Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-12-10

duty by you daughter, and you remem-
Der you are Thew
And he's Boynford,' said Keziah,
interrupting. but people of different
names marry. don't they. pap?'
Yes, yes, Kizzie, that's all right.
don't object to the name, but he is as
much like his father as one fox is like
another
We'll, pap that isn't saying anything
very bad about Baz. L always have
heard his father was very good-temper-
ed and honest man
Il have nothing to say against that,
Kizzie; nothing, no nothing against that;
but-he-was-a-whig, and l am re-
spOnsibs for you. must do my duty by
you. Kizzie; mind that child must do
my duty-and | won't have any fool
ishness with Bag Boynford'
Then he helped himself literally to
veDison and corn bread. He had said
his say, and laid down the law of mar.
riage in his household. Then be talked
of his long and successful tramp over
the mountains. But if fathers forget
that love takes no account of politics or
religion, young daughters with love in
their hearts do not, and certainly her
fathers words did not convince KeZiah
there was any great wickedness in think
ing of Basil Boynford, and she bent her
brown face over her plate, eating little
and wondering much how she would
get down the valley to froIie to be
held that night, to which all young peo-
pie of the neighborhood were invited.
While she was wondering she heard
footsteps on the porch and a tap at the
door, and Who of all men should enter
but Basil Boynford. He was tall, long
limbed, square-shouldered, and slightly
angular, but with his bright gray eyes,
long brown hair, and the light down of
youth on the chin of his nut-brown,
good-humored face, he was very pleas
ant to look on. When Keziah saw him
much sweetness gathered about ber
mouth and much trouble in her eyes,
which deepened greatly when she turned
toward her father and ssaw the stern
look on bis face. Basil saw nothing of
all this. He was eager to escort Keziab
to the frolie in the valley, and he plung+
ed into his mission at once. We'll have
splendid time so he said. You ought
to come along, Uncle Ben $50 every one
called Benjamin Thew, you'll think
yourself young again. Basil was full
of love and hope and there was rOllick-
ing jollity in his voice.
Then Benjamin Thew spoke: Basil
Boynford, Kezlah Thew can't go down
to the valley or anywhere else with you
'Sho, Uncle Ben, you're joking; of
course we'll go. Why, look here, Uncle
Ben; Kizzie wouldn't go with any enc
else, and L wouldn't go with any enc
but Kizzie. Why, bless you, Uncle Ben,
it wouldn't be any frolic, not to me,
without Kizzie.'
While Basil was speaking, Thew walk
ed over to the wall and lifted his rifle
from the pegs on which it rested. Then,
turning toward Basil, he said:
L won't have any whig running here
after my daughter
Sho, now said Basil, laughing good
naturedly. If can swallow your rank
Locofocoism without getting sick, you
oughtn't to make faces over the little
Whig in me-
With that Benjamin Thew raised his
rifle, and with an ominous softness in
his voice he said:
Basil Boynford, I'll give you just
minute to git out inter the road
Keziah ran in before the mnzzle of
her fathers rifle to shelter Basil, but he
brushed her gently aside and said:
Let him shoot, K;zzie, if he wants to-
Then looking into the eye sighting along
the rife barrel, be added:
You deedn't shoot, Uncle Ben, unless
you're spelling for it. That argument is
good; it convinces me l ought to go.
Then he went ont into the road. And
the frolic in the valley was held without
the presence of either Basil or Keziah.
If any imagine that Keziah put Basil
out of her heart after this they are mista-
en-. Opposition does not work that way,
and Basil only laughed, greeted Thew
with pleasant 'How-de. Uncle Ben,
whenever he met him. and whispered
soft nonsense to KeZiah on the sly when
ever he cOnld. So the months wore away
until Christmas. The Sd day after Christ
mas Benjamin Thew started away from
home early in the morning, with his
long, trusty rife on his shoulder. At,
midnight, thing which never occurred
before, he was not at home. Near day.
light Basil BOynfnrd entered Thew's
house, carrying Benjamin Thew on his
| back.
In the middle of the afternoon Thew
slipped on the rocks. In falling he
spraine6 an ankle severely, at the same
time disturbed great loose rock which
rolled over against the stones between
which he fell, so that he was confined
and in danger OF being crushed if he at
tempted to move the rock in any but
one direction, and as to that one he was
powerless. Basil Boynford. who was
hunting higher up on the mountain,
heard his cries for help, and hurried to
his side. When he saw who it was, and
how he was confined, Basil sat down
near him, with his rifle across his lap.
well, Uncle Bsn,' he said, quietly,
you're in pretty tight fix, amt you?