Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-18

long So he Was sustained by the prospect
OF q larger "strike," but condemned his
contentment with q modeet csrts,nty
Nevertheless little Of this suspicion en-
comprised his dwelling and contributed
to its loneliness, even IS long ditch, the
former tail race of the clsiEl, separated
him from his neigh5ore. Pfu6eutly hslt
ing az the edge Of the wood, Johnny saw
Ills Respondent vision cross the strip CT
barren fi:, and enter the cabin viii
Uncle Ben like sny other mortal, rs sa'
down on stump and waited it's return
which he fondly hoped might be alone
!! AT the end OF half ~ hou. he made Q
short excursion 20 examine the con,
dition OF a blackberry bramble, and
returned 20 his post Of observation. Ba;
thafe WAS neither sound nor molten IL
the direction of Ehe cabin. Whep another
tee minutes had elapsed, the door opened
and to Johnny's intense discontinue
Uncle Ben appeared alone and wslke1
leisurely towards the woods. Burning
with sDxiety, Johnny threw himself In
Uncle Ben's way. But here occurred
one Of those surprising Inconsistencies
known only to children. As Uncle Bsn
turned his srnsll gray eyes upon him in G
half sstopished, half questioning manner,
the potent spirit OF childish secretiveness
suddenly took possession Of the boy.
Wild horses could not now have torn
from him ths' question which only mo-
meot before WAS on his lips.
"Hullo, Johnny! What are Ye DOM
here?" said Uncle Ben kindly
"Nothin'." After pause, in which he
walked all round Uncle Ben's large fg.
ure, gazing up st him as If he were 8
monument, he added: "Huntin' black,
berrieth."
"Why amt you over at the COLLATION. 2"
"Ruperth there" he answered prompt
ly.
The idea OF being thus vicsriousiy
present in the person OF his brother,
seemed sufficient excuse. He lesp-
! frogged over the stump on which he had
! 1een sitting az sn easy misunderstanding
! pause fer the nex. question. But Uocle
Ben was apparently perfectly satisfied
With Johnny's reply, and nodding to him,
walked away.
When his figure mad disappeared In the
bushes, Johnny cautiously approached
the cabin. At certain distance be
picked up atone and thrsw it against
the door, immediately taking 10 his heels
and the friendly copse again. No one az
psariDg, he repeated the experiment twice
snd even thrice with larger stone and
at 8 nearer distance. Then he boldly
| skirted the cabin ald dropped into the
race ws7 a. its side. Following Il C
few hundred yards ne came upon =
| long dIsused shatt opening ia:o l.,
which had been covered with rough
/ lTSp ot old plsnks, as II ID protect in
cautious WRyfsrers from falling II. Here
8 audden snd irexp.iCsole fear over .ook
JoonIy, and he Tal GWEy.- When he
rescued the hotel almost the first sight
.hst met his ssGouudei eyes, WAS the
spectacle OF the paragon, sp srently Sill
ia uDdistuToed possession az al his p r.
teCtions-dr.viDg coolly eff in 2 buggy
with frGsh coTpln.on.
Msantims Mr., F1-d, however, touched
b. the sentimental signifsalCe OF Sha
! Co. Jfa:i0n, DtGa2te slightly weeried CT
it's defails As his own loom il
the Eurtks hotel Was actually
drilled by tEs brass bsEd without,
sDd The tIgqaeUce Ct speakers below, and
Gad become redCla9t Of gunp0w0er and
champagne exploded around j., be ds:Gr-
mined 70 retUln to the schoolhouse and
avail himself OF its woodland quiet TO
HLite NV Gesiefs.
The change WAS grateful, the distant
murmur Of the excited settlement came
only IS the soothing sound CT wind among
the leaves. TIE pure air OF the pines that
flied every Granny CT the quiat school
room and seemed 20 dispense ali t2ipt
CT human tenancy, made the far CT
celebrations a. unreal IS dream. The
only reality Of his life Tss here
he took from his pocket few letters
one which WAS Wora sud sciled with fire.
qlent handling. He re-resd II iI q hSif
me!hodiC&l, hsi patient wsY, IS Il he
we're waiting for come revelation 1t In
spired, which WAS slow that afternoon in
coming. At other times II called up .
youthful enthusiasm Which was wont 10
trarsfgure htt grtya and premstureIy
reserved face With rev expression.
To day the revelation ard expression
were both wanting. Ee put the letter
5.ck with slight sigh, that sounded so
prepos.erous IN that silent room, that be
could not f3rgo "a embarrassed smile.
But tie neXt moment he set himself Sc.
siously to Work On his correspondence.
Presently ne stopped olce or twice he
aad been overisken By G vague undefna-
0le sense OF pleasure, even to the dreamy
hslting Of his pen. 1: WAS sensation In
no way connected With the suoj act CT his
TrelpoI dence, Or even his previous re-
q ctiops-i. was partly Physical, ard yet
Ii YsB in some sense suggestive. Il must
be TIE intoxicating effsc. CT the woodland
air. He even fsncisd he had noticed it
tetore, ct the same hour when the sun
was decllE ing sad the fresh odo-s OF the
underground we're rising. 1t certainly
was perfume. Hs raised his eyes. There
lsy the cause on the desk before him-s
little ncsegay OF wild California myrtle
encircling . rosebud which had escaped
his notice.
There WIS nothing unusual In the c.rs
cums.suce. The children Wers in ire
habit Of making tleir offeIiugs generally
without parGiculs; reference to time or
occasion. snd II might have Been cvsr-
looked by Elm duJ!pg school houra. BE
felt & pity fer the forgotten posy ar2adS
De ginning 10 grow limp in Its neglected
solitude. He remembered that In s0me
folk lore CT the children's, perhsp3 G trs-
dition OF ma old association oil ths myrtle
with Venus, It wss believed TO be embles
ma.lc OF the a -ctions. He rene noered
also thst he had even Told them Of this
probable origin CT their SUPER
stilicr. he Was Bill holding u in his
hand when ne IVES CONSCIOUS OF silkt n