Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-06-29

ed, and watched the proceedings
in silent wonder. At last he mar
aged to say:
what does this meanP
Joe and jim, exchanged a look,
but both besitated to speak. The
child's voice broke the silence.
The man had come to steal the
money, it said; 'and he was waitin'
for you to come back when these
men come and drove him away
There was momentary pause,
then the settler turned to the
strangers and said;
you have rendered me a great
service, gentlemen, and placed me
under lasting obligations, to you.
You have saved my little posses
sion which, though small,is great
deal to me, since it affords me the
means of saving my child's life.
The doctor says the little one
must have change Of climate and
the care of friends, in order to re-
cover from this dreadful malaria.
If you had not saved NY money
from the robber we could never
have been able to leave here for
our old home back east
Jim looked at Joe and nodded
toward the door. Joe understood,
and remarking something about
their horses, followed jim Oat. They
walked a little distance from the
cabin and stopped.
Joe,' jim said, 'that man and
child don't dream that we're rob-
bers do they'
'Ot course not,' Joe replied. II
they did, an'knew what we come
here for, they wouldn't feel so
thankful to US, reckon
Hardly Jim answered.
There was an awkward silence,
during which Jim shifted about IN
an uneasy manner. Finally he
spoke again, saying;
Joe, that little ole Is party bad
off, amt lti'
Reckon it is,' Joe replied.
Guess the doctor is right, an il 1t
don't get away from here 1t won't
live long,
That's so,' agreed jim. 'An' it
can't git away from here without
that money, can lt?'
Pears like it can't Joe said.
'An awfal pity Jim said, mus
lngly. But he added, Il reckon
it can't be heple !, because if we
take the money
Jim,' Joe interrupted, 'what'e
the use o'taikin' all over creation1
Why don't you come squar out an
say you're opposed to takin' the
money!
Il amt SAID was opposed to
takin' 1t, joe
No; bat if you got a speck OF
heart in you you are opposed to
IT.
Are you opposed to 1t, JOer
'Of course | am. I've been op.
posed to it ever since | see that lit
tie one an heer'd Its weak voice a.
a.beggln' that onery rascal not to
take all the money. That sneakin'
scamp looked so cussed mean set
tim there waitin' to rob that sick
child that Jest wanted to kick
him ont o. the country. ] made up
my mind then an there that no.
body wasn't goin' to touch that
money if L could help it,
jim made no reply, but took
Joe's hand In his and gave 1t a
hearty pressure. They stood for
some time in silence, than Joe
resumed in a sOftened tone:
Jlm,' he said, Il never felt SO
cussed onery IN all my life as did
when | stood thar by that winder,
an watched that sneakiu' thief an
that poor ''tle sick gal, an re.
membered nat we had come for. |
l jest looked at that feller settin'
thar an l imagined he was me, an
felt like a bloody wolf ready to
spring down on a pore leetle help |
less lamb
Them was jest my feelln's, joe
Jim replied. Somehow the way
that leetle gal pleaded with that
scamp teched my heart awful deep,
an her talk bout her old home
took me right lack to my boyhood
days, when was as young an in.
nocent as her could jestsee my old
home with Its shady, blue grass
pasture, an its red clover meaders,
an the little branches of clear
water, an' all that. But, palmer
than all, Joe, could see an old
couple settin' on the long porch in
the shade Of the big locust trees,
one of 'em a grsy-haIred man, and
the other a gray-halred woman,