The Delta independent., 1889-10-22
PANDYS BOY PARD.

sEr female, blame it all!'' whined.
Pandy Small. as he gazed across the
creek at the woman moving about in
front of the cabin on the other side
'tNow my bad luck has begun in plum
earnest Er woman allus wuz bad
medicine fer me. an the next thing I'll
hev wuss nor a spraint ankil. DUE ye
say as she has bought Joe Punty's
cabin, lad?"
THAT is what heard when I went
for the four" replied the boy who
stood by Paddy's side.
"Wull, thin it's most problikely 30.
She'll be rite over thar whar kin see
her. most any time. I might jest as
WON gin up ever doing ennythin. vile
she's 'roun'."
s"Why is it that you dislike women
soP" asked the boy.
Pandy looked startled for moment
Don't ak me thet. I'll never tell
tbe hull story. They've allus brought
bad luck ter me, an can't bear ter
look at one ov 'em. Frum ther very
day thet married one ov the critters
I've jest had tarnel hard row ter
Then he limped slowly toward the
cabin and entered. The boy followed.
He was a sharp-eyed little fellow of
sixteen. who had appeared at Cold
Water Bar few days before and had
been the means Of rescuing Pandy
Small from an old forsahen shaft, into
which the man had accidentally fallen.
Pandy's ankle was sprained SO badly
that for two or three days he was un-
able to touch his foot to the ground.
The boy had remained at Pandy's
cabin, cooking his food and taking care
ofhim as if he were a relative, although
the strange. whining, peevish man was
far from pleasant companion.
When asked his name, the boy re-
piled that they might call him Frank.
He utterly refused to tell his other
name or give any explanation of his
sudden appearance in Cold Water Bar.
When questioned by Pandy, he would
say:
.wait awhile; perhaps 1 will tell
you Dy and bye.
: The man, strange to say, took a
liking to the boy. Pandy was an un-
sociable. peevish old chap, whom mo-
. body liked. and many wondered at the
friendship that sprung up between him
and the boy. When Pandy was able to
limp around on his foot, Frank. spoke
ofgoing away, but the man would not
isar to it.
Eyer a-goin' ter stay right hyer an
becum my pard, lad. Pandy Small's
got er leetle suthin' laid away fur damp
weather-more'n most people think
an, he knows whar there's more. Thar
hain't no one as Pandy Small keers
fer, an ye might as we'll hev part o.
ther Doodle as sumbody else. Ye've
got ter stay"
And Frank stayed
About the time that the boy appear
ed In the camp, strange woman came
in from Red Gap on the stage, She
wore heavy veil that effectually con-
cealed her face. and while she remain
ed at Cold Waters one, hotel no man
7saw her face uncovered. Finally, she
purchased Joe Punty's cabip. that sto cd
opposite Pandy Smalrs, some distance
down the creek. Then she "set up.
housekeeping" on slimited scale.
After Pandy had discovered what
had happened he could think of moth
ing but the woman across the creek.
A hundred times day he gazed over
the water to see il he could catch a
glimpse OF the veiled woman.
Cant get the. pesky critter outen
my head" he whined. 'Itry ter think
or suthin' else, but 'tain't much use.
I'm all ther fine expectin' suthin' on
lucky ter happen"
Gradually Pandy's ankle got bet ter,
until at last, it was quite we'll. AS his
ankle grew stronger, the man seemed
: to grow fonder of his Boy Pard.
I'D had er boy bout yer age, ef
he'd lived" he said, one day.
''Is your boy deadr" asked Frank.
''Wull, there, lad; you see don't
Jest know as ter that"
..Don't knowp That is strange. Why
don't you knowp"
"Now don't ye go fur ter AKIN
questions. fur shan't answer 'em,"
was the reply. And that was all that
Pandy would say about 1t.
Frank beemed to pay no need to the
woman across the creek, but at times,
when Paudy was not looking. covert
and guarded signals passed between
the two. 1t would have been evident
to an observer that they were not
strangers.
One day, while ON ramble not far
from camp. Pandy paused on the edge
of a. shallow ravine. He had heard
voices below, and as he peered eau
tiously down. he saw sight which
filled him with amazement.
A short distance away stood the
strange yelled woman talking earnestly
with Paudy's Boy Pard. To Pandy,
the woman's- voice seemed strangely
natural, although he did not catch the
drift Of her words. Suddenly the wo-
man lifted her veil, and, STOPPING 8
trife, kissed the boy.