West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-07-26

you get me 10 King slow docks in time
TO catch boat waiting there for me, be-
fore those men catch us, I'll give you
fifty dollars. If not
The alternative was expressed by
drawn revolver, pointed thTeateningly at
Sans blanching face.
| He turned the mare head into Kings
low road. The minutes and the miles
sped by in silence, the stranger watch
ful, with his fingers closed on the revol.
yer, Sam silenly considering his chances
for escape from the fate he saw only too
plainly hanging over him that OF arrest
aud perh1ps imprisonment for helping a
felon escape the outstretched arm of JUS
tice.
"And what would Missus sayl" Sam
groaned.
They were close upon Kingslow when
he spoke.
''Look'ee hyar, mister" he said,
you've gone about fur 'nuff with this
ere hoss an wagin." And he began TO
draw in the nearly spent horse. There
was short struggle, then a pistol re-
port, and Sam fell backward into the
body II the wagon and lay motionless.
Slowly and gradually the conscious
ness of earthly things began TO return to
j
fort to turn over and look around him.
''Wha-whar be Il he queried
weakly.
You're two weeks out at sea, nv
hearty, and bound for six months
cruise to China, on the trimmest craft
that sails the blue" said CHEEKY voice
( beside him.
"a friend o. yourn shipped you,"
continued the voice, afterward proving
TO belong to the kind hearted second
mate, Just after you'd hurt yourself
foolin' with your revolver He SAID
he'd promised you to, cause you had
sick relation or something in China, an
seeing your name was on the books, an
he furnishin' plenty o. money for your
nuss;n', we had to take you along as
we'd agreed. Now 60 to sleep, an you'll
be we'll before you know it. :"
Sam had plenty OF time TO think out
many knotty problems during the weary
weeks that followed.
'Mebbe l war trihe shiftin' an on
easy-like for sech woman as Missus,"
he said suddenly aloud one day. 'bF
ever git back, I'm blamed II don't
start new count thet'll please her. But
won't the boys open their eyes when they
hear about thism
When the clock struck one on the day
Alissus watched Sam disappear down the
dusty road, she took up her dinner and
sat grimly down to her solitary meal.
That finished, true TO her word, she
cleared away the things and went on
with her work.
EveningsSaxOe, but brought no signs Of
the absent Sam. When bedtime ar
rived she rose, shut up the house and
went wrath rully TO bed
She unlocked the door In the morning,
smiling 10 herself as she wondered where
Sam had spent the night after finding
the house securely fastened against him.
Hell be along in plenty time for
breakfast, with another errant ter do ia
town -shitfless creeturi" she thought.
About noon neighbor drove into the
yard behind the old white mare. They
had caught her, he said, straying alone
over Kingslow downs, but Sam was no
where TO be found. The few drops of
blood in the bottom of the wagon, how
ever, limited at grave explanation of his
mysterious disappearance, and when,
week later, the unacceptable body OF
man was discovered short distance
from where the horse was found no room
for doubt was left in any mind, even in
the most reluctant one of Missus herself
From the day that the fact of Sans
death became evident TO her, she with.
drew wholly from the society and sym.
pathy of her neighbors, and shut herself
mp alone with her tiresome and persis-
tent reflections. That one half wish kent
ringing in her aching cars "Ef he never
cum back; ef he never cum back"
And 1t was wonderful how great the
number Of things she found herself
obliged to do during the day that Sam,
she remembered now, had unassertingly
done and left ready to her hand.
Day after day dragged themselves
slowly across the burning blue and dis
appeared in weeks and months. The
afternoon sun lay aslant the kitchen
floor, where Missus sat knitting sad re.
grets into her winters work.
It was easy TO see that these months
had mellowcd and softcued her severe
nature. She was thinking-as she had
thought many times before, with, per-
haps, a touch more of self reproach now
in the thought ''Ef hedn't ha' ben
so hash with him mebbe things would
ha gone better. A man can't be tied TO
pots an tubs an' on one spot a tut
squar', the way woman kin, an stay
satisfied, / spOse. Though / never
thought ont thet way then. IF he could
only KUN back now, he'd find things
different Ireckon. An he might 90 to
town now an tben--in reason. "
Footsteps were heard crunching their
way up the walk to the kitchen door
There was moments hesitation, then
some one knocked, and as Missus rose
uncertainty, filed with vague, underlined
expectation, the door was opened wide
and man stood IN the doorway.
''sam |" was All she said, as she
stretched out both trembling hands to-
ward him, but there was look Of lov.
ing joy in her face such n Sam had
never seen before in all the days OF his
married life
''MIssus," he stammered, 'T-I furgot
ter git the water-but brung the eight
cent cotton p'- Detroit Free Press.
Flowers In icy Prison.