South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-11-11

Old Betsey, with patchwork
bed quilt wrapped around her, was
hobbiing away q. fast as she could.
"Betsey Beisey screamed JAG.
quelina from the window. "Wheres
grandfather
81 don't know, croaked the bel
dame. I'D ye s'poss I'm goin TO
stay and be burned TO death
And it was Jacquelina who crop.
ed her way to the old mans room,
helped him to dress. explaining the
while what had happened. and 10 |
him down to the Old ics- house. the
nearest place Of shelter, until the
storm was over.
Nor were they any too soon.
They had scarcely got clear OF the
old house before the charred beams
fell in and only = framework Of
fire remained luridly outlined
against the ink-black sky.
With morning light the terrible
tempest passed I; but there lay the
smoking heaps of ruins where the
hundred year old Gordon Home
stead had stood in the red shine OF
sunset.
"We'l build it up ag'in, Jacque-
llns-we'll build it up, said the old
man, feebly. "It's the place where
was born, and the place whers I
calculate to die--where l should
ha' died last night, Jacquelina, if
it hadn't been Tor you. Where you
been my girl? Your shoes are
soaked with the wet grass, and You
look as white as death.
Only to the barn, said Jacqueli-
ma. ''to see If all was right there.
The pony is safe, and the little calf
and all. Now, grandfather, good
by. The stage goes q. six, you
know, and
"Well, let it go said Grand
father Gordon. "You amt goin' /.
You stood by me when Betsey Poole
would a left the old man to die
like roasted rat in trap. You
saved my life. Dye think I'm GO
in, to let you 60 now?
ooh, grandfather, then-.hen
you want me after all sobbed Jac-
quelina.
eyes, 1 do want you. An [
mean to keep You always. I've got
more money in the bank than folks
know anything about, an / guess
we can build mp the old house nice
and comfortable, and live there an
he happy, you an /.
''But grandfather, must tell
you first
A full confession was trembling
on Jacquelina's lips, when one OF
the neighbors came running up the
hill.
"Heard the newsP said he.
There's been big landslide down
over the railroad at Cooper's Bend,
and the express would "a been
wrecked, sure ss guns, if it hadn {
been signaled with re silk hang
kecher tied round a lantern. and
the lantern your own barn light,
Squire Gordon ! An the feller.
that signalsd it an saved all tho
lives in the tram was that runaway
chap from Casanova Jail an as it
happened. the warden hiseelf was
on the train, an he says it'll be a
queer thing if they don'f get the
governor to sign pardon for him.
For he might a took to his heels
an run away; but he got recaptur-
ed sayin' the express train. An
ne saved it. too-yes. he did
"From Casanova Jail repeated
Grandfather Gordon. tWhat run
away chapS
And then Jacquelina took fresh
courage and told him all the sim
pie story.
stMy girl, said he, stroking her
red brown hair, "you done right.
You're good girl, Jacqueliua,
Amt there something in the Bible
abont him that is ready to perish /?
Yes, JacqueliRa, / want you more
than ever now.
And go, in the storm of that Nav
night, a new career was opened
alike to innocent JacquelIua Gordon
and the guilty wretch who had been
condemned to Casanova Jail for
forgery.
Truly there was yet a pace IN
the world for them. They were
both wanted
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