The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-02-20

Blamed fool fer techin' #; none of my
business cf lazy Mexican nurse lets
somebody's baby drap nuten the stage.
But. darn me. I'm lllcs1 glad J fttched
it along gritty little cuss. NhoH
thought he'd behave so well. maxim L
meal often one dirty finger and no COM
plainin': Wonder whose lie could be-
he 1ueried. placing i: oil the coat ana
beginning to search its clothes Iof
some identifying marks. I've a m'hd
to take it along" he mhsed after a NJ
tie; "keeps feller from gittin' so etar-
nally lonesome. an I've got nine fresh
fingers yere yet. Eff Belle hadn't
been so tickle might IA had one of my
own bout its size Pshaw. I'm q Jlb-
bering fool goin' on any sech way
we'll yere it is. Hello! IS. A I Won
der what that can stan fer. Never
knowad nobody's name that begin
with \ but Jim Andrews an that
ornery Armstrong. an jim amt never
married fef'S know. reckon it couldn't
be his: an jest as likely his as Arm
=.
have to Git Outen this somehow He
rose and stepped to the edge of the
rocks.
Hands up. Sam Hardin" said 10
Powell the Duval County Sheriff. He
stood less than ten yards off. his Win
chester leveled at the outlaw.
II reckon I'll have to, Powell re-
turned Hardin coolly. "sein' as we've
got the drop Oh me; but l calkerlate
We ought to divide up with this young
un yere. sem eff it hadn't been fer it
yed never tuck me alive"
Il amt carin' fer the reward. Har-
din. an I'm sorry 1 have to take you
returned the sheriff. amicably. "Hadn'
been fer yer holdup. We might "a gone
free: amt no proofs yer killed Arm
strong. 1t uz freefer-all fight: the
witnesses weren't shore bout nothin.
an ye'd likely "a come clear. Tried
to git word to you. but ye kept yerself
so scarce. n feller had no manner Of
chance. I'll have to hold you; hate to-,
but it's my duty, We know"
Whose baby is it," asked Hardin
irrelevantly. as the Sheriff relieved him
of his pistols.
Belongs to young widow name
Armstrong. Her husband got killed a
few weeks ago in gamblin' place at
Brownsville: she's goin' back to her
folks. She's most crazy bout her
boy returned Powell. scanning the
outlaws face searchingly.
Folks live at San Diego? asked the
other, his countenance inscrutable.
Yes"
Il knowed EN-" said Hardin. and
turning his back slowly to the Sheriff.
he gazed across the yellow plain to-
| ward the distant peaks.
Il knowed yer did" returned Powell.
sympathetically. Then. after a .si-
lence, he added: Il wish there was
some way could help you. Hardin"
Much oblige'. Powell. but We can't
unless-you couldn't manage fer me to
see Miz Armstrong, I reckin:' be
asked. turning.
, The Sheriff glanced at his prisoner
| QueStlOuIuSly IL DIlIlS Hci ~ you
ef-ef yell wait yere with the, baby
He did not wait for reply, but, turn
| ing. vanished in the brush.
Hardin dropped his chin 10 the palm
of his hand and sat motionless. star.
| ing abstractedly into the hot glare. The
baby at his feet slept soundly. occa
siOnally giving vent to contented
sigh. A drowsy beetle droned by
knocking against the wilted foliage
Over the plain and. the white glisten
ing spaces brooded a death-like still
ness Five minutes. ten minutes. hall
an hour passed. and Hardin still sal
motionless. staring fixedly before him
| At last a rustling near at hand caused
him to start up and spring't to his fee'
with the old-time alertness.
BELIEF he cried. stepping toward
the woman that stood before him.
| She offered her hand hesitatingly. 81
| want to thank you. Sam. fer takin
| care of the boy-the Sheriff told mt
how We got caught OH account of him
| an"
| ludG > jill IlSHt. bCilC. hNC'S
would anyhow. sooner er later. an
an'-hadn' been fer thd boy wouldn''
never seen you ag'in. It's pas dead,
he said. as he stopped and lifted the
baby to her arms.
Yes she said, quietly. her eyes OF
the ground.
An hour slipped away in friendl,
talk. Then. suddenly, Hardin began tt
appear i'll at ease; he pushed aside thu
foliage and peered out toward the high
way.
II wonder why Powell don't come:
"He amt comin'." returned the wo
man.
"He ain't?" Hardin asked quickly
but guessed the truth even before th'
other could reply.
"He lowed as he's the only one tha
knows where you are. an eff ye'll keel
! mum, he'll try to."--New York Times.
| - In the Transvaal.
There are now on the Witwatersrant
| 125.777 colored laborers. $4,000 O.
whom are dOmiciled in the Transvaal
The total population of the Transvaa