6
WHEN HE COMES HOME.
When ho comes liomc, the who lias
grown
To be a man, and claim a estate,
I listening stand beside the gate alone,
And for his welcome footsteps silent
wait.
Through evening shades 1 am the tirst
to see
His well-loved form, that Joyous draws
more near,
As on the breezes softly come* to me
Ills greeting, full of tenderness and
elieer.
When he comes home, I level in the past.
While for the future still 1 hope and
pray.
His hands hold mine in such a loving
clasp,
Though leading I atn led; our footsteps
stray
To old familiar paths where little feet
Beside my own so long ago did roam
The while his lingers gathered blossoms
sweet.
We live it o'er again when >je comes
home.
When he comes home my Ixiby, hoy, and
man—
My crown of motherhood glows won
drous bright;
Lit by the moon's pale beams his face 1
scan.
To know that everything has gone
aright.
Wo, reverent, how our head* together
here.
Beneath the boundless scope of heaven's
dome,
And offer thanks for such reunion dear.
With love all changeless still, when he
comes home.
—Ruth Raymond, in Ohio Farmer.
D'ri and I
By IRVING BACHELLEK
Author ">f " Eb«*n Holden." "Darrel of
the Blessed Isles," Etc.
| .—--^6—————^^
(Copyright, llWl, by I.othiop I'uVljshinx I oinpaity.)
CHA PTEK X I.—Contik uKi >.
I led my horse to the stable, scraped
liirn of lather and dirt. give him a
swallow of water, and took the same
myself, for I had a mighty thirst in
me. When I came in, she had eggs and
pitatoes and bacon over the lire, and
was filling the tea-kettle.
"On my soul," said she, frankly, "you
are the oddest-looking man 1 ever saw.
Tell me, why do you carry that long
club?"
1 looked down. There it was under
my arm. It surprised me more llian
anything I ever found myself doing.
"Madame, it is because I am a fool,"
I said as 1 flung it out of the door.
"11. is strange," said she. "Your
clothes —they are not your own; ihey
are as if tluy were hung up to dry.
And you have a saber and spurs."
"Of that tlie less said the better, " I
answered, pulling out the saber. "Un
less —unless, mailame, you would like
me to die young."
"Mon Dieu!" 3he whispered. "A
Yankee soldier?"
"With good French blond in him," I
added, "who was never so hungry in all
his life."
1 went out of the door as I spoke,
md shoved my saber under the house.
"i have a daughter on the other side
of (he lake," said she. "married to a
Yam ee, and her husband is lighting
tlu BMtish with the rest of you."
"God help him!" said I.
"Amea!" said she, bringing my food
to the table. "The great Napoleon he
will teach them a lesson."
She was a widow, as she told me, liv
ing there alone with two young daugh
ters who were off at a picnic in the near
town. We were talking quietly when a
familiar voice brought me standing.
"Judas Priest!" it said. D'ri stood
in the doorway, hatless and one boot
missing—a sorry figure of a man.
"Ifidin' over 'n th' woods yender,"
he went on as I took his hand. "See
diet air brown hoss go by. Knew 'im
soon es I sot eyes on 'im -use' t' ride
'im myself. Hod an idee 't WHS you 'n
the saddle—sot a' Kind o' easy. But
them air joemightyful clo's! Jerushy
Jane! would n't be fit t* skin a skunk
in tin m clo's, would it?"
"Got 'em off a scarecrow," I said.
'"Nought' mck a painter ketch 'is
breath, they wits."
The good woman bade him have a
chair at the tabie, and brought more
food.
"Neck 'is broke with hunger, 't. is
sartin," said he, as he began to eat.
"Hev t' light, out o" here purly middlin'
soon. T' ain' no safe place t' be. "112
won' never dew fer us t' be ketched."
We ate hurriedly and when we had
finished ihe good woman gave us each
an (iiitfii of apparel left by her dead
husband. It was rather snug for D'ri,
and gave him an odd look. She went
out ol doors while we were dressing.
Suddenly she came back to the door.
"Go into the cellar," she whispered.
"They are coming!"
CHAPTER XII.
1 found the door, and D'ri flung our
"duds" into the darkness that lay be
yond it. Then he made down the lad
der and I after him. It was pitch
dark in the cellar —a deep, dank place
with a rank odor of rotting potatoes.
We groped our way to a corner and
stood listening. We beard the clink
of spurs on the stone step.
"Ah, my good woman," said a man
with a marked English accent, "have
you seen any Yankees? Woods are
full of them around here. No? Well,
by Jove, you're a good-looking woman.
Will you give me a kiss?"
He crossed the floor above us, and
she was backing away.
"Come, come, don't be so shy, my
pretty woman," said he, and then we
could hear her struggling up and down
the floor. I was climbing the ladder,
in the niidot. of it, my face burning
r/Hh anger, ami D'ri wss nt my heels. !
As the door opened i saw slie had fal
len. The trooper was bending to kiss
her. 1 had hint by the collar and had
hauled hint down before he discovered
us. In a twinkling D'ri had stripped
him of sword and pistol. Bui it was [
one of the most hopeless situations in :
all my life. Many muzzles were point- j
ing at us through the door and win- j
dow. Another hostile move from either |
would have ended our history then j
and there. I let go and stood back. j
The man got to his feet —a handsome
soldier in the full uniform of a British |
captain.
"Ah, there's a fine pair!" he said :
coolly, whipping a leg of his trousers 1
with his glove. "I'll teach you better |
manners, my young fellow. Some o' I
those shipwrecked Yankees," he adder'
turning to his men. "If they move j
without an order, pin 'em up to th 3;
wall."
He picked up his hat leisurely, step
ping in front of D'ri.
"Now, my obliging friend," said he,
holding out his hand, "1 'll trouble you
for my sword and pistol."
D'ri glanced over at me, an ugly
look in his eye. He would have fought |
to his death then and there if 1 had i
given him the word. He was game to j
the core when his blood was up, the
same old D'ri.
"Don't fight," I said.
He had cocked the pistol and stood
braced, the sword in his right hand.
I noticed a little quiver in the great
sinews of his wrist. I expected to see
that point of steel shoot, with a quick
stab, into the scarlet blouse before
me.
"Shoot 'n' be damned!" said D'ri.
'"Fore 1 die ye 'll hev a hole er tew 'n
thet air karkiss o' yourn. Shan't give
up no weepon tell ye've gin me yer ]
word ye 'II let thet air woman alone."
1 expected a volley then. A very
serious look c»mie over the face of the
captain. He wiped his brow with a
handkerchief. 1 could see that he had
been drinking.
"Ah, I see! You have an interest in
her. Well, my man, I want no share
in your treasures. 1 accept the condi
tion."
Evil as was the flavor of this poor
concession, D'ri made the best of it.
' She 's an honest woman for all I
know," said he, handing over the
HE LIGHTED THE CANDLE AND
WENT ABOUT POURING ITS GLOW
ON EVERY WALL AND CORNER OF
OUR CELL.
weapons. "Ain't a-goin' t' see no ledy
niishused —nut ef I can help it."
We gave ourselves up hand and
foot to the enemy; there was no way
out of it. I have read in the story-,
books how men of great nerve and skill
have slaughtered five to one, escaping
with no great loss of blood. Well, of J
a brave man I like to believe good
things. My own eyes have seen what
has made me slow lo doubt a story of
prowess that has even the merit of
possibility. But when there are only
two of you, and one without arms,
and you are in a corner, and there are
10 pistols pointing at you a few feet
away, and as many sabers ready to
be drawn. I say no power less remark
able than ihat of God or a novelist
can bring you out of your difficulty.
You have your choice oC""iwo evils —
surrender or be cut to pieces. We
had neither of us any longing lo be ;
slashed with siecl and bored with bul
lets. and to no end but a good epitaph :
They searched the cellar and found 1
our clothes,and wrapped them in a bun-1
ule. Then they tied our hands behind us
and took us along the road on which I I
had lately ridden. A crowd came jeer
ing to the highway as we passed the,
little village. It was my great tear iliat i
.somebody would recognize either one !
or both of us.
Four of our men were silling in a
guard-house at the British cam)). Alter ]
noon mess a teamster drove up with a 1
big wagon. Guards came and shackled
us in pairs, D'ri being wrist to wrist j
with me. They put a chain and ball j
on D'ri's leg also. I wondered why, for
no other was treated with like respect.
Then they bundled us all into the wa-1
gon, now surrounded by impatient |
cavalry. They put a blindfold over the J
eyes of each prisoner, and went away \
at a lively pace. We rode a long time, j
as it seemed to me, and by and by I j
knew we had come to a city, for 1 j
could hear the passing of many wagons '
and the murmur of a crowd. Some |
were shouting, "Shoot the d d Yan- |
kees!" and now and then a missile;
struck among us. There is nothing so j
heartless and unthinking as a crowd, j
the world over. I could tell presently,
by the creak of the evener and the
stroke of the hoofs, that we were
climbing a long hill. We stopped short- J
ly; then they began helping us out. j
They led us forward a few paces, the ;
chain rattling on a stone pavement.
When we heard the bang of an iron j
door behind us, they unlocked the I
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1905.
heavy feiter. This <3one, they led nr.
along a gravel wall; an<l over ■)
sounding stretch of I oanls a bridge,
i have always though* through an
-01 her heavy door and down a winding
flight of stone stepj. They led us on
through dark passages, over stone pav
ing, and halted us. after a long walk,
letting our eyes free. We were in black
darkness. There were two guards iic
fore and two behind us bearing can
dies. They unshackled us, and opened
a lattice door of heavy iron, bidding us
enter. I knew then that we were go
ing into a dungeon, deep under Uk
wails of a British fort somewhere on
the frontier. A thought stung me as
D'ri and I entered this black hole and
sat. upon a heap of si raw. Was this
to be I lie end of our lighting and of
(13?
"You can have a candle a day," said a
guard as lie blew out the one he car
ried, laying it, with a tinder-box, on a
shell in the wall of rock beside nie.
Then they filed out, and tho narrow
door shut with a lou.l bang. We peered
through at the fading flicker of the
candles. They threw wavering, ghost
ly shadows on every wall of the dark
passage, and suddenly went out of
sight. We both stood listening a mo
ment,
"Curse the luck!" I whispered pres
ently.
"Jest es helpless ea if we was hung
up by the heels," said D'ri, gioping nis
way to the straw pile, "Ain" no use
gill in' wratliy."
"What 'll we do?" I whispered.
"Dunno," said he: "an' when ye dun
no whut t' dew, don' dew nuthin. Jest
stan' still; thet's whut I b'lieve in."
He lighted the candle and went
about, pouring its glow upon every wall
and into every crack and corner of our
cell —a small chamber set firm in ma
sonry, with a ceiling ao far above our
heads we could see it but dimly, the
candle lifted arm's-length.
"Judas Friest!" said D'ri, as he
stopped the light with thumb and fin
ger. "I'm goin't' sot here 'll Ui' straw
Ink an ol' hen 'll' i!e up m' thinker 'n'
set 'er goin'. One o' them kind lies
t' keep 'is mouth shet er lie can't never
dew no tliinkin'. Bymby, likes es not,
I 'II have suthin' t' say et 'll mount t'
suthin'."
We lay back on the straw in silence.
I did a lot of thinking that brought me
little hope. Thoughts of Louison and
Louise soon led me out of prison. After
a little time I went philandering in the
groves of the baroness with tho two in
comparable young ladies. I would wil
lingly have stood for another bull. t if
I could have had another month of
their company. The next thought of
my troubles came with the opening of
the iron door. I had been sound asleep.
A guard came in with water and a pot
of stewed beef and potatoes.
"Thet air's all right," said D'ri, dip
ping into it with a spoon.
We ale with a line relish, the guard,
a sullen, silent man with a rough voice
that came out of a bristling mustach",
standing by the door.
"Luk a-liere," said D'ri to the guard
as we finished eating. "I want t' ast you
a question. Ef joti hed a purty com
f'table hum on t' other side, 'n' tew
tl ( usan' dollars 'n the bank, 'll' bosses
n' ev'rythiug fixed fer a good time, 'n'
all uv a sudden ye found yerself 'n
sech a gol-dum dungeon es this here,
what 'u'd you dew?"
The guard was fixing the wick of
his candle and made no answer.
"Want ye t' think it ail over," said
D'ri. "See ef ye can't think o' suthin
soothin' t' say. God knows we need
iU"
The guard went away without an
swering.
"Got him tliinkin'," said D'ri, as he
lighted the candle. "He can help us
some, mebbe. Would n't wonder ef
he was good et cipherin'."
"If he offered to take two thousand,
I don't see how we 'd give it to him,"
said 112. "He would n't take our promis?
for it."
"Thet ain' a-goin' t' bother us any,"
said D'ri. "Hed thet all figgered out
long ago."
He gave me the candle and lay down,
holding his ear close lo the stone floor
and listening. Three times he shifted
his ear from one point to another.
Then he beckoned to 1110.
"Jest hoi' yor ear there 'n' listen,"
he whispered.
1 guve him Hie candle, and with my
car to the floor 1 could hear the flow
of water below us. The sound went
away in the distance and then out of
hearing. After a while it cam 1 again.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"t'iphorin' a lectio over thet air,"
said lie, as he made a long scratch on
the floor with his flint. Then he rubbed
his (hin. looking down at it. "Haiti
icst egg/ae'ly mod up my mind yit,"
lie added.
We blew out the light and lay back,
whispering. Then presently we heard
tho coming of footsteps. Two men
came to the door with a candle, one
being the guard we knew.
"Come, young fellow," said the lat
ter, as he unlocked the door and beck
oned to me; "they want you upstairs."
We both got to our feel.
"Not you," he growled, waving D'ri
back. "Not ready fer you yet."
lie laid hold of my elbow and
snapped a shackle 011 my wrist. Then
I hey led me out, closing the door with
a bang that echoed in Ihe far reaches
of the dark alley, and tied a thick cloth
over my eyes.
"Good luck!" D'ri cried out as they
took me away.
"For both," I answered as cheerfully
as I could.
They led me through winding pas
sages and iron doors, with that horri
ble clank of (be prison iatcli, and up
(lights of stone till I felt as lost as one
might who falls whirling in the air
from a great height. We soon
out upon a walk of gravel, where I
could feel the sweet air blowing into
my face. A few minutes more and we
halted, where the guard, who had hold
of my elbow, rang a bell. As the door
swung open they led me in upon a
toft carpet. Through the cloth I could
see a light.
"Bring him in. brin.™ him in!" a
voice commanded impatiently—a t'ecp,
heavy voice Ihe sound of which I have
not yet forgotten. The guard was
afraid of it. His hand trembled as lit
led me on.
'Take off the blindfold,' «aid thai
voice again.
As it fell away, I found myself !n a
large and beautiful room. My eyea
were dazzled by the light of many
candles, and for a little I had to close
them. I stood before two men. On"
sat facing tr.e at a black table of carved
oak- a man (if middle age, in the uni
form of a British general. Stout and
handsome, with brown eyes, dark hair
and mustache now half white, and
nose aquiline by the least turn, he im
pressed me as have few men that
ever crossed my path. A young man
sat lounging easily in a big chair be
side him, his legs crossed, his delicate
fingers teashig a thin mustache. I no
ticed that his hands were slim and
hairy. He glanced up at me as soon
as 1 could bear the light. Then he
sal looking ioly at the carpet
The silencw of the room was broken
only by the scratch of a quill in the
hand of the general. 1 glanced about
me. On the wall was a large painting
that held my eye. I saw presently
it was that of the officer I had fought
in the woods, the one who fell before
me. 1 turned my head; the young man
was looking up at me. A fine set
of teeth showed between them.
"Do you know him?" lie asked cool
ly.
"I have not the honor," was my re
ply.
"What Is your name?" the general
demanded in the deep tone I had
heard before.
"Pardon me," said the young man,
quietly, as if he were now weary of
! ihe matter, "I do not think it neces
sary."
There was a bit of silence. The
central looked thoughtfully at ilic
young man.
"If youi lordship will let me—" he
went on.
"My dear Sir," the other interrupted,
in the same weary and lethargic man
ner. "I tan get more reliable knowledge
from other sources. Lot the fellow go
back."
"That will do," said the general to
Ihe gaurd, who then covered my eyes
and led me buck to prison.
Lying there in the dark. 1 told D'ri
all I knew of my mysterious journey.
My account of the young man roused
him to the soul.
"Wlia' kind uv a nose lied he?" ho
inquired.
"Roman," I said.
"Bent in at the p'int a leetle?"
"Yes."
"And black hair shingled short?"
"Yes."
"An" tall, an' a kind uv a nasty,
snookin.' mis'able-lookin' cuss?"
"Just about the look of him,"l said.
"Judas Priest! Ho 's one o' them
snoks et tuk me when you was fightin'
t' other feller over there 'n the woods."
"Looks rather bad for us," I re
marked.
"Does hev a rtither squeaky luk tew
il," said he. "All,we got t' dew is t'
keep brcathin' jest as nat'ral 'n' easy
os we can be till we fergit how. May
100 l 'em fust they know."
[To Do Continued. |
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
Victim of >1 in placed < on- !
fUIciXCC I'I'OVCN fo III' a Milll
of It«*Moiirt*efi.
The following ttory comes from Bel
gium says the Philadelphia Ledger.
Two fellow travelers got into con
versation and came upon the subject
of free luggage, when asked leave to
measure the other's trunk. The rosull
was that ihe measurer said:
"Your trunk is seven and one-half
centimetres too long, and has no right
to be in the compartment of free lug
gage. I am a railway inspector, and
must fine you five francs. Please give
me your name and address."
The proposed victim of misplaced |
confidence was, however, equal to the j
occasion.
"Kindly lend mo your measure, th-' !
I may satisfy rays - ! lon the subject.." i
Then with a polite smile, "I cm r.
director in the royal weights and meas
ure office. To my great regret your
measure is not stamped, as requirct 1
by lav/, so that, first, your measuring i.
not legally valid, and. secondly, it ie
my painful duty to subject yoi' to c.
line of fifty francs. Please give nw
jour name and address."
Senator MorwAii** Eclair.
A colleague tells an amusing storj
in which Senator John T. Morgan, who
is quite near-sighted, is the main fig
ure. It appears that the Alabama
statesman, while at dessert one even
ing in a hotel at Hot Springs, Va., ex
perienced considerable difficulty in sep
arating from the plate passed him by
Ihe colored waiter what he thought
was a chocolate eclair. It stuck fast,
so Senator Morgan pushed his fork
quite under it and tried again to pry it
up. Suddenly he became aware that
his friends at the table were convulsed
with laughter, which much mystified
him. But his surprise was even greater
when the waiter quietly remarked*
"Pardon, me, senator, but that's my
thumb!" —Saturday Evening Post.
Particular WitiiCM*.
"How far off were you when you saw
Ihe horse do what you say?" asked
the late Sir Frank Loekwood.
"Seven yards, three feet, four and
a half inches," was the reply.
"How comes it you are so sure about
the distance?" pursued Sir Frank.
"Because," replied the witness, "I ex
pected some fool or another would as
the question, so I measured it."—
Smith's Weekly, -
i Balcom & Lloyd. I
i ===== 1
I 1
( I
| [I
WE have the best stocked
general store in the county
and if you are looking for re- I.l]
liable goods at reasonable
prices, we are ready to serve
:|j you with the best to be found. M
|| Our reputation for trust
| worthy goods and fair dealing ji
1! is too well known to sell any Ml
but high grade goods. |
11
Our stock of Queensware and J.j
Jj Chinaware is selected with M
great care and we have some ij
Bj of the most handsome dishes P
if] ill
|\j ever shown in this section,
]| both in imported and domestic p
makes. We invite you to visit
|| us and look our goods over. j]
1 I
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1 I
hoj [if
m p
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W* c M
[E%g a;
j LOOK ELSEWHERE |
p.vBAR'S
Q °° m SUlt8 ' "° lid $25 9 1 | deboard ' q uartered JQQ w
<jK |2B Bedroom Suita, iolid |3B Sideboard, quartered ■&'
& Suit®, solid JJQ $22 Sideboard, quartered Jjg
vl A large line of Dressers from Chlfflonlers of all kinds and M
W U P- prices. sjj*
rf A- ar K e elegant line of Tufted and Drop-head
0 Couches. Beauties and at bargain prices. )*■,
Q, The finest line of »Sewing Machines 011 the market, &
W the "Domestic" and "Eldredge". All drop heads and W
Q_ warranted. ft
$ A fine line of Dishes, common grade and China, in
ft sets and by the piece. ft
# As I keep a full line of everything that goes to make
ft up a good Furniture store, it is useless to enumerate them »
ft all. *
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jvL the tiuth, and if you dou't buy, there is no harm done, as £
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| GEO. J. LaBAR. |