The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-01-28
SANDY'S GHOST.

a place fer you. Hev cheer an set you
down"
"Thank you. Don't you find this rather
lonely place--no neighbors, no nothing,
that can seer How came you to settle
here, so far removed from other babita-
tionY'
"Waal, perhaps it's best not ter ask too
many questions ter once. +"
beg YOU pardon. No offense was in
tended, assure you. Simply idle curl
osity."
"Don't say 'nuther word, stranger, but
come in an We'll hev a snack fer supper.
Polly, bring on the victu'ls. Yer jes in
time"
Polly at once obeyed. She was typical
western girl--tall, 1.-the, graceful and
limpid eyed. She was clear skinned and
high spirited, too, and in this case igno-
rant through no fault of her own. John
Barr's eyes scanned her intently, and
flush came to her cheeks. For the first
time in her life she was unpleasantly con-
scious Of her bare feet. 1t may have been
this that made her stumble and spill some
of the contents of an earthen bowl over
the guests knees as she placed it on the
table.
Her eyes flashed and tear Of anger
twinklcd ON the lashes. She stopped, half
meaning to apologize, but an oath from
her father caused her to set the bowl down
heavily and to hurry from the cabin. A
moment later Barr saw 1utter of pink
calico from behind pile of rocks. Old
Kit Robinson saw it too.
"Don'twonder atyer sayin tain u right.
She's sma't gal an q good locker, too,
an should hev been sent away frum here
ter school ter be dedicated. But she won't
leave her no count dad. orter be shot fer
cussin her. But ain It what use ter be.
Settin here an keepin guard makes me
narvous."
Bars eyes asked the question his lips
refused to speak. Supper eaten, the men
went outside and sat with their chairs tilt
ed back against the cabin. Something in
the younger mans frank face had softened
old Kit intoa reminiscent mood and made
him strangely inclined to crafty an idle
curiosity.
The soft evening winds sighed through
the branches of the tall spruce pines, and
the declining rays of the setting sun caused
the shadow of tho rude home to stretch
out longer across the greensward. From
its shelter where he sat John Barr looked
out on the grand ranges of the Rockies
and wondered where in their yastness he
would find the man he sought--the find
ing of whom had brought him out into
this wild and almost forsaken mining
camp
Stranger, I've took likin ter you.
Ye'ye sumthin about you thet reminds
me Of sum one know, an you look like
an honest chap. Say, do you b'lieve in
ghostsf"
He put the question very suddenly, and
look Of disappointment crossed his face
when Barr told him that be did not be-
lieve in spooks.
"Waal, I've seen emf
A thought connecting the pink calico
with something in the past came to Barr
mind.
Cant you tell me about 1t, he asked.
sid like ter if you'll swar on yer der
ringer never ter blab. Will you sw arp
The solitary guest started to SMILE but
the smile faded at the thought of unshed
tears in Polly's eyes. 1t might make it
easier for her If he humored the old man.
III swear" he said. And he did.
"Do you see yam old spruce at the turn
Of the trail an the cliff jes' abovep WAL,
thets the spot I'm watchin an guardin till
the owner Gums ter claim 1t. I'm quick.
ter burn powder an pretty sure shot.
know man when sees him, an ain'G
easy fooled. WAL, ter begin with, / had
o pardner once an he wuz q man sure
'nough. He wuz frum the state of New
York. never axed him as ter how so flno
o gent cum ter be diggin an shovlin in
the Rockies, though ter myself said thar
wuz sum good reason. He had light hair,
an we called him Sandy fer short, an he
wuz jes' erbout as gritty as sand. We wuz
as unlike as any two fellers you ever saw.
He wuz quietlike an steady, an / wuz sort
er wild an reckless an liked mounting dew
mos too we'll. Waal, when we had lit
tie dust scraped together, we would divvy,
an ] TUX my share way down ter the sta
tion on the other side of the cliffs an sent
1t off ter the bank in Helena. But | alters
left sum bio whar the gal would find it.
Old Sandy he'd him bank of his own tibet
no one knew erbout 'ceptin hisself, an
ev'ry time we divided he'd carry part of il
ter his bidin place an then give the rest ter
me ter send ter his boy, tibet he said wuz
being dedicated in sum college way up in
Boston. He seemed ter think heap Of
tibet boy. AFTER awhile my old woman
give out, an soon we laid her away on the
hillside. 1t wuz hard stranger. /"
Old Kits voice failed him for a mo-
ment, but be quickly regained his compo.
sure and continued:
But when old Sandy, my good old
pard, give up didn't keer fer nothin. We
buried him in style. All the boys frum
round the diggn's wuz thar, an many an
eye wuz wet. We didn't hev nary a preach
or, but the gal she prayed at the grave.
Fer the life of me don't know where she
larnt it. Reckon the old woman must hey
told her. Next mornin the gal showed me
letter tibet Sandy give her jes' afore he
died 1t was ter his boy, an she wuz ter
give it ter him il he ever cum out this
way. an she's got it yet.
Tibet same evenin after supper, feelin
kinder glumish ON like thar wuz sumthin
in my throat l couldn't swoller, TUX a
stroll up the guloh. went on out ter the
top of the edge of the big rock an got ter
studyin whar I'd find another pard like
Sandy. All Ter once felt hand touch
my shoulder kinder light once or twice.
jumped up, half expectin it wuz Sandy,
but it wuz only the gal. WAL, wuz ak
TUX back at fust, an then got mad.
20 tWhat air Won doin mn harep' axad