Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-06-06

bucket ut every step
"UglyF" the man groaned Don't
! know just as well rs any body in the
world how ugly I am? but it's
that hound Sharpley that has changed
her, She used q seem to like 10 have
me around. and almost seemed to for
get my ugly face And We'll. It's
all over nowi l dreamed: that was all,
But II Sharpley-r
He did not finish the sentence, but
strobe along the wOod-path-
Before the girl had reached the
house n sm all boy. mounted on a
wheezy horse. dashed up to the rickety
pole-fence aud uttered n shrill whoop
that aroused old Jerry Pottle 30 sud
denly that he nearly fell put of his tilted
chair. The old man hurried over to
! the fence. the boy impaired his mes
sage, and the stecd dashed wheezingly
away again. urged by the rain Of kicks
that the bare heels OF his rider be-
slowed upon his rusty sides. As the
girl reached the house. old Jerry
emerged hurriedly. bearing a long
brown rife.
Where are you goin'. paw" the
girl asked.
Hammer" said the old man. ~s.ernly.
as he strobe away. ''shet yo're mouth.
an don't you darst to stir often the
place twell to-mor'-
Some event Of much moment must
he at hand. Hammer" was only used
ut such rare intervals that the girls
proper name had been almos: forgotten
Her father. kind in his shiftless way.
usually considered Han" sufficiently
comprehensive. and few called her
any thing else, excerpts Jacks IL
had been '.Hannie" with him. and
then with Sharpley. Just now the
girl did not remember but two preyi-
Gus occasions upon which he had dig
nified her as Hammer" One was
when his wife, her mother. had died.
The other was only las; week. when
the Riggs boys" had been arrested.
and carried away on n journey that.
after some delays, ended ut the peui.
Tertiary. the said boys having been
captured by n United States marshal
and his posse while engaged in man
ufacturing 'moonshine' whisky at a
cieverIy-coucealed still house
So. all things considered. the girl
felt sure that the news that little Sol
Bender had brought on the wheezy
horse had been of much moment
Han stood looking after her father,
and wondering what was about to &C.
cur.
Must be somethin' right import
ant" she said well. it won't keeE
me. spite o his sayin'. Don't yor stil
often this place till to-mor'.' Tomor
I1l-rm goin' to see it Mt last-th.
great. big. bright world beyond tn,
TIMBER
Old Jerry POttIe did not see Jack.
Hamlin rs he turned from the path and
plunged into the timber. Now and
then u the homely man trudged To-
ward his lonely home. he mutsered,
half aloud. in a dreary. ~despairins
way 1T Is all over. nosr he groaned
"Hannie-littIe Hannier-
Night found EIamIin in his small
house. bowed over his homemade n
bic, seemingly savaSely intent upon
dsvOuring the contents OF one Of n.
dry books But the light OF the -plut.
tering candle could o dissipate the
shadow that seemed ~obseuring IN.
! printed pase-a shadow that in spit
Of his determination. kept resolving i.
self into the face Of n girl-a brigh'
face framed in n tangIe OF wavy hair
tie stared fi-rcely At the page befor,
him. and passed his hand across hi.
/, vision as II to brush away the shades
that in spite OF his effort to think Of 4
no more. his thoughts would keel
bringing up. And when. in angry
despair. he turned away from the book
the face "a before his vision still
"Hannie. Hannie- he said. half aloud
= ~
There came y patter Of footstep,
without in the darkness. and \ IittI,
; figure with frightened face and pant
trE breath staggered in at the opel
dor and sank into the first chair.
: ''Hannie- cried the man, in aston
ishment.
oh. Jacks" gasped the girl Saw,
him, Save him. IT ~ are goin' to Kill
him. a.
IL vas evident that she was terribly
frightened about something.
They'll kill him-kil him. sh.
: walled "An-an' he was goin' {.
take me away from hero an show m,
all the great world. IN make a lad
! NV mean I'd never have to weal
/ these old ragged cIoze no more. An
an now they're goin' to kill him
They drove me away when I tried {,
plead With them-my ole father shove,
me away an called him a spy. An
you'll save him, You can-you can
You know so much. An"
C.'Hims whos SharpIeye-
Yes He was goin' TO take me on
into the big. bright world, an'-an
t now they are goin' to kill him.
Was he going to make you hi
g wifc9' the man asked. ~steruly.
Deed an double he vas. an
Come" was all the man said
They left the house and hurrie,
away in the darkness. the man stridins
along at a terrific pace. seemingly un
; mindful OF the sDacs and brambles tina
: clutched him nos and then. often lear
ing his clothes and scratching his flesh
The girl ran az his side t~aIIin1 ror,