The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-11-06

Then, fixing his piercing eyes on
Mary, he gazed at her a full minute,
and, turning on his heel, he left the
cabin without saying another word.
The family, through the open doorway,
saw him swing his 1.-the body across his
pony, and gallop swiftly away over the
prairie towards his cabin,
From this visit Mr. Thompson
augured bad luck but, rs day after
day and week after week passed and
they saw no more of him, they began
to think they had done the young man
an injustice. True, they had often
heard of him in the village, where he
continued his drinking and fighting;
but, although the nearest way would
have led him by Mr.. Thompson's house,
both in going and coming, he always
crossed the prairie some miles above,
and never came near the place.
Mr.. Thompson, who had once been a
kind husband, an indulgent father,
and 1t man of good habits, disappointed
hy repeated failures in business and
vexed hy poverty, had, of iare Years,
| taken to drink, cid how was little bet.
ter than q common drunkard. His
wife and daughter had persuaded him
to move from Iowa, hoping when his
old associations were broken up, he
would do better in Nebraska end make
their new home happy one. For
time their most sanguine wishes SEEM
ed about to be realized. The farm they
had taken up was a good one, the crops
were abundant, and all seemed to
promise happy futue. Mr.. Thomp-
son had left off drinking entirely, and
was again the kind and affectionate
, husband and father of former years.
The happiness of this little family was
unboundeG, when, in an evil hour, q
cloud darkened the bright sunshine oil
! their rude cottage, and finally burst in
destroying storm. A man named
Cook opened travellers ranch, or
hotel, near Mr.. Thompson's and be-
tween this man and the farmer there
soon subsisted the warmest friendship.
Night after night Mr.. Thompson would
go to Cocks, and sit in the society OF
bad men until the small hours of the
morning. The wife and daughter,
alarmed for his safety, redoubled their
efforts to make his home attractive,
md resOrted to every womanly device
to keep him with them but, despite
their exertions, he spent more than
| half hls time at Cook S.
For long time he resisted every
temptation to drink but at length the
evil of keeping bad company became
apparent, and one night Mr.. Thompson
, came home to his family reeling drunk
His downward course was now rapid
he was drunk every day; and to the
vice of drinking he sooH added that OF
gambling. The land on which he lived
was n homestead, and the title could
not be perfected for five years, so he
could not gamble it away; but, one by
one, the horses, cattle, and farming i'm
plements were put up and lost, until at
last all that was left were two horses, q
wagon and harness.
Among the persons who visited Cooks
was a person called Long Ned, fiashi-
ly dressed individual, an ex-s.age
driver, drunkard, gambler, and an
unprincipled scoundrel. Ned had won
most of Mr.. T.ompson's stock and
money, and was now waiting to finish
up his devilish work by taking the last
thing the poor man had. He had not
long to wait, for one evening Thompson,
With his team and wagon, came over to
the ranch, and after sundry drinks had
been taken Ned proposed to play for
the team and wagon. At first Thomp
son refused, saying it was all he had
left, and he meant to keep that but a
drink or two more and the exhibition
by Ned of hundred dollars in money
changed his mind, and he sat down at
the fatal table; he was SO sure he could
win this time, and then Ned said he
only wished he would, for he wanted to
see Mr.. Thompson get back some of his
property.
In one hour the last horse was gone,
and Mr.. Thompson rose from his chair
md staggered to the wall, where he
stood with his head hanging upon his
breast, pondering his misfortunes, and
realizing at last that he and his family
we're penniless, and he had not even the
means of getting home. Ned came up,
md, slapping the farmer familiarly on
the shoulder, said: "Come, cheer up,
Did fellow, and let us take a drink"
Thompson moved mechanically to the
bar, and, filling his glass to the brm,
frank it off. Again and again he drank,
and at each swallow of the vile stuff
vas now maudlin drunk, and Ned led
llS NlCJllu W Olle olut, anu Sllu llc uuu
long wanted a wife, and as Mary was n
inc girl he wou'd like to marry her.
He really sympathzed with Mr.. Thomp-
son in his losses and as it was the Gus
tom in new settlements for men to buy
their wives from the Indians, he would
put up all he had won of Mr. Thompson
against Mary. At first the farmer was
shocked and surprised; but the more
he thought of it, the more reasonable
Ned's proposition seemed to be, and
after another glass he sat down and
staked his own daughter on a hand OF
cards. Ned won, and the farmer burst
into tears. The gambler made light of
the matter, and assured him, if he had
lost daughter, he had won & son-in-
law. Again and again they drank, and,
Ned calling for bottle of whisky, the
two got into the wagon and started for
the farmers house. On the road,
Thompson drank heavily from the bot
tie, SO that, when they arrived at the
farm, the farmer was so drunk that he
had to be helped out of the wagon. 1t
was very late, but the wife and daughter
were still up waiting for his return, and
Mary was clad in neat white muslin
dress, which made her look charming.
They were both much surprised to see
stranger with Mr.. Thompson, but re-
ceived him kindly, thinking, no doubt,
he had merely come to see Mr.. I. safe
home.
Ned turned out the team-his team