Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-07-08
The GIRL DETECTIVE
A True Story Of the Southern Noun
tain Region.
Phebe Toby Saved Her Father S
Life by Simply Using Her Bright
Eyes and Keen Brain.
BY MAURICE THOMPSON.


fCoDyrigh.er. 1896 by Maurice Ihomp-
SOM
Under q huge c5u of limestone at the
base Of a short. blum spur which springs
alnos, at right angles. out Of Pigeon
mountain. near the Georgia and Ten
nessee dividing line. was the home OF
Amos Toby. a man who trapped in WIN
ter and cultivated a small, broken bit
Of farm land i'm summer IL was lone
~ cabin where living was scant enough,
but il held q happy family; albeit, MIS-.
T1Ibv was an invalid. quite unable 10
walk. Nash Toby and his twin sister
phebe were the only living children,
and thew had never known how sickness
or distress feels. They had grown 10
he sixteen years old without any kno"I-
edge of schools or books, a pair or care
less. contented, haii-wiid beings as
much alike as d boy and girl could be-
They worked together In the field and
i'm the house Phebe was as strong as
Nash. She could plough and hoe and
build worm fence and chop wood. On
the other hand. Nash was just as clever
as she at milking. cooking. washing
dishes. securing the floor and making
up the beds. IT, d way, they were
great singers. OF course they had no
knowledge OF music. and their songs
81 re crude variations Of old time bal
lads caught from their father and moth
e- but their voices were naturally
strong. rich and sweet. and they sang
HIth0ut self-CCnsCiOusneS or selt-re-
s-ain-. as birds DO. Often in the little
hillside corn fields when hOeing side
by side. they kept time 10 some plaintive
melody with their strokes, the hoe
blades ringing keenly on the stones "
Ing thick i'm the yellow clay soil.
HER FATHER AND MOTHER
Mrs. Toby. unable TO rise from her
bed or her chair without help, was yet
unc0mplaining and tried 10 be as little
trouble as possible to her husband and
children. who watched over her and
miuis,ered 90 her -erGcrly and lovingly.
Air. Toby had. however. one grave Ge-
feet in his character; strong drink fas-
Cindted him. and although he really
Struggled hard against the temptation
he frequently gave way and became in
az 'l' ~.
ny, 'ot me- cl' . J ~ ye i Goo oo 600
nm Inc otber side ~ the snur q few,
miles distant from the Toby cabin.
This bad trait of her husbands was a
source Of much secret grief to the poor,
helpless wife: but the children. scarcely
ccmprehending the nature OF drunken
ness and the shame of il, thought little
OF DC. until one day when a strange man.
a lean narTow-shouldered, long-legged,
palee-eyed fellow. came TO the house and
salo th'' NIT l,;, I , had sent him there
Ilou" '~o sum NO'''e 'o 0'l''er " PACK
as; ..-.,.,. ~. ,,.,.,, an, ....,..
,.s- ~. re ~ d,v" s7fl he man ~ Nash
49,, bs1dfne rho be9vv BrrIe bundle To
Eir, ..b,+ ,-1T fos, hide his ver. am hide
:. grof yrber, nobody kin Doss'blv find
{. An; YER nan saw lat YER mustn't
man was Derspiring as IL he had been
running hard and long.
It was in May; the evening was warm,
although the sun was down, and the
man was prespirlng as II ne had Oeeh
runnig hard ana long.
'Gi' me gourd or WarJer' QUICK ne
painted.
Phebe ran and fetched It from the
s7~ing near the doorway.
The man drank with loud gulDs and
then hurried off into a wood behind the
house where the great cliff rose like the
corner Of a fortress.
81 reckon ar I'd better do ez pap said
fer me TO-" remarked Nash. still clutch
Ing tine small but ve~v heavy pqckags
..Hit mus be lead " no added "hi- feel
81 solid and heavy"
Yes. hide it quick an good" said
ph-be who was trembling She knew
moi why.
an - 4A.- t,5 4,,.o, H.. ~. -.
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