Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-09

bush with Its clusteriI white roses
dropping beside his mo RS grave, l
was ''shut up in measui ss content.
That was all before b Yoecame-oh,
God, how can write nat dreaoIul
word-an embeZzler! lRhuenced oy
stronger nature, he spedplated In cot
ton futures, used public unds, was de-
tected, arrested, tried, q hVicted. Ana
now be sat before me, as sad q specta-
Gle as angels can look bon-a crlml-
nal, who never intended 70 be a crimi-
nal. "Oh, Miss Cornelyv my old friend,
my only friend, for mothers sake, be-
lieye this OF me. / did not intend to be
a criminal; did not intend to soil the
wilderness of my fathers name. Thank
God my mother is deadl"
What could / do, but put my arms
around him, and sobbingly say: II be-
lieve you, my boy. will continue to
love you-always, always. As far as L
can, Stuart, I will fill your mothers
place. and cling TO you until DEATH"
IL was month after l babe him adleu
in the prison that took the cars Tor
Ito visit the coal mine, where the
convicts worked during the day and
were confined In the stockade at night.
had resolved to visit my boy once
every month, and to let him feel that
he was not an outcast from every heart;
the woman to whom he was betrothed
had returned his letters and his ring
without one word. alone, it seemed,
at Of all the great world still held him
IN my heart. / was mistaken.
nnnF
stockade a familiar form met my eye;
form TO which the five years since had
last seen il had given many touch
that told of age. His form was bent,
his hair scanter and whittier, his beard
snow-white. Yet that kindly face
who could forget IL? Yes, at one
glance saw that il was "Unc' Squire"
A glad look OF recognition leaped to
his face as he caught sight OF me, dis
mounting from the carriage. "Good
Cord Almighty Ei hit ain Miss Cor
nelly! Miss Cornely is you hearn
bout Marse Stuart? l know dere's
sump'n wrong bout hit. l know Marse
Stuart amt done muffin tall to be
token up bout. Somebody got tipa-
thy TO Marse Stuart, an done made up
a lie bout him. 1 knows dat, Miss Cor
nelly. But dey's done cotch my young
marster, an done shot him up in 'dar,
like be wuz dog, in q dog-house. l
cvarnt stan hit, Miss Cornely. Hit
nigh bout breaks my heart. Little
Marse Stuart" The old man broke
down, aud wept like child; wept
with him. Miss COrnely,' he said, as
soon as he could control himself, miss
Cornely, l never knoWed bout him tell
las week. DenI EFF my pillow in de
furrer. ] kin plow de old
bin mvar II l Is ole; she ole
tool Jess lef' hit dsr, an 1 took my
foot In my ham an coined hyar TO quest
de boss TO open de door an let Marse
Stuart out, an lemme 90 in dar, an
Uuck stidder him. 1 knows rs ole, but
l kin wuck; can dig coal bettern dan
dat boy kin. Pears 10 me, Miss Corne-
". dat hit'll kill me studyin' bout little
Marse Stuart shot up in dar. l cyarnt
stan hit. Cord Almighty knows l
cyant!
DE boss would't listen to me, Miss
Cornely. He say rs fool. But you
done come now, an you kin git 'em to
lemme 90 in and dig coal, an let little
Marse Stuart go down TO de plantation
and keep de place from gOin' clear ter
rack. l kin do do wuck stidder de
boy"
II was after "Ulc Squire" was con-
vinced OF the utter hopelessness OF his
attempt, that he took his seat at the
door OF the stockade, counted out in his
horny hands all his money, and said:
II got five dimes an nickel here for
i'm; and here l gwnter set till he comes
in or out, one or tlrr. gwine gin i'm
dis money for hisn an l gwine TO git
my arms roun' himan' hug i'm one more
time like hug he pa, when totch i'm
of de battlefield 1t Shiloh. Dis mos
hurt me worsern Ian dat. Poor little
Marse Stuart! Ulc' Squire sorry bout
your ELEANOR CHURCHILL GIBBS.