The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-07-22
NELLIE CLIFFORD.
BY CEPHAS A. LEACH.

COuiu NC any mCAC PopOit1' GAu
when Esquire Gookins proposed that
should kill her, if need be, in his
service, / felt much as if he had asked
me to risk my own life. He wanted
that I should drive her, in fearful
mud, at full speed, for twenty-four
miles. She had given me a good
position, and start in the world, and
was my pride and joy and means of
subsistence. And now the old skin
flint offered to pay me eighty-fve
dollars if I killed her, and demanded
that / should do my best to get the
money. And I had sworn to "do my
best" in all my officials duties, and
had no right to spare my property
more than myself.
When | was twenty-one my father
gave me freedom suit and one hun
dred dollars and Nellie Clifford. The
next day went down to the court
house for a nelghbor who wanted a
ride home. AS lie came out with the
rest l heard a lawyer say to the
sheriff, Cant you send deputy to
Queechy and get that witness here in
the morning? If he is here sharp
when the court opens, his evidence
will still be taken"
"Why, it's twanty-four miles. He
went there to dodge the summons
and will dogde the deputy and make
delay, and there's ten chances to one
against getting him here at the
minute"
"WeIl, get new deputy whom he
won't suspect, sharp fellow with a
good horse, and try it, and will pay
the fees at any rate, and double them
if he gets him here in time"
"Here's just the man for you and
his horse is the best in town" said
neighbor Conant.
s'That is horse" said the lawyer,
with look of special admiration at
Nellie.
"Yes, and a man, too," said the
sheriff; "just the man, all but his
age. He is only twenty. for he
could not vote for me at the election.
And I'd like to give him the job,
too, for it is a good one and he gave
me my Office"
At the election little while before,
/ brought In two voters from Fire
Hill only an hour before the polls
closed. A wagon load coming in
from Sugar Hollow reported that old
Uncle Isaac Hall was too feeble to
come in a lumber wagon, but his
daughter would let him come if a
carriage was sent for him. DR..
Snow had just got out of his gig to 60
in and vote. l said to him: "Can |
take your gig to 60 after Uncle Isaac ?"
eyes" said he; "but not my horse. !"
sprang to his horse, unhitched the
throat-latch, names and girth, snatch
ed out the bits, lifted the shafts and
harness, and babe the would-be
sheriff hold them up, while | snatch
ed my horse out of her harness and
whirled her under the harness, drop
ped it on, borrowed the sheriffs watch
and was off in less time than it takes
to tell it. / drove the five miles in
twenty minutes. When in sight of
the house I stood up and swung my
hat, and he came out ready to get In !;
and whirled, took him in and got
back in time to save the election by
that one vote, to say nothing of the
two others 1 had brought. The
sheriff tried to pay me ten dollars or
to have me keep the watch. But L
told him if 1 sold my work at cleo
ton, I would hire the meanest man
in town to the thresh me, and if he
paid for such work l would work
against him as long as | lived.
"Well," said he, "when you are
candidate for sheriff | will help you"
And he did.
"No," said Mr.. Conant, "you are
mistaken. Mr. Hyde was twenty-oDe
yesterday, and that's his freedom suit
and his freedom horse and he is just
the man for your work
To hear neighbor speak 50 we'll
of me and call me man, and emphs-
size the mister, was quite to my
liking.
"Is that SO; and will you try it ?"
said he.
"Yes, sir! Yes, sir - I replied.
"There is just the man for you,
said the sheriff to the lawyer. "He
brought in an invalid voter with that
horse, FIVE miles out and five back,
in fifty-three minuets, including a
change of vehicles. And the old gen.
tleman came in so easily that he
thought he had been an hour on the
road"
"But how will Mr.. Conant get
homer" said l.