Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-04-18
TIE STAGE {
DRIVE RS Story :
BY Mary d. Sleight.
UTaAT? Oh, that's old Squire
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


is, too" said capt. Bob" the stage
driver.
/ was the only passenger, and as
the day was fine l was sharing his
seat for a better view of the country.
We were just then passing large,
old-fashioned mansion standing well
back from the road and surrounded
with magnificent elms and naples.
Eyes, it's a mighty nice old place,
repeated the driver, land it just does
me good to see them youngsters frol-
licking on that grass plot. HulIol
there's the old squire himself! ana
he pointed with his whip handle to
n shaggy-bearded old man who with
the help of a crutch was hobbllng
down the steps. "Seems pretty bad
IN broken UP. And he used to be one
n the halest, heartiest men III Stan
tonville. | know 1 used to look up
at him when l was boy and think
that the giants I'd read about could
MT have been much bigger. But the
trouble with him was his INSIDE
makeup didn't fit the outside IL
ALWAYS seems to me when l see some
O. them great gianty-loolIin' men as
If the Lord meant 'em to have hearts
as big in proportion as their bodles'
but they don't always; or If they
we're big once, they've got so oadiy
sbriveled up, some of them, that
should think they'd wabble round
like a dried kernel in a walnut she'll
my uncle Ben used to go to school
with the squire when he was
voungster. and he says he was so
mean that he wouldn't so much as
give fellow an apple core without
maxim him pay back in chewin' gum
and when you see a boy so Sunny
as that you can most genly Tel!
obout what sort of man he is goln
in make. But he was an only son,
and I s'pose that helped to spoli
him He had one sister, and when
her husband died, leavin' her with
two children and scarcely money
enough to pay his funeral expenses
she begged her brother to let her
come back to the old home; but she
might as well have asked that Dig
rock wonder to take pity on her.
And 'twasn't long before the poor
lady not being used to hardshlps'
broke down and died. Folks thought
then that maybe he'd be shamed lnSo
doin' something for the two orphans'
SEEM they were his own nephews;
and he was: he took 'em both out O
school and 'prenticed 'em to shoe
mal,ar Generous, wasn't he? Ana
he had but one child of his own, too
and she was a girl that would nave
been clad enough to have 'em for
hrotbers. Her own mother was deao
as nice a woman as you'd care TO
meet: one O your real ladies, win
always n smile and a heartsome word
for everybody; a good ,prayln WON
an too. Folks that knew her mt
mate USE to say that she was always
nrayin' for the squire, and thal
sometimes she'd send note askin
TO have him prayed for in meetn
She didn't give in his name, but
everybody knew who it was Bu'
nravin' for a man like Squire Hone
always seems to me a waste 0
breath. Anyway, the poor lady dleo
without SEEM any good come OF II
and 'twasn't more'n year fore ne
was married again. The second VIE
was q rood deal like himself, big ano
handsome. with no more heart thar
an oyster, and Annie, who was one
y, them soft-eyed little things thai
always look as if they wanted a lo'
o. motherin', got to pinin' so thai
a+ last some of her mothers relatives
over in Waterbury sent for her anC
ken her till she was grown up
remember as well as if twas yester
dav the day she came back; I'd JUS
begun drivin' the stage, and she wa
enc o. my first passengers, tall
elim-built girl, with a forehead like
q babv's. and look in her eyes tina
made YOU feel as if you wouldn't say
swear word before her no more
you'd cut off your hand; and that's
the kind O. girl that I like to have
round when that off horse begins t.
oct bally. Hi, there, Jerry! Nom
q your nonsense!" But the off hors'
was in a mulish mood, and there wa
long break in the story.
"The squire'd been sort O ailin
that spring." said Capt. Bob, when a
last the baker was conquered, lam
when Annie heard of it she hurrle
home to see if she couldn't chez
him up. And he was mighty we
pleased to have her there, for he an
madam didn't get on any too we
together; and no matter how mea
man is, he likes havin' somebod
TO coddle him all the same, Special
!, when he's sick. But when he foun
!, ! cut that she was gettin' letters fror
u Young Teller in Waterbury, an
was expectin' some time or other t
= marry him, he was madder'n Marc
T hare. and swore that if she didn
is give him up he'd cut her off withou
a penny. But Annie didn't TAX
that part of it much to heart, for tn
= young man was purity we'll to do, an
e, as he wasn't through college they die
IS MT feel in any hurry about MARI.
2, in. But as soon as he was ready
start out for himself he went rigf
. TO her father, for he was a ret
v, straightforward sort of a Teller, an
told him he'd come to ask for Ami
For answer the squire ordered hi
to 90, about his business and wa
u till he was sent for. But at thu
a, Annie braced up and said that 81
had given her promise to marry hi
= as soon as he was through colleg
w and SEEM she was Of age 81
ne thought it wouldn't be right for Ii
W o break her word.
"'Oh, marry himl Marry hin
- stormed the old squire, hard as
~ q n MT