The age-herald., 1900-07-29
For His D0dr Sake. BY ELIZABETHRULLERG

l
 The mountains were away in the distance | when Vaudeville Riggs started out on
 wild ride. There was blood on his shirt | front and a red bandana tied over his left | eye. His right hand was bruised and tied | with an old rag.
 ] Tennie was his pet mare. He did not
 spare her now, and she fairly flew. Bye | and bye he turned from the more frequent ed roads and began the ascent of the knobs. This was slower work but wherever there | could be a short cut made by incredible | daring, Vaudeville Riggs took it like fugitive from justice.
 He did not notice the birds waking in the | growing light nor the opaline and mother 1 of pearl flushes in the eastern sky. As he
 mounted upward he picked his way through | the deep woods, disdained fences and | spoiled several patches of early blowing. | The birds ceased their chorus; the sun climbed higher. The mare panted and gave
 signs of the utmost fatigue. Stil1 the young | man, scarcely more than a boy, pushed | her. At last he came out on a mountain | road, and, as he made a turn, looked | across hollow far away into the valley
 and saw the spires of the country town.
 His scowl deepened, and he urged the mare ! onward again.
 I In half hour he came to a piece of l cleared land and turned in at the side of | the plowed field. A little farther he came | m sight of a log house, of three or four | rooms, with rough porch in front, I which sat very old woman, smoking A | girl was in the house lot feeding chickens. Mandeville rode up to the side of the fence | and waited for her to come to the bars. I ~Want ter see me. MandeviIle?' she t asked, coming up, then, without much sur- prise, Lord, yer been in a scrap.'' | I'm beat out," he said simply, stand I've I ruined the mare. Narena, Kerson air took" Took? He war here yesterday after | noon Yer all foolin'"
 I She pulled her sunbonnet from her head She was tall and straight, handsome and r daring. Her eyes shone and her lips never | qufvered, although Vaudeville Riggs knew | she was hurt to the heart. | 'Them thar cussed revenao felIers, of | course. was in town about dark, an they | come in with hn-six of 'em-and him tied up like mad dorg; bloody, you bet an ] some mark every fellor. | ssen 'em l and laid ter overhaul 'em right at the jail E door. There war some tall sheetfn' and | fghtin but Kerson war too tied down ter l be of any use, yer see. I cut off afore they ! gut holt oF me an kim straight ter yer. Yer | know that war our agreement, ter spare | nothin" ter help each other seen Kersons | eyes; they just peared ter say: Git out l and tell Narena. Narena's smart. I bet | she gifts me out O this here-' ! The girl stood listening. Her fla2en hair | shone in the sunlight. In a few minutes ' s1e said:
 ''Whar they gwine ter take i'm. dye | reckon?'
 | Louisville, they say. Didn't hear, but | they hain't going ter-day, Narena- They'r after Bill Bevis up ter Blue Knob. Ef 1t l hadn't been fur Kerson,. I'd a gone: over | wander ter Bill But Kerson air blood t kin. Now what shall we do?' | Narens jaws were firmly set for mo- | ment. Then she said:
 1 Yer mare's beat out. Put Ter up. Git I my black an git yer mother ter come stay with grannie- Pap's gone down mounting | ter Traverse, plum tother way" Vaudeville was almost exhausted when he l led the big black horse up to the back door l a half hour later. Narena came out with | a can of black coffee and plstte of food. | "Jest chew a while on some Nittles, Man. l dy,' she said quietly. "It's due yer arter | sech night an ride"
 | When he had finished, sch brought pan | of warm water, some old clothes and a comb.
 | "Yer needn't go round Bald Knob. like | that thar" she laughed shortly. An I 1 can't spare yer long enough for yer nanny ter do it. Fetch her back, Mandy, an I'll | be ready ter go with yer ter kerson-an' I we'll see that he don't go ter Louisville | this ere trip"
 | Her eyes flashed Vaudeville felt his l | at the mare lying the pasture grass, | mounted the black and rode up the noun | tain. Narena went into the house, mixed | up some corn bread, peeled potatoes and | brought in ffrewoed. She gave her grand | mother an early dinner and then dressed l herself in strange array. l Sine put on black dress that had once been her mothers. 1t had been folded away | in a box for a long time. The plain waist | would not meet, but she covered the gap
 with a folded black silk kerchief. She parted her Mxuriant flaxen hair and drew | it back into a prim knot She put on the | last bonnet her mother had worn. a close | straw affair. and hung rusty black veil
 over it. Throwing the veil back, she
 walked in on her grannie, who was peace | fully dozing in her chair.
 | The old lady gave screech and threw | uo her hands.
 | "Narena Brooks. Who air dead? Whar ! air yer pal Whar air Kersong'
 ] '.Par all right, grannfe, but Kerson air
 took I'm goin ter git i'm out an hime
 i'm ter-nght. Don't yer know nothin?'
 Me? No, indeedy, Narena. I'm an old ! fool, yer know I dnn't warnt ter stay 4 alane.''
 [ Sally Riggs air eomn' ter be compny. r You'n her mustn't gossip, for them rev. enoo men may STOOD 'rou1r'. Act like yer
 hadn't good sense; that air the bestest
 way'
 "T can't take my eyes often yer,' cried
 the old woman. ''Yer air so much like
 yer ma that like to see yer She war a
 master-woman.
 "Tm a master-wuman, too," repeated
 Narena, half to herself. "Tm too mas
 terfur ter see my lad that air dear kerried
 off ter prison wl1ar I can't see him, fest
 fur maxim a little n1oonsf1ine whisky.
 reckon they struck inn and her face grew
 red 1T reckon they kicked i'm like them
 thar reveuoo fellers did Alphy Good. An
 they never knew what hit that un thet
 went Up mounting about two months after,
 but Miss Good tole me She tux plum sat
 faction seein i'm lyin' dead in White Deer
 Holler."
 She laughed grimly, and the old woman
 cackeIed after. Vaudeville riding into
 the house lot with his mntlier on the black | behind him.
 "So Kersons tul1?" was Sally's greeting.
 "Air yer mournin' a1ready?" "Mournin'