The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-04
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Liza put her hand caressingly on
/. Seth's rough coat sleeve and left il
! there.
, Seth you We got the tender heart of
gentle woman under this rough coat
somewhere. You are worth all the Mar
tins put together
Seth looked down sidewise at her un
comprehendingly. The instinct of help
fulness was simply one way of breath
ing with him. Liza's outspoken praise
made him uncomfortable.
"Are you maxim fun of me. sissy"
1.-The idea You are IA simpleton,
Seth. But what was going on to say
was more complimentary to myself than
to you Strong needs me. He does not
need you. He very politely requested
me to stay away from his cabin, and
have respected his wishes so far. Moth
er is afraid of Strong. Any one can see
that" Then, with quick gesture of
impatience, What does it mean any
how? What has imbittered the boy?
Does any one know? Do you know.
Seth?''
"Parshully, said Seth mysteriously
81 reckon l know more'n anybody else
does, but that amt sayin much
He broke off suddenly, shading his
eyes from the sun glare with one long,
brown hand and stared intently across
the broad, fiat fields which spread for
more than mile in unbroken cotton
| culture on either side the narrow wagon
| road.
<Nly
runaway, or I'm Dutchman. Kin you
hol' these reins, sissy? The mules is
| steady as milk cows"
He flung the heavy reins into her lap,
and, springing from the wagon, ran
with the fleetness of an Indian straight
toward a thick rolling cloud of dust
that was approaching with the impetu-
osity of whirlwind.
Liza, following his flying motions
with wide eyes, saw him plant himself
squarely in the road directly in the
pathway of the advancing danger, saw
him clutch wildly with futile courage
at the foam fiecked head stall of "a mad
dened brute, saw him dashed aside like
a storm tossed autumn leaf and knew
that but few rods of the wagon road
now interviewed between herself and
that flying terror.
With swift decision she twisted the
heavy leathern reins about her slim
wrists and turned the clumsy cotton
vain broadside to the runaway. He was
already close enough for her to see the
swaying trace and the loosened single
tree that had caused all the trouble.
Seth was limping helplessly toward
her, far in the rear. He was shouting
something at her, with both hands held
to his mouth. His words were lost Oh
the air, swallowed up in the Gathering
of Infatuated hoofs and the terrified
snorting of the brute so near at hand.
With an instinct of self preservation
she stopped and possessed herself of the
heavy whip Seth had flung from him.
Its thong was of plated rawhide. It's
handle clumsy combination of wood
and lead. There was no time to plan
her mode of attack. 1t was reduced to |
a matter of seconds, to question of |
dealing or receiving annihilation Ris-
ing, the better to deal her blow, she |
grasped the driving whip by it's plated |
thong, swung it tentatively in both en-
circling hands and aimed it with tell |
ing force at the broad, shining shoulder |
OF the beautiful brute, who, swerving |
and snorting as he reached the barricad- |
ing team. received the full force of the |
loaded handle between his luminous
eyes
A shivcr convulsed his noble frame.
a moan almost human in its expression
of pain, and he sunk between the shafts
pOwerless evermore for evil or for good.
Liza, having performed her act of
heroism without the tremor of a nerve,
sat down abruptly when there was
nothing more to do and fell to crying
in the most womanly fashion imagi-
nable. 1t really seemed the most COM
Portable thing life could offer just then.
She was having good cry
She was vaguely conscious that Seth
had come up limping and painting, in
time to help an old gentleman out of
the vehicle.
She was wildly conscious of the ter
rified white face and the flowing white
hair and beard that had helped to nerve
her arm for that death dealing blow.
Its owner had been the sole occupant
OF the buggy. and a forlornly helpless
one he had been while death seemed
staring him in the face. From behind
her wet pocket handkerchief Liza could
hear him now. his quavering voice pass.
ing rapidly through every graduation of
agitation and relief into wordy anger.
He must be addressing Seth. But what
did she care?
1T was we'll done, sir; we'll done.
The'act Of a heroine My life was not
worth pound of cotton ten minutes
ago No. sir be hanged if il was But,
Randall. what i'm the devil did you
mean by putting that brute into the
shafts when you asked me to ride with
your And why in the devil did you
Jump out and leave me to my fate? You
Knew be never could see basket of
,otton on the roadside without going
INTO convulsions. Did you want to muir.
Ter me. sirP'
A rich, sonorous, lazy voice here in.