Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-10

the cry was repeated. "Che lantern, quick,
JIM Bob, run TO the stable and call fatherln
Without waiting an instant, the girl dashed
out at the front gate and ran full speed down
the hill toward the ford AS she reached the
border of the stream another call for help
was heard.
Don't give up-helps a-comin'" shouted
jamie in return. 1t was too dark to see dis
to cross on the foot log
"Where are you" asked Lankfort as soon
as he and Jim had reached the scene with
the lantern.
''Here against the foot logI' was the reply
"Hang on, Mr.. Hudnut!n Lankfort recog-
nized the voice, in spite Of its shaky tones.
"Hang on, an We'll soon git you out.n
Taking the lantern in his hand, Lankfort
stGI ted to cross. lis weight caused the foot
log to sag little; it dipped into the current,
and the waves, in some places, dashed over it.
There was no danger that tho log would be
swept completely away, for it was chained at
the Lankfort side Of the stream; but there
was the risk of being thrown into the stream
in case the current should prevail against the
unclaimed end of the log.
Lankfort went slowly forward until he
reached the chilled and almost exhausted old
man. By this time the rest of the Lankfort
family were at the waters edge.
Just as Lankfort stopped to lift Hudnut to
a safer position, a large stick of floating tim
Der was carried full tilt against the foot log.
Hang on fir dear lifeln shouted Lankfort.
"Hang on, an the foot logll swing round to
shore. It's chained at t'other endn
Old Hudnut needed no second bidding.
Dropping ON his knees Lankfort managed
to fend off the ''rail cut" which had caused
the mischief. In the meantime the foot log,
kkald by the chain, swung around, carrying
its freight of human life to shallow water.
When Hudnut reached the shore he could
scarcely walk. Jim and his father helped the
old man up the hill to the house, where he
was made comfortable.
But the shock was too severe, and Hudnut's
age too great, to make his recovery an easy
thing, For days he lay ill., and all the while
jamie trotted around caring for his wants,
busy among her brothers and sisters, and
keeping up the housework just the same.
There was no thought of heroism on Janie's
part. She was just trying to fill mothers
place, and that was all she thought about it,
The day after the old man was brought to
the house, when the chill was on him, and
when he refused food, jamie came in with q
small dish in her hand.
"You seemed to sort o. like this apple but
ter, she said. "Don't you think you could
eat little o. that"
There were no ''airs" about jamie in this
little proceeding. Hudnut was company"
and that was enough The old man took
some of the butter and now and then some
more of it, with other food.
''Im getting quite braced up" said he.
Hardened as the world took the old money
lender to be, all this unconscious self sacri-
fee was not lost on him.
By and by he was ready to go home. Jim
brought his horse, and with some difficulty
the old man mounted to the saddle.
''Look here, Lankfort," !" he said, as he sat
to you and your daughter, and I'll settle it
with you one of these days"
1--WE don't make no charge, Mr.. Hudnut,n y
said Lankfort, with sudden dignity.
"And Pm a thousand times obliged to you
BESIDES" said the old man. Then, lifting his
hat to jamie, who stood in the door, the old
man bowed with old fashioned grace Re
peating his bow to the rest Of the family he
touched spurs to his horse and rode away.
Naturally Lankfort was disappointed, for
the old mans promise of settlement zone of
these days" was not very assuring. OF course
mo charge" was made, but Lankfort could
not help thinking, "'Tain't easy FIR poor
man, this sort O. thing, besides''- and thea
he went about his work, mumbling over
something about the mortgage
But poor Jim, who had groomed the old
mans horse so faithfully, was downright an
CRY, and gave vent to his feelings freely, the
children indorsing his sentiments as he gave
them utterance. Even jamie caught the con-
tagion of dislike, and sighed as she took up
her daily duties.
"Now, Hudnut," said the old man to him.
self, as he crossed the stream, now placid
enough, "now, Hudnut, you've got to do the
handsome thing by the Lankforts. I'll tell
you what you'd better do, Hudnut-in fact,
you've got to do it. Figure out the amount
of interest which Lankfort has paid on that
mortgage and deduct it from the principal.
EhG Better give up the mortgage and take
his note for the balance, Hudnut--and be easy
ON him, too"
After riding on awhile In silence the old
man resumed his conversation with himself:
ou can 90 DeUUer IMAM IhaU, dudnut.
Old man, d'you hear9 Begood all over, Hud-
nut, while you are about it" He chuckled as
he spoke. Instead of keeping that note for
the balance, suppose you just deposit it in the
bank to the daughters credit, with the UNI
derstanding that she is to have the interest as
long as the principal Of the note is unpaid.
That's it, Hudnut! Fix it up just that way"
And SO, be it said to the old money lenders
lasting credit, Joe Lankfort's ''everlastin
mortgage" was transformed into a blessing
to poor hard worked Jintsey. And thus a
new era dawned upon the ne'er-do wells of
the hewed log cabin on the hill.-Lucius Goss
in Youths Companion.