The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-08-08
Of fur robes and blankets, mutterinR

made his new friend stolen visit, and
with the boy on his knee he asked:
What did your mann say about the
bundle she found at her door this
morning."
MAN? Oh, first her says it's won
Ger ole Lucky Jack hadn't seen 'em
an stole 'em; an then she begins TO
cry an kneels down an says suthin'
bout Him as has 'membered the wild
der an the fatherless."
"Why, you amt fatherless-you've
got father, amt you?"
"Yep, but he eain't come with all
that dirt o. his'n to dS.."
And now 1t fell out that every little
while Mrs. Brier found food, furs and
even money at her door that her un-
known benefactor placed there and
then fed before she could get q
glimpse at him.
Say, Lucky" Charley said one day,
"them hairin's all gone, an liked 'em
awfully."
"The herring? Oh, yes; we'll I'd a
brought you some more, but I'm allus
| afraid your nam will watch" And
watch she did, and one night, seeing
Jack (as she believed) in the very act
of stealinga parcel that had been gen.
erously left for her, she caught up her
gun, and that she fired without aim
was perhaps tho reason she brought
down her man with a bullet In the
breast. The sound Of shooting brought
the men from the saloon and little
Charlie from his bed.
This man was stealing--stealing
things from my tent door," cried Mrs.
Brier, wringing her hands in an
agony of excitement.
"Oh, nanny, he wasn't! he wasn't.
Twas him that brought all the things
to us-the blankets an everything!"
Charlie was wild with grief. and
Bilger licked the white face of the
man whose blood was crimsoning the
snow where he lay; but he turned his
head and whispered: "Oh, Charlie,
you promised not to tell!"
II didn't tell--not while you's
livin'," sobbed the child, "but look at
the bleed-oh, Lucky! you's dead
now, sure"
mo, no, he isn't dead. He mustn't
die! Men, carry him into my tent,
where I can take care of him. I
won't let him die"
And she was as good as her word.
Never had man more faithful and
devoted nurse. For the first time
since childhood the big. rough fell
low knew the soothing touch Of q
womank haBdi and her patient sweet
ness and little schemes 10 amuse and
interest him, when In the days of
eonvalescence he began to chafe at
his inactivity, were q source Of end
less wonder 20 him. And ~ he
watched the quick-moving little Ag-
ure and studied the brave, bright face
of his quondam foe, he realized that
though his lung had healed and was
rs sound as ever, his heart had got
a wound from which it must ache
while he Hved. SO he steadfastiy re-
fused Mrs. Briers sfler thsA he should
take half she claim, and insisted that
he would return TO Tacoma.
But you are doing we'll here; why
do you 90 away?" the nurse asked
for the twentieth time.
Driven to the wall. he replied:
swell, becsuse-oh, hang ri I've
used up all my excuses-hers's the
truth: love you MoMe. just
long to work for you. 70 keep care
and trouble away from you. And T.
could do it. if-darn Brier, anyway!
Oh, don't mean that but, Noble, I
want to take you in my arms"
Then why don't you, Johnnie?"
she aslsed, demurely.
"GreSt st. Benedict What'd Bill
Brier say whom he comesr' he gasped.
"He won't say anything. poor man."
she was laughing and crying both
together-"'cause he'll never come.
He died when he came back after us;
but we's all packed up TO como, and
he said we could hold his olsim; 30.
after he was buried we como Oman
an I thought you'd be scared to
stay on the claim II you thought my
man was comm. Why-there-you
great, big silly man--don't! Chariiell
see you"
And when Charlie did put in an up
pearance Jack privately inquired:
"What'd you say your pap was dig
GIN for, youngster?"
"Cause, II he were comm, as man.
my said, he had ter dig dirt an lot
o. it; I seed I'm, an IL box is buried
under q nawful heap o. It,"
Jack-comprehensiveiy-~Oh," then
tenderly, "Did you know your mother
was goin' to have me now?"
"Yep, heerd you fixin' IL up
Radford Review.
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