The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-07-10
A "SQUATTER'S" FATE.
The Report Made by q Delegation
of the Union League"

All night long the low summer wind
had famed the dewy grass, and stolen
with a subdued murmur around the
rude board structure that nestled in
the high grass on broad stretch of
level prairie; and now a great lumi-
nous star which had risen from the
prairie sea and from blue waste of
sky, shed its white rays down on the
world beneath.
As it rose higher in the heavens, its
feeble rays stole in at the open window
of the settlers cabin and touched the
tangled cloud Of sunny hair that clus-
tered about the head of little girl of
ten ycars--the only child of Amos Lee,
the settler.
The pickering light OF small kero-
sene lamp shed its feeble rays around
the room, revealing a rude bed at one
end Of the apartment, on which lay the
form of man, his face flushed with
fever, his eyes wandering vacantly
about the room.
Papa, said the child, bending over
the sick man, 'you must have mcdi-
cine and doctor-what must l dop
What can dop'
She clasped her little hands appeal
ingly, and a tear trickled down her
white, troubled face. water! water!'
cried the sick man, gazing blankly
about him.
The child hurried to the other end
of the room, and fetching some water
in tin cup. held it to the sick man S
lips
He drank the water eagerly, and
sank back on his pillow, where he lay
quiet for some time. Then he opened
his eyes and murmured:
1--WE must go way from hyar they
air talkin' NV hangin' me if l stay
and mebby -mebpy-we'd better be
movin, for they'll come again. Hits
hard ter halter leave our own home
but-but ~
His mutterings grew indistinct, and
he again closed his eyes.
''Oh, papa! my dear papa!" cried the
child, mo one is going to hurt YOU
am here with you shall l go for doc
tor? Oh, papa! what must I do?" ant
she buried her face in the bed clothes
and wept bitterly.
The father made no reply, save some
incoherent mutterings.
Presently the little girl arose an(
wiped the tears from her eyes, lool
of determination on her young face
She then took little straw hat from
a peg on the wall and placed it on he
head. She approached her father, ant
bending over him, kissed his hot, fe
verish cheek.
Papa" she murmured. her fac
close to his, 81 am going for docto
be good and lie still till l com
back. I'll run all the way"
She then turned and went out int
the night. and ran swiftly down tn
dim prairie road. her little bare fee
falling noiselessly upon the damp
dewy ground.
The nearest village, Neutral City
lay five miles away, across a stretc
OF wild, unsettled prairie Here tn
only doctor in that part of the cour
try resided. and towards this plao
the little girl hurried. She know tn
road, having passed over it before i
the wagon with her father. 1T
not long TIL daylight" she thought
as she hurried forward, glancin
about her, as if expecting to see som
wild animal spring upon her from tn
surrounding darkness Onwart
q along the dim path. that, lay aero:
the great stretch Of prairie she fec
while the big white star rose highe
and higher in the heavens; and tn
dewy brea 1 Of night, laden with II
perfume OF sleeping flowers, swaye
the long grasses and rocked the tol
of the sumachs to and fro. as it stirre
their slender leaves into a tremulo,
murm r.
of ., ,avnta 90. ma fro