Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-10-13
A LOST DAUGHTER.
How Lonely Father Found Her
in. a Mountain Den.

HIS tlDOWb rcStcu upUu d uodIu WhlCh
covered the top of a barrel. Ever and
anon he would stroke, or rather pull,
the long pointed beard which orna-
mented his chin. Then he would tap
his forehead as il endeavoring to recall
some scene Of the long ago.
81 wish it would hurry up and get
daylight; so that could have another
good look at the face that's here in this
trinket," and he lifted a small gold
locket from his improvised table.
81 know | have seen those features
before" he muttered, "but where,
cannot tell If my candles hadn't all
burned out l could be gazing at the pic
ture now, but it won't be long to wait,
because / can see few rays of light
stealing through the chinks of the wall.
Funny / should have picked up this
thing on the mountain trail. Some
poor pilgrim must have dropped It,
cause I'll swear that none of the old
men in camp ever toted' it about with
them. I've seen some one that it puts
me in mind of, but who, when and
where I've run acrost 'em don't know.
"Oh, pshawl" continued the miner.
81 don't see why should be bothering
my head about the matter. If 1t is the
picture of some one I've seen In my
younger days 1t matters nothing to me,
for hasn't Tom Henderson been dead to
the world for many years2"
The lonely tenant of the cabin, how
ever, could not shake off the fascina-
ton which the likeness seemed to pos
sess for him, and again lifted the loclSet
from the table. This time he turned it
so that the feeble beam of morning
which penetrated small hole in the
wall would fall directly upon it.
1T looks almost the same as my Mar
garet did whenowe were married. But
it can't be her picture, for we never had
anything of this kind in our house." he
repeated. sob! There was home!"
And the voice Of the miner choked with
emotion as he recalled the scene.
"Home, wife and daughter swept
away in one night by the angry waters
of the Missouri How terrible! All,
well, it was the will of Providence and
submit to the chastisement"
With. this remark Tom Henderson
pla ccd the trinket, which had SO much
interested him, In his pocket and pro-
ceeded to start fire in an old broken
stove that he might cook little break
fast before going down into the gulch
to begin his days labor.
The old rusty coffee pot was steam
ing and the salt pork sizzling in the
frying pan when the door of the cabin
was burst open and a young man, per-
haps twenty-five years old, fell pros
trate upon the floor. -
"Halloal Halloa!e WHAT'S this? Some
body in distress, and hurt, too! There's
blood all over him, Say, stranger,
what is.it2 What's happened to your
Who's been doing you up IN this SHAPED
Hey Gan'tye answer"
A groan from the lips of the wounded
man was the only response.
You're hurt bad," observed the
miner, bending over the form If his un-
announced guest, Hit hard should
say you was. Why, somebody's been
carving you up as though you was
nothing more nor less'n dead bullock.
Toni continued the miner to him.
self, 81 reckon you've got work enough
right here in the cabin to-day without
going down to the washings. This chap
needs patching up mighty quick or else
all the life that's in him will run out
through the holes that some wicked
cuss has made.
Say, friend, can't We speak and let q
poor 'pill-garlic' know who you are and
how we came to be in this SHAPED
Wake up, man. You're in Tom Hender
sons cabin, and there amt 'galoot
east nor west of the Sierras that would
dare to trouble We while you're In his
keeping"
Margaret, Margaret, save herl"
gasped the sufferer.
Save Margaret" exclaimed Tom
would TO God that l could have saved
her years ago when she was calling &c
me for help from the. cruel river. But
who Is your Margaret, stranger? Who
is It, bearing that name, that needs g
friend? Old Tom Henderson would lay
down his life to help any woman who
possesses that name"
They have taken her somewhere
Torn her from my side and left me fol-
dead" AS though the exertion of speak
ing was more than the wounded mar
could bear, he relapsed into uncon
seriousness.
Tom made no attempt to recall the
young man to his senses, for, as he NUT
tered TO himself; THE lad is not going
to go under right away, l opinion, anC
he won't feel me patching him up hal
as much if let him lay asleep"
Despite the rough manner OF tn,
miner no woman's hand could NOR,
gently have dressed the wounds of tn,
poor unfortunate than did he. Ten
derby, Tom lifted his guest and laid hin
on his own hard couch, and then h
turned to partake of his breakfast tn
preparation of which had been so un
eXpectedly broken in upon.
As he slipped the pot of strong coffee
Henderson scliloquized: II wouldn't b
afraid to gamble my pile that jim
Darnley has had hand in this affair
know that he with some of his GREY
are back again in these parts. Now, i
find that it is that Villains worl
there'n tIe considerable excitement Il
this camp, and old Judge Lynch will b
master of ceremonies