The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-01-24

nuSlleu ntT OIL W ueu i'6Ao ~
per. The night had set In awful stormy
and bad, and was settin' by roarln
fire hemmin' some tablecloths long
about ten o'clock and thinking that ]
hoped no one was out in that storm
when all of sudden my door opened
and in dashed tall, slim young feller
without any hat or overcoat and look
in skeered out of years growth.
"sO Mother Tubbs!' he says, with hds
voice all of tremble and his eyes stick. !,
in out Of his head with fright. They
are after me! What shall ] do"
"'Who's after you, sonP' says /. And
what are they after you for"
"'The men up in the gulch,' he says.
They say have jumped claim, but
If have / didn't know it ! thought
il was an old claim that some one had
abandoned. But they can't be made to
think so unless you can make 'em think
it. What shall do?
"Well, recognized him In minnit
as Harvey Briggs and held up my hand
for silence, fearing the girl in the
other room would hear him, but she
was too worn out and slept too soundly
to be easily Weakened. told the boy
he want over 22--to set down, and
he KEEP beggin' me to hide him, and !
was about to send him to the loft over
head when the door swung open and In
come about as many men as could
crowd into the room, and the young
Teller give yell and run into corner
like a skeered rabbit. Well, / just
jumped right in front of him, and held
up my hand and says, says !:
"'Stand back, boys; stand back!
| There amt one of you that wants to
lay hands on woman, and you'll have
it to do If you try to pull him out.
Stand back, l tell you'll
~ knew more than half of 'em, and,
I tell you, they stood back. It'd been
mighty rash for one of 'em to of laid
hands on Mother Tubbs, for there were
bows there that would have fit to the
death for me, and one of them boys was
Bill Hodge, the leader o. the gang. He
says, says he:
ayes. stand back and hear what
Mother Tubbs has to say
"I got this to say, says l: There's
young gal in the other room who has
come nearly 1000 miles to marry this
boy, and just as sure as you take his life
hers will go, too, for she is Just that
far gone on him. You don't want her
blood on your hands; no, nor you don't
want any human blood on your hands.
This boy says he didn't mean to jump
that claim, and even il he did he is
young, inexperienced boy, and it amt
for you to jedge him. ] don't believe
that he meant to do wrong, and tell
you right fat that you don't take him
out o. this house to his death. III shoot
frst!'
"There was a loaded rife on the wall
back o. me, and grabbed It and held
1t out before me-"
"'Bully for Mother Tubbs' says Bill
Hodge.
Just at that minnit the door Of the
cabins other room opened and the CIR
come out. She had on long, loose, blue
wrapper and all her yeller hair hangin
down her back. The young fellel
screams out 'Lucy!' and she was in hi.
arms in a minnit. Then, in minnit oil
| two, she says:
"'What are all these men here for?
"'La, child says I, they have come
to your wedding. Well have the cere
; mony performed right now. Come
. parson, marry 'em right off,
"You see, had parson that had JUS
come to the camp lodgin' with me, ant
/ he had been routed out by the noise ant
, had just come into the room. He com
forward and the girl kind O. objecte,
to bein' married in blue wrapper, blu
told her that she couldn't look purtie
in the finest white satin and that ]
' would be a pity to send the men ava,
: without SEEM weddin' when they ha,
come fer that purpose. So she give in
and they was married, and if Bill
r Hodge want the first one to shak
, hands with the bridegroom, and h
, kissed the bride! l few around an
made coffee and cut big fruit cak
: I'd made for Thanksgivin', and we had
!, gay time. And the young fellow turne
out real well. He is prosperous ma
;, and he and his wife have four Lowell
: children. ] visited 'em last weak. Blu
reckon that was the first and onl
4 time q lynchin' was ever turned into
| Weddin'bb