Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-12-29
SAVANNAH HARDIN TENNESSEE THURSDAY

and worked for an HOUR, more like
devils than men; driving them into the
thickets and punches OF mesquite and
keeping them punched.
by that time the storin, which after
all was n small affair, was practically
over the thunder muttering off south
ward, and the moon looking out glori-
ously now and then.
After awhile / missed the Old Man.
Though he lacks Corb's incEcs and is
slighter, he is worth any ten of him to
turn out work, and, in such an emer-
gency as this, round dozen. Never
complaining, never losing his head nor
his temper, and always right there. |
noticed, too, that some one had lit the
campfire ugain, and as the danger to
the sheep was passed, staggered over
to it as near done up as ever man
was. What | saw there, as the poet
has it, gave me pause"
There, on the ground beside the fire,
sat the Old Man holding Miss Belle in
his arms. She was sobbing wildly,
and he was soothing and hushing her
as mother might her child. | thought
of what she had said about fleeing to
her mother when storms came up;
arms as tender though they might be
awkward, encompassed her now. Awk-
ward, did say? The Old Man handled
her rs if he had been born for it, and
bred TO nothing else; he tended upon
/ L. Nf lt,,t,n ;nfnitin,, n1
knew all her wishes before they were
spoken!
came up with some unnecessary
noise, thinking to warn them of my
presence; but she merely turned her
head upon his breast and looked at me,
and the Old Man glanced up and said,
as if he thought the universe might be
indictable for the trouble: "lIer pony
! threw her in the storm, and she
wrenched her ankle and is all chilled
and shaken up, and found her out
there crying and brought her in
81 never was SO frightened in my
life," said Miss Belle, with something
of return of her old vivacity, "till
Alan found me; then"-with an elo-
quent look-''l was all right We
turned back when we found the storm
was going to catch us and thought we
could reach here, and | got separated
from the rest they'll all be in di-
rectly"
They came. Wet as rats We made
big fire of sotol stalks, which burn
like resin, and rugged up the tent
again for the ladies, and by that time
it was almost Christmas morning
In the gray dawn 1 came upon the
Old Man and one of the Austin fellows,
talking, The Austin man was going to
ride on to the next ranch below us and
send back their ambulance for Miss
Belle, and then further to little town
beyond, to have some things in readi-
ness which the Old Man wanted there.
81 would like" said the Old Man, in
the husky, hushed voice of one dis
closing the gunpowder plot. "a razor
and as good suit of clothes as you
can get there, and don't forget the il
cense and the preacher"
He turned explanatorily to me: 'I'll
send man back from Mason's to take
my place here" he said. "She isn't fit
to travel alone, as she is now, and no
body can take care of her as can
81 WISH" said Corb, discontentedly
as the Old Man disappeared carrying
Miss Bellies breakfast, "that some nice
girl was as stuck on me as all that"
Plenty of 'em are, Corby, said |,
cheerfully; but knew in my heart that
Corb would never know the glory and
delight that comes from so deep, Sc
strong and so self.abnegating a love
as the Old Mans Such feeling is its
own reward
Inside the tent heard him Dear
est" he said, with such n wealth OF ten
derness in his voice that every wore
was caress, 1--WE got you up such ;
breakfast as could, and ] want yol
to try to eat bit of it, 1t won't do tC
be sick to-day, for, you know, it'
Christmas, and our wedding-da -
Grace Mac Gowau Cooke, in Leslie''
Weekly.