The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-16
BILLS WILD ROSE. :"

IdluUOW uuSS U0uluQ LILO l011, SIdy
peaked mountain tops, whose SOM
Der jaggedness here and there CLINT
ed brightly where the golden shafts
of diaphanous sunbeam kissed them.
The lurid glow of the light of the
setting sun filled the atmosphere
with a weird, fiery haze, the gray
ish yellow sand of the earth gleam-
ed more golden, and the dark olive
Of the outrageous trees shone OF
brighter green. A group of men
are clustered loungingly about the
door of Gruff Rock tavern.
'sIt amt nuthin to none of us, %
one of the miners is saying, Tex
ceptin that what hurts Bill hurts
u.s.
eff Master David means wrong by
the girl. another says, and his fists
clinch incidentally.
'sHol' on, Buck some one inter
rupts him. eff in all the white
faced aristocracy there's one genie
man, it's Master David. -
"Gosh, wonder if Bill knows?"
"Shut tup, comradesl Here heis. y
A form, uncommonly tall, stal-
wart as an oak, straight as q pine,
advances toward the group. He
strides to vacant chair in silence.
There's nothing prepossessingly
handsome about this gruf western
er excepting the gentleness that
turks about his mouth. Bill had
perceived the seemingly mutual par
TALLY of his little Rose and the pale
faced stranger, yet why had every
one perceived it?
When young Lodding, a stalwart
stripling. had come to Pawnee Bill
to tell, in his honest. faltering elo-
quence, the story of HE love for lit
tie Rose, Bill shook the boys hand
with kind heartedness. E
"Lod," Bill said, Hove my little
gal better nor anything else on
earth, but you re worthy of her, lad.
Go ask the chit, and my heart and
godspeed go with you
Lodding never broached the sub
ject to Bill afterward, but his eyes
lowered and his lips twitohed pain
fully whenever the great blue eyes
of Bill met his. Rose never men
toned Lod's name now, while there
was time when she would run to
Bill with a merry laugh to exhibit
the rare mountain stone or brace
of game that Lod had given her.
That was before there had been a
question of love; but now-well,
now it was different.
Among the miners all conversa-
tional desire seems to have fed,
and, each, engaged with his OWL
thoughts, seems not to be conscious
of the long silence. Some distance
eastward, silhouetted against the
transparent blue of the evening sky,
two forms are visible meandering
slowly along the rocky powders
and low lying cliffs-the figure of
a girl, from the wide rim of whose
hat floats a tangle of sunny curls, a
smile lighting the comeliness of her
youthful countenance as she places
one slender hand in that of her COM
panion, who offers his assistance
from where he stands on jutting
rock little beneath her.
His lips part in a genial smile, as
though he had said something anus
ing or pleasant, and the girls smil-
ing face breaks into. ripples of
laughing smiles. Pawnee Bill has
turned and gazes at the tableau in
silence. He utters no word. Rising
he moves slowly from the
still co1npanionship of his comrades.
AS he moves from his comrades
they look at him in silence. What
harm could come to Pawnee Bills
Rose2 What would that aristocrat
be in Pawnee Bills hands2 A help
less atom, a reed-why, nothing at
all.
"Do let us stop here. I'm tired,
Master David"
"Rose, why do you persist in call
ing me Master DavidS Do you not
like David just as welli"
eyes, but-you see-everybody
here calls you Master David, and
why should I be different from any
body else9"
"You cannot help being that,
Rose; at least not to me. Now,
to please me, let me hear you say
David"
She looked at him, half timidly at
first; then, fixing her glance firmly
on his, she says clearly and sweet
ly, "David.
"Bravely done! But I have not
yet, finished. Could you not say
dear David9'
The long lashes are lowered now,
and her face is crimson flushed.
s'Couldn't you, Rosei" he pleaded.
She strives to meet his gaze as be-
fore, but her eyelids seem to droop