Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-18

- w no killed nlIl
"That's the question. There wasn't
a wound or a mark on him, just 'cspt
blue spot on his temple, and his revolver
was in his hand and there wasn't sign
of anybody bout
"What did your father think?' said
Cis, not quite ready with an explanation.
"Oh, he reckoned it was moonshiners;
but he and Cobbs and some more men
rode over there the next morning and
searched all around, but they couldn't
find anything. And papa and Cobbs -
Ally's face lighted out of its stolidity-
Hpapa and Cebbs and Henri staid all
night. 1 just remember how Sally cried,
she was so afraid something would hap
pen to papa, and 1 reckon 1 cried too,
thinking how the hants might kill him
and Cobbs. But they wouldn't let me
go, Just hollered on Uncle Joe Peat and
he took me home.'
"Why, did you follow them?" Eyes,
said Ally, with a shame-facsd look,
erode after them on my pony, with my
shot gun and the shaTpest kitchen cary
ing-knife and rode home bellsring all the
wav and lost the carving-knife. I tell
you Aunt Cindy was Tarin' on me for
that
'sWhen did it happen?"
ooh, bout two years ago. We never
did find out anything. And there
WASN'T any whisky for sale, so 1 DOM
guess it was moonshiners. Papa reck-
ons it was, though; but Cobbs reckons it
was sure ghosts.
Cecil looked at Ally musing by trying
the edge of his blade with his fngersi
after all, though he was such a little
savage, Ally was about as brave as
boy could be. He thought of the stout
hearted, ssAperstitious little creature rid
ing with his shotgun and his carving
knife; he remembered the simple admi-
ration which both the children had
shown him ana which he had taken quite
as his due, being so used to fattery land
all at once, something deep down in the
lads nature gave him some very curious
twings.
1t was ridiculous for a little man of
the world to feel abashed and ashamed,
but Cts recalling Ally's look Of NORTH
cation and disappointment that morning
had q taste of both those bitter feelings.
81 daressy he would have done as
much for me this morning, " thought
Cis; "but he wouldn't now
He felt q tingling desire to win Ally's
admiration back. Very likely it was
this as much as anything else that made
him else and say carelessly; 'well, we
eau t ind the store in the dark SO per-
haps we would better be going.
''You don't mean you want to stay
there tonight, cried Ally, his jaw
falling.
ttWhy notp We don't believe IN
ghosts, and If there were moonshiners
they will have go2e q long time since.
1t is plainly impossible for US to get
home aud think it would be rather a
lark, don t you5"
mo" SAID Ally, "I'd hate it terri
bly,"
.tweu. 1 want to see the house. I
never saw haunted house. The fellows
in Chicago will laugh if l get so near
real, genuine haunted house and don't
take peek. 1 say, Ally, you show me
the way and you can stay outside and
I'll go In.
Ally had resumed his logged air. GAN
right he said, rather sulkily, eff you
want to go SO bad. III carry you. But
Yon ii wish You hadn't"
Here was not a gracious acquiescenoe.
but, for once, Cecil did not feel disposed
to criticism; in an obscure way, he was
touched by Alan 8 refusal to desert him,
and ct the same time his former desire to
impress the Southern boy was sharpened.
He tried to awaken AilY's enthusiasm by
describing what fun it would be to tell
about their adventures next morning.
YES Ally admitted, doubtfully,
eff we amt killed up some way before
morning.,
But IL Cecil eloquence could not con-
vince Ally, who certainly was not an
imaginative boy, at least, it fully con-
quered his own fancy. He could see
himself rehearsing his adventures TO the
boys at home. Oh, no, he wouldn't
talk of them as adventures, or brag, or
be cad about it; he would just say in a
careless way that he had once spent
night in a haunted house; then they
would ask him about it and he would