The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-12-06

there If they had mind to when her
beau showed up. She was such an in
nercent lamb that l took right to her,
and she was head over heels in love
with this fellow. She showed me his
photergraft before she had been three
hours in the house, and l reconized It
as the face of young chap who had
stayed day or two Mt my house
few weeks before. HIS name was
Harvey Briggs.
well, the girl was all played out
after bein' on tie stage all day. and I
hustled her off to bed right after sup
per- The night had set in awful stormy
and bad, and I was settin' by roarin'
fire hemmin' some tablecloths long
about ten o'clock and thinking that |
hoped no one was out in that storm
when all of sudden my door opened
and in dashed tall. slim young feller
without any hat or overcoat and look
in skeered out of n years growth.
80 Mother Tubbsl' he says, with his
voice all of n tremble and his eyes stick.
in out of his head with fright. They
are after me! What shall do?'
"'Who's after you, son?' says I. And
what are they after you for?'
The men up in the gulch, he says.
They say ! have jumped claim, but
IL have | didn't know ri | thought
it was an old claim that some one had
abandoned. But they can't be made to
think so unless you can make 'em think
it. What shall do?'
"Well. | recognized him i'm minnit
as Harvey Briggs and held up my hand
for silence, fearing the girl in the
other room would hear him, but she
was too worn out and slept too soundly
to be easily Weakened. l told the boy
he want over 22-to set down, aud
he KEEP beggin' me TO hide him, and
was about to send him to the loft over
head when the door swung open and in
come about as many men as could
crowd into the room, and the young
feller give a yell and run into a corner
like a skeered rabbit Well, ! Just
jumped right in front of him, and held
up my hand and / says, says |:
"'Stand back, boys; stand backl
There amt one of you that wants to
lay hands on woman, and you'll have
it to do if you try to pull him out.
Stand back, / tell you!'
81 knew more than half of 'cm, and, ,
l tell you, they stood back. It'd been
mighty rash for one of 'em to of laid
hands on Mother Tubbs, for there were
boys there that would have fit to the
death for me, and one of them boys was
Bill Hodge, the leader o. the gang. lie
says, says he:
"'Yes. stand back and hear what
Mother Tubbs has to say
"'I got this to say, says I: There's
n young gal in the other room who has
come nearly 1000 miles to marry this
boy, and just as sure as you take his life
hers will go, too, for she is just shat
far gone on him. You don't want her
blood on your hands; no, nor you don't
want any human blood on your hands.
This boy says he didn't mean to jump
that claim, and even If he did he is
a young, inexperienced boy, and it amt
I for you to iedge him. / don't believe
that he meant to do wrong, and tell
you right fiat that you don't take him
! out o. this house to his death. III shoot
first!'
"There was loaded rifle on the wall
back O. me, and 1 grabbed it and held
| il out before me-"
"'Bully for Mother Tubbs!' says Bill
Hodge
Just at that minnit the door of the
! cabins other room opened and the girl
come out. She had on long, loose, blue
wrapper and all her yeller hair hangin'
down her back. The young feller
screams out Lucy! and she was in his
arms in a minnit. Then, in a minnit or
| two. she says:
| "'What are all these men here for"
"'La, child says I, they have come
to your wedding. Wen have the cere-
mony performed right now. Come,
| parson, marry 'em right Off
"You see, had parson that had just
come to the camp lodgin' with me, and
he had been routed out by the noise and
had Just come into the room. He come
| forward and the girl kind o. objected
to bein' married in blue wrapper, but
| | told her that she couldn't look purifier
in the finest white satin and that it
would be a pity to send the men away
without seem weddin' when they had
| come fer that purpose. So she give in,
and they was married, and if Bill
| Hodge want the first one to shake
hands with the bridegroom, and he
kissed the bride! l flew around and
made coffee and cut n big fruit cake
| I'd made for Thanksgiyin', and we had
gay time. And the young fellow turned
out real well. He is prosperous man
and he and his wife have four lovely
children. / visited em last week, But
I reckon that was the first and only
time a lynchin' was ever turned into a
weddin'.'"