Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-29

with their singular intervals, piercing
sweetness sui unexpec cd aud tender &C.
compartments.
l saw my bog Waiting with Louie
They came pas; me oure and both young
faces were flushed and bright with smiles
Presently they passed sgsin-walking-
aud on Mark 3 face was the shadow that
somehow hid felt p-sscience Of from
the first. The light was gone from his
eyes, the color and smile from his lips
Louie was chatt-Iing RailT and laughing
UP to him, but he looked mast her, with
Il look OF fierce pain in the great bluc;
eyes, at Il young man, Il new conner, on
the other side of the room.
''Co'ue aud look ut the tables. -
whispered Mrs. Flint. We went out and
~ running about. helping, arranging
and devisiu.. l forgot the boy for u time.
Presently slipped GU; onto Il 81 L. YER
andan. TO cool my heated free Z moment
in the soft and chilly air. The iuil moon E.
the gres;. white Texas moon. rode al
most up to mil heaven, pouring its II bod
of white radinncs down through the
silent aud crystal air. 1t WIS like the
sublimaton the apoihesis of daylight:
the beauty, the lus,rous effulg-nce with
out the harsh or unlovely details. Al
uOSt STU Will opening tI5
door two men rushed together just in
front of Tie with knives in tn -ir hands,
aud the next instant the towering form
OF young Melton dashed uoiselessly
onto the porch. He plucked them apar,
as though they had been Two kittens,
held the stranger in his right hand +,
fairly shaking the knife from his grasp,
and pushed Mark gently, but hastily
m m
the gu door.
'Don't Melt. dou't," said the boy +,
Zone of Us has GOT
"Wait with him till come back -
said young Melton, and away he went,
carryingSths other fellow, like rat, by
the back of the mock.
Mark turned on me look OF agonized
desperation, face drawn and blaurhrd
and biacksusd almost beyond recogui-
ton. all the beauty ana softness struck
out of it; ths great lustrous eyes blaz-
ing the fine sensitive features quivertng
tiercsly.
slipped my arm through his and we
walk ed silently up and down the silent
hallway. could hear his heavy, gasp
ing breath. l could feel his heart leap.
aud his frame tremble. and was still
striving to think of some word TO say
that might soften the savage thrust 1t
must have been that tore him so, when
Melton came up to US. AMI with grasp
of his hand and kindly look from his
blue eyes, drew Mark away.
"Hullo! Whers'. Jake Shackelforl. 3"
called some one just US the pair went
through the gate.
"Oh. | sent Lum home with him; he d
got too much and was noisy l heard
Melton reioin in a lower key.
After they had left the crowd behind |
saw Melton > great arm thrown across
the boy . shoulders ara was sure ! heard
q chok ing sob.
An hour later | saw them at supper,
and do not think the others found auy-
thing amiss, but to me there was visible
a fleeing but frequent shadow On the
boys face and q pathetic solicituds and
concern in bis big friends manner.
The next cay, which was Christmas.
the men went bear hunting up very
wild and rocky canon, while such of US
women folk as liked to ride and were
fond Of sport set of to tind & certain wild
cat that held forth in q low bluff some
six or eight miles away across the plains.
Mr.. Melton was our guide and protector,
while Mark was dragged away by the
bear hunters.
As We rode home in the late afternoon,
full of scratches and glory, with a big
cat skin and tiny, snarllng puff of
kitten as trophies, Mr.. Melton and l got
far ahead of the others, aud this Is the
story of Mark g troubles, as hs told it to
me:
:His folks moved out to Esperanzs,
couple of miles above my sheep camp.
a M
England people. Everybody hated the
old man on sight. He was a mean,
close listed, cold bloodsd, snakey sort
OF fellow. His wife was arm-hearted
woman, but she hadn't much sense.
She ran the house, and him, too,
though, when 1t came to the pinch.
Zone day the old man, who was
abusing Mark, was SO outrageous and
insulting, and called him such vile
names, that the boy went and got down
threw her arms around
him and held him. l reckon she WAS
Wild with terror, and she took Mark OF
and told him how she was not his mother.
His own mother was poor, pretty
young servant girl she had had in the
first years OF her marriage, and whose
Ignorance and youth her husband had
wronged. The girl bad died and she
had raised and loved Mark as her own.
"Now, there was nice thing for
six en-year-old boy to have to bear.
He came down to my camp the next
and told me about 1t. He sat
about like seine poor dumb creature
that's been half killed by bad shot.
1t must be SO, he said, for this fellow,
Jack Shackelford, that came out with
them and was afterward discharged by
his father, had told some other people.
81 was awfully rushed with shearing,
aud before 1 knew 1t the BOY had gone
He never was home again, but went up
to Esperanza and got place In q lum-
Der yard.
'Hs made some awful plays, and no
wonder. He got drunk and got to run
ming with gang of pretty tough men.
But the old lady always loved him; she
wrote to him, and finally went up to
bought him an ontdt and
sent him over to East Texas to school.
He was away two years. He hadn't
been back month, keeping books
10 Esperanza, when he saw Louie
Flint, whom Jake Shsckeltord was
crazy 10 love with. Anybody would love
the boy; of course Louie preferred him.
30 shackslford, like the low dog he is,