St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-09-19
CHAPTER TI.-CoNr1NuEp.

''They were such little bits O. tots
when I left that really 'spect they
have forgotten how their own father
looks. There's Martha, now, she'd
recognize me in minute, I'll venture;
six years is a long time, though, and
I've had some awful hard knocks durin'
that time, wonder now if am 1ookin'
much the wus for wear" and he arose
a little hurriedly and went and hunted
up the bit Of looking-glass among his
kit of things, and took long look at
himself with a queer kind of feeling
about the heart, that some way re-
minded him of the days when he first
knew himself to be in love with Martha
Simmonds, and was little uncertain as
to how his advances would be received.
Every day after that until they came,
he had looked in the glass at least once,
and often more than once, and had kept
his hair and beard combed and his
clothes looking as well as possible, con-
sidering the fact that, to a very great
extent, be was forced to rely on strings
to do the duty usually performed by
buttons.
He had at first thought Of meeting
his family at Sacramento, and had gone
down there in the middle of August
with the intention of remaining until
they arrived; but as the time OF their
coming was quite uncertain, and might
not be for several weeks yet, and as
some things remained to be done to the
cottage, he had made arrangements
with 10 bronson, who also had friends
in the expected company, to see that
they were properly directed after being
supplied with anything of which they
might be in special need, or to at once
notify him in case anything had gone
wrong with them, and had returned to
the ranch to await them there
For several days after his return he
busted himself about the cottage, put
ting in a shelf here; driving up q nail
there; going ont to look at the garden,
the ground for which he had broken
early in the spring almost the first day
after ne had laid his claim and written
his family to come and which now,
thanks to his careful tending and the
natural adaptability of the soil and
climate, could easily furnish vegetables
and melons enough for a larger family
than the one whose wants they were in
tended to supply; and remembering
that but few days or weeks interviewed
before their coming, that even now
they might be in sight from the bluffs
at the bend of the creek whose wind
ings the road followed, that they might
be coming around the bend at any mo
ment, is it any wonder that he slept but
lightly, or that he often raised himself
from his blanket. fancying he heard a
familiar voice calling to him through
the darkness?
Only two days before their arrival a
neigboring squatter called at the ranch,
and the two men spoke together earn
estly and excited1y, and when the neigh
Dor left John Parsons hastily mounted
his pony and dashed away across the
country at break-neck speed, casting
anxious chances back over the track IN
the direction from which he expected
any day, any hour, to see the canvas
covered wagon in whose occupants
every hope of his life centered.
After an absence of few hours he
returned at the same reckless pace, but
Ogriy to dash off again, after making GER
tain that no one had been at the cottage
during his absence.
Just at nightfall he came home,
fastened instead of turning loose his
pony, and cut for him bundle of the
wild oats that grow so Justify upon the
rich soil of the Suscol Ranch and sur
rounding valley.
Then he began to pace back and
forth before the porch of the cottage.
He did not cook or eat any supper
be even forgot to light his pipe.