Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-11-11
FROsTBURG, MD, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER IL. 1898.


What's the matter, little girl:" Bill
asked that evening as he was eating
his supper.
"Nothin'."
You don't pear to be as bright as
usual
Il thought / was"
But you amt. Thar's some new
calico in my saddle-bags thatll make
you as putty Il dress as you ever seed.
Got red and yaller spots on it that
shines like a suntiower Look here,
little gal. thar'S Somethin' the matter
with you and you needn't say thar
amt. Come here now" He showed
his chair back from the table and took
her on his lap. You know thar's
somcthin' wrong, now, and You air
jest tryin' to fool me. l haven't done
nothin' to hurt your fcelin's, have =
NO"
Then what's the matter? oh, don't
cry that way" She sobbcd on his
shoulder. You'll make me think that
1 amt the right sort of husband. if
gettin' old and grizzly, and | amt
good-lookin' nohow. while you pear to
git pulitzer and pulitzer every day"
Bill" she said. putting her arms
around his neck. you mustn't talk
you mustn't think that way. You air
the best man that ever lived, and if
you'll promise not to get mad I'll tell
you what ails me-
Law me- child, / couldn't git mad
if | wanted to-"
She told him; he sat for few mo-
mentS in a silence of deep meditation,
and then, with Frightening countc-
nance, said cheerfully:
why, that amt nothin' to git mad
about, chile. It's all right and let me
tell you that any man after Seein' you
Il few times is bound to love you and
l reckon he would be willin' to run
away with you. Why, bless my life,
I'd run away with you in a mint, cr
haw! haw! No, indeed. honey. you
KANT blame the pore feller for that
And you won't say anything to him
about it?"
Law me, child. I'll never mention it
to him; never in the world, 50 don't
give yourself no uneaSiness.'
A chilling rain was falling Several
men, including Ned Royston, were sit
ting in Bob Talbot's store.
Wander comes Bill Hempscy," said
L
moved uneasily in his chair.
Hello, men, Bill shouted, as he
stepped up into the door and began to
stamp the mud off his feet. "Sortcr
saft outside. Hi, Bob; glad to see you
lookin' so well. Iii, Ned, and hi, all
hands,
Were always glad to see YOU" Ned
spoke up, "fur we know that You allus
fetch good humOr along with you.
Don't make no diffuncc how rainy or
how dry-no diffunce whuthcr the
corn't clean or in the grass, you air
alluS the same
"Glad you think so, Ned"
1--WE all iine him in thinkin' So said
Talbot
Much oblreg"d" He stood leaning
against the counter. and, moving his
hand carclrSsly. touched Il rusty cheese
knife. Bob, what do you keep sich IL
onery-lookin' knife as this for:'
SHARP enough to cut cheese with, |
reckon, BILL
Yes, but that's about all. Hand mo
that whetrock over thar and let me
whet the point. Blamed if ! haven't
got to be doin' somethin' all the time.
Wall, fcllers. | seed Suthin' 'toth"r
week while l was down in Knoxville
that laid over anything | ever did So"
before. | went to a thcatarc. Ever at
one, Ned!'
NO, don't believe | was"
Wall. now, if you've ever been NJ
one you'd know it," Bill replied. indus
knife. why. it knocks Il school cXhi-
bition sillicr than a scorchcd pup. /
never did see sich show
ANY hOsscs in it, Bob Talbot
asked.
''Oh. no, it all tuck place in Il house.
I'll tell you how it was (still whctring
the knifc). 1t was playin', regular per
tcnd-likc, but it looked mighty uaral.
1t pears that IL ruther old frlirr had
married a ruther young gal thC put
the milestone on the counter: Il pow
crful putty gal, too. Wall, one time
when the old feller want about the
house, a young chap that had wanted
to marry her good while before, he
come in and got to talkin' to her, and
the upshot was that he wanted her 10
run away with him."
No." said Bob Talbot.
Yes, sir" continued old Bill, want
ed her to run smack smooth away with
him. Wall, she told her husband. bur
he sorter laughed, he did, and lowed
that he didn't blame the fellcr much.
But the fun come after this. The old
fcller-stand up here, Ned, and let me
show you. Hang it, stand up: don't
pull back like a shyin' hosS. The old
fellcr got him a knife bout like this,
and he went into Il room whar the
young Teller was. Now, you stand
right thar. He walks in this way, and
neither one of them says a word. but
stood and looked at each other bout
like we are doin', but all at once the
old Teller lifts up the knife this way
and-Thar. you damned Scoundrcl"'
He plunged the knife into Ned
Royston's brcaSt-buricd the blade in
the fellows bosom, and as he pulled
it out, while Royston lay on the floor,
dead, he turned to his tcrror-Strickcn
friends, and exclaimed:
He wanted my wife to run away
with him, boys!
IF you wantcr hang me, I'll tie the
rope.
You don't? Then good-by, and God
bless you.''-Opie Reid, in Arkansas
Traveller