The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-01-10
The vindication
~ of PaphT0ditus.
BY 8. q. HAckLEY.

make Lucindy believe In mel Eff some
thin' would only Jest turn up!"
The afternoon sun beat down fierce
and scorching on the bent figure In the
saddle. and the yellow dust On the
psrchsd road. stirred In a cloud by the
boots OF the cattle the man was driY.
Ing to water at the mile distant river.
stang his sombre blue eyes, but he
paid little heed to these discomforts
the pain of the heart wound Lucindy
had given him at noon overpowered
them.
Paphry Ramsey" she had said
caastically. II don't want to hear an.
other word about what that gypsy over
ON the river told you bout good Tor.
tune soon a-comin' to you! have no
patience with your believin' In signs
and with doin's, and what makes me
sick In your eyerlastin' sayin',
there's promise O this and O. that
In the air. the sign is favorable and
SIGH like! You're always feelin'
somethin's goin' to turn up and what
goods ever turned up sence married
you nigh SO year ago?
First, soon's we married, the house
burnt down. and afore we got any
paid on the new house, mother and
brother Lem. the only kin had. took
sick and died. and what with their
Doctors bills and funeral expenses.
and everythin', the yeller Jersey g.
breakin' her leg along O. Canlcr's dog
q runnin' loose. and the hogs takin'
the cholera. and your slowness and
Acknowledgement. we got clear behind.
And wust OF all. none O. our five
chillern lived to see three year until
Prilly came and her the sweetest
thing that ever lived. born blindt And
now. Holly Brock, he says. there's an
eye doctor away of in New York that
he knowed last year when he was
there q studyin' medicine, that he
knows could operate on her eyes and
she could see. but hitd cost hundreds!
"Er them signs and indications
you're 80 everlastin1y believin' in,"
she wound up In bitter sarcasm, "at
they'd show you how to raise the
money to pay of the mortgage on
these SO acres. AID dig US the well
we're fairly sufferin' for sencs tho
springs got 80 It dries up ever year
besides payin' the doctor to git Pri,.
hes sight, SO she'd be wIllin' to marry
the man she's lovin', and as has
been wantin' her five year (blind as
she is) and a worryIn' because she
won't let him take her blind-mebbe
you'd better ride of to the gypsy camp
after you water the cows and ask 'em
to tell you some more signs!"
The week before Paphroditus had
refused to go to town with the butter
and eggs because he heard a hawk
screech, and 1t was bad luck" to 10
against 1t. and the next day when he
went with the marketing he had taken
q portion of the slender sum the but
ter and eggs brought, to have his for.
tune told.
Lucinda might jeer. indeed, but
wasn't 1t q sort of sign "a rabbit that
crossed the road that caused him to
leave the highway and take the neld
path that led him to the home Of old
Abner Jenkins. there to serve as farm
helper7
Old A0ner owned 80 acres In the
Chadwick Hills. but his choicest pos
session was not his well-tilled land, his
conmodlous double log cabin, nor his
stalwart son Lcmuel. nor yet the So
900 which to save from the guerrilla
bands that rendezvoused in that To-
cality. he buried during the absence of
his family, and, OF which, after his
sudden death. no trace was found.
From the moment he caught sight Of
Miners black-eyed. sharp-tongued and
pretty daughter. Lucinda, Paphrpditus
singled her cut as Abner's choicest OBJ
iect OF his unwavering admiration and
love.
This September the drouth was ter
rible-the corn was wIthered, and the
grass Drowned as in an overland.
worst of all. the Ramsey spring had
tailed and their water for household
needs had to be hauled daily from the
river.
''Ef the signs wusnt so long a com.
In true-ef somethin' would only lest
turn up now!" PaphrodItus repeated
mournfully to himself, as, still under
the depressing spell OF LucIada's
soothing. he drove the cattle back into
the pasture. and hitched the eray
mules to the wagon.
Sort OF short OF water, fr;end,-
4 man called to him from the river
bank. as he filled his barrels out in
he middle of the stream
Paphroditus fell into ready converse.
ton with the stranger. and soon
learned he was printer going on to
the nearest city. and a ''dowser'. or
water-witch" as well. who could locate
underground streams.
What's to bender you n staysn. All
night with me. and q shown me where
to dig fer water?" PaphrodItus nro-
posed eagerly.
Ths tramp accepted his invitation
"Lucip6y, he knows the eIgn -,