The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-01-21

oOaDCAkOW no W 40 ISVW AoA wa l<A& 80
/ fetched him home one night jes' es
done you, en- he never went out no
mo-. Mary tended him, but the
Cun'el want tryin' to git well. Iwur
hankerin' arter that track Of brush
ground 'longside the Piney ridge fur
cattle range. Hits on'y thousand
acre bit Nv lam, en- turn for sale. but !
hain't got no higher to gittin' hit en-
that's wen Dildy's a toddler. The
Cun'el seemed like he hoped me to
want that ar range some day. Hill
be with fortin. Joc.' says he; git hit
eff you kim Twa'p't no kinder use
atcllin' me that kase / wanted that
Ian bad enough; hits fur sale yit;
dunno es TIL ever hev the luck TO own
hit Jes' afo' he died. bout a couple
NV weeks, the Cun'el sent fur me en-
see: Joe Craddeck, you've been my
friend wen hadn't none. hain't
gwine to git well. en- dunno es l keer.
but heah's sommut es will buy that
thousand-acre track; do you go on that
lam on no other. fur Dildv-mind you.
this ere's fur Dildy'-he stretch out
his ham en- guy me suthin'."
WAS it the pinr inquired.
.sTwa'n't nuthin' else, stranger"
the mountaineer retorted. with grim.
contemptuous smile. "W'en / KEN to
look he'd put the buzzom pin in my
han. Every day he'd watch me KEN
in from shootin' pa't'idges, en- AK me
fust, .Hev you bought hit?' Seemed
like he'd sot heart on me sellin' his
bzzom pin en- buyin' that ar land. l
hedn't the heart to dissap'int him, so /
said. I've done bought hit. Cun'el.
Fur Dildy, don't you furgit that-fup
Dildy.' he KEEP tcllin' me-"
"Why did you not buy the land?" 1
inquired. Il have no doubt it would
have been good purchase
''Jes' so. stranger. t'were fust ratio
cattle ranch. but the Camel mus .
been out of his head to think a scrap
Of shiny glass would buy pip's with
of anything" was the dry response.
as If the nountaineer pitied and
laughed at the hallucination- Il guy
it over to Dildy. en- she wouldn't sell
hit for nuthin' savin' . book--she's
pow'ful fond Of rcadin' sense the
preacher at the cross roads larnt her
how to read.
The man laughed low. dry laugh
and nodded toward the girl. Dildy
was surreptitiously reading an illus
trated paper resurrected from q weeks
burial in the bottom of my game bag.
She laid it down and blushed hotly.
Il have been careful not to spoil it,
SIR" she said. timidly. "Ithought you
wouldn't mind it If l looked at II"
you shall have it and welcome"
The color deepened in the pretty
cheeks; the beautiful eyes glowed.
"Would you like to go to townP'
Il would rather stay here with plenty
of books
but you have books and every thing
else in town." / urged.
II have every thing here except
books" was the simple response, with
a satisfied. rnirthful smile.
Ismoked final pipe out under the
stars and thought of Dildy. "Here is a
GIRL reflected. '.with what would be
a small fortune for her, longing for
books as an unattainable treasure
Chaotic plans and suggestions shot
through my mind. with Dildy as
central figure-pretty, blushing. unso-
phisticatcd Dildy-contented Dildy. A
strange reluctance held me silent
waited until morning to shat.er tho
novel happiness of content. Dawn was
reddening the misty crests Of the noun
tain ridges when l stepped out into the
fresh morning air.
"Mawnin' stranger" politely greeted
Craddeck. Dildy glanced round from
the over-hanging launches of an old
brindle COW. and smiled without stop
ping her milking. Stranger. jest you
look over to t'other ridge. That's the
Piney ridge. an thurs the track nv
lam the Cun'cl wanted me to buy wild .
bit er shiny glass"
l followed Craddeck's index finger
with my eye.
Hits that blackish-lookin' yeth this
side that passed. NV pines"
Viewed from my standpoint. the
place looked brushy. ragged and bar
rem.
"Why did the Colonel especially
want that land for Dildya" inquired.
''Dunno es l kin tell you. savin' hits
cheaper than lower down; but hits FIVE
hundred dollars -en no good a-wishin'
fpr hit--dunno but 'twonld be a pow
fill bother havin' so much Lam savin'
fur stock.
If you had the money you could no
doubt purchase better land nearer to