The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-30
havana OF TIE FAITHFUL.

| there were fires Of emotion within.
Ben's blue check sleeves were wet from
shoulder 10 wrist in the vehemence or his
exertions. but his hands could not keeT
pace with the rush OF his thoughts
Herein lay his trouble: Lucinda. iaun-
dress at Locust Hill. going home from
"meetln' the evening before, had scorn-
fully refused (for the third timel 10 name
the day she would take him as her second
husband-and he had loved Lurinda witt
the faithful love OF a dull man Ions
before she married Shay Beazley--yellow-
faced Shay-with whom she had led any
thing but an easy life until fatal com
binatien of whisky and pneumonia made
her a widow
'Lurindy," Ben had pleaded. "whuf fuh
yuh keep putin me of DAT way? Is wait
en- wait all de seben yeah w nah ed tub
Shay Now Shay been dead en- gone tub
glory desc two yeah. whuf fun yuh
8 wine mex me wait any longuh?
And Lurinda. tall. stern. and gaunt as
a bear In spring. but TO faithful Ben ali
that was lovely and desirable. had looked
down from her superior physical and men
| tai heights to answer:
rs amt g'wine fuhgit my duty tub de
dead tub crafty de lub O. no libin-naH
| suh-I amt nigh got de slab ober Shay.
nuh yit de coffin roun' him paid fuh-an'
| twell dey paid fun. tub de las cent,
/
Ben looked at the set jaw of his be-
| trothed with a sinking heart. Wen he
| knew IL would be many a day before Luz
| rinda could spare enough from her hard
! earnings TO complete the payment on the
! casket and the oaken slab over Shay;
she had the rent TO pay and the I'VE
! children to feed Yet he dared not offer
TO help her. for had she not said, time
and again. that she would never marry
another man who could not give her a
home, and was he not depriving himself
OF everything but the bare necessities,
TO make slow pas ments on the house with
| the crooked chimney at the outskirts of
Little Mason?
| He said no more. but in humility and
/ detection babe Lurinda goodnight at her
! door
rs waited 'iongah fun Lurinda dan ia
cob fuh Rachel he unused, as the iron
cut into the yellow clay. "en' Lawd
knows how much longuh Is got tuh wait
wild de possibility o a fine oman lax hun
uh gittin' uh bettuh chanst den me-
The fence the heavy-hearted lover was
building lay between the highway and a
sloping pasture-f1eld in the upper corner
OF which next the road was the negro
cemetery protected by a tumble-down
worm fence from the encroac hments of
the yellow Jerseys in the grass-field. The
railroad lay. hot and shining, in the In
dian summer sun across the southern end
of the field. A long freight train, weight
ed with gray building-stone, tore by.
leaving a stream of sparks and smoke
in its wake.
Ben wiped away the sweat drops as the
sitting air grew hotter. but it was not
until the two Jersey cows, with bellows
of fright. ran by him in a frantic rush
for the great ponds which lay beside the
fence at the foot of the upward slope, that
he observed that the long, dry grass. in
flammable as tissue-paper, was wall of
fame.
His heart leapt in his throat. Shay's
grave with its unpaid-for wooden marker
was in the rude cemetery on the hill,
close by the tumble-down fence with its
corners heaped with dry leaves and dead
growth of goldenrod and everlasting.
If that slab was burned-good-by TO his
hopes of Lurinda He threw one quick
glance at the coming fire-cloud, then
locked toward the graveyard on the hill
top. Could he make it2
Before three seconds were gone he had
dipped himself in the pond. and with his
ragged cap running rivers of waters and
his dripping coat in his hand, was run
ming like a mad thing up the road. The
hot air burned his cheeks and took his
breath when he reached Lurinda' S mound,
but with the energy of desperation he
wrenched the oak slab loose from its
foundation block and wrapped his wet
coat about 1t just as the fire leapt tAxough
the fence and caught the everlastings and
the short grass on Shay's grave
The singing smoke choked and blinded
him-the scorching flames licked at his
hands, but he clasped his precious burden
hard and stumbled into the road. Happily
a dozen hurried steps brought him 70
the great pond with its waters of safety.
After a time Ben crept painfully up the
road to his cabin. A gaping crowd OF
neighbors came 10 exclaim over him and
minister to his needs. Old Aunt jimmy,
Ben's best friend, was loud in condemna-
ton Of his foolhardy feat
'I.awd, Ben. you is sho crazy" she ex-
claimed, as she bound up his blistered
hands and bathed his scorched face
Dat nigguh Lurinda amt with no SIGH
strivin's ez dis. no way en- no how, Now,
some yoh niggahs stay heah en- teck keer
o. Ben while l go fine LurInda ez fas' ez
my ole feet kin tote me oheT de grouni
1 gwine fahly put dat wench tub
shameg'
In the gathering dusk. Lurinda. with
Withcred. water-soaked hands and suds-
sprinkled dress. made her way humbly
u Ben's home.
Ben's eyes frightened as the angular
form Of his beloved appeared in the door
way.
'.Lurlnda.'' he said thickly. pointing
with one cotton7swathed hand to the tall
slab leaning against his bed-its splendor
untarnished-"Lu rinda, ! save 1t sfuh
yuh."
The tears streamed down Lurindas dark
facs-Aunt Jimmy had done her work
well. and the sight of Ben's bsndaged
hands was an added prick 10 her CON
science.
,.x-.,l, ,0,,. - bub,, ,,n Ron aha.I
quavered between sobs. ''Yuh mout uh
died savin' dat piece o wooden den da'
wouldn't been no use o me Twin. q.
Zen, I amt gwine let dat ole debt stan
between me an you no noah. En- il
ready tub mahy yuh now-right now-ef
datll mex yuh any happiuhi
Beh's eyes widened with hope-incre-
dulity-joy- He looked at the downcast
face Of Lurinda. then at his useless hands.
and opened and shut his mouth help
lsssly.
Why. Lurinda. gal" he stammered at
length 4 won't be able tub wuck fuh
yuh. fuh uh long time. En- I amt got
d. house paid fun yit.7 he added. weakly
"Whut dat mattuhz" Aunt jimmy spoke
n a tone Of command. Shet up dat
meuf O. youhn. Ben Ef Lurinda tsck /
yuh now, doa't yuh try tub put huh out n
&. notion. Cant some yuh niEguhs 90 .
gis de prsachuh2" she asked. turning 70 (
the other open-m outhed guests
Volunteers were not lacking. and 1T I
To later. Ben. leaning on the arm % LII 4
rinda. with the light OF love and the fru- !
ltson OF hope Illuminating his counte I
nance, walked down the road 70 her cabin /
A broad shaft OF light from the open door 4
fsu on the coal-ssh path. and FIVE little 4
Woolly heads were thrl1sr out 70 welcome 4
Nanny.
-Chlliuns. announced Lurfnda. proudly. +
as she led Ben III. rs fetched 9Th Nh rex 1