The National tribune., 1898-11-17

hiohoS II cuiiiS Oub All right II III uon' .
III make it up myself rather than be party
to a gamble"
" May blow the bottom o your old well
out, muttered Jabe Clemmons, who dearly
loved anything in tho shape Of a game OF
hazard
"Tll'resk that" said the Deacon. 81
kin dig another well, if necessary"
The Deacon's proposal was carried. Shorty
holding the butt of his gun carefully upright,
fired down into the well A hoy was lowered
IN the bucket, and soon announced by a
joyful cry that he had gotten the bills
Upon being brought up and examined they
were found to be uninjured, except by q
slight singeing at the edges
"Proyidence's again managin' things"
murmured Shorty gratefully; "but the
Deacon's gumptien helped out"
All the money for those not present TO re-
ceive it in person was turned over to the
Deacon, and then for the first time the boys
ieit relieved of great responsibility.
g" There are two trains goin' east" said
the Deacon, In response 10 their inquiries %
to The facilities for returning. "The through
express passes here at BIS, and II git you to
Jacksonville early in the afternoon. The
accommodation passes about daybreak, and
I'll git You there in the evenin'. if 1t makes
=
I'VE must go on the through express"
said 81 firmly. There was a loud cutlery By
the mother and sisters, but the father recog-
nlzed the demands of military discipline.
81 began to fidget to get away from the
crowd of eager inquirers. which Mandy
noticing, she found opportunity to whisper:
Don't fret. She'll be here presently"
Sis face burned. He had thought his
secret well-kept, but here his sisters read his
thoughts like an open book lie had wanted
to so to Annabei and have few golden min
utes alone with her. Just what for-just
what he would say or do he did not in the
least know-he could not imagine. Only he
felt that in some way the main interest Of
his life depended on seeing her somewhere
remote from curious eyes and listening ears.
He wanted TO 60 to her. not to have her
come to him, and meet him in such throng
as was gathered at his home.
While these thoughts were coursing
through his mind be heard Maria call:
ST, come up here into my room. want
to show you the purtiest thing you ever
saw"
While Mandy was most correct young
woman, she could not withstand giving q
significant wink to those around, to which
they responded with knowing smiles
These, fortunately. 81 did rot see He
arose. at once, the people made way, and
he was led by Maria to her room. She
opened the door and said:
There, now, kiss me for loving sister"
1t was a fervent kiss that ST rewarded her
with for there rising from her chair as the
door opened, dressed IN her best, and her
face wreathed with smiles and bushes, stood
Annabel
Since you are so mean about goin' away
so soon you can only have 10 minutes to-
gether; make the most Of it." laughed Maria,
and she scudded back to the sitting-room.
ST stood for an instant dazed How beauti-
full she was-far more SO than his recollec-
tions had painted her. She had blossomed
out from the schoolgirl into the mature
woman, and every feature ripened. Fair as
his home seemed in contrast with the country
he had left, she seemed still fairer in contrast
with any woman he had ever seen. Where
were the thousand things that, brooding by
the campfire or lying in his tent, he Thoughts
over to say to her when they met? All for
COTTON or dismissed as Inappropriate. He
simply stood and gazed at her She re-
covered herself first, and said teasingly:
SWELL. how do you do? Amt you going
to speak to me? Amt you glad to see me? ?"
ST could only step forward and take her
hand, and murmur:
'Annabel, how purity you look. How
you've growed, and all purifier. Pm awfully
glad to see you. That's what L most wanted
to come home for"
Then his face burned with new bushes to
think how much he had said. They sat
down, he still holding her hand, with his
eyes fixed upon her face Somehow, in the
telegraphy of first love, they so
fully understood one another that words were
Speeches., but fuller of happiness than
they ever dreamed was possible in the world,
they sat with clasped hands until Maria came
back, calling out:
times up. The folks say that they can't
let Annabel have you any longer Come into
the sitting-room, both of you. Come along,
ST. Come along, Annabel. "
ST rose obedently, bat Annabel declined
to 90. She did not say why, but Maria,
with woman's instincts, knew that she
wanted to be alone to think it all over
Maria therefore hurried ST back.
''Good-by Annabel" he said, pressing her
hand again. "I'll write to you first thing
when git back"
''Good-by, 81. God keep you for me, safe
through battles and dangers
She turned away to hide her bursting
tears
1t was astonishing how quickly midnighs
came When the clock striking II smOte
the ears of the family, nobody had said,
heard or asked one 1.-THE of what he or she
was burningiy eager to, yet the parting was
but little more than two brief hours away.
With heart heavier even than when she
parted from her boy the first time, Mrs. Klegg
rose, and sought to distract her thoughts by
as big a package as they could
carry of the choicest eatables. How often
she stopped to cry softly into her apron not
even the girls knew, for she was resolved to
keep up brave front, especially before ST,
and would carefully wash all traces of tears
from her face, and clear the sobs from her
throat before re-entering the room where he
was.
Shorty had been at once taken to the hearts
of everyone, and all the older men urged him
to leone back here as soon as the wars over,
marry a nice girl, and settle down among
US"
ST received many compliments upon his
development into such fine, stalWart man.
One after another said:
Isl, what fine, big man you've growed
into / declare, you're credit to your
father and mother and the settlement. We
all expect you to come back Captain or
a Colonel, and We'll run you for Sheriff or
County Commissioner, or something as big"
90 anything but Treasurer" ST would
laughingly reply. " Pve had enough hand