Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-05-09

l Q8UOb up " sdIUAIo " I'LL y CoOAAS IauQl
and Colonel Joe gave her into the teach.
ers hold with q curious, nxlf. shameful
halt-deIlghted expression on his counte
nance.
"Now, Miss Stuart" he said, standing
upright once more, that baby's father
was MY partner and chum. He died just
two days before this little one was born.
I've sorter looked after the mother, and
now she's dead-died this morning. She
was always weakly. There isn't woman
left in our camp. I've tried to feed the
little thing to-day, but had to throw uE
my hand at last. Then thought ovel
all the women down here in this settle.
ment, and couldn't seem to fix on anyone
that I'd like to leave the little critteI
with until Sammy Dent said: There's
the little schoolma'am.' So I started
right away; 1 was goingto your boarding
place but saw your door, here, wide open
and knew yon hadn't gone. Now what
1 want to say is this: Won't you take
the baby and give up the school? I'll
pay you well-I've got plenty of money
See, Miss Stuart-the poor little thing
how she takes to you"
For the baby was smiling and cooling
contentedly in Barbara's arms, while
Barbara was turning this project over in
her MIND
| Colonel Joe waited in silence for a
n oment, looking at the fair little school
ma am grading the baby on her breast
A flush crept up his bronzed cheeks, and
a new light came into his eyes as he
spoke again little huskily.
IL vow, little woman, wish you would
take me with the baby and bring us
both up together" Then as Barbara
shrunk back with hasty gesture Of dis
sent the colonel sighed softly and added
Mono! Of couse you wouldn't. l only
wished it you know. l know I'm a
rough ticket, but Lord of Love! if I had q
darling little wife to train me there's nc
knowing what l might be! But you'll
take the baby?
She must have time to consider. She
would take it for the present and leave
it with Mrs Braggs, her landlady, dur.
ing school hours; and at the close of the
term she would let him know what her
decision was.
So the little schoolma'am walked
home that night with Colonel Joe riding
at her side on his big black horse, bear
ing the baby on one arm.
AS natural consequence, after that
Barbara saw mote of this man, who was
known as such desperate character.
He called to inquire for the child, and
kept her supplied with necessary funds;
and it was at once funny and pathetic
sight to see the tall, powerful, handbook
ing man, terror to most people in the
vicinity, kneeling beside the wee baby
girl and lifting the satiny bits of hands
reverently in his brawny palm.
Barbara marveled at his gentleness.
An oath never passed his lips in her
presence, and he had apparently quite
forgotten his queer proposal in the
schoolroom.
Just before the close of the term Bar.
bara received bad news from home. The
little farm in Massachusetts, where lived
her aged father and mother, was to be
sold at auction on account of their failure
to pay up the mortgage. Her mother
was sick and they were very poor. What
little she could save, Barbara had sent
home to them, but that was not much.
When Colonel Joe came that evening
to see his baby, his keen eyes read the
trouble in Barbara's face
What is the matter, little woman?"
he queried gently, as he gave the baby
the top of his finger to suck.
Barbara, with sudden passionate
longing for sympathy, told him of her
parents and the loss of the old home; and
at the end, unable to control herself,
burst into tears
This startled the bold colonel. A wo-
mans tears he knew nothing about.
Hardly realizing the significance Of
the action, he caught her slender figure
close to his brest, and pulling out clean
cambria handkerchief which was one of
his luxuries, he wiped the tears from her
cheeks, soothing her as he might have
soothed child.
Don't you now! can't bear to see
you-makes me want to shoot myself!
Why, my little girl, the old place shan't
goat least III buy it myself, and the
old folks shall stay right there? Don't
you fret now! know a chap in Wor-
cester county, and I'll send him tele-
gram tomorrow to attend the auction,
and buy the placed"
Barbara was gaining her self control
now, and made movement to free her.
self but he held her-not rudy, but
gently and prayerfully, his dark eyes
wistful through the sodden mist which
had gathered in them.
Don't leave me-" he begged; I've
been trying mighty hard to be a straight
man, for a whole month because l
thought the time would come, when I
might stand my chance with other men
of winning you, didn't mean to speak
now, and don't mean to be rude, but l
tell you little woman, my heart aches
with love for you, and it's heaven for me
to mold this darling little face so close
to me-"
With which rather paradoxical state.
ment he bent his handsome head little
closer, faint smile creeping over his
face.
A sudden conviction swept the last
lingering doubt from Barbara's heart.
You may think her foolish and weak,
perhaps. Be that as it may, she made
no further effort to free herself from the
mans embrace, and the big brown
moustache settled upon her lips.
And so it happened that Colonel Joe
and the little schoolma'am, now Mrs.
Joseph Parkes, went to Massachusetts
a short time after, taking with them the
baby of Joe's dead partner.
The Colonel is q steady man now;
owns farm in Massachusetts; is the
fof hor of mo hov ,Ioo,,,o hrvo o~I n Lid