Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-03-09
)
( Abducted by I
John Inc {: Baptist B
By ward PIES !.
COPYRIGHTED BY THE c. p. n
AL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CONTINUED.
TOM COYNE ABANDONS HIS AR:
TILLERY.

glow OF the sun, lnndllHS ING puiS
fresh air with a great physical delight
while the soft morning zephyr gently
famed and refreshed her like a potent
elixir.
What a restful rest it was! What a
delight; what a glorious, satisfying
repose! There seemed to be nothing
in the world left to be wished for-it
she could sit there forever, motionless,
absorbing light and air and sunshine
and rest!
Far down within the lost, unmoved
depths of her tranquil mind there was
q faint, unrealized inclination to think
of something outside of herself, and be-
yond the moment, in some direction;
but to do so involved an exertion which
she lacked the desire to make. To
think would be to invite fatigue and
she felt so weak that she wished only
to rest forever, with her mind as blank
and still as the placid bosom of an un-
troubled pool.
The lapse of time was unnoted and
the protracted absence of the Propne,
was unnoticed.
"Hullo!"
She looked around and saw Tom
Coyne with his elongated artillery on
his shoulder. His presence did ne
surprise her; she was not interested in
his presence or in his eErano
thing beyond her own restful rest
She knew that Tom Coyne was beside
her but that fact was all that she ex-
erted herself to comprehend.
Good morning, Tom"
Thunder! Jerusalem crickets. Stell
Zenith! Where'd you come from?"
She was so thin and wasted and pale
that he had not recognized her till she
spoke. In startled surprise he relaxed
his grasp upon his gun, which fell with
a loud rattle and clangor upon the
stones. She was not interested in Tom
or his artillery, but she was too indo-
lent to be actively uncivil, so she an
swered
81 came from Barton; from the Let
sons!"
But that was ever so long ago!
You've been lost an given up for good
an all this Ions time!'
Have II"
"Of course you have! Don't you
know you have?"
mo"
you didn't s'pose they knowed
where you was?"
II had not thought about it at all.
Hadn't thought about the folks all
the time you've been gomez Tom was
indignant.
"Have been gone long? hadn't
noticed. You haven't grown UP yeti"
See here, Stell Zenith! What ails
you? You look like a billed ghost got
cold!"
Il guess l have been sick"
"Why in thunder don't you go home
when your pa an ma an Carrie an all
the folks an that auJutant Teller are
Just crazy an dyin' about you bein'
gone an lost? Why don't you go home
I say"
His energy aroused her dormant
mind all at once. A great longing to
be at home with her parents and Sis
tiers surged over her soul and she
cried:
"Oh, Tom, Take me home? can't
walk; can't you take me home, Tom
dear.
"Golly, I wish I could carry you; but
1 can't! Can't you lean on me an
walk"
mo, no; l can't walk; 1 can't stand
up. Oh, Tom, take me home? Do take
me home? Please, Tom?"
She wept and Tom was in great dis
. tress and began to cry also.
Say, Stell, how d you git here?'
The Prophet carried me-"
The old thief! III shoot pound ov
shot into him, The old abduction"
mo, no, Tom! He is kind and good
and if it hadn't been for him | would
have died on the hillside yonder. He
carried me up here and has taken care
of me when 1 was so sick that | was
crazy and helpless for l don't know
how long. Has it been year, Tom?'
"All the same he shall carry you
home right now or l will shoot that
pound of shot into him anyway for not
tellin' US? Where is the Old gibber-
gosher?"
He is inside. Oh, do run in and ask
him to carry me home. l will die if l
have to stay here another night"
Tom went into the hut; through the
first room, through the second; into
the InlrQ. mere ne saw the fropue
kneeling before the altar. Both hands
rested, palms down. upon the open
Bible; the face was uptUrned and the
light fell full upon it.
Tom stopped suddenly and sat down
in reverent silence to await the conclu-
sion of the prayer. 1t appeared to
Tom to become entirely too long for a
reasonable prayer and he ventured to
signal his presence by a cough which
was unnoticed by the worshipper. At
length the boys impotence overcame
both his awe of the Prophet and his
reverence for the Prophets devotions
and he timidly exclaimed:
''Amen!"
There was no effect and after while
he ventured again, louder and with
holiness:
amen, amen!" :
Still there was no effect, and after a
time that Tom thought very long he
got up and noisily moved a stool, then
he tried coughing roughly two or three