New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-21
Johns Daughter.
By FRANK III. SWEET.

By FRAN
There the usual morning hustle around the
small station Finley, nondescript teams OF
against the piatform With loads Of oranges and
truck idle negroes slouehing eontHltedy apo eT
and jeering such of their number as had accepted
gerated show of zeal and activity: granting razor
backs and NANCY ours jisputng favored positions
hot. open sand between the station and the iso-
a9d Of 9gyng stores & bae reD the
monotony OF the sand. great 6lack stumps tnae
On the platform itself long lines OF neatly
packed crates and orange boxes. and among them
sure that their markings were all right and walt,
ing dof me ga9ad ociaI a in the cap
Presently there a perceptible fastening OF
came ieisureIy across the open space and ranged
themselves comfortably about the platform Several
men left their work among the crates and went
TO the heads Of their horses mules, and began 20
whistle heard in the distance, then a line of
pale blue smoke began to rise above the sea OF
apathe1ic as they watched the line rush tremulous
~ across the dull green. and finally curve indi-
and the great gdsping engine rushed by and came
to slow stop as the passenger cars gded opposite
Among those to alight was young girl Of
dressed, and with bright. eager air of expecta-
ton GFck CLANS about the h platform f6o ffg
moments hesitation she approached map With WITH
against some orange boxes he had just finished
Can You direct ne to Mr.. John Austin's placer
-John-7Aqstln." he repeated rehectyely:
John He stopped abruptly. as he noticed S.d the
aaSFns Are o S6u 2@ Some g. s reckon
az his daughter" she replied. wondering a
lips and which she noticed he choked back
ALPHABETICALLY. Il have been at boarding school
An does your paw. Mr--John.Austln. know
and with a look of CONSERVATION on his good
NO; but I haven't heard from him in almost a
year. Father doesn't like to write but he never
fore. 1 feared something might be the matter
with him the boys, and he would not write.
she T. and to Rg aEed in
S be a td0nn she af would
Yes. fur sickness goes. Your paw is one O.
he and the boys never had sickness IN all their
born days. They're puffectly well. all on 'em.
rapidiy though glad to be able to say 5hat
why reaily?' Her face grew radiant Their
all about them? Dear little fellows It seems
strange that L should never have seen them;
the boarding school and then came South. That
was twelve years ago and ! have been at tn, the
and Fred-let me see-Fred is seven. Is the place
About half nile"
"And are You going out soon?'
and see about my baggage. be back direety
staring bankly at a knothole in the platform.
she hurried away to look after her trunk and
Half minute passed, then the man raised his
head with dismal, expressive whistle 1t was vas
other side of the orange boxes.
you're in for CRIT it now , for "a fac fae stics s1 E
What you goin' to do bout it, .,o WAN :,
ren i'2o'" Reckon i' me6be Tn have to tell her
Reckon mebbe YOU will dryly. You better
have told her plumb straight in the fuSt place
How could r. Indignantly AN she almost the
age as my Cndg 4gd sake al ay b:r mani man.
Mr-John-AQstin wasn't nobody 3D. put b4 fTs
he'd been sent to prison most a year ago for
stcalin' an that the boys was in the poorhouse,
of an auctioneer to sell it? For goodness sake
Thompson, tell me what am tod do" appealingy;
do You're too ALFRED icken-hearted. Williams
Folks has to hear such things Hsh! here she
At this moment the train began to move away
disappeared in the mass of palmettos and cab
base palms then she walked eagerly toward her
Your landscapes are so quaint and beautiful
she sid with Sned 70 c9 1Te he ata We am ali
ready. Can you take my trunk and vaIse In your
Yes grufly He, glad to get away from ON
and he 6n made be T2k s. he coud
not bring himself to tell her the Whole ED be
stoidn and if he had not been the one who had
complained of the worthless drunkard. IL woud
have been less difficult He had been sorry Tor MS
iTstifable act ever since he had made the com
plaint and now-well. he would take the girl home
TO his wife. She had more tact than he, ana WOulu
know Just what to do. -. -.
This mental throwing of the responsibility from
his own shoulders brought back his natural cheer
fuIness and buoyancy, and he Smillngly motloneu
for the girl TO climb into his wagon
Ever ride in seck a wagon afore he asked as
he left the animals head and climbed up on the
seat beside her. ar, o,,
snnnose father and the boys are at home to-day
his countenance fell, and he twitched the reins
irrfta blv WHY could she not ask about something
else ne asked himself His wife would explain all
the disagreeab BILE things after they reached nome
az low they won't be there jest right now, ne
said evasively You see. they didn't know you
was comm so they happened to be OF for spell
Tut Won mustn't let II put you out any; with more
aniuation .'TT take home, an my wire
Az Won I'M mighty conf table till they git back
.oThank Won why can't go right TO the
house ard wait them? II would he such sur
prise. ., tn. .,,5dar anaro,.. ..h,
M T,anner o. means. Bachelor Twin amt app 10
keen n house fixed. an jest now tain't no pace
for Won [ know that. You must do Jest IKE
saw an come to my house for a spell You am
used to FIorIdy ways an my wife can give you
wei if you think best. she was silent Tor FOR
Soma time watching the unfamiliar plants along
rho roadside and the curious, bright coIoreu
chameeons that flashed from the warm SAND In
front of the horse and disappeared with marvellous