El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-29

front of BlackwelPs store, just across
the track from Diggory's, some indis-
Greet fellow, brave in his liquor, sung
out vile epithet The old fellow with
a furious oath and veins swelling with
! rage spurred into the midst of the
group regardless of life and limb and
laid his whip with mercilesS vigOr over
the face and neck of the offender. Ev-
cry member of the group was probably
armed, but not a hand was raised in
defense of the victim. With a final
snort or 1neXpreSStbIe Indignation and
parting shower of maledictions the
, colonel wheeled out of the ,sullen
crowd conscious Of having done his
, duty. Reflection might have shown
him that he was not helping the cause
Of the little woman across the track,
but the colonel was not addicted to re-
Fiction.
He found Amy with her apron on,
bending over a sputtering skillet Of
ham and eggs.
"Just in time for suppah, by Gawgew
exclaimed the colonel jovially. GIVE
had mine. I've just thrashed that buck
of Terrill's within an inch of his life.
Miss Amy, I'll kill that niger yet. If
l don't, the law will sooner or later.
Miss Amy, 1 suspect there's going to be
trouble heah tonight. I've a cyah of
watermelons on the siding that 1 don't
care to lose. So has Majah Bird. Has
the majah been in? No! Well, he had
no appointment with me, but thought
| he might drop in. These country mig
gers are hocking in like blackbirds.
Two of 'em left my place this aftah-
noon. They left without theh wages, l
can assault you of that, Miss Amy.
They have got hades enough in 'em
without money to buy liquah. Beg
. pardon, Miss Amy, but I'm a little ex
cited. Now. my deah girl" continued
! the colonel with a placid, fatherly air,
refusing a chair, 81 want you to come
out to ouah house tonight. Mrs. Sim
gleton and the girls will welcome you
with open aims. as will my sons and
myself-fguratively speaking, Of cose,
Miss Amy. Rod is on the way now
with his boss and phaeton to take you
back, so don't say no, my deah girl,
for, confound it, 1 won't leave you heah
alone. 1 wouldn't leave my own daugh-
tab heah, and 1 won't leave you"
Amy colored to the eyes with pleas
ure, but gently shook her head. Colo
nel it is so good and kind of you," said
she, ''but don't believe there is much
danger Me-. Whitcomb wanted me to
come in on %, but 1 refused, and he
supposes l am here looking after
things. If l leave, it will only encour-
age the negroes to commit some out
rage on the property. No, colonel,
am very, very, very grateful to YOU
and she looked up into his eyes ear
nestly-"but l must stay here"
IL. ,%c nd
and denounced her foolhardiness in I'M
measured terms and even inadvertent-
ly swore. but all to no avail. Amy
steadily shook her head until the colo
mel impatiently put his hand upon the
yellow mass.
stop that little thing a-bobbin," he
commanded. Look heah, Miss Amy,
this is the height of absuhdity, the
apex of-of-of obstinacy, if l must say
it. Sit down and eat youah suppah
I'd sooner see you eat than eat myself.
But won't heah to youah staying here
no, dash me, 1 won't. Neither will
Rod. l couldn't sleep, my deah girl.
You weren't bohn in the south, and you
forget something. Youah being a wo
man is no protection against these
brutes If may say it, Miss Amy, it's
| y
my deah young woman, only makes it
wuss."
a slight flush arose to the young wo-
mans cheek, which she strove to hide
by reaching for the sugar bowl.
Colonel Singleton" said she after a
suitable pause, Il can't run away from
my post of duty. If l really thought
there was great danger, 1 should go,
but l don't think a little danger ought
to scare me out. 1 feel that ny pres
ence here will restrain them, and my
absence simply encourages them. Be
reasonable and look at it the way l
do" she pleaded with an earnest little
laugh that was half fright.
Once more the colonel fumed, but
when Amy patiently and steadily re-
| fused his entreaties he suddenly broke
forth in admira ton. Miss Amy, ac-
cept the homage of an old soldier" he
exclaimed with a tender voice. He
took her hand, bowed pompously over
it and pressed his lips to the white sur
face. That's the homage of an old
man to a heroine" he continued and
added with twinkle, But don't let
that rascally Rod of mine pay you any
such tribute
Amy blushed. "He behaves better
than his father, l Think" she protested
with averted eyes.
''He ought to. He's had better train.
ing than l ever had. Ha! Here is the
boy now" he exclaimed as Roderick
entered. Get right back into youah
buggy, boy. This young lady is going
to weathah the stohm right heah
Where did you tie youah boss, boy p
and the old gentleman, as if intensely
interested in the whereabouts of the
h0rSa hI1Sflod Tn