The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-01-19
sISSIPPI. FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1894.

anu man, VINO na0 Oeen SquatteO IN
u fence corner holding of the calf, got ,
up and came toward us.
THAT'S pap" said Ben. |,
He looked nearer sixty than thirty 4
five. He was grizzlcd and snaHgle
toothed; his neck was red and wrin-
kled. He came up to the cart. He
was agitatod and chewed his tobacco
wonderfully fast. got up from the
flour sack.
II am Amelia JONES'
He turned very red and told his son
to carry the sack Of flour into the
house.
II wasn't expectin' you," he said.
"It's so long since you wrote"
"You have deceived me-" l burst
out. "You said you had nice little
home, embowercd in vines and fruit
trees. You said you were thirty-fve.
You said you had onlstwo little girls.
You said you were rich"
"No. I didn't" he interrupted. 81
said had thousand acres OF land
so have-though big part Of II is
swamp. Acres don't make folks rich
IN these parts. This amt New York.
said was thlrty-fve. l didn't say l
was u few years over, for I'm spry and
young enough for any woman. said
| had two little girls liyin' with me-
said nuthin' about the boys. They're
all big fellows, and married and gone,
'cept Ben. As for the house, amt
that good llOuse?-dOublc pen and a
shed to boot Don't leak unless 1t
rains and got a flrst.rate chimney.
And amt there a vine +? and what's
the matter with them peach trecs?-
amt there fruit?"
"And do YOU suppose any young wO-
man in her senses would marry you
and live here ?" cried.
"DoI? Woll, there no imagination
about 1t. There's three women have
married me and lived here. Two of
ems dead and buried, and yonder
stands tothcr. l Icould't hear from you.
concluded you was playin' me a
} yankee trick; couldn't wait nolOw.
So l married Miss Susan Barnes, and
II you say she amt young woman In
her senses, why she :"
"Why III show her-that's what III
do," saId Mrs. Gravel number three,
dropping her milk pail and rolling up
her sleeves as she came to the side OF
t he cart.
! IL begged Ben 10 drive me back to
, the river, and here l am-waiting to
take the first boat. I've played the
fool and I'm punished. It's crushed
all the silly romance out of me. How
l am to pay my passage, l don't know.
I'll offer to do chamber maids work."
But CHS Miss Amila Jones was not
forced to do. Old Sandy Gravel came
/, to the front. lie prov,d to he not
such a bad lot after all. He rode uT
presently ON bOny mustang and
promptly gave the little "yanket
school marm' enough money to pay
her passage back, with an additional
: sum to cover the expense Of her com
ing. lie had drawn on his cotton
crop. lie looked cast down and sheep
ish. He explained to his friends In
this wise:
! IL was a fool-a dog.gone fool; but
l meant it all honest. put kind OF
rose color over things in that adver'
tisement. It's the way you do In the
papers, so thai, young postmaster said,
He put me up to 1t. He wrote the ad
. and the letters. l really 'spected tC
marry her, but I'd give my promise te
Susan In q kinder joky way, and she
I held me to 1t. l didn't hear from
: tother one. Bayou was up, and crit.
/ tcrs all In the plow, and amt beer
. to the posto1ice IN full SIX weeks. In
awful sorry to disappOlnt the girl, but
lor sakes she never would a suited.
q Nice lookin'-a fair daIsy-but Susan
a could jes' 20 all around her doInl
\ house work, let lone takin' hand Ia
u the crop In the press Of chopin 0ul
!. or cotton. ickin'"
d Miss Jones did not return to New
York ut once. She remained In th'
q neigh borhood several weeks hispitabl!
n entertained by old Captain Stewart,
9 war veteran, and his wife. She VERT
Il nearly decided to become the govern
/, ess Of the captains little granddaugh
ter and cast her lot with the "blg
hearted sOutherners," as she called us
!. In spite Of her experiences with the
eccentric wldower Of Bayou St. Lucas
d But one day there came to her let
d ter with q New York postmark. o.
o seeing the handwriting, Amelia turn
!, ed first pale then rosy red. 1t wa
!. from the recrcant lover, and he begRe'
h 70 be forgiven and taken back.
+ Woman like. she was ready TO forge
.. her wrongs. She t0ok leave Of th
le friends she had made under such Quee
circumstances and returned to he
/ ~ II.