The Lamar register., 1890-11-15
ON THE DEVILS BACKBONE.

clerk 10 the storc Of my brplher-iu-law,
Nathan Richie. IN Piiisburg, aud at
Just that agp in which a Young man be-
gins 70 take real serious Interest In
girls aud. naturally. 10 get into all
sorts Of serapcs and troubles there
from.
The Washington county farmers used
y come into town then on their wa.
gous, bringing alauz not only big
loads Of gialn. wool. tiaN poultry. and
other produce. bur their wives aud
daughters rs well. They would drive
To- one day. put up over night at the
Oil "farluers' inn down near the
Smithdrld msrket and the next day
would make their necessary purchase
aud 90 home.
/ got 10 know personally a great
mauy Of the farmer folks, and had oc-
easina-or took ito observe tina.
thri were p.cniy OF very line young
women among them - buNom. full
bosomed, bi.ht-cycd, red-lipped girls
fall Of health. yiVscity. aud natural
honesty, Bot old man Dan Elders
daughter Jrunis seemed to me tho
iio0cr Of the Eocs. aud ! assure YOU
that q, far a. / could. l made 1t an
object Of interest for the Elder family
to 10 is trading At our store.
Jennie aud got quite friendly. and
bcgsn TO have a hopeful suspicion that
she was pretty near as glad to see me
" hen she came to town - | was 70 SEQ
her. Oaec ! got her aud her father to
20 with me TO theafer. the first time
uiihcr OF them had seen L play. bot he
got a notion that there was something
Wrung about stage plays and would
not iet her 20 again sill the old fel-
low seemed to take q sort Of liking to
nae. and after be bad got TO know me
quite well. nearly two years from cur
firs, meeting. be invited me to visit his
place out on Raccoou creek.
About week aiterward | hired q
good saddle horse aud rode out 20 pay
That visit. Il was easy enough to find
"Unelc Dln's' place. for everybody
within I radius Of ten miles about i,
scemcI 10 know hlm. and reached
bis house just At dhsk. | thought it
was good omen when the dogs were
50 much more friendly than country
dos generally are Ia greeting 4 stran-
gcr. ard was sure OF ii when Jennie
SAID archiy;
Old Bose wouldn't be so good
naiGrci If be did not know that was
expecting you. He mus. have heard
nc talking about YOU.
That evening the whole family. Jen-
Mo. her father and mother. an elder
btofher. and Two sisters-went TO
dance. about two miles distant, and,
Of course. went along. At least |
seemed 10 do 80. In point of fact
went TO Paradise. / sat beside Jennie
In the big wagon. with my arm around
her while we went through dark
matches Of forest: danced with Jen-
ME. 1 don't know how many timesi
,,aite,l upon Jennie ut supper, rode
hgrne beside Jennie. with renewed
utilization OF forest shadows; aud even
sratchel A Kiss from Jennie ere she
re,l to her room. Under such eircnn-
stanrss how could | be expected to
l,s more than vaguely conscious that
there was big hulkiug, clod-hopper
named Jim Arney. who sc1wled ana
r,I,r..I ,t me a. II he would like to eat
p,.9 What the mischief did care Tor
Him Arneyq Bat the fellow wouldn't
be ignored. The very next afternoon
feeling that il WAS not quite the proper
thing for mc TO loiter around the mouse
Mi Jav. | borrowed brother Dave
r;He and went out to shoot squEreI
or two II | could find any. Suddenly
at A turn in the road | was confronted
l,v linn Aruev on horseback. EWING
p,e with an insulting aifectatioh Oh
scoru he snarled:
.Yon're pretty looking dandy from
,,rn- ain't von?r ! replied that can
'IfIlv speaking. l really did think
nreseD,cd rather agreeable contrast
to him. .,;,,i,
n voice thick with passion. retorted:
.,Td break your back if Jennie had
sold was to leave you alone l
,ai,I him l would secure his pardon ior
mi tho back-brsaking he could 90 on
~. and invited him to wade ln'
hnt he rode OF on his way, and went
on squirrel-hunting.
s,raIled hipher and higher up gently
sianjng hill until | came out suddenly
a.. ihe TOP of a precipice several nun
d,.ed feet in height, which l suose-
ancntlv learned was called the 'Devll
III bone.n The face of the elm was
~ sI,eer as a wall, but rough with
roo, ~ holos burrowed hereand there IN
the SOFT sauusiuuc L;h trees
viii narrow ledges. on when tree.
WI WI shrubs grew. masking:.ll the rocky
Jnclivity with foliage. The tops Q,
III ,sii trees were down below me- ana
far in the depths beyond their TOOLS rs
could catch glimpses OF the creeH. md
= silver thread. Around where | s.oou
bushes grew tbickly up to the very
verge OF the precipice; with trees oH.
sioaally among them leaning 60 over v so,,ir. nj
- 90, mon his launches in tree on
re-. ,,,a I", %,.ow of the cliff. barking at me;
.n an = little ledge full twenty feet below
the % Top. where stood ! made made, up n.1n my
mind 10 get the body of the little oeas,, ,i;;Ss
and the officially and even ap;ng p9S,so go
danger to be encountered'. IN ,iora do,ns s,Ss Se
were only indictments TO acn,es' the .he
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