Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-05
: The House on the Military Road
l(Copyrighted, 1900, by Daily Story Pub
- fishing Coz
By Ellen Rasbury


- fishing Coz
PUNK. went the ned of Sans fishing
pole into the water, where it lay UNI
needed. The trouble expression of Sans
,ginserca Ike brown face was but an in
different index to the condition of his
mind. For the first time in his life his
favorite sport of 'ketchin grinnuiS an
mudcats" paled on him. Despairingly
his head dropped and his eyes gazed into
vacancy. as he sat ON the 'causeWay'
bridge that spanned what was by cour-
tesy called a lake. but which was in re-
ality one Of Eastern Arkansas pictur-
esQue swamps-semi-tropic in velNdant
beauty.
sam was in trouble. and so hot was
his blood with Indignation that the cool
lake water in which his feet were i'm"
mersed. failed to afford the accustomed
sensa ton of pleasure. lmpatiently he
jerked up his bare brown left foot. and.
untying Irvine from around his ankle,
pulled from the water and surveyed his
'ketch" of the afternoon-a string OF
fish remarkable for quantity rather than
quality.
1t was no use--the sight brought him.
no joy Rising, he threw the fish. string
and all, far out into the lake, mass OF
fioundering. helpless prisoners, doomed
to an early death in their native element
Resumng his half-reclning position
against the trunk of a TORPEDO gum. he
again took up the thread of his unhappy
reflections. Hour after hour passed UNI
needed by the immovable figure.
\ gray squirrel. whose home was high
up in the hollow of the tree against
which he leaned, arrived at les conclu-
and stelthily resumed her wonton oc-
cupaton Of conveying nuts to the family
pantry from a reighbol'ing pecan tree.
Sans trained ear heard her movements,
but his sporting instincts were for the
time dead. He could think of nothing
but the great trouble that, unprovoked
and undeserved. had overtaker him,
trouble which he. true to his nature
which had gained for him the sobriquet
of "Say-rothin' Sam in his childhood
days, had borne in silent agony.
Across his mental retna flashed the
picture of Mile. the day he saw her first
the velvety. black eyes, with their long
lashes; sleek, wavy hair, long enough to
plat and accommodate bows of pink
ribbon: how the shy smile she had
flushed at him from beneath her stiff
whWite sonnet had set his usually slug
gish heart to humping. How wildly
he recalled each little word and act. He
had slyly squeezed her hand and Wills
pered: Il kinder feels like I'd known
you allue, Miss tMllle," to which she had
feelingly replied lou doaYn say 500"
After that it had been plain sailing for
them, and many happy hours were spent
planning their future on Sans lease"
on de AIilenterry road. Whar 'stantial
log house is gwine UP fer sunlbody, sho.'
in the excess Of her love, to Sans in
tense satisfaction. that his tall good
looks, nuther color" had anything to
do with her love for him: ''twas jes'
sumpin MYSTERIOUS like which opinion
seemed to coincide with his own ideas
of the momentous affair, and added inn
Intensely to the charm.
HI had smiled when a nail was driven
home in boarde or plank Of the cabin
to think how pleased Mile would be
with ''mantel-shelf and cupboard"
Quickly and happily had the time Slip
ped away until the wedding day was but
three weeks off. and the little home nest
was nearly ready to receive its occupants
across the horizon OF their happy ex-
pectations. Sans face went ashy pale
with anger as he recalled the entrance
upon the scene Of the Jones woman, and
her brazen effrontery. a human dere-
lect, floating on any chance wave, she
had drifted into the neighborhood when
the public mind was occupied with pro-
tracted meeting, trailing in her wake the
reputation of being a ''cunjur," and so
great is the average Negroes dread of the
mysterious ''conjurs' power that she
was received and entertained in their
liked
1t took her ferret eyes but a short
time to discover Sans and Miles love
drama and whether it was Sans splen-
did physique and reputed good nature
and thrift, or that stray idea Of put
ting period to the nomad existence
ha