The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-09
LORD BYR0Y'S BOY.



mind this much. Lord Byron and Jimmy
Kerr were not 50 very good, either, it may
as well be acknowledged. II they had been
truly good, they would not have fingered at
the Eagle Bird saloon until such an I'M
seernly hour, whom Fred Parks, proprietor
Of the corral where they had left their
horses, and all other reputable people in
Chloride Flats, we're asleep. They had
gone, after mature and potatious oonsidera-
ton, to secure their horses for the ride
home, but, iaasmuch as it was 80 o'clock
a. m, and the stables and corral gate were
securely locked they had decided to walk
horue-neither of them, they confded to
each other, ever did like riding, anyhow.
"Codw calculated Lord Byron, in re-
Spouse TO q remark from his companion, who
plJdi,d a rod or two behind, as usual.
"colds Say, jim, thlsd drive a cast iron
statue in off a green lawn. JIM wherein
hell be ye.auyhow? q, y're right yere, be YET
Didn't know but what ye was tack about
las Christmas r summer. Wa-al belly up,
an irrigate; this is this Christmas, an we
don't want no sluggsrds in tn celebratin'
exercises. So git move on"
''Wah-h' said Mir. Kerr, as he accepted
Lord Byron's invitation; "wah-h that sho'
hits TIL spot
"N're shoutin' my crow-teasin young
friend. That Is good, an here's how p"
And Lord Byron lifted the bottle to bit own
bearded lips, and held it there for several
seconds.
Mother, Jim" inquired Lord Byron.
"GO 70 1t, so.; it may carry ye home-I
won's. Wa-al, we better fade out O. this,
son. Come on
They had struggled on a few rods when
Lord Byron halted: "HoI on, Jim. Did ye
hear that"
''What!'
IVY, didn't ye hear some IN a-hollerin'
les nova Listen-n
a FAINT cry came down to them, borne by
the wild wind from q point on the trail
ahead.
Gone onI" said Lord Byron. "sounds
like a woman cryin'. Hurry, Jim! Hill"
Lord Byron aud the faithful James hur-
Tied on, and presently, coming to where the
trail turned to so across the hills into the
valley over to the "B H. ranch, they came
upon the author of the cries they had heard.
It was as they could see by the light of
Jims lantern, q small boy about II years
old, aud he told them that he was trying to
find the "B H" ranch. He had started from
the Flats after the arrival of the evening
train, and losing his way, had very sensibly
stopped at the old dug-out by the cutoff to
Lord Byron did not wait to ask questions
it was too cold Grab a-holt, Jim, an
come ON he commanded, aud the homeo
ward march was resumed-nOt very stead
lily, but still in the proper direction, gener-
ally speaking.
when, abous $50 O'clock. be and Jim and
the young stranger, after smack" and
something to thsw them out, sat before the
open fireplace in the big dining room, gets
ting warm.
- am Mark Dunton, ard pa sent me out
here. He said t come t Byron Hutchins
an say he sent me here, responded the boy,
incoherently.
''Y're Mark Hunton's boyf" asked Lord
Byron, starting up and laying his big hand
on the boys shoulder. Marks boy
VI here's pa"
Big tears came into the lads eyes, and
there was q great sob In his throat: ''H-he's
dead, mister"
"Hor on, boy-hol' on; let's go see MAJ
And Lord Byron picked up the now crying
boy and carried him into Mrs. Butchins,
" DO, arrayed in a not very Immaculate
wrapper, was just ebout coming from her
room to discuss the lste hour question with
her recreant spouse.
Mark stayed. The Hutchinses were not
blessed With airy chick mr. KID as Lord
Byron expressed it; and if they had been it
would have been all the same. Mark Dun
ton the elder, had been, according to Lord
Byron's statement, 9Th best man th't ever
drawed breathn-snd all the love the old
man and his kind-hearted wife could lavish
they considered none too much for Mark
DuutOn's son.
Mark proved to be a good boy in the
main. True, he was a bit wayward, and
inclined to be weakly led into all sorts of
scrapes, but he was so frank and open, and,
when he had been guilty of any small mis-
deed, was always so honestly sorry and
deeply repentant, that maybe his foster
parents loved him all the more for his oO-
caslonal lapse from rectjtude. LORD Byron
was believer in the truth of that vener-
able and moss-grown adsge, boys will be
boys" SO It was easy enough for him and
his kind motherly wife TO find excuses for
their boy, who soon became as a son to
them.
Lord Byron and hoy" as be invariably
called Mark, we're almost inseparable. When
Mark was not at school he was invariably
10 be found with "Uncle By" It was a
good thing for the boy, this companionship.
The old mans exterior was rough, but be-
meath il beat the kindest, truest heart; and.
in his talks with Mark, his unoouth speech
carried many good lesson of honesty, truth,
justice, virtue, manliness, courage-at-
tributes Of his own that his few small faults
failed to obscure.
Lord Byron often suffered, as suoh men
will, from the results Of misplaced conf.
dence, and whenever any one had abused
his faith he would say to Mark; "Boy, We
s'n find honor an heaps O. good p'ints bout
q road agent r any other blame thief, but
ye can't find nary one in a cussed traitor.
More'n all things on airth, boy, don't never
be ongrateful r go back on friend Thar
was Judas Iscaryut, an Brutus, an Benz |
die ArnoId-theY went back on th'r frien's,
an whar De they now, an what do folks |
think of 'em?"
When Mark was II and had finished his
course at the Chloride school, he was put in |
charge Of a tutor to prepare himself for col
lege, and the next year saw him of for the |
sast to enter one Of the leading New Eng |
land institutions of learning.
Here, am sorry to say, he failed to con- |
duct himself as well as he might. Lord |
Byron kept him supplied with all the
money he could possibly find use for, and |
Mark, as boys Of his nature will, did not |
take long 10 identify himself with the |
rapid" class of students, and was soon |
known as one of the liveliest freshmen at
college.
OF course Lord Byron knew Of all Marks |
1oings, but never q word did be write to |
MIN on the subject. The weekly letter from
he old folks and all called-for remittances
'ene VITA unfailing regularity, and Marx
vent on his easy, -go-lucky way re-
IOicing, Once in a while 1t is true. his con.
sciences rose and smOte him bnt IL pavar