The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-20

his years had warranted the titular ad-
jective, had been the last male of his name
for many years in Crowfoot. A loving son
to an almost imbecile mother, old Steve
bad lived but one short year after his mar
riage to the girl who had done SO much to
cheer his mothers declining days. During
that year Steve had enjoyed a greater
amount of quiet happine than most men
are aba to compass in lifetime. Two
months before hi; death the birth of a son
added to the happiness "Thar'N be an
other Stabbs on the sign" he sail proudly
to his wife, who had looked up fonily into
the rugged face OF him WIN had proved 50
good to her.
1t was now six months since "Juls Stubs
convic'" hal made his first appearances
among the dwellers in Crowfoot Every
man in the vllag, spoke well of him, and
his tacturnity ana self-seelusion had caused
many rustic Phyllis to bite her red lips or
toss her pretty head He had proven
very koh,i-noor Of conyicts. He was
up before daylight working in the
field en1 at night coali be heard
by wakeful neighbori mending and
planning for the morrow's labors Hsnever
SCENE tired He was a man of ideas, too,
and had been at the farm but few weeks
when people began TO notice quite differ
ence in its appearance. Little Steve had
taken the greatest fancy to Amos from the
first, and woull sit stirin. at him for
hours wa he was at work. The
chill seemed in soma indetinits way
to IN isr,tanI that his friea1 car
rid canksr at his heart which Ia tried to
10 of nd A
mask will slip off sometimes, aud often
when he thought him eli unobserved the
tall strong man would become weak for thu
moment with internal struggling when all
at once Il little hand would tug at his sleeve
| and face full of silent sympathy would be
lifted to hi, own There was something pa
tAetic in the chIl Is dsv5tioa AMI tls loyalty
written on tbs baby's face, which bora 50
| great likeness to his father. 1t was SOM
| time after Amos arrival before Mr.. Stuhb5
co id accu tom heriaii to the tall, broad
| >h ,uileret, blue-oyei mll who waited 81
| EumS!y for her or erI. Thers was a room
| il one OF the cut-housaS in which hs slept,
| AMI at fir t he had eaten i'll any fell where
he happened to be laborlng, but when til,
| days grew short ami cold wsarisl with lit
| 10 Steye'S constant imporSan,tie', tbs
wpIow had listened to the commands OF her
| own kinl heart and hal inyltel Amos to
| take his meals at the house.
| 1t was nearing tie eni of February, but
| vioient snowst0rm was raging along the
| Blue ridge, AMI now, though it was but {
| o'clock the snow wa; falling so fast and the
| aight was so bad THAI Mrs. Stubs had or.
| dered Amcs to closa The store There was a
| tidy little room benin the stors i'll which
| Mrs. Stubs was sitting sewing on little
dress for her boy who lay fast a,lear
on the settle. near which she sat and sewei.
| The old negro cook, Auat Patsy, could bt
family heard washing the lately usei sup
| per plates in the next room and qaarrein9
good -naturedly with her husband, whom
she called "Oli Scratch When Amos hal
finished closing the store and making things
fast for the night, he cams in the sttin :
room AMI stood gazing at the sleeping boy
| The night was so bleak and every thing ous
| side looked so dreGry, the IiTtle widow il
! her neat black calico end wiita collar WITT
her teader Sm!Is ami girii,iI fac, iooksi a
! picture of peace to the restless man stand
ing on the threshold.
well, Amo,i' tee widow asked pleas
antly, look ing up from her sewing.
a would like to speak to you, msam.
Amos began nervoasiy. "rve been wantin:
TO speak to you for soma time, but now
hardly know how to begin: butt want 70,
to let ne 90 back whero ! cana from
want to leave
Why. Amos" the widow sail, raisin.
her sot brown eyes with establishment
! "why do you want to leave mei Am un
kini:7
"Unkind Nc, indeed, ma'am. 1t is no
you; hut feel that cannot breathe hera
must get away said Amos, pres ing hi
hand to his chest
"Perha;s it is the nlountains,' tha widow
sail, letting her sewing fall into her lap
| "When | first cams here | uisi t. feal 50 ou
| pressed by their aearneS5, but after a Will
| | lost tlat feeling OF fear and now they
seem like big frien Is who surround tha
they may protect ms Perhaps after yo
| have livel among them longer, You too vii
learn to love them. 1t is always SO with
people who come up here from the valleys
they say"
"Oh! maam,' hs began but she inter
ruptei him.
4 knew what yoa ure going throuy h" sh
said slowly "When my old friend lay dyin.
here so lo.e, felt MS though l must ge
away from beneath the shadows OF thes
| everlasting hills | was so restless, vet s.
! p)warlssi, ana the memory Of my vale
home in far-away Virginia would rise like
star out Of the night of my despair beckon
| inS me away to the spot whore my ctili
hood had beea so gay; but tins wore on
and after many changes my husband died
saying to me with his dying lips: 'Stal
III. >,
stay, and Col will bless you. and stat,
here, Amos, and Col has blesssl me-" tn,
little widow sail, her dimplei mouth trem
bling.
"lnieei, in isei, ma'a m, " said the trouble.
man. Indeed | am not running away from
the mountains"
"Thcn what is its7 the widow asked sud
denly AMI decisively.
at is myself Amos answered solemnIv
"Your4elfl Why you will be yoursel
wherever you CO." the widow SAID kindly.
YES. ma'an, but not tue same self VIII
now stands before you. Oh, ma'am. the,
must have been sends, not men, who de
| viS.d ths law with which / am now pun
ished. i AM a feion who by the law has tn
right to every liberty except the freedom o
! my own lifa ] am man eoid into SLAYER,
for crime ! would have djsi rather thai
commit. They had to make al e1 ample,
they said at court, aui was tie example.
| You-you are everythia5 that is gentle AMI
| good, and IL am mEn whose life
whose heart-whose very nssh is in bond
to the state. / must get away from here
"But, Amos" the widow said catching
her breath sharply. off you go back they
may treat You harsaly, perhaps pu
| you in--"
"Oa, Hilary con finement is not the hard
est punishment that felon knows Ama
mterr1pte her with, "or being put H. dis
on the roadside, chained to other unfortun
ates. | shall not mini hard work. and soil
tule would be q respite -but-to be the en-,
man in Crowfoot different from his fellow
Il feel as though wero in a vice which il
gradually closin, on he, sitting all good
feeling, sutfocatin3-'
Aunt Patsy opened the door. "'u
gwinter de kitchin',' she said, swinging 4
| lighted lantern in her hand, "an' ole Scratci
II light yer ter de barn." she continued
holding her head to Amos Teller The
| young man ba lie the widow good mig hit ant