Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-01-19
HOW II WAS SETTLED.
Restitution and q Case Of Love
and Money,


Mr.. Gasden was Il lean, dry, uncom-
m%unicative man, yet not unpopular in
the little town which he might be sid
to have created. Shortly after the war
he had come there and put mp a small
hotel ut some mineral springs. to
which his W name was soon added.
Planters from the black prairie belt.
merchants from Montgomery and Sa-
lima, with their families, got in the
habit Of spending quiet summers there.
A noted doctor came and praised the
waters; then the papers began 10 notice
the place.
After a while came certain iron and
coal discoveries, and people began to
find out that e slcn had bought up
large quantities Of mountain land, years
before, for little or nothing. Now cap
italists came begging it for any price.
Then came miners and stock companies
and syndicates, swarming about him;
new railroads shooting hither and
thither; towns building and bubbles in
tlating and bursting-all beseoching
him to interest himself. He remained
indifferent, silent, shrewd, grew slowly
richer, and seemingly took life easy.
He vas addicted to long walks over
the mountains, and one day-being
near-sighted-iell into Il disused coal
shaft, half hidden beneath a tangle Of
vines. While he lay grooming, with
one arm broken, he heard voices and
called out for rescue, He wa, answered,
and presently a rope with a moose at
the end was let down. With much pain
he inserted himself therein. and was
drawn up the nine feet of shaft. A
ragged, elderly tramp was fastening the
rope again about his waist. By his side
was n little girl.
"Who am ! to thank for this deliver
ancc?' he asked.
a don't know ca hit matters much;
we'uns air nuthin' but tramps, anyhow
air We Toad"
Toad sanctioned this by a nod, but
kept her eyes warily on Gasdcn, who
said, decisivcly:
We'll then you both shall usttramp
home with ne We will see what can
be done for you"
So Gasdcn made q sling Of his hand
kcrchicf, and all three trudged on.
When they came in sight of the great
hoiel-now filled with three score or
more guests -Gasden said, briefly:
That is my house"
The man looked awed, but the
little girl spoke for the first time:
III its a big un, shore, h'ain't it,
gran'pap?'
Yes, honey; mos too big for we'uns
ter cit ter stay at. I'm afear'd.n
But Gasden took them at once to the
kitchen and called to his head cook:
Take these two-give them a good
bath apiece, and hunt EN- up some clean
clothes from somewhere. Then set EN-
downto the best there is in the house
the best, dye hear?"
The tramp and his grandchild stayed
on through the season. Toad-whoso
real name was Annis-washed dishes "a
little and played about a good deal.
Old Tim. as the tramp was called, swept
the halls and piazzas, chored around
some, and dozed between whites in the
hotel Office. In the fall Gasden re-
marked to the old man one day:
I'VE must send Toad to school, and
also call her by her true name after
this. She'll soon be a young woman"
81 rcckin one hannle ii do Tor her,
bout ez well ez ernuther. nd ca fer
skulin'-whar's the usct now?i
We'll, 1im," returned Gasden. ''you
and ] won't change much. W. each
seem To be one chip too many. 1t
might have been better IS God-ll-mighty
had not hewed us from natures block
10 litter the hopes Of others. But An
mis-, now-she's pretty. Give her Il
chance she may marry well one OF
these days Wei! begin now by cali
Ing her Annis.n
wall, Jest ez you say, not ez ! keer
much Tim said, alphabetically, but-as
q beginning, they both called the pirl
Annis thereafter, and Toad was soon
rclegated 10 oblivion by all and sundry
concerned therein.
So Annis quit dish-washing and went
10 school. During vacation a lad who,
people said, was Mr. casdcn's son
George came home, though nothing
definite was known, except that the boy
he'd always been there until sent of to
ecaeol. 70 Annis he was at first super.