The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-12-24

Bonny was grazing in the canyon,
where the sturdy shrubs and grasses
managed to resist the chill of winter up
on the ridge and the heights above the
cabin. She was easily caught, and Ivy
being an expert rider was soon speediL.,
along down the mountain trail which
led to Buffles, store.
Josh Buff1es was I, crusty old fellow,
who kept Il grocery and general notion
store next door to a saloon in the OUT
skirts of the settlement in the valley
The Fisher children had never dealt with
Buffles. He was SO close listed and re-
quired such Il great profit on all his sales
that they had been obliged to do their
trading at the small mining town seven
miles distant from Rocky Ridge.
The air was sharp, and Ivy's thinly
clad figure felt the chillness keenly, but
the thought Of how glad she was going
to make the sick boy made her almost
dumb to the discomfort of her long, cold
ride dow the mountain.
AS she approached Buffies' store she
noticed that the saloon next door was
filled with rough men, drinking and pro-
, flaming in shocking manner.
She shuddered at the sight, and her
first impulse was to ride away as fast as
Bonny could carry her. But she remem.
bered True, and dismounting she hitched
the pony near the store and entered.
< The store was quite deserted, save by
the unprepossessing proprietor himself
and a tall, lean boy who occupied an
empty soap box by the rusty stove.
Buff1es stood behind the counter, and
as Ivy came toward him he fixed his
hawkish gray eyes upon her with stare
that was repellent.
ooh, sir" she began, nervously finger
ing one ragged edge of the nubia, anxious
to dispatch her business and hurry home,
''my brothers laid up in the cabin-he's
been sick a long time-and want to get
something nice for his Christmas, an
orange or apple" and she looked long
ingly at the display of fruits and candies
arranged on the shelves.
Have You any money! the merchant
asked shortly.
mo, SIR" aud her face fell despair
inglv.
Then how'd Yer 'spect ter sit any
/ thing: I'm done dom any credit bust
ness he announced savagely.
/ Ivy's face flushed hotly, but lifting her
blue eyes appealingly to the mans hard
ened visage she said, "You might let me
have one O them big oranges, and
could pay you in work for it,
I'd like to know what yer could do
fer me, he remarked scornfully
Il could come down here and scrub
your floor, wash your windows, clean up
your stove and do lots of things if you'd
let me-" she returned, looking at the
/ dirt begrimed floor and windows. which
had evidently not taken q bath foI
twelve months or more.
Yer 1filt Fishers leetle gal, hain't
/ yer:' he asked, ignoring her reference tc
the uncleanliness of his establishment.
eyes, sir" she answered, conscious
! from the expression of his countenance
that she had appealed to him in vain.
Eyer dad owed Inc, and it's high time
yer kids WAS doin somethin ter settle
the ercount," he said sharply.
II never heard my pap say he owed
you," she retorted.
Il hol ercount agin yer Fishers fel
thirty dollars. It's fer fittin yer Uncle
Jim up when he went up ter Wyoming
Yer dad went his security fer ther traps
Jim got Twas er plumb fool ter take
SIGH security, but yer dad was allus SC
burned sartin o strikin gold ON that
claim o hisn in the canyon that l kinde,
believed in him. The note orto beer
paid two months ago, but I've beer
kinder waitin ter give Yer kids chanc.
ter settle without dunnin. But I reckon
Yer bout as dishonest as Yer dad.'
Ny pap wasn't dishonest" Ivy CRIED
spirIiedly. Il s'pose pap thought [ mel,
jim would be back and pay it himself
He ought to have been four month";
ago
Yer Uncle Jim has shelled out fel
good. and Yer not likely ever ter see hin
back III these parts agin. But yer dad:
property stands good fer my thirty dol
lars worth O traps that Jim Fisher go
off with. Is tibet critter Yer rid up hyel
bit ago Yer own
Yes, sir; its all the horse we hav,
left
Wal, I'll take the critter and call i,
squar."
'Oh, please, SIR" pleaded Ivy, unable
to keep the tears back, s'don't TAX,
Bonny! She's all that's left True and
me. We couldn't live without her, Ia
deed we couldn'tf'
/ Tears and pleading, however, were O
no avail in moving the finty, misery
heart of old Josh Buff1es. Calling til,
lean boy from the soap box. he ordered
him to lead Bonny away.
AS the boy left the store to do his bid
ding, Buffles turned to Ivy, saying;2
''Come, sissy! Dry up now. Gus