The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-11-23
TIGER LILY.

A midsummer moon was shining
down on the uneven surface of the wild
mountain plateau; the lights of the lit
lie settlement shonc like yellow dots of
fame, here and there. Tonight the
bar!acks-mcrc rude wooden enclosures
they were, rs finn lily constructed as a
child's cari-hou,c-were in restless
commotion, for the men were to break
camp on the morrow.
SIX months thcy had been stationed
at Omayo. When first the Struggling
settlement sprang up around the noun
tain mine, whose hidden treasure, had
attracted the inhabitants. there had
been trouble with the wandering Indians
who haunted the Slopes higher up-as
much the fault OF the whites as Of the
re men. it is but just to say.
But the United States projects its
own, and a body of men were stationed
at ono; at Omayo, until the settlement
was strong enough, figurativeiy speak
ing, to stand on its own feet. And now
;he emergency was over, and the SOL
diers had been ordered to a military
post a hundred miles or so to the north
west.
Old Joe Jernigan sat smoking his
pipe on the board platform in front OF
his 'Gcaeral Supply Sore"
All the evening it hal been full of
customers, bus now, as the hands of the
wooden clock ncared the figure nine, he
was at liberty to come out to his splint
chair nd smoke his pipe and stare at
the moon, while Captain Irving Ismay
sat on the cracker barrel inside and
talked with Lily.
Lily was Jernigan's niece and book
keeper, and in addition to this tire very
apple of his eye--a tall, dusky- eyed,
handsome girl, with peachy complex
ion, and hair full of bronze glints and
CLEANS.
Tiger Lily" the miners called her,
sometimes in reference to the fine spiri
of her own that she had, and a self-as
sertion which she was very apt to show
if once she suspected that any of then
were not treating her with due respect
Lily was adding up the books for tn
day. (O.d Joe was no scholar, ant
knew nothing of bookkeeping by dou
BILE entry. "The gal knows enough TO
us both," he was wont to say, with
certain PRIDE. as he looked toward tn
wooden rallei desk where she wrot
down the variou; item, of sale and bar
ter with an cages quill pen, dipped il
ink mlde of pokeberry iuice.) An
Captain Ismay was idling he
good by.
"Shell miss him, likely, will Lily,
) said Joe to himself, still stirring stead
tasty up a. the moon. ''IIe's been
deal O. company for her. 1t amt as
she could bring herself to associate Wit
every fellow at the Onayo Mines, f
Lily always was particular. But then
hundred miles or so don't count f
much out here, and if he asks permi'
sion to come and see her once in a viii
: l shan't say no. My poor little Tig
. Lily. / brought her out here becau
there didn't seem no place to leave h
in the State of Yarmouth, and sh,
been rare and useful to me. there's !
y dcnyin that. But it's lonesome pla
e for gal to com, to; yes, it is. Al
c the Captains fine fellow, but he air
7. no handsomcr for a man than Lily is
: a gal. So fur's can see, l shall
s the only man who will be loser by t
, bargain. Ehl Is that you, Reub
Dorsay? Set down spell. No, '
amt shut up yet, but the post ba!
been gone twenty minutes and more. "
"Gone, eh2' said Reuben Dorsay,
d young foreman of the force now c
il ployed in establishing telenraphic CO
: muuications between Omayo and Cen
City. ''Well, it's no great matter.