DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-05-08
"Yes'-to marry him."

i love him, mother" Debby simply
made response. "And he loves me-and
we are to be married as soon as he has
iaiu up little money to rent FARM Of
his own"
"ln-deed!" said Mrs. Trott, frowning
darkly "And your parents consent,
suppose, is matter of no consequence
Whatever?'
I'VE thought, mother" said Debbv,
Win aowncast eyes, ''that you would
oner no objection to what would make
me so very, very happy"
Perhaps, frigidly added Mrs. Trott,
you don't know that Orlando Draper is
coming tonight with the especial in.
tention of making an offer of marriage
10 you-Squire Diapers son, with a red
brick house and bank account at
Stockbridge." "
Then he may go away again" said
Debby, resolutely. For l never, never
Will marry any one but Isaiah Black
| burnw
"A stray gypsy lad, brought up in the
woods, with nobody knows who for his
father, and knack for chicken-stealing
at his finger ends" sneered Mrs. Trott.
"Mother!" pleaded the girl
Now Betsey, don't" said the farmer;
that amt fair, Isaiah's as good a young
chap as ever stepped. And if you'll
just remember / was as poor as any
gypsy of the lot when first we married.
Deborah's my only child and she sha It
be teased Come here, Pussy and give
your old father kiss
And the stormy February afternoon
darkened into snowy nightfall, and
Debby gazed wistfully down the road,
wondering why her lover had not re-
turned.
'He has had time to 90 to Marshall
Hills and back twice." she said to her
self.
ut is strange" said Mr. Trott.
Isaiah amt one to loiter, in general" I"
Didn't tell you SOP" said Mrs. Trott
you'll never see neither Isaiah nor the
money again"
And when nine o'clock came Mr..
Trott put the horse into the old-fash-
ioned red cutter and climbed resolutely
on the seat.
Lame or not lame" said he, "Old
Whitefoot has got to take me over to
Marshall Hills tonight"
cts no use," said Mrs. Trott, dryly.
You'll find the bird has flown. He can
pick up foolish girl anywhere, but
fifty-dollar bills amt so easy to get at. "
"Father, can't l 60, too?" p7teously
urged Deborah, stung to the quick by
every malicious word and aCcert Of her
mother.
"No, daughter; no." said Mr. Trott.
81 won't be long. And you're best off
at home"
He drove away into the white vail of
flying snow, the bells ringing with
muffled sound, and Old Whitefoot's
breath rising in column of steam
through the uncertain darkness.
'Isaiah?n said stout old Marshall
Hill. "Of course, he's been here. Paid
me that there ffty-dollar interest money,
and give him receipt four hours ago
Amt he got home yet?'
And Thomas TrOtt scrambled once
more into the sleigh and drove rapidly
away.
Upon dreary side hill, where to the
left a steep precipice extended almost
perpendicularly downward, and tir-
clothed slope seemed to reach upward
to the right, Old Whitefoot stopped sud
denly. Thomas Trott caught up his
whip with energy.
That's the second time you've done
it, old fellow" cried he. 'Gou SHE'D
lust SO when we came by before"
But all in vain the whip descended.
Whitefoot stood with bristling name,
distended 'nostrils, and four feet firmly
implanted in the snow, obstinately y re"
fusing to proceed.
81 declare" cried the farmer, scratch
ing his puzzled head, 'ff | was be-
lever in such things, | should Almost
think Whitefoot saw ghost"
At that moment there came a briet
lull in the storm and tempest and as
Farmer Trott sat there he heard groan.
ut amt the old pine tree creaklng'
said he, nor yet it amt the wind lts
something human"
And straining his eyes through the
snow-illuminated darkness, he saw a
figure crouched in a crevice OF rock hall
way down the steep precipicc, clinglng
TO a cluster of stunted saVin bushes.
"Helpr' it cried, feebly. Help
hclp!" ,.,
.Bless mel" said Farmer Trott 'it's
our Isaiah
And 50 it was. Flooding homeward
from his errand, his foot had slipped IN
the storm and darkness, and falling hall
wav down the hill, he had broken MS
Leo and badly bruised himself, only
escaping from a still more disastrous
fate by holding desperately to the saVln
roots. >,
81 don't know what | should have
done if YOU had not heard my voice.
said he. 81 could not have helo OF
much longer"
"And you may thank Old Whlfetoo,
for that" said Mr. Trott, as he helped
Isaiah into the sleigh He'd a-stoppec
on the way down if I would have le
him. ~
So Isaiah Black burn reached the olc
farm house safely at last, where DebpJ
and her mother were anxiously sitting