Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-08-24
"PAMELY'S GRIT"
Hy Todbeater's Scheme, and How
1t Was Thwarted.

IL was InWartoQ.
The narrow Missouri prairie lay
bathed in summer sunshine, its green
waves dotted with brilliant flowers. In
the surrounding woods, too, the flowers
grew and budded and blossomed in due
season, although no human eye might
be gladdened by their beauty. A few
farms interrupted the stretch of un-
broken sod, their pioneer abodcs near
the wooded bluffs skirting one side OF
the plain.
In the doorway of primitive log
cabin young girl stood, with her
apron filled with wild flowers freshly
gathered. She sat down on the rude
step, and began to arrange them with
evident pleasure, if with little reference
to the laws OF color
The monotonous creak of q rocking
chair sounded within the room. 1t sud-
denly ceased, and a piping voice called
sharply, "Pamely! D Pdmely"
I'm right hyer, gran'daddy! Dye
want mcP' responded the girl, dropping
her apronful of flowers on the step, and
turning quickly around.
"Whater yer packing thet thar trash
inter ther house furp" croaked the
weazen-faced little old man in the cor
ner. "They aint no sich posies ez we
he'd in Indiany when was boy"
II like 'em, gran'daddy. They make
me feel better ter hol EN- in my
hands,"
''Ye mought be doin' somethin' fur
Yer ole ran'daddy, Std o. wastin' yer
time on thet trash!" querulously piped
the old man.
"''What dye want, ran'daddyP" asked
the girl, running to him, and throwing
her arms around his shrunken shoul-
dcrs. "Are ye gittin' hungry aginP"
Il reckon | mought starve ter death
'most any time ef 'twa'n't fur ye, Pane
ly. Hy, he never done nothin' fur me.
He brung me well-water yistiddy, when
he knowed he'd orter went ter ther
spring"
''Hy hez ter work hard, ye know,
gran'daddy."
A sharp expression came over the
grandfather's face.
"What's thet slick chap from Bluff
City a-doin' rouu' hyer all ther time,
Pamely?"
The young girl grew pink and then
pale under the keen scrutiny of those
aged eyes.
Hes goin' ter buy Duck Hawkins
farm, allow" she replied, pulling ner-
vously at her apron strings.
'What w he come hyer fur ter buy
Duck Hawkins farm? We hain't got
Duck Hawkins farm done up in er bum
die anywheres roun' hyer, hev we, Pa
melyP"
80 gran'daddy," laughed the girl,
merrily, Eyer allus sayin' somethin' het
funnyr Then troubled expression
drove the dimples out of her round
checks a dunno, raaly; but Hy, he's
a-talkin' about sellin' ourn, too. He
allows 'twould be better ter sell out an
go West. He could git heaps more land
out West"
The old man pounded his knotty
hickory stick on the pine floor furi-
ously.
..Ef lily Todbeater pulls up stakes an
moves agin, I'll make back tracks for
1ndiany, thet's what i will" he de-
clared, with vehemence.
80 gran'daddy, ther amt nobody
there ter take keer of ye! They're all
dead an gone; yen hev ter go long er
Hy an mel" She stopped and pressed
her red lips against his withered cheek,
and smoothed his thin, white locks with
her brown fingers. Then, wiping her
eyes on a corner of her gingham apron,
she stepped briskly around the room,
pausing one moment to place the tlow-
crS in broken pitcher half full OF wa
ter from the spring.
'.l'm fifteen to-day" she said softly
TO herself, placing the pitcher on the
pine table. Some vague connection be-
tween the birthday and the flowers ex-
listed in her youthful imagination; why,
she could not have explained. No eel
ebration of any such anniversary had
ever been hers. Certainly, hard work
and premature care had been her lot for
the past three years.
Hy Todbeater at that moment was
slouching around the entrance to the
"Palaco Hotel" of Bluff City, five miles
away. If any one had asked him the
age of his young housekeeper, who was
also his sister and the only one left, he
would probably have been unable to
give any definite reply. A sense of in
feriority to the inhabitants OF Bluff
City, against which he struggled with
backwoods brayado, lent additional
awkwardness TO his demeanor
The hotel clerk, with his hair plas-
tered low on his forehead, and cheap
pin glittering on his bright blue tie,
seemed consequential parsonage. Yet
the Palace Hotel was far from palatial,
with its two low stories OF wood, its
whitewashed interior, its meager air OF
bustllng Importance, its seedy boarders
and stray travellers. Only the added
dignity of the county court in session
swelled all activity to an unaccustomed
degree, and impressed the country visi-
tors who lounged about the attractive
resorts OF Bluff City with sense OF its
metropolitan grandeur.
Fright smart o. folks hyer in ther
city ter-dayP" ventured lily Todbeater
10 the overpowering clerk.
"Full TO the roof" he responded,
loftiiy, his thoughts limited to the pros
perity OF tho hotel. "Got a case in court,
Mr.. lolbeaierp"
nNuw," geplIcd the settloy, shamb-