Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-12-20

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on rude bed 81 Quilts, in the bottom
of the wagon body.
Have YOU found my boy yctl' she
piped, feebly, with eager bsseeching.
''Oh, have you found himT
| I'VE hain'tp=- began Carl Senter.
"Hushl" whispered Jess. 1--WE ex-
| pect TO find him soon, gran'ma He
KANT be fur off," he added, sooth-
ingly.
"Oh, am SO glad'' the sick woman
whispered. II was afraid that some
thing. had happened to him. But you'll
find him, won't your she went ON,
anxiously.
well try" answered Jess.
sShe's clost to dyin', I'm afeard, he
said, when the committee had with
drawn a short distance from the wagon
for consultation. Out of her head
an dyin'i"
What air we goin' to dor ques-
toned Cal.
What we kin p replied Jess. ''She's
starvin', too, believer
Two minutes later one of the emf
grafton committee was hurrying to-
wards Prairie City as fast as his horse
could carry him.
"Mebby her boy lives somewers yer
abouts, " suggested Carl Senter,
Have you found him2" the faint
voice quivered, as the bearded faces
looked into the wagon again.
What did you say his name was2"
questioned Jess. ut sorto slipped me. !"
paul" and her voice dWelt low
ingly upon the name--"Paul Emery"
The shaggy heads were solemnly
shaken. No one knew Paul Emery.
Puzzled, they withdrew for another
consultation.
''I'm afeard she'll never see her boy,
if he h'ain't found mighty soon" said
Long Jess. ags
wonder if we couldn't sorto find
him, anyhow" said Cal ''Mebby she
couldn't tell"-
"'Twouldnt make her no worse"
spoke Jess, IAN it might
The others grasped the idea. Again
tho bearded faces looked in$o tho
wagon.
know him at first sight," ques-
toned Jess. might have changed
good deal"
The sick woman babbled on little
while of how she would know her boy
her Paul. Then she produced bat
tered tintype from beneath her pill
low. r
That is Paul, my boy!' she said,
cagcrly-"Paulp
The picture dinly revealed o slender
young fellow, honest faced and beard
less. n
The shaggy heads wero gravely
shaken.
The scar don't show much in the
picture" tho sick woman piped,
weakly. Tho doctor said it would
always remain there. And Bessie
said she never wanted it to fade from
his check, because it would always be
o reminder of how no had risl1ed his
Life to save hers. Bessie ti
Tho committee heard no more. They
had hastily withdrawn.
III stay yere an wait fur Jerry"
Cal Senter said, after few moments
conference was held. 'Take my boss
Wal, | reckon
The rest of the committeeman were
galloping away, and he was alone be-
side tho wagon. gy., .far
Looks like imposin' on the pore
woman" he muttered. But, if we
KANT find the right son we've got to
do the next best thing. He'll look
something like her Paul when the
boys hev got through with him"
Sinks, tho outcast, lay stretched
face downwardS III the shade Of few
scraggy persimmon trees nearthc head
of q little draw" two miles beyond
the spot where the committee had left
him. There was moro Of despair in
his face than any citizen Of Prairie
City had ever seen there. Eut when,
aroused by the hoof beats, he found
himself again III the hands Of the emf
grafton committee, the old and almost
eXprcssionless mask fell over his face
again.
He madc no comment when ordered
to pile on" to Calls horse, and the
cavalcado took the back track towards
Prairie City, at a headlong speed But
once, Long Jess, close at hand, heard
him rnuttcr;
Its all right, anyhow. Nobody'n
carcw
Cal Scntcr, sqratting in the shade Of
the sick wOman's wagon, saw tho little
troop p2ss, quarter of mile away,
and grumbled: BLAMED imposition on
her but it's tho best we kin do"
Jerry was passed by the cavalcnde,
ten minutes later, on his hcadlong way
back to the wagon with several pack
ages in his hands and pockets. 1t was
evident that he comprchcnded the sit
uation, for he said, addressing himself,
Looks like a great shame, but mebby
it's the best the boys Kin do"
Sinks look of stolidity changed to
one Of mystiflcation and agtoni3hmont
soon after Prairie City YVES reached.
He was hurried into the barber shop
and thrust into chair, and, in response
to a stern command from Long Jess, the
knight of the razor trimmed the out
casts hair and removed his beard with
q celebrity that threatened to rob him
of bis cuticle at the same time. While
this was going on several of the COM
mitteemen were rushing about, to the
intense mystincaton Of the unofficial
citizens, who asked hundred cues
tons. and were shamcfully snubB2d