Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1894-08-23
WINNING A WOMAN.
The Romantic Tale OF a Veteran
CONNER ial Traveller.

80 Wv TAHFA o.
II could shuttle the ~pasteboards PRETTY
fairly myself, and il vas only the vet
ans who cared % tackle me. an,
they were usually sorry sor il after
warts I was not rich and p-uut
theu. he smiled softly. and mad,
most II nv living selling groceries il
the south and west for a BaItimor,
house did the large towns s a rule
but had a few good customers in out
of-the-way places, and 7 made il M
business 70 cultivate them and get
around - see them at least twice a
year Among them was a merchant Ia
Mississippi. and he had adaughter whs
was one Of the sweetest. prettiest girl.
! ever saw. In fact she was 81 a..
tractive that I fell in love with her land
tried % marry her. but she was silly
Ike most women when they are
Young and sometimes when they ara
not So Young. and instead Of recipro-
eating my affection. the affection OF a
plain but honest man. III be shot 4.
b wasn't wasting her affection On !
handsome bon a r~ein-thars French
for good FOR nothing - explained
and [ hadn't the slightest chance
against him. although her father was
On my side and did al he could 70 save
nor from the man she wC1ld persist n
loving He was undoubtedly a hand.
some fellow and one whose name
were fascinating not only - women.
but To men. With all hi natural zbil-
.. however, and attractfveuess. he
was utterly worthless a haryf driuker.
a brswler. a vindictive wretch and a
notorious gambler These qualities OF
the man were we'll known in that local..
= and his reputation was not unknown
throughout the state. while up and
DOWN he river he vas known on every
steamboat for the big "a me> he played
ami his success He was the ouuge
sOuo % a prominent and highly rrspec
table family. ami this 10 the cir
seemed To Offset his numerous defects
OF character
Whatever IL was. there was ur
question that the girl was completely
infatuated with him. and finally she
eloPed with him. This act Of her.
broke her fathers heart and within a
year he had died leaving no roperty
whatever. nor any family as the cir
was the only chilli aud her mother has
been dead some years The loss or alb
sence q any property which might BE-
ofassistance - the daughter did not
affect her Ssriouslv. a. h-r husband
nat some estate amt managed bv sue
cessfui gambling 10 maintain her IN
comfort the first year Or two. With
tue death u the father aud the mar
rage - the laughter very naturally
M interest Ia That locality waae,i AM
last track ~ the nei-hbarhou-I an
- dotngs FOR five years Then va,
called there On business aud when
stopped a. the only tavern IA the I.-tls
village was more than surprised ?.
nnd thai {. was kept BY my forme,
rival whom. BIZ the way. I shall cal
Jackson He dit not know NE and
don suppose Z would have made much
difference II he had. for with all hi.
faults he vas not a jealous mar. Well
I Kept my identity pretty much
IN tae background and made IN my
mind tn Sc how the marriage had
turned out I got an mixing ot il tbs
very first night. when Jackson came II
INST drums enough - be uyIv. He has
changed much in the five years. anc
from being the handsome fellow h,
ouee was. he had become bloated. an
al the had streaks IN him seemed 4
have settled IN his facp. HIS wife
had not seen. up to the time Of MS an.
pearance IN the evening was sitting
IN what passed FOR an Office and he wa.
there cursing a staole-boy After hs
had finished with the boy he called hi.
wife from the kitchen where she wa,
a. work. and when she came IL
frightened our Of her wits. As I could
plainly see I never would have known
her She was thin and pale and bore
every evidence Of having received the
most cruel treatment was SHOCKED
beyond expression. and it was no,
aLayed nE the way he talked TO he,
ant ordered her around. once ever
giving her a Jerk by the arm thal
brought a cry OF pain from her anc
came almost getting me into ths
scrap { sept stiII. however. an
waited and that night he grew ;.
ugly that she called in one Of he,
neighbors 70 serve a a kind % prutes
ton
The next day he "a 10 better. bu.
he went OF and dit not return unit
ate During the dsv she had a CHANG,
- sse ne ms az once recognized M.
neither she was glad or sorry I DON
know but she broke down and had
nervous 1t q crying for half an hour
and got away until she recovered
When saw her again she vas auit,
calm, and for two hours she talked {,
me Of her terrible condition lie IA.
De~n a. things - her a man <houls
not De, and the community onIv par
Tally Knew What she had % bear II.
{ beaten her and starved her Ans
maize ner work Ike a slaup. AMI ans,
or twice when she had tried - e<cap.
ne had brought her back and Kept hel
n A dark room on bread and water tol
. month There was no place for ne
% 90 IN the Reighb0rhood. and b,
never gave her a cent Of money. :.
that she might have gone 10 some Dis
tant place She vas ashamed an,
AFRAID to appeal 70 the public for he'll
and n vas slowly being tortured :,
death Fortunately she had never Ia.
any children.
We talked the matter over In all II
aspects. and I asked her. Il I could -
cure her escape, would she 90 with N,
70 my home IN the north, for I has
married and settled down ike a sen
siole man. and she agreed 70 il II /
could be done without making her CON
dttlon any worse. I then began De
Vistns ways and means Of getting Ii,
poor woman out of this he'll on earth
n By night had nv plans ready 70
trial When Jackson came in tina
evening he was in better humor. hav
ing o some money on a horse race
he was not quite SO ugly drunk a
he had been He was drunker. ,e-
haPs. but il was 1os such a mean drunl
as before After supper I engaged hiu
talk and along about uine o'eIoeI
! proposed q game Of poker II ssrucl
him Just right. and we adjourned N
room upstairs with a eouple Of lavv
yers and a Judge who were toDuf-.
there over night and the game b-9un
At rrst Jackson won right along a,