Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-10-10

| love you. and hate to say, No. but
| can't marry man who drinks and
carries on like you do. II you'll prom.
Use not to drink any more. I'll marry
you. Won't you promise?"
NO. Lucy, | won't promise. for I'd
hate to tell the women | love lie
| don't think l could stop it soon. Ny
grandad loved Ticker, my dad loved
Ticker. and love Ticker, and can't
promise you I'll quit. Goodbye, Lucy
It's a nearer cut through here to
home"
One evening during the close OF
October, heavy clouds settled over this
section and drizzling rain COM
menced. fhe old people, who had
been watching the almanac. knew a
rainy season was developing, and saT-
mill men up and down the creek fas-
tened their logs. Piifer creek rose
fast. being the destination Of many
smaller streams. Bridges were faS-
tened with log-chains, and the fatten-
ing hogs in pens along the banks had
TO be moved to the ridge. People with
nothing else to do sat on the banks
and watched logs, fences. bridges, and
occasionally a dead animal. pass down
in the swift yellow current BY eight
o'clock that night the back water was
where it had not been for several
years. and was still rising. Along to-
wards midnight, above tn, roar OF the
murky creek. came the cry:
Come and get US.
Tony Lloyd, who lay awake, heard
the cry, and was soon standing with
his lantern on hill, waiting for the
second cry, which soon came. Tate
Olives family in the bottom, near the
creek, had been driven to the loft OF
their house. Tony padded the fam
lily ashore in his slGf, and then went
down the strip of water and around u
bend
Dnk Joiner went to Tony's house
the next day TO see about some fence
rails, but the house was deserted
That evening he inquired around the
neighborhood, but Tony had not been
seen since he rescued Olives family on
the night before. NeIChDors began to
inquire, and at last search was ad-
vised, which followed, and was thor
ough, but availed nothing towards
finding Tony Lloyd. Days passed, and
he was not heard from. and parties
went away down the creek in search
OF his body, for it was very probable
that he had been drowned. Every pile
of drift wood was investigated and the
banks and thickets closely watched.
but the body could not be found. AS
persistent search and inquiry brought
TO light nothing. ne was given up as
lost-drowned and washed away His
home, which had always borne lone
some look, because no one occupied il
but quiet, peculiar Tony Lloyd. now
stood with a mysterious, lonesome air
The doors were fastened with chains
and padlocks, and the windows nailed
down,
Lucy was not the same girl now.
She went to none OF the social settle
ment gatherings. and often stood on
the back porch looking sadly at the old
house anu out towards the creek. Pill
fer creek winds around and finally
empties into Cumberland river. Sew
eral weeks later, the half-wasted body
OF man was found on sand bar
few miles down the Cumberland. Bad
ly decomposed. it was buried at once.
without being recognized. in little
graveyard at a nearby church. Lucy
went there. and on that new grave
tenderiy strewed wild roses and plant
ed on it fragrant honey-suckle.
Two years and more have gone since
the above story was written. The
church women in a small Arkansas
village are busting around decorating
the village church. and preparing
reception for their pastor, who will re-
turn from another state with a bride.
on the evening train. The pastor,
will add, is Rev. Tony Lloyd who came
into that village a year or two ago.
Lucy is his bride.