New-York tribune., 1884-11-16
THE STORY OF MARY.
Cu,pTER XVIII.


h,,l he seen Acting on Stcrn's snggest'on' '"'y
,;,l An walk TO the stable where the man was at
-, ,,steod of sumnoning him to the house stern
,o,icvel this TO hc the way to surprise the negro
and Long unwillnely yielding. felt less shame III
,hus conducting the inspection. Only yesterday tue
,c,ro bnd saved the life Of his child and now ne
WAS turning him over to prison.
alt aint true know it amt true" he sad aloud
tryine moro to rcassurc and excuse him'e' '"'" "
convince stern. -
mt storm answered. al hope. Mr.. Long yen are
co,rect. Aud then in silence they procccdcd to- the
az,
pnt,,tn. ,ic1 1, ap,st stool the team partially
h,r.ossc,. The stable door wide opcn showed
n,,hns hnt ncatncss and careful tending.
Clnncing in pnd remembering ts previous con
ditinn Long felt moro than ever ashamed 81 IN lr
inn 40 calcicni workman al nin't g"i' H. he
e,,l doegclly. tutnins away he face ~ with in"k
of triumph stern entered aud examined the hnid'
Into each slnll through The vNrl, around cach
stack of prnin hr wont nohndr N"hnuN nnt
iillc hoy lying Iacc downward on arlo"' now
"Whv, th,rs our Jim, jimmy onl Mrs l"nS
who through CURIOSITY hnd lnllnw'l T,''"S SnhNn" nhnNM '"
and crymc the hoy could not answer her unr'iinnS
storms who tre c"nEnss, n.'m"N "nn "Is "ET"
tnct so vague that feeling he was nnN l"'lhH ',hm
stern walked impaiiontly away, lhe m1lh,r, lell
nothing of Tom or he would not tell; he. was true
nnd loyal 10 his friend -, =,
Tho nccros disappearancc Joined to SternS hclci
that he had harhorcl the convict, aronSei the i'ais
OF Dick Iong Remembrance of he service rendered
was lost in the fear that he had hcen dealing with
fclon ExpncinQ to find hlmscll rohhel ~ some
hidden manner he summoned the laborcrs iron the
field ordering them all 10 unite III the search Tor
Tom. II maic holiday for the men. who with tests
and laughter drove pitchfoks into stacks of grain
nnd r,lcs of hav and searched every nook ami
granny around the farm But the only rssnl, . WIS
The cert lntv that however mnch convicted "i seai-
ing Tom had taken nothing from his new master.
IN was only because he had not time, stern rs,
tnred Ing whn sno%T ows ns Ts Scen cnig to little
Jimmy The child. exhausted W tn crying, now
leaned his hot face aga nst Ii $ iaiher ah" "n's-
How coald yer Dad. how could yer, when he
saved my life He amt no thief he amt stoe
nothin' an yer sad yerd he his If en- L.
While the men heat bush and meadow hunting
for the convict. ONea within SIGHT and sound o!
his pursuers lookel down as they passed ana re-
nasscd under the tree where. covered hy uNurlant
foliage he was concealed. AS for an instant after
parting from the weeping child he stood hesitatng
near as thus great live oak. that. forming the corner
mainsav of the stable. stretched its huge branches
protecingly over the child OF ITS adoption. soeS r
and steps approaching gave the negro little time Tor
consderation Te climbed MP the rugged bark.
high above the stable roof where. lindng branch
upon which the dark leaves grew thcEest. he ex,
tended himself full length upon IT. Jhe dark color
of his clothes made no contrast TO the Woon anu lie
hid his face among the leaves Here he felt com
motonlcss he had full opportunity to mora lie on
mans ingratitude. From his Observatory he saw
man on horseback dispatched in different directions
and surinsed that they were messengers sent IN
warning TO the neighboring farmhonses. lie heard
the midday bell for dinner. and after the nan
hour's rest saw the lahorers return to the heidi .
aThey have given up the hunt for the day." he
But Stern did not give mp the search. Tie walked
ronnd and round. even climbed hallway IN
Ss t1ee lad n wns "Ssn"e @' to e eare % his
Stf and sore he slipped TO the GROUND lie was
20 exhausted that he resolved or The rather daring
plan of tax ng Of the horses which after he had
mt some miles between himself and the place that
bat YESTERDAY offered for bis lifelong shelter ne
cnnld then turn loose TO find its wav homeward
lie looked mp at the low frame dwelling house with
a light shining in one window. ,.t,,.:,
They are on the lockout for thief" he said
bitterly: and then little Jimmy's sDbs and tears,
little Jimmy's warm affection, were remembered,
lie tricl the stable door II was locked hut with
his great strength il was no difficult matter to force
the worn-out iron. The hasp fell of. the door
heard n neigh from one of the team he had that
morning tended with care and pride lover OF
horses and an adept i'm managing them. ne hiI no
dihicnlty by soothing sounds and notions IN quiet
ing the dark bay that seemed TO recognize nun
Leading out the horse and putting 2 log against ne
door to keep it steady. he sniled bitterly at IN"
Thought that IN the morning Long would believe.
should the horse still he missing, the "orst that
conld be said Of the negro hc had harhorcd LETTING
down bars and strding across fields. he found him
self at some distance FROM the hcusc, when str KING
the road. he mounted and gaiIope1 az ;ull spec, lor
life and liberty. The horse bounding beneath hlm.
the cool mir rushing by brought sense of eNhilara
ton After all he was well. was free. and even II ne
were being pursued he had met friends, and good
ones This animal that cycry now and then
proudly archcd its neck heneath it's riders hand was
clad to serve him. So the eyes that looked up to
The dark blue sky with its myriad OF stars were full
of gratitude.
II was like giving mp a friend when. lcaplnr to the
ground. he tightcncd the Girth moro securely and
then turning the horses head whence they had
come gave him little cut and called Home l'ut
The pnrting grew harder For the animal springinQ
forward under the sting of the willow. went ONLY
lew PAGES then turned. crmc back to o'Nca stand
ing IN tie road and rnbhng MS hcad on MS
can't old fellow. can't and then while he
felt ashamed thus to rcquitc this affection he gave
him n sharp blow of the whip. The horse reared
plunged; another LASH and like an arrow of he
i,cv. back to the farm house. go
itt.e- Jimmy, first to awake. wandered ont with
pale face and swollen eyes. and found the tall hay
ut the stable door in the early mornng. Inc
blanket wet with sweat and the muddy legs showed
that he had made a long and hurried journey. The
boy although little afraid OF the great beast, I'M
strapped the eirth. bid The blanket. rubbed on the
mud and led the horse back to his stall before his
father was astlr or there was any other witness 10
Yon won't tell. jim Won won't tell little Jim
whispercd standing on tiptOe and peeping over the
ncighoring stall at the tall bav who contentedlv
grinding his corn seemed to have forgotten the
whole affair And then aS he thought OF dear
Tom ~ the little fellows grief broke out afresh In
the stable his father found him -.
saw Jimmy. git mp and don't he seen a baby"
Long said in a rough voice, hut the hand on the
bows shoulder gently drawn away and when
the child had run TO the ho1sc in answer to his
mothers sharp call. Dick Long, whose fears had
been awakened by the broken lock. Int who had
fornd everything in order looked after the little
fellow. saving: "Pm darned ef don't feel near as
bad as jim | wonder eff Tom ,cas a thief" And
then he went about his daily tasks. thinking some
times of the negro who came back Little Jim
watched for hun often at sunrise and at evening,
sometimes called ont his name IN lonely places,
listening almost fancyng child will that a
rustlng leaf, falling nut, was token OF the friend
who had quickly won his heart But Jim grew
older and the memory Of Tom became fainter and
fainter and perhaps would have died out altogether
- for no xvonborful his mother wOull