Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-05-08

conductor pronounced the metal to be,
without doubt, genuine gold.
you see, it was this way" said Cap,
turning about in his seat 50 that he
could speak to those in the seat behind
him a. 10 the conductor in front-"me
and the old lady allus calc'lste 10 give
our children little candy and things
every Christmas: but when, the day Ne
fore Christmas. came home from the
store down ia the village with pound
or two in tais pocket, and few pounds
in that, and sack full slaug over my
shoulder, and a wooden elephant with a
leather trunk and a Noah'o ark, and a
doll baby that would cry mamma, :
bursting out Of a paper sack in my arms.
and me ,a-sneaklu' around the back way
so as the children might not catch me
and tumble to tile racket, felt full
growed ST. Nicholas aud my heart was
Jest Il sin2in Peace on ear;h and good
will toward mem
"'Abner, says my old lady when she
sees my pile, / don'r believe that uiule
al down TO Jake Peavsoa'S ranch IS got
a allame thing. Jake IS that mean that
hc'd never squanJcr collar FOR fool
toys, and it jest natchelly makes me
: tired to thiuk OF our brais rolling in
goodies and that littIe yelltr-haiTrd gal
Without even mola-,es.
Il saw her bluT and raised il, Gin
ne that there doll, old lady, ssz, 'and
a tin horse and about Two pounds Of
! that confectionery, and we'Il see If she
don't .aaye 4 Christina, yet, all the
4 sama.
81 put 'em in a sack and waltzed
along the road tell KEN 10 the place
Jest above Pearson 5 ranch, which lies
at the foot of the mountain, and after
/ stumbling down fur about a hundred
wards could almost look down Pear
sons chimbly, directly underneath me,
: and all at once | heard the little gal
scream,
Pearson hadn't lived in them dig
gins more'n six months, and We neigh
bors didn't know a great deal about
him; but our wimmsn folk, they'd a
spied out the land little, as wimmen
will, and they lowed that Pearson WAS
a-liying ia the shknty all alone, 'eept-
ing FUR this little seyen-yeAr-old gal,
and they swore up aud down that he
didn't treat her right. They knew he
was rascal the first time they seed
him, and once or twice he WAS seen
whippin her with \ luther strap. We
men didn't take much stock in III cir
talk; but we laid low and lowed that
the first time We kotchsd him red-hsnd-
cd a-whippin' airy ga with a luther
strap 'ud be $ mighty urhsG.thy time
for Pearson.
"Wcll, sir, boys, he vu doing that
very thing when l lit down sn him
with the buckle end, too, mind you;
and if | hadn't been a lsw-ina. order
abiding citizen, swan I'd a shot him
then. But lowed il was best to have
witnesses. and ef Ia killed hin 'thout
no one by to see fair play, It might have
caused talk. so jest TUX tbs strap
! from hn, and kinder scared him into
decency with a touch or two on his own
shoulders, and then l took him 10 one
side and guV him the knicknscks.
"'You put them in the kids stocking
to night SO she will hpd EN- when abe
wake. up in the morning,' AeZ |. Its
Christmas morning, snd ws are sll
Christians up yer in these diggins, scr
|, and II you don't swear I'll 'mash
your hesd.'
"He snarled ana showed his teeth,
/ like bull dog that wants 10 bite but is
afraid to, and | swan 10 Esn, gentle
men, | wuz downright put out that
we'd let that little gal live all alone so
long with Iech a human hyen.. But,
as said before, didn't Ike 10 take the
Law into my own hands all alone, so |
nallzed Of and hunted up soss Of tbs
nsighbors, AMI told them JEST how the
land lay, and sskeS their advice. They
all said the same thing.
"'We'll 20 down and talk to him,
right on, see they.
"'Bring the litJle ga up 10 cur ranch
after you get through with him, ssE ray
old Lady; she kin have hons with US
~ long az she pleases.
"Thet druy the nail horneand elinchsd
her or the other side. The nimneI
wuz With us. So we TUX sleng stout
luther lariat, with a running nsSse in
one end, kinder handy fer talking TO
sech carriou as Pearson, aud jest "a
night vuz beginning to set in we got
under way toward lie ranch. They
wuz six Of us-Hank Fletcher, Gale
Blcdsoe, stumpy Bluessker, old man
Ba-set, Injun Pete and ne-jest ensugli
TO be Judge, jury and e1ecuGoner."
Cap. paused here to light fre'h ei-
gar; bur before the fame OF the match
hal taken hold on the tobacco he tossed
the burning match aside.
Jest excuse me fur about two Sec
onds, gentlemen, whilst | waltz in and
sec ef my little gal is a-bankerin' FOL
{ a-ytbi n ~ ,hat T hin 0af her -
The girl was contentedly cuddled "
in corner Of the green plush-coversC
seat, fast asleep, with her head resting
on soft black and white plaid shawl
With her delicate features and bsauti
ful yellow hair, she would have been
considered lovely anywhere, and sfte
seeing her it was easy to understand tn,
look Of tenderness which lighted up tn,