Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-31

hide the fact that l was a Northern man.
On that account alone l was from the first
an object of suspicion and close scrutiny TO
my neighbors by most of whom my friendly
ovefuures were received with a sullen I'M
responsiveness tnat was to say the least
| diSCouragin2
My nearest neignbor was 4 giant of man
! named Case Hafaer VINO, at had learned
before leaving Washington, was the ac-
| knOwledgel leader of the district and fore
mOst in all It's deeds of deviltry. He, better
| than any other could furnish me with the
information ! wished to acquire, For this
reason had taken up my abode as near to
| him rs the unwritten law of that country.
! which forbade neigflbors to live within less
| than miie of each other allowed in vain
did ! strive tc cultivate his acquaintance
| He would nave nothing TO do with me. Only
| oy strategem aid | succeed in meeting him,
| when he simply ignored my presence and
! walked away without word. He lived
! alone with his son Abner bright, keen
! witted lad of about fifteen. the pride of his
! fathers life and the sole object of his am
! bitions. With this boy also tried to scrape
| al acquaintance hoping 20 win the fathers
! confidence through him. but to no purpose.
/ He either aluded ne or fed like a startled
| deer ii by cnauoe We met. While others of
| the neighborhood sought my house with a
| view 10 satisfying their curiosity. with
! Case Raffner and his son Alb l could hold
| no intercourse.
$50 matters stood at the end Of a month
| when late one evening Oh returning from
an all days ride TO I remote corner OF the
settlement, was oye"t2ken by u terrific
thunder storm while still some distance
from home. ! was accompanied by Caesar
my negro servant. and we were on horse
back. Bewildered by the storm we lost our
way, ard after a half hour Of hopeless
wandering, laundering and general dis
comfort l was more tiaa thankful TO dis
cover feeble light twinlkling in the window
of log cabin.
Receiving no response to my repeated
knockingS at the doc" pushed il open and
entered. l had not recognized the cabin
and did not know unit; I saw Case Taffner
sitting on q stool before the great mud
chinked fireplace that it was his. The mans
face was buried in his hands and he did
not look up at my entrance, nor in any way
betray consciousness Of my presence As
| glanced about the rudely furnished room
IN search of Abner my eye fell upon a bed
on which lay the motionless form OF a boy
The lighU Was dim and fancying him to be
asleep called him by name
At this the man by the fire spranr 10
his feet and, giaring at NE like wild
beast, cried out with terrible oath that
his son was dead and for me to begone be-
fore he killed me for intruding on his mis-
cry. Instead of obeying him l stepped to
the bedside The BOY was to all appear
lAASCo LllC-tSss Jul the llIner S
protest, and making careful examination
OF the BODY. became convinced that the
vital spark had not yet fed. He had been
stricken with one of the quick fevers of |
that country and had apparently succumbed !
to it, With Z slight medical knowledge
gained IN the army | say that there was !
still chance Of saving him. Caesar was at |
once dispatched TO fetch my travelling medi- |
cine case, while L heated a kettle OF water, |
Case Hafner meantime regarding my move |
mcnts with an apathetic Indifference. To |
make long story short, I succeeded be- |
fore morning in restoring the boy to life |
and healthful sleep. At the end OF week |
during which / visited him daily, his recov- |
cry was assured.
In all this time. though the father |
watched my every movement with q cat
like intentness, he never spoke to me if he
could help it nor did he express the slight
est gratitude for the service | had rendered !
him. Thus when the boy was SO far re-
covered that had no longer an excuse for
visiting the Haffners' cabin, was appar-
emily as far from gaining their friendship |
or confidence as had been before the night |
of the storm.
This state of affairs continued IN
e6npged when at the end of three months |
from my arrival in that place found my
business there nearly concluded had es-
tablished the validity of the claims had |
been sent to investigate, had reported upon !
them, and had been ordered to settle them
with the money that would be forwarded to
me Tor that purpose. AT the same time
imagined that all this business had been |
conducted with such secrecy as TO be I'M
suspected by human being beside myself |
and my principals in the matter Thus |
thinking. l went alone, and without feel
ing of Insecurity. to tile nearest railway
station 1bass NznactaS - rAneiss tne