Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-11-08
ALEXANDRIA, La, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER s, 1873

Blue, and, like every one else, you think
me bad but L am not so bad as they say.
Oh.' he added, after a moments pause,
/" If some one in the world would only be-
lleve me good, might become like other
men,"
Then, fixing his piercing eyes on Mary,
he gazed at her full minute, and, turn
ing 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 toward his
cabin.
From this visit Mr.. Thompson augured
bad luck: but, as day after day and week
after week passed and they sawno more of
him, they began to think they had done
/ the young man an injustice. True, fhey
often heard of him in the village, where
he continued his drinking and fighting
but. although the nearest-way world have
led him by Mr.. ThOmpson's hotfse, 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
kind husband, an indulgent father, and
man of good habits, disappointed by re-
peated failures i'm business. and veXed by
poverty, had, of late years, taken TO drink,
and now was. little better than a common
drunkard. His wife and daughIer had
persuaded him TO move from Iowa, hoping,
when his old associations We're broken up,
he would do better in Nebraska. and make
their new home a happy one. For time
their most sanglIine wishes seemed about
to be realized. The farm they had taken
up was good one, the crops were abun-
dant, and all seemed TO promise happy
future. Mr.. Thompson had left off drink
ing entirely, and was again the kind and
aifectiOmte husband and father of former
years. The happiness of this little family
was unbounded. when, in an evil hour, a
cloud darkened the bright sunshine of
their rude cottage, and finally burst in a
destroying storm. A man named Cook
opened a travellers rancho. or hotel, near
Mr.. Thompson's; and between this man
and the farmer there soon existed the
warmest friendship. Night after hight
Mr.. Thompson would go to Cooks, and
sit in the society of bad men until the
small hours of the morning. The wife
and daughter, alarmed for his safety, re-
doubled their efforts to make b is home at
tractive, and resorted to every wOmanly
device to keep him with them but, des-
pite their eXertions, he spent more than
half his time at Cooks.
For a long time he resisted eve ry tempta-
ton to drink; but at length the evil of
keeping bad company became apparent,
and one night Mr.. Thompson came home
to his family reelng drunk. Ills down.
ward course was now rapid; he was drunk
every day and to the vice of drinking he
soon added that of gambling. The land
on which he lived was q homestead, and
the title could not be perfected for five
years. so he could not gamble il away: but,
one by one. the horses, cattle. and farming
implements were put up and lost, until at
last all that was left were two horses, a
wagon, and harness.
Among the persons who visite d Cooks
was person called Long Ned--a flashily-
dressed individual. an eX-stage- driver, a
drunkard, gambler, and an imp rincipled
scoundrel. Ned had Won most of Mr..
Thompson'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 rancho, and, after sundry
drinks had been taken, Ned proposed to
play for the team and wagon. At first
Thompson refused, saying it w:ls all he
had left, and he meant to Keep that; but a
drink or two more. and the exhibition by
Ned of a 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.. Thomp-
| son get back some of his property
In one hour the last horse was gone, and
Mr.. Thompson rose from his chair and
staggered to the wall, where he stood
with his head hanging upon his breast,
pondering his misfortunes, and realiZine
at last that he and his family were penri-
less, and he had not even the means OF get
| ting home. Ned came up, and. slappine
| the farmer familiarly on the shoulder, said
"Come, cheer up. old fellow, and let US
take drink" -
Thompson moved mechanically to the
1 bar, and, filling his glass to the brim, drank
it off, Again and again he drank, and, a
each swallow of the vile stuff, seemed te
grow more desperate. He was now maud
lin dr1nk. and Ned led his victim to on,
| side. and said he had long wanted a wife
land, as Mary was fine cir, he would lik,
to marry her. He really sylmpathized witt
Mr.. Thompson in his losses; and rs it wa:
the custom i'm new settlements for men tC
buy their wives from the In dians, he would
pnt up all ne had won of Mr.. Thompson
1 against Mary. At first the farmer wa
shocked and surprised; but, the more h
thought of it, the more reasonable Ned
proposition seemed to be, and, after an
4 other glass, he sat down and staked hi
i own daughter on hand of cards. Ne,
won. and the farmer burst into tears. Th'
] gambler made light of the matter, and as
sured him, if he had lost a daughter, IN
had won son-in-law. Again and agaiI
they drank, apd Ned called for bottle 0
] whisky, the two got into the wagon am
started for the farmers home. On the roa'
Thompson drank heavily from the bottle
so that when they arrived at the farm, TIN
farmer was so drunk lac had to be helpe'
out of the wagon 1t was very late, bu
the wife and daughter were still up wait
ing for his return, and Mary was clad in ;
neat white muslin dress, which made he
look charming. They were both mucl
surprised to see stranger with Mr.
Thompson, but received him kindly
thinking. do doubt, that he had come to Sc
Mr.. Il. safe home.
Ned turned out the team-his team--an,
then entered the cabin. He was repul
sive looking fellow at best; now that tn
=: sxr>t . -, Il bo1 nuffad aud fiIlchad hi