, I'll help YOU"
What made you leave so sudden
like. oil manP"
"0h, nothing. kinder thought I'd
like to go over the thing by myself. 7"
was the answer, made lightly enough.
Tom did not know then nor after
wards what his partner had done for
him.
Having Rhody's consent, or, rather.
goodwill, Tom had talk with Mary.
1t was in the afternoon, when school
was ended for the day, and the two
were strolling along through the little
valley just beyond the camp. What he
said to her and what she said to him
is of little or no consequence here. be-
cause it would be, in the first place,
stupid if repeated, interesting as it was
to them; and. in the second place, it
has nothing to do with the yarn. Be-
sides, do not know what was said, as
l was not there. 1t is enough that
Mary allowed Tom to understand that
she was willing to marry him. This
much was proved by the announce
ment of the engagement, which was
speedily made But just at this point
arose the queerest difficulty. AS 1 have
said, the men in the camp looked upon
the school-mistress as being one in
whose career they all had personal in
terest, and they objected strongly to the
proposed match. At first Tom and
Mary were both rather disposed to laugh
at the idea, but they found in time it
was no laughing matter. The question
was taken up warmly and debated with
the utmost acrimony on each side,
while Tom found that the number of
those opposed was decidedly greater
than those in his favor. Threats of tar
and feathers finally became common,
and things began to assume most dis
agreeable aspect. In this condition of
affairs Rhody came nobly to the front
He had been one of the strongest advo-
Gates of the lovers during the whole
thing, but Tom had noticed that he was
strangely busy with letters. One day
when there were large mum Der of the
men opposed to the match collected in
front of the store discussing the affair,
Rhody came down the street, and paus-
ing in front of the crowd. said:
Ivy o WdLlU W SpSdh W yO. 1ubI
none on ye ez doesn't know ez how
Tom, my pardner, wants to marry tn e
school-marm. Thar's many on We ez is
agin any such 'rangement, most cause
they thinks the gal mout do better. /
gin we all credit fur this feeln', an I'm
glad fur to do so. | dunno as I've
thought myself that the gal wer' dom
the best she could in MARVIN Tom. "
(Murmurs of applause from the crowd J
$50 I've wrote to the Company, an
wrote agin an agin, an now I'm glad
fur to tell ye all that my pard, Tom
Freeman, air the superintendent of the
Rattlesnake, WI six thousand a year
salary. | hez resigned myself"
II won't have it, Ipard." broke in
Tom. 81 amt half as fit as you fur the
place, an won't have it,
Yes, you will, lad" said Rhody.
''Why shouldn't YEP Sides you amt
goin' fur to make me out liar" and
the mans stern face lit up with a
SMILE
Toms protestations were drowned in
the cheers which went up from the
crowd. Turned completely around by
the generosity of Rhody, they We're now
as eager for the wedding as they had
before been opposed, and before many
weeks, Rhody stood up and gave the
school-marm away, an admiring crowd
filling the school-house to Overlooking.
~ T. Ledger.