The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-11
ZEBULON AND BARBARY.

souri,.
Memories of things that happened in
this happy time always stick close.
,re is no getting away from them. You
always remember your first day at
DOL, your first runaway, your first sweet
ut and your first fight over her. You re-
nber the first circus you ever saw, too,
1T you? And doesn't it seem, even now,
u that little old clown with his funny
b and big pants and his old, old jokes,
/ the best amusement you ever had2 1t
ecessary to bring all this clearly to your
I'D before telling you the story that fol-
9, for the story is one that treats OF
|mories and it has sad little ending to it.
! little way over the line in Missouri,
Lut twelve miles from here. writes Mile
me-. Fulton county, Arkansas, CORE
ndent of the Denver News, perhaps, and
L this side of Lonton, the log cabin home
Amos Greer has stood for more than a
Ire of years. Zeb, Zeke, Ike and Henry
,er first saw daylight through its poorly
|nked sides, and they never called any
Ter place home. There have been few
orovements on the property since Zeb
!, born, more than twenty-six years ago.
h now there is little chance of anything
that sort being done by the Greers at
Int. There is trace of an old illicit still
|Rn the ravine toward Arkansas, but it
|, not been used for 80 long time that
n Zeb, who is the oldest, does not re-
mber it as anything different from its
sent condition. Old Amos Greer might
|, YOU all about it if he cared to, but he
|,er mentions the subject and nobody
les mention it to HIM. Tradition says
\ old man once served his country on ac-
lint of it, but there is no definite in
nation to be had on this score. The log
bin is one of the Oldest in these parts,
b its Rlories are over.
Il has not been long since all of this sec
| a was first flooded with pamphlets and
,ulars descriptive of the great northwest.
| ny Of the natives who had never been
them, all of this literature,
nv word of which was drunk in eagerly.
,ong the first of the natives that heard
Washington, Idaho and Montana as the
|sming country" as u" culars set
tn, we're the Greer boy. eD read the
,criptions to old Amos, H.o sat with
Eyer KANT tell erbout it." he said at last.
| er KANT tell, Zeb. Hyar yer hev all that
Il man'd want, an yer DON no whut yer'd
|, offn thar"
lie waved his hand generously. He knew
Is northwest was away off somewhere, but
=, the life of him he could not locate it
y nearer than the sweep of his hand in
lated.
'Yes,'' returned Zeb, with the air of a
In who is thinking vigorously, ''but thar's
/ chance fer ther boys hyar. not or one.
rs aE Oiro31op %hov,3o
h boun'less reso'ces outen thar. I KANT
II yer exactly what they is, but knows
|sy's all right"
EsDo's yer min, then, Zeb," quietly OBJ
we'd the old man; 'do's yer min, an Til
10 they discussed the new country and
ID idea Of going to it. Scores of others in
See parts were doing the same thing. The
ople were becoming too numerous for
lam, the railroads had mostly pushed
rough the hills. and altogether there were
p many evidences of civilization. The
ming Of strangers from other parts of the
untry bothered the old timers, too, and
/. all of these reasons many thought to go
/ somewhere where everything was newer.
lndreds have gone and many are still pre-
ring for the pilgrimage.
The oldest of the Greer boys announced
d intention Of quitting the old place and
ing to the northwest. Il went hard with
N, but "fer ther other boys" he said,
omethin' mus be did," Zeb was partic-
,rly sorry to go away fer many reasons,
chiefest of which was love affair-the
at he had ever experienced. Somehow he
Int see how he could do it. Week after
elk for six months or more he had jour
yed afoot over to the railroad station, q
" town that had come with the road, and
ing to little old-time log house on the
tskirts of the village, he made his call.
BIS girl-that's what everybody called
Twas not verv pretty to the ruin of peo-
J. but Zeb thought her extremely beauti-
Il. Her name was Barbara Lake. Zeb called
r Barb'ry, and she, with great decorum,
lied him Zebulon. The Saturday evening
Ter tho determination of the Greers,
rough Zeb's will, that the northwest was
Ia country for them, one of these visits
IA made. Zeb was full Of misgivinga
he trudeed along the narrow road. How
,uld he break the news to Barb'ry? To
away off to Washington seemed to him
e going off the earth. He was afraid he
mid never see the girl again, and how to
! / her that he WAS going away was beyond
Ia resources. When he reached the Lakes
fbin the door was open and Barb'ry was
,nding on the dirt floor just inside. She
m dressed in q clean, pink calico, wholly
| ,starched, and she looked to Zeb prettiel
an he had ever seen her, as she stood
ere by the door. with just enough of the
ling evening light left to outline hel
atures clearly. Zeb said nothing while