Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-21

fore me a picture of the little wagon
and the forlorn family, Of the dead ami
mails scattered about and of your huge
Red Wing. | saw everything"
"Oh, you mean my saying by the
beard of Balaam. | don't count that
swearin. If it is swearin, it must pass
as the family oath. My father-and he
was pious soul-always said, By the
beard of Balaam, the son of Beor, but
don't often find time for the whole
Back in the States they are not so hur-
ried in their swcarin as we are out
here.
"What became of that poor fami
ly?'' asked Where did they finally
bring up? Did you get them over the
mountains all right?'
Did get them over the mountains
all right? Well, | rayther think did,
and I've got 'em all right till now"
Till now? Then you know where
they are at present and how they are
getting along?'
Yes, sir. ! may safely say do. Did
you notice that oldest girl Mary? Look
ed bit tanned and dusty there and
used up like. Oh, you did notice her?
Well, when she got rested and fixed up,
and when her mother and Kitty got
we'll, she was just little the brightest,
liveliest and best lool;in girl | ever saw
anywhere Why, sir, it Is a square
fact that ! got dead in love with that
girl before we got half way over the
mountains. l first begun to feel it COM
in on about Yank's Station, at Straw
berry Valley l was quite Uneasy, at
Brockliss Bridge | was signing like a
sick child, and at Placerville was clear
gone.
You seem to have made quite care
full diagnosis of your case.
Henderson laughed and said: THAT
is just the way in which her kind words
and her patient, helpful ways to all
took hold of me. Then, when after
ward saw her slicked up-well. bet yer
life ! WASH t going to lose her!
"Well," he continued, las l was
about to tell you, took the whole lot
right down to my ranch in Sacramento
valley. Having on the ranch a great
barn of a house that had been built for
q wayside tavern, put the family into
it, set 'em up and told 'em to go to
Twin.
They did as told 'em. Then went
to courtin Molly in dead airnest-ac-
tually neglected some of my teamin
business, got so determined.
ITO cut it short, in six months we
were married-bless the dayl 1t was
the maxim of me. The trip to church
with Molly was the best | ever made,
except that one you know of. Lord, 1t
seems like an old story now. Why, bless
you, we now have two bouncin lads and
a rompin little girl. -
And Tho1nas?" ! asked.
Thomas? Oh, you mean Anderson,
my father-in-law Well, he'll never
set the world afire. He's good sort of
an old man though. He's got little
ranch of his own that l gave him off
part of my big one. He's as contented
as lamb, he is. He jist putters and
potters about and is happy.
But Grandmother Mumford-the
old lady, you know. Well, it was per-
fectly astonishin how she come out
when she struck the California climate
her and that old bald faced boss.
Why, the old critter-the old gal,
mean-she got jist as spry on 'er legs as
a quail. l often used to tell her, when
| see her chasin the young turkeys,
Grandmother Mumford, you will be
a-kickin up your heels pretty soon,
the same as your old Badly out in the
pasturel That tickled her. She jist
swears by me!'
"Does she ever do the oh, Mumfordl
act nowadays?"
"Ha, ha, hal" laughed Henderson.
How do you know about that? Oh,
recollect now. She gave us small
specimen of that dodge out on the des-
ert. Yes, she brings Mumford up &C.
casionally when Father Anderson don't
fly round to suit her-when she's put
out with him, you know. Then she
sets down and humps herself like, or
comes over to my house and stays a
month at a time"
THAT must be agreeablei"
Yes, sir, like to have her abott.
can tell you, sir, that she's u mighty
bright, sharp old lady, and when she
sees business goin on right shes jolly
and fall Of life. and fun. Make you