Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-11
MANDY.

Eph Parks and his family lived in
that part Of Livingston county where
the farms are red and gully washed,
where the cornstalks are thin and sick
" looking and burn yellow in the sun
almost as soon as they are green. He
was strong and rugged, this sturdy
farmer. with his big, bony hands and
nut brown, lean checks, and as he
stood out in the burning August sun,
striking vigorously ut hidden sassafras
roots with his homemade hoe, he was a
striking illustration of thosce people who
toll throughout their lives with little
thought of the rest Of the world or its
pleasures Between the rolling. poor
land on which Eph was working and
the road stood two room log house,
scantily protected from the suns rays
by few scrubby black oaks
At a grindstone at the rear of the
house stood an old man grinding away
at an Ak. His hair was snowy white.
His wide brimmed straw hat, with its
shoestring band, did not conceal the
deep wrinkles ON his face His hickory
shirt was torn and faded, and the skin
looked blistercd through the rents. He
rested once i'll awhile and tested the
edge Of his TX with his thumb. This
was Eph's father. A woman almost as
old and long past the age Of work sat
on q stone III IA shady spot watching the
grinding of the AK and remarking in n
cracked voice the chances for crop.
They had failed in this the last season,
and it was of great Importance to them.
The corn bread and bacon had been very
scant Of late Eph's parents were very
old and feeble. but they helped as best
they could.
A tall. angular woman of perhaps 40,
though she looked much older. came to
tho door. Her calico dress was soiled
and torn. A pair of Eph's boots with
great patches of rawhide and with the
heels run over peeped cut from under
her tucked up dress. Her face was hard
and pinchod The sallow color contrast
ed strongly with the dark, almost black
blue of her gown, and when the sleeves
were rolled to the elbows her arms were
brown. One bony hand clutched dish
rag. which she held against the side Of
the door rs she shaded her eyes with the
other. She wits looking at her husband
as he worked across the red clay field.
The chatter of q horses hoofs on the
hard and gravel washed road was heard.
Her eyes We're turned in the direction Of
the rapidly approaching rider. A hah
dozen children, the eldest q boy of 10,
came from a gully near by, where they
had been playing, also attracted by the
| A I 20, 1xo
Of the house. To the surprise of all, the
stranger pulled up at the fence:
"Eph Parks live here?"
Yep that's him over there in thu
field answered the woman.
The stranger dismounted, tied the
bride rein to the rail fence and started
across the field toward Eph. The chill
dren instinctively clustered around thei,
mother and tugged unconsciously at hel
dress. She smacked them right and lef
impulsively. She was watching tn,
stranger. The man finally reached Eph
and the two had n parley for severa
minutes When they started toward tn,
house, the stranger had hold of Eph'l
arm. Eph's parents and his wife ant
children were al standing close togethe,
when the pair reached the house.
Mandy, this 'ere's COVE 'ment ossi
fer, and he's cum ter take me way Il
Jail fur maxim them dollars. 'Twan't n,
harm nohow, le'stwise I'm er churcl
member yet
Hurry up, hurry up" said the de
tective. II want to get to the station il
time to catch the night train
How long will yer be gone, Eph?'
said his wife. His aged parents stoo'
with their mouths open. They did no
understand it at all.
"Doan' know" answered Eph as tn
handouts were adjusted to his wrists.
Then the men climbed over the fence
The stranger got ON his horse and toll
Eph to walk along in front of him. a
also said that any attempt ON Eph's par
to run would cost him his life. Their
was no handshaking. no tears. Tn
men moved OF down the scorching no
road, leaving the group standing as
had stood at first, together. The oil
man and old woman looked at Mand,
appealingly. but Mandy watched he
husband and the stranger disappea
in the woods. She stood there in tn
sun with her head uncovered long afte
they had moved out Of her sight. Tn
old man and woman went back to tn
rear of the house, and the children final
" resumed their playing. Still sh
stood there, looking. The sun continues
his travelling, and finally dropped be
hind the woods In which her husban,
had disappeared
eyes" she murmured. ''that there
Jim Dobson's work. He tole ON Eph.
She shook her head several times
looked down the road once again AM
then passed into the house. She pre-
pared the scanty meal without word
, There was q strange silence in tn
house, rs IL corpse were near. Tn
> children were put to bed, and soon sh
old man and old woman followed. The
Mandy pulled her stool over to the ope,
window and looked out into the night
She placed her elbows ON the sill M
rested her chin in her hands. The moo
came creeping mp from behind q dissan
L. III.