Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-10-04

banks moved on, and in their train the
miners, IL came TO IL that only Joe, the
Apostle and st. John were left, and they
fingered because of mournful love of sol.
ltude, independent of all wealth-secking
considerations. Joe was gambler, the
apostle miner and st. John literary gen.
tleman In reduced circumstances. In the
flush days of Happy LUCK these throo had
formed an attachment for ono another;
when tho hard times camo they remained
bound together. The morning that they
discovered themselves 10 be the sum total
Of tho population of Happy Luck, st.
John, moved by the romance of their
situation, surprised the other two with an
original proposition. His language was
choice. He unoonsciously fell back into old
habits.
eve are three human beings with n COM
mon interest-wealth. Having failed in
this common interest and having nowhere
to go and nobody to seek us, propose
that we stay hero until tho summer 10
over. Tho mountains and the streams will
give us food, the blue sky shall be our roof
and the stars tho torches to our couch.
Free from the tumultuous mob now madly
careering after gold and DEATH we can
commune here with nature in her grand
est form and be law unto ourselves.
tudc, whore are thy charmsl' but rather
echo back the words of the immortal bard:
Here found i peace and happiness Let
us for brief time be happy in the con-
sciousness that we have lived Independent
of all conditions but the dictates of our own
hearts and manhood"
Ho paused and looked at Joe, who, mouth
agape, had been mentally swallowing his
words.
"Bless my dashboardsw exclaimed that
gentleman, "but you do throw words with
great celerity. don't know about using
the stars for torches, since 1 never was a
sky-scraper, but, bless my suspenders, IL
don't stay with you"
The Apostle had his eyes fixed on dis
tant, snow-white peak. His answer came
in this wise:
"wall, thar Lord gives an He takes.
Providence must guvern thar case. Ef at
no time she don't object I'll stay"
"Blcss my hat, that was q long one for
you," commented Joe, and so the compact
was scaled. With mock righteousness st.
John was made mayor of Happy Luck, Joe
chief of police, and the Apostle had full
charge Of the commissary department. All
three abandoned themselves to an indolent,
lazy existence. The search for gold was
entirely given up. They climbed the
mountains, hunted and fshed, revived past
experiences and long-forgotten knowledge.
The summer speeded by with infinite con-
tentment for them, 1t was mid-August be-
fore they realized the swiftness of time. In
all of these days no one had come near
them. The Apostle spoke of this on the
morning of the 18th of August.
"Perovidence hez clean forgott'n thar
camp. We air cut off from earthly soci'ty
and heavenly salvation"
"Bless my pants!n broke in Joe, "if
that's so, what's coming down the traill"
"Perovidencel' exclaimed the Apostle, in
and looking up the yellow,
dusty way to sec woman coming toward
them.
"She has the face of Ruth" said Sir
John to himself as she drew nearer. The
trio rose as one man when she approached
and lifted their hats. She was young and
pretty, but her clothes were mean and her |
bare feet could be seen through her torn
shoes. Her eyes were deep brown and in
the hollows of her cheeks had once been
roses. When her lips parted to speak they
showed white teeth; her hands were small
and shapely.
SIS this Happy Luckl' she asked, not |
speaking to any one of them, but looking at |
all three.
"Bless my soul, how did you knowl" in
quired Joe. She turned her eyes on the |
Apostle and asked again. But he had lost |
his wits in trying to realize that he was
looking at a woman for the first time in ten
years. st. John gave her answer courte-
ously:
"This Is Happy Luck. What can we do
for youl"
~ am looking for miner by the name of
Grace"
Joe looked at the Apostle and the latter ,
stared at st. John. They hurriedly with
drew distance from her and engaged in |