St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-03-16
HOW TT WAS SETTLED.
Restitution and q Case of Love
and Money.

Mr.. Gasdeu was lean, dry, uncom-
municative man. yet not unpopular in
the little town which he might be said
TO have created. Shortly after the war
he had come there and put up . small
hotel at some mineral springs. to
which his own name was soon added.
Planters from the black prairie belt,
merchants from Montgomery and Sa-
lima. with their families. got in the
habit Of spending quiet summers there.
A noted doctor came and praised the
waters; then the papers began 10 notice
the place.
After a while came certain iron and
coal discoveries and people began to
find out that Gasden had bought up
large quantities of mountain land, years
before, for little or nothing. Now cap
italists came begging it for any price.
Then came miners and stock companies
and syndicates, swarming about him;
new railroads shooting hither and
thither; towns building and bubbles in
nating and bursting-all beseeching
him to interest himself. He remained
Indifferent, silent. shrewd, grew slowly
richer, and seemingly took life easy.
lie was addicted to long walks over
The mountains, and one day-being
ncar-sightcd-fell into disused coal
shaft, half hidden beneath a tangle of
vines. While he lay grooming, with
cre arm broken, he heard voices and
called out for rescue He was answered.
:rd presently u rope with moose at
the end was let down. With much pain
ic inserted himself therein, and was
drawn up the nine feet of shaft. A
ragged. elderly tramp was fastening the
rope again about his waist. BY his side
was little girl.
WHO am to thank for this deliver
sncc?" he asked.
IL don't know ez hit matters much;
we'uns air nuthin' but tramps. anyhow
AR We Toad?"
Toad sanctioned this by a nod, but
kept her eyes warily on Gasden, who
said. decisively:
We'll, then you both shall just tramp
home with me. We will see what can
he done for you.
So Gasden made sling of his hand
kcrchicf. and all three trudged on.
When they came in sight of the great
hotel-now filled with three score OF
more guests-iasden said. briefly:
THAT is my house"
The man looked awed, but the
little girl spoke for the first time:
Hits n big un, shore. h'ain't it,
gran'pap?
Yes, honey: mos too big for we'uns
ter git ter stay at. I'm afear'd."
But Gasden took them at once TO the
kitchen and called to his head cook:
Take these two-give them a good
bath apiece. and hunt 'em up some clear
clothes from somewhere. Then set EN-
down to the best there is in the house
the best. dye hear?"
The tramp and his grandchild stayed
On through the season. Toad-whost
real name was Annis-washed dishes ;
little and played about a good deal
old Tim, as the tramp was called. sweep
the halls ard piazzas, chored around
some. and dozed between whites in tn,
hotel Office. In the fall Gasden ~
marked to the old man one day:
I'VE must send Toad to school. a..t
also call her by her true name aftel
this. She'll soon be young woman.
~ recxin' one hannle ii do for her
a.. - ,r,,l az c~u,.ther md OF faI
ssulin'-whar's the uset now?
..Well. Tim." returned Gasden. '.yo,
snl / won't change much. We cacl
seem 10 be one chip too many. j
might have been better is God-'ll-migh.y
had not hewed US from natures block
"a litter the hopes Of Others. But An
MS. now-she's pretty. Give her
chaucs-she may marry well one o