Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-02-12

lA1 e!Aa4Nl uneducated, untntored, he
was a savage still.
He had a brother. Younger, less
wild, and weaker, this brother appealed
strangely to his love and to his pro-
lection. When Tatton came to the low
= Country his brother had remained be-
Find. For months he did not hear from
him. At length he received word from
a friend. For the moment he was stun
ned and could not understand the real
ity. Tom. so the friend wrote, had be-
come involved in quarrel with a man
in the section-one with whom Tatton
was we'll acquainted-and in the course
of the personal encounter that ensued
he was shot and killed.
After much labor Tatton had man.
aged to read the letter. 1t was slow
work, for he could not read so well as in
the old days when he had casually at
tended the little school out by the
branch, Distrusting his own knowl-
edge, he took the letter with him to the
village some distance away. There he
persuaded a friendly storekeeper to
read X for him. IL was indeed as he
had read for himself; Tom was dead.
Tatton dumbly thanked the man, took
the sheet of paper, and silently left
the place. Out into the woods he made
his way, towards the Old Fort swamp
Once there, he seated himself on log
one that had served the purpose before,
and bit by bit went over the informa-
ton he had received. 1t was woefully
brief and insufficient in its details.
Tom had become involved in a quarrel
with one Ben Jenkins over a hog. One
word led to another. each pulled his
gun, and in the fusillade that followed
Tom fell with bullet through his head.
Jenkins gave himself up to the authori-
ties, was tried and acquitted. He had
killed Tom in self-defense. That was
all there was to It. Tatton went over
the meager details time and again, un-
til they we're indelibly engraved on his
mind and heart.
N That morning, Just prior to receiving
the letter, another blow had been ad-
minlstered to the man. The woman
who kept the house where he took his
meals was Mrs. Hawkins. Long had
Tatton observed her, for she was good
to look at. There was a grace in her
derstand, but which he admired. Her
face was pretty, and he felt that he
could look at it forever and not grow
tired. He did not know what love was;
but he would lie out beyond the fence,
in clump of low pine saplings, and
watch her for hours as she passed to
and fro in the pursuance of her duties.
Sometimes there was child with her,
a girl of perhaps years, and Tatton
admitted to himself that she was like
unto his conception of an angel
During these months that he had
been in the low-country his shrewdness
and industry had not gone unrewarded.
He had saved some money. One day,
some weeks before, the thought had
come to his mind to ask Mrs. Hawkins
to marry him. Night after night he lay
sleepless, thinking 1t over. and weigh
ing his chances of failure or success.
Finally he decided to put 1t to the test.
He called on Mrs. Hawkins and made
known his desire in his blunt, straight
forward way. No less blunt and
Straightforward was her answer. She
was married, her husband was still
alive, and in fact she expected him
home that very evening. He had been
away for a long time, but today he
would return. Tatton saw the look of
Joy In her eyes, heard the ring of glad
ness In her voice. He turned from her
and left the house. AS he walked de-
jectedly to the front gate, the little girl
ran after him, shyly slipped her hand
into his, and told him not to look so,
that her papa was coming home that
night. Tatton stopped abruptly, took
her in his arms. and held her close for
a moment. Gently placing her on her
feet again, he continued his way to the
woods, while the little girl returned
and told her mother what the man had
done.
When he came to the village the let
ter, notifying him of Toms death. was
given him. Out by the Old Fort swamp
he bIooded over II all. He wondered in
a mechanical way how much Il would
cost to reach Kentucky. Once there.
he would shoot jenkins. Tom would
rest easier in his grave II he knew of Il.
Late that evening he came TO the
Hawkins house. He came late purpose
ly, that he might miss seeing Mrs.
Hawkins husband. AS he approached
the house to took refuge In the clump
of saplings, to see II the road were
clear. A glance convinced him that It
was not. Coming towards him. along
the path, were man and woman; be-
fore them. in childish glee ran a little
girl. He knew the three at a glance.
As they came nearer something about
the man seemed familiar. Tatton
watched him closely. Tho man raised
his face to look at the full moon in the
east There was no mistaking HINT
was Ben Jenkins Tatton's first emo
ton was one of feroclous pleasure. His
blood surged hot within him, and then
ran cold. Already was his enemy with
in his reach. He paused not to think
how he came, or why he came: but
pulling out his pistol was prepared TO
do bloody work. One second he hesi-
( tated and then II was too late. Softly
he replaced the pistol, and as softly
slipped from the sapling thicket deeper
y into the woods.
X }. - mout scare Mis- Hawkins an the
|SS'sG gal" he muttered; an come
Jack tonight an git him wen they ain't
K so elost to him"