The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-07

such a man as the Major. ruined
away from there to keep from gittin
another hidin The ole man could
helped me outen that scrape, but he
wanted Barbie, an when I ruined
away, he done all he could to keep me
a runnin,. l let him have her, an l
stayed away purity Study fer nigh onto
twelve year. Then l got an idear, an
the day 1 got that vennyson O. you,
I'd les ben down ter the house to pro-
pose 1t to him. But he wuz jess
nacherly ornery that day. He wouldn't
lemme have yer close an things sos't
l cu'd go back an git some money
outen yer Aunt Sally. One word
brought on another an jess nacherly
fixed him. l guess that's bout all
there is on it, 'cept / never ben sorry
1 done i'm up, seem the way he
treated my mother. Wouldn't even
bring the ole woman along when we
left Varginny. She died thar few
years ago"
But what about those baby clothes
and other things, Beaeraft?"
"Ohl They're proberly round the ole
mans place somers. Don't make much
diffrunce anyway. Yer uncle's dead
anger Aunt Sally's runnin' things
from 'mong a thousand. Thar amt
mother sech ADULT man in all North
Ameriky"
But what became of my uncle? How
did he die?"
ooh! He wuz along o. your man
Washington an Braddock an the rest.
They found him arter that battle with
dead Injuns and Frenchers all about
him He wuz a devil ter fight, Dune
Fisher wuz. Braddock didn't have ter
drive him outen behind the trees, like
he did the rest. But he want dead
when they found him. They got him
alive. He wuz called Major arter that,
for he got promoted. He wuz only a
captain in the milishy fore he went
inter that fight, but he got the title
some time durin' that war"
He must have been as large man
as old Tamalaqua. Say, Beacraft, what
did you ever kill that old Indian for?"
"Ohl I allus had it in fer him. He an
that cat o. his was allus sneakin
round at night. He run onto us that
time we wuz a comm north with you.
That wuz afore he got his cat, an l
don't think he was quite so looney then.
He charged us with stealth you, an
he knowed the ole Major. l wuz allus
feared you an he'd git together an
he'd tell ye. That wuz one reason why
allus wanted ter fix him. / dunnos
I'd done it though, eff he hadn't knocked
me over that night fer KILN his cat.
That cat O. his, l allus was feared on.
Driv me out inter Seneky lake one day,
when / wuz a tryin' ter sneak round
an drop his master, as he lay asleep
in the bresh. Durn cat like ter froze
me ter death that day. My gun got
wet when jumped, an | cuddent shoot
him. Thar l Wuz, foatin' round on
that log. cussn an helpless. An yer
uncle? Oh, l forgot. Wall! He want
never well arter that French an In
Jun war He done some bizness, but
he want much count. Some wound
ne got, time Braddocb got whaled. He
set great store by you. Seemed ter
think more on We than as If We war his
own. That's why l wuz so farce fer
stealin'ye. I knew it'd fix him. Did
too. They say he ony lived a year
arterward, an died mournin' cause he
hadn't no heir. Never had any
younguns Of his own. Oh, 1 fixed him
plenty. l got even with the Major"
and muttering to himself, while an
ugly smile Of malice contorted his
swollen features, the rascal dropped
off asleep again. 1 arose and walked
out into the open air,
1t seemed to me as If l were dream
ing. As if all / had heard could not
be true ! looked up at the sombre fall
sky-it seemed bright to me,-drew in
deep breath of the bracing atmos-
phere, and started to walk down
towards the lake shore, when feeling
of such thankfulness came upon me
that it seemed as if l must go some
where, kneel down and thank God. 1
resisted this desire until l reached a
little glade some distance down along
the lake shore. Here, falling on my
knees under a spreading tree, ! raised
my voice in prayer. What cared l If
a thousand lurking foes heard me?
must relieve my overcharged soul, and
l did. When at last / arose from my
knees, ii was to find Murphy standing
at some distance, regarding me with
wondering eye. l rushed toward him
with an exclamation of joy. Then the
thought of the smallpox infection in my
clothing flashed upon me and l came
to such a sudden halt that 1 nearly
fell. Tint / shouted. Thank
God! Thank Cod I've got the small
pox, I'm full of smallpox Keep off,
Keep Off" Gaunt. haggard and I'M
kempt from my vigils of the past few
weeks. / must have looked liz a lu-
matte as l said this. Indeed did not
know exactly what l was saying.
only knew that l was glad to see Tim,
and then the thought of smallpox
coming like flash had impelled me TO
warn him in the same breath.
Crazy as bid boog,so he ISL NUT
tered Tim. as I halted in my rush
toward him, and he looked as If he
would have liked to run.
Continued Tomorrow