The Russellville Democrat., 1889-03-21

howp" Bill asked, curiously. as the, advanced toward the wagon. "Whur'l yer mawp"
 'gn the wagon" the girl said. "An' oh, mister, she's jest awful sickl Par O the time she's almost burpin' uI with fever, an then she don't know me An she don't eat any thing, an git' weaker an weaker, was hurryin' a' fast as ever could to Comet City tc git the doctor to cure her. Then thai ole mule fell, an I couldn't fix tho broken harness. I couldn't ride either mule, cause they both buck, an jest didn't know what to do at all"
 They reached the mules that were hitched some distance from the wagon
 "Id ride one of 'em to town for the doctor, but Eve got mighty urgin' business this other way" Bill said. ''So reckon I'd better tinker up the harness an start you on." For some time he worked at the broken straps, uniting them by pieces of other straps and strips of strong hickory bark Every now and then he paused long enough to ascend a little knoll and gaze toward distant Comet City. No horsomen appeared, and so each time he resumed his work. confident that he was not in immedi- ate danger from the committee.
 Suddenly thought struck him. He opened his lips from around the stem of the wire-bOund pipe long enough to ask:
 "Whur's yer paw9"
 The tale the child told was none the less pitiful because of its too common occurrence
 Six years before, "when l was a leetle teenty thing" the child ex- plained the husband and father had left the humble but happy Indiana home to seek fortune in the West, where rumor had 1t money was to be had almost for the taking. If was the sad old story. His letters had grown less and less frequent, and finally ceased altogether. But in spite of the privations that followed, the loving wife never lost faith in the absent hus- band.
 "He must a been hard case" Bill muttered, from the side of the pipe stem.
 "What7" the child asked.
 "Nuthin'. Go on.'
 The little farm was mortgaged, and in course Of time was taken by fore closure, the child told him.
 Still there came no word from the wanderer, although many appeals were written to points where it was thought he might be.
 Must "a been q mean sneakm Bill mutteringly commented, and to the child's question replied that he had said nothing.
 Then, with her little all, consisting of the old wagon and contents and the scrawny mules that drew it, the for saken woman, with her child, had started westward, hoping almost against expectation that she would dis cover the erring husband.
 Bill Heffler jerked a stubborn knot savagely as he commented upon the husband and fathers conduct.
 Must "a been an all-fred mean sneak" he growled, hoarsely, around the stem of the wire-bound pipe
 Then, as before, when the child questioned, he put her of with mutt tered:
 "Nuthin'.
 'Never heered nuthin' uv himPn he asked, presently.
 "Yes; a neighbor saw a man who had come from the West, an he said that he'd seen a man at Comet City, that looked little like my papa An so, while mammals gittin' well, I'm goin' to ask every body till find the man that looks like my papa An, oh, mebby he Is my papal Course I wouldn't know him, cause I was only two years old when he went away. But mebby he'd know me. Don't you think he wouldp"
 ''I reckon he would, little one," Bill answered. 'Mebby you look bit like yer nav did when she was a girl"
 Perhaps there was no cause for it, but there was quiver around Bill Hefiier's mouth, that very nearly lost its hold on the stem of the old, wire bound pipe. He even forgot to asce,- tain if any one was approaching from Comet City.
 'What'd the feller say bout yer pawp" he asked, presently.
 "Oh, he said awful mean things about the man that looked like my father. Said he was no account at all. l jest think he was awful wicked to talk so about my papa that looked so like him."
 "Mebby he wasn't so much out of the way, after all," Bill muttered. "What'd yer nav say?" he asked aloud.
 "Oh, we didn't either of JUS believe a single word of it." the child an- swered. An mamma said if it was papa, he wasn't bad, only unfortunate, dh Ah Ndo ihlSlpibuut bidb WdS httplH him away an she would find him and reclaim him. Them are her very words. She said 'em so often, learned 'em by heart. n
 The old pipe dropped from Bill Hef- Her's lips, As he stopped to recover 1t, he asked:
 What is yer paws Never mind. Thar, the harness is done"
 As the child strove to thank him, he strode away at the top of his speed.
 "Yes; know what her paws name isl" he exclaimed.
 Then he whirled suddenly, and walked straight toward the wagon.
 His face was pale beneath it's mask of sunburn and unkempt beard, but it seemed to have lost little of it's hang