San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-08
"MISSUS."


misses" looked scornfully over the wash
tub at the shifty, uneasy figure in the door
way.
1.-THE mare! She's gone with only ons
shoe a good three months, an now she
must be shod agin the plowin'l But thets
only an excuse to git with yer low cronies
in town, an ye mought as well take tibet as
anuther, fer ye will 60, spite OF all tibet l
kin say. Yes" she snapped as an after
thought, "you kin bring me yard. OF eight
cent cotton-unbleached, mind Now git out,
an spend the rest O. yer mornin' loafin'
round"
Mrs Loud, or, as she was more generally
called by her husband and few scattered
neighbors, "Missus," watched him drive
slowly off down the road behind the patient
mare without taking her arms from the suds
"Poor, shiftless creetur!" she muttered;
''nuthin' but nuisance ennyway. Amt no
more use than last years birds nest
Whatever KUN to marry him fer l don't
see."
She wiped the suds off either arm with her
thumb and forefnger.
"Sam Loudn she called, opening the door
sharply, "ef you amt back fer yer dinner
you don't git emmy here, that's ALL"
'sTharl" she exclaimed, after a few mo-
ments of steady rub rubbing up and down
over the board, the rhythmic motion keep
ing time to son Jordan's Stormy Banks l
Stand" which was running through her
mind "That lazy mortals clean forgot the
pail O. water told him to git half an hour
ago. Eff he never KUN back 'twould be a
'tarnal marcy"
Sam did not turn his head as Missus
launched after him her parting threat, but
logged slowly on, musing to himself.
EFF Missus nd only give Teller chance!
Sartin the mare needs shoein' bad; an
mans got to see how things is in town some
times-though l can't never make her see it
that way, somehow.
"a yard o. eight cent cotton" he repeated
aloud, to fix it more firmly in his unstable
memory "An mebbe kin find some little
thing to sort O. pacfy her, eff so bet as how l
can't git the mare shod afore noon. An l
declar' fort, eff l didn't furgit tibet pail O
water!"
A man, stranger to Sam, was walking
along the road little way ahead. At this
point he stopped and looked intently up and
down the broad, straight highway, stretch
ing in sight for miles either way.
came up to him; "can you give me a lift, as
we both seem to be going the same way"
"Reckon kim eff you amt tew hefty," re-
turned Sam, cheerfully, pulling up his horse.
"fur a spell, s fur IS 60"
The man, from his clothes and manner evil
IDENTIFY gentleman, climbed to place beside
Sam and listened silently to that worthy's
garrulous conversation.
"Thet little red buildin' on yer lef',
stranger" he was just saying, "was whar
fust larned ter stick pins in the school
marsters cheer, an teri Here the man
broke in suddenly. "Tell me, isn't that a
wagon on the road mile or two backF
"Thet speck way back by Tim Slocumses
place2 It's a wagin, sure huff, but it's good
five mile away. You kin see it so plain kase
thar's hill thar"
"Isn't this branch road we are just coming
to, the road to Kirgslowp the stranger
asked.
aspect it be-" drawled Sam, regarding him
with slow surprise.
"My man." said his companion, hurriedly,
"if you will drive with all your might to
Kingslow, I'll give you $50 if you get me
there intime."
Sam made no reply.
'If twenty isn't enough, I'll make it forty"
said the man, watching Sans face anx-
iously.
ooh, faint the money" said Sam at last,
leisurely, though I'll allow it's some indeuse-
ment to a man who's got a wife to hum.
faint thet-it's why you're in sech main
hurry all of a suddint No, stranger, l don't
bleeve | kin stand the racket. The hoss's
only got one shoe on, an promised missus
ter be hum for dinner"
"Do you see that speck back there on the
road" asked the man, quietly. "Well, that
speck is buggy containing two constables.
They are after me for-never mind what.
Now, my man, if you get me to Kingslow
docks in time to catch boat waiting there
for me, before those men catch us, I'll give
you $50. If not
Tie alternative was expressed by a drawn
revolver, pointed threateningly at Sans
blanching face
He turned the mares head into KingsloN
road. The minutes and the miles sped by II
silence, the stranger watchfuI, with his finger:
closed on the revolver, Sam silently consider
ing his chances for escape from the fate hC
saw only too plainly hanging over him; tina
of arrest and perhaps imprisonment for help
ing a felon escape the outStretched arm o.
justice.
"And what would Missus say" San
groaned.
They were close upon Kingslow when h
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