The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-11-10

must hurry AWAY. Only Daisy. il yOur
Iather gets happy soon that is. |
mean. Il hc''-L ~
"Strikes oil. do YOU meanp" asked
she. precociously. B
eyes" laughed the scout, kissing
her again and again. until she wriggled
away: "yes. DAISY il YOUR father
strikes oil and seems yery Glad about
it YOU tell him that YOU saved him
from n scout. will youp Bnt mind.
little one. don't saw any thing until
- I'S 1ftIE w
y But at this instant, when little
Daisy's violet ewes were wide open
with wonder and the enthusiastic scout
was preparing to take a parting kiss
from her cherry lips two men came
from behind the great oak and as one
sn atched Daisy sore aiming to his breast,
The other, rointing q pistol at the head
of the scout, said. sternly:
81 could shoot you if [ wished, but
I've no fondness for homicide. I ad-
wise YOU. however. to follow that man
and nv daughter without resistance"
And then in this Indian file, Daisy
in front, turning now and then ner
sorrowful eyes around to meet the
TRANQUIL smile of the scout, they skirted
the hill and entered the ravlne. pass
ing through gate in tho high board
fence which enclosed the derrick and
rough structures about the oil we'll.
Here the stern-faced owner of the
mystery" directing several of his
men to bind the scout-who calmly
submitted to the indignity. for he saw
Daisy looking down upon him from a
window in the rude shsnty-then had
his prisoner thrust into the well-house
and left to the care of the workmen.
This altered his mood. So long, it
seemed, as he remained within reach
of Daisy's mournful ewes he had moth
ing but a cheerful acouiescence for his
captors. until the rough oil.men, who
knew him and had heard 40 much of
his cunning and temerity. now laughed
in his face and tainted him with his
craven submission. But left alone he
turned ssvagely upon them with q tor
rent of oaths and shamed and silenced
them. Indeed. as the day declined and
only the smoky gas lighted the well.
house, he began to regret the weakness
that had led him to thrust his neck in
to such moose. When at length the
owner of the we'll appeared before him
the scout turned to curse aloud. but
there was kindlier look in the mans
eve that STAYED his tongue. A word to
one of the men. and the ropes were
loosened from around the ankles of the
prisoner.
"Come with me-" he said, adding,
when thew were in the omen air. IL did
not know until Daisy lust told me that
YOU had decided to give up watching
us and were going away when came
upon Won. don't understand vhv
YOU should have done this, and Daisy
can't make it clear, either; but l viii
give your motive the benefit of the
doubt-that is, l will give you lodging
in the kitchen instead Of the well-house.
and such food as we have until it il
time to let YOU co."
The scout had no objection to make
against this arrangement; he knew,
on the contrary, that it would be far
more convenient for him to be captured
and held by the "mystery people.
than to have returned without infor.
nation 70 his EMPLOYERS. So he placid.
" stretched himself out on the floor of
the kitchen.
"Will YOU let me see Daisy to.mor.
row." he asked.
The man frowned at him.
"You see so much of her Won
know" said the scout. pleasantly;
land I don't, and l guess after thi,
will never see her again."
"Yes, but have q right to see her, "
retorted the other, wonderingly. 1--WE
shall see," and he left the room.
And that night the wildcstters along
the creek knew something had happened
to well No. s. There wss an explo sior
of natural gas at the mystery. The
! frail structures within the fence-der
| rick, engine, well and dwelling-house
were all RACED to the ground.
Little Daisy, creeping softly from he,
bed aud stepping noiselessly down the
bare stairs, had entered the kitchen
and stood silently, as she had done un
der the great oak, looking at her big
slumbrous friend. Suddenly as he hat
awakened upon Ossie's grave his eye.
opened and saw her and laughed.
I'm awful sorry" she said.
II amt Daisy; I'm glad"
care you really?"
Really"
"Then l don't care" She cam,
nearer and told him in contidentia
whisper that in the morning she wOul(
bring him Ossie's books to LOOK at
and then, as the moonlight coming IL
at the broken window gave her littl,
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