Fort Worth) she had left
Minnie scarce half an hour before--while the old man shouted and swore
and protested and fairly wept with rage and apprehension; Kid Barringer
reached his left hand out to his companion, saying:

"Slack him down a little, honey; we're safe now. Mr. Ferguson, the
Presbyterian preacher--he's promised me--I told him--an' he's a-goin' to
marry us. His place ain't half a mile further on, an' he's lookin' fer
us. We're safe now, my poor little girl."

The cowboys, with roars of delight, fished down the remains of the
dangling Columbia, while the original performer, to whom Columbia's
figure was understudy, stood in Mr. Ferguson's little parlor, waiting
for that gentleman to bring in a second witness. Her little fair head
was resting on Kid's broad shoulder; Kid's arm was around her slender
figure; and she was saying, between laughter and tears:

"Kid, how do you reckon that old machine Columbia is getting along with
my turn, back there at Blowout?"

And the happy bridegroom made blissful answer: "I don't know--or
keer--honey. She can go it on her head for all of us, can't she? She
give us our chance to get away, and that was all we wanted. Aunt Huldy
is the Lord's own people. I'll never forget her. You wouldn't hardly 'a'
thought I was good enough, if Aunt Huldy hadn't a-recommended me, I
don't believe. My little girl ain't never a-goin' to get to walk no more
wires."

ONE OF THE PALLS

BY DOANE ROBINSON

I were a pall to the burrying,
Joe's finally out of the way,
Nothing 'special ailing of him,
Just old age and gen'ral decay.
Hope to the Lord that I'll never be
Old and decrepit and useless as he.
Cuss to his family the last five year--
Monstrous expensive with keep so dear--
'Sides all the fuss and worrying.
Terrible trial to get so old;
Cur'us a man will continue to hold
So on to life, when it's easy to see
His chances for living, tho' dreadfully slim,
Are better than his family are lotting for him.
Joe was that kind of a hanger on;
Hadn't no sense of the time to quit;
Stunted discretion and stall-fed grit
Helped him unbuckle many a cinch,
Where a sensible man would have died in the pinch.
Kind of tickled to have him gone;
Bested for once and laid away,
Got him down where he's bound to stay;
I were a pall to his burrying.

Knowed him for more than sixty year back--
Used to be somewhat older than him
Fought him one nigh