Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-07-09

Il IL dIh plCsiSNtllI HSNS OTlIS yer DuJ
ter be short an sweet erbout it, Iry's
run off an gone ter Arl1ansaw, ter mar
~ er wilder down erbout Mountain
Home"
The girl looked at old Burnes sternly
for Il moment and then came over to
his side.
"Are yer tellin' me Their truth?" she
asked earnestly. Not or foolin', Uncle
Jim?"
Homes Jacks" was old Burnes' re-
sponsc, IAN hopes yer'll not take it
| hard"
Sarah had spirit.
Take it hard?" she echoed, wall,
I guess not thorter heap or Try, an
he said he never'd love nobody else.
He war goin' ter marry me purity soon,
an he said he'd come ter-night ter fix
up things. Sec" and Sarah stood back
Il foot or so, here's the dress an fixin's
| got, an put 'em on ter-night for Try
| ter pass on"
The girls eyes were filling with tears
as she talked, and old Burnes almost
felt mean enough to sink out of sight
through the dirt floor. Sarah dashed
the teardrops away and tried to smile
to show how little she cared, but it was
| such an effort that she turned back into
the dark to hide her face from the
searching eye of the old mountaineer.
Young Tincher had not forgotten his
engagement, but he didn't have the
heart to keep 1t, He struggled with
himself tor an hour after he left old
Burnes, walking through the woods
toward the home of the Hochstetlers.
At length he resolved to at least say
good-by to Sarah.
at KANT do no harm" he muttered,
IAN I wanter do IT.
He walked fast, but it was late when
he got within sight of the home of the
girl he loved. lie saw light there,
and it rather surprised him.
Funny" he muttered, but faint
much funnier n what old Jim told me
ter-day. Keepin' comp'ny fer two years
with Saryi Oh, the hussy!''
Ira stood in the darkness outside of
the cabin 1t was q still night in the
spring and despite the trifing fires
that were still kept up, the door re-
NAMED wide open. Ira peeped in.
Sarah had visitOr-Old Burnes! The
young farmhand's heart almost stood
still How pretty Sarah was. She had
on dress that he had never seen be-
fore, and Ira thought her nearer an
angel than he thought angels them
selves could be. He sighed-almost so
loud that the inmates of the house
could hear him. Then he put his hand
to his face and felt the struggling bits
of beard Tears came into his eyes,
and he walked away.
''Old Jim told the truth" he muir
mered. II amt old ernuff ner good
ernuff for sech as Sary, an he is. I
war fooled, thets all"
Old Burnes was not long in convinc-
ing Sarah that she ought to marry him
and before June had como with her
wealth of sunshine and roses and songs
of birds, the circuit rider was stopped
by the deacon, and the two were mar
ried. Sarah went to the little cabin
that old BurneS had lived in since his
first wife died, long before, and for
several months made it an earthly
Heaven for the old man
Something brought younS m rcbor
back to Oregon before - vaor WIS
over anu ne W. to see old Burnes
Sha SA' - Jim was not at home, but
, sarah gave her old flame an unexpect-
edly warm welcome. They talked for
an hour or so and one thing brought
on another until Ira asked Sarah-he
! Just couldn't help it-why she gave him
up. The whole thing was out in ten
| minutes, and Ira went away. He had
an ugly look in his eye and his sullen-
ness alarmed Sarah. Old Burnes was
| home an hour later and his wife told
| him that Ira had been there. The old
| man did not say a word, but when
Sarah was through with her story, he
got his old gun and carefully reloaded
both barrels and gave the hammer an
oiling. Sarah shivered and went nerv-
ously about preparing the supper.
With every breath she admonished old
Burnes not to be rash, but her husband
was mum. 1t was nearly shutdown
when the brush parted and Ira Tincher,
with a gan across his shoulder, stepped
into the cleared place. The old man
did not say word, but stepping to the
door, raised his weapon and fired at the
approaching figure Ira did not stop,
but as quick as n flash returned the
shot.
Old Burnes did not speak. His gun
fell and a second later he followed it.
He had bullet in his heart.
Ira gave himself up and pleaded self
defense. 1t was long fight, and the
young farrnhand's neck was saved, but
he got ninety-Rine years -
The only reason that he never be-
came the husband OF Sarah Burnes, nee
Hochstetler, is that Sarah lives in Ore
gon county, on the sunny side Of fifty,
while Ira IS spending his days within
the gray walls of state penitentiary.
Homer Bassford. IN Detroit Free
Press
| As Lose as the devil can make an out
slider believe he is as good as church