Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-06-07

from It. It was almost minute be,
| fore It looked up at the man again
both eyes full OF tears and lips trem.
bling with suppressed emotions.
9 do want to 60 back to our old
home so bad" 1t said, plaintively
g cause ] was always well there an
1t was SO pleasant. Every night
dream about 1t, an ! see the big
shady bluegrass pasture an the red
clover meadow an the clear spring
branch that runs down through the
orchard an under the big elm-trees,
where / used to have swing.
dream it all over every night, an I'm
so happy till / wake up an find It'll
| Just dream"
The child's words and tone were
pathetic, but they had no effect on
the man to whom they were ad.
dressed. He appeared oblivious tc
it all.
1T is so lonely out here on the
prairie with nobody but pa an me, -
the little voice went on, IAN i amt
never happy like i used to be back al
the old home. used to cry every
day till pa sold the claim an got the
money so we could GO away, cause /
didn't want to die an be buried out
here, where there amt nothin' but
prairie, an where the crickets in the
grass make me feel so lonesome with
their cries. 1t amt nice like it is
back at the old home, where the birds
sing, an where there are flowers an
trees an little branches of clear
water"
The child paused for moment and
looked anxiously into the face of the
man, who sat immovable. Then plead
ingly it continued:
You won't take all of pas money,
will you? 1t won't take much to
take us back home, an if you knew
how much l wanted to go, and how ]
grieve to think of my dying here,
you'd let us have that much. You
will let us keep little, won't your
1T amt likely that l WILL" the
man replied with an oath. ''It don't
make any difference to me whether
you 60 back to your home or whether
you die here. It's money / want,
and ain t apt to let a chance to git
it slip through my fingers on account
of any pitiful stories
At that moment there came the
sound of horses feet beating on the
hard earth. The man in the cabin
arose and placed his hand on his pis-
toll.
1T is pa" said the child fearfully.
The man waited with his eye fixed
on the door. The horseman rode up,
dismounted and approached the cab
in. There was the click of pistol
at the window, and the man in the
cabin looked around to see head
thrust through the broken sash and q
pistol leveled at his breast. The head
and the pistol were Joe's.
Throw up your hands!" the latter
said, and the man could only obey,
for he was in Joe's power.
Jim" said Joe, ''go in an relieve
the chap of his guns while hold him
quiet. He's made a mistake in sup
posin' that that three hundred dol
lars was intended for him."
Jim acted on Joe's instructions,
and a moment later the man was
driven from the house and allowed to
depart. The settler had entered, and
watched the proceedings in silent
wonder. At last he managed to ask
What does this mean?"
Joe and Jim exchanged look, but
both hesited to speak. The child s
voice broke the silence.
1.-The man had come to steal the
money!" it said; land he was waitin'
for you to come back when these men
come and drove him away"
There was a momentary pause,
then the settler turned to the
strangers and said:
"You have rendered me O great
service, gentlemen, and placed mo
under lasting obligations to you.
You have saved my little possessions,
which, though small, is a great deal
to me, since it affords me the means
of saving my child's life. The doc
tor says the little one must have a
change of climate and the care Of
friends, in order to recover from this
dreadful malaria. If you had not
saved my money from the robber we
conld never have been able to leave
here for our old home back east"
Jim looked at Joe and nodded to-
ward the door. Joe understood, and
remarking something about their
horses, followed Jim out. They
walked q little distance from the cabin
and stopped.
Joe" Jim said, "that man and
child don't dream that we're robbers,
do they?"
"Of course not" Joe replied. "If
they did, an knew what we come
here for, they wouldn't feel so thank
full to us, reckon"
Hardly" Jim answered.
There was an awkward silence, dur
which Jim shifted about in an I'M
easy manner. Finally he spoke again,
saying:
'Joe, that little one is purity bad
of, amt it?"
" Reckon it u.s." Joe replied.
" Guess the doctor is right, an II it
don't get away from here it won't
live long"
That's So" agreed Jim. An
it can't git away from here without
that money, can it?"
nPears like it can't" Joe said.
Gan awful pity" Jim said, mus
ingly. But" he added, II reckon