Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-09-18
cnApTcR xIl.-con,lnued.


Gearing that siIeueei further words
on the woman's Hrs.
do you think she slid-"doe''
any one think that | would leave my
father
The nurse laughed softly, with a
touch oI scorn Ia her voice,
DO you think II would break his
heart. Miss Johnson
Dolores was too deeply In earnest
10 be moved by the Scprnfnl words
aftcrWard the words aal tono came
back la her dlsiinctly.
Il would not leave my father ah"
said, sol.mnly. her large, steadfast
eyes fixed dlscnnccrtingiy on the quiet
face opposite. Il wonId not leave my
father-ncycr- while he liVcs-nCt for
any one"
You may change your mind" the
nurse said. lightly, rising To prepare
for the night She touched the girls
hair softly MS Dora could have done.
carcssIng the stray eurls on the
smooth. broad brow pItyinEly
Go to bed. chlid." she said. We'll
not talk any more about that nov; II
T. time you were getting Your beauty
sleep ere tho cioc,, strikes twelve"
Il would not leave my father" Do
Iorcs said. solrmnly. her eyes raised
,o the kindly face above her. Il would
not leave my fathcr-"ycr-U while hr
hye5-not for any one"
who'd a thousht.' said Jones mc,II-
nuycly. tipping his chair back and
stretching his feet pretty well toward
,h. smoky mantci who'd a.thou=ht
thct big JohnsIng WI siaews like oak
ID ever Ecm ter thcST"
II was more the staten snt Of fact
than n question: he said u Ia free hts
mInd and start tho ball of convcrsa,
ton rolling. That every one Thought
~ he did on this subject was a matter
Of course. Hc looked around on them
spproVIHEiy Rs though Ia impress
them with the fact tia; h. was with
them there.
FITS better SO. Hald iodic, grave
Iy. changing his icn leg over tho
right: "ct's better ~ thaa fer him ter
hcy ran inter hidIn'"
A silence fell over them all: each
thought the same: In fact they Thought
considerably beyond that, hut no; on"
OF them dared say what was In his
mtnd.
-Rcythcr unsatisfactory ank'rs they
give us when We went t,r ask bout
hem" said biz Tom Saith. dissatis'
ncdiy. ~ he pushed the cat from the
hearth with his foot and drew his
chair mp nearer the frc.
.Thcr icdgc's spn were thar" said
another big. stout man, with mali
clous snort OF laughter. '-rhcr jcdrr's
sou were thar. an thcys We're too
big ter speak ter scch common folks
IA We uns. What hey We ter do with
they uns scncc thcr jcdEc's son hcv
took up JohnsinE an his gal
A loud burst nf laughter drowned
the sobbinE OF the storm. Lodlc alone
sat quite unmovcd. staring gravcly
into the cracking Ere.
Look a.hyar' he said. slowly.
changing his right leg over the left.
"Iynoi, a.hyar. men. mcbby I amt scch
n good joke as ye seem ter thclk
with yer larfin' an yer jol,in'. when
I helped with JohnsinE tell thcr doe
tors KEN. could see plain thct I
warn't no common thcnE he'd hap'd
Johnsins. Thar he were wuth his
two legs broke an his arms. an GOV.
cred with bruises an mebby no end
a broke bones; an ! says ter myself
thct Z warn't no common thcng he'd
hap'd JohnsinE. An when thcr doc.
tors KEN thcys sed-l asked thcr
jcdgc's sol as were comm out. an
he tcllcd mc-thcys scd Johnsing amt
long ter live. an thct I would be n
mcricic Of he even live week. An
thar were Johnsinss gal a standin ct
thcr winder starin' out ct thcr rain.
Jcs' cs she'd stood ever scuce we
hringSl her fcyther home. an she's
never moved or spoke sence. Stop
yer larfin. men: 'tain't no larin mat
tcr-thes thct hrv hap'd Johnsiug."
Hey thcr gal stole yer hyart fro
Ne. I.odic?" asked one OF the men.
again starting the rough laughter.
She's sweet gal. Jim. an ye'rc wei.
come ter her cf We ken get her frum
thcr jcdge's son. But yen hcv ter be
lively, man. 'Tain't ev'ry gal kin get
thcr son o jedre, an ye'd best put
yer best foot forrard as soon as may
he"
Look n-hyar. man'-therc was
wrSthful CLEAN in the big fellows