Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-01-15

or to write the last message to loved
ones over and beyond the Plains. Quiet
and unobtrusive, Daisy moved about in
her mlnistrations. AS she passed the
saloon on her errands of mercy-hel
brown hair neatly folded over the pale
forehead, her little basket of i" goodies
Oh her arm, and word and a smile fol
every one-oaths half uttered would be
choked back, and rough and brutal
tests shrunk unspoken, as if ashamed
in her presence. Even Ore
gon Sis-to whom q blush was
a stranger-would hang her
mead silently when Daisy vas near.
and her eyes would fill-perhaps, poor
thing, with looking back to the old
days among the apple blossoms, when
she, too, was pure and innocent at
least, I thought so. Somehow. the Bar
was not so dry as formerly; and Joe
Miles, its ruling spirit, neglected his
business and said he was tired Of whis-
key-selling. He laid aside a six
shooter, that, reports said, had served
him only too we'll on more than one
occasion, with the remark that ss the
Bar was so quiet now, it want no use
to carry it." Joe was very particular
now as to his personal appearance,
dressing in the once desplsed store
clothes" and took to solitary nmblinp
about the neighborhood.
It was noticed if Daisy had occasion
to pass along the dangerous trail
through the canon, Joe was there with
his strong hand 70 guide her. If she
crossed the foot-log over the turbulent
stream, a steady arm was generally
there TO support her, and more than
once Joe was found In earnest conver-
satan with her, or reading the books
with which she supplied him. Joe
finally sold out the saloon and invested
in mining claim, which he was in
dustriously working when closed out
my business and left the neighborhood.
visited the Bar once again. Down
the wild Sierra, by the same tortuous
and rugged trail that I had traversed
nearly two years before; winding
among the same ]ordly pines, rich in
fragrance, and standing like sentipels
in the mountain passes through the
same groves of laurel and manzan;to.
glistening like waves of emerald and
silver in the MONDAY sun, full.
blossomed and wondrous in their
beauty. approached the Bar.
The place seemed changed. A
few little white cottages peeped out
from among the rich foliage, spots of
ground were under cultivation, and
the hand of industry had been busy.
The clap-boarded saloon stood in the
same old place just as I had first seen
it, but its dilapidatad condition ow-
cd that the institution was poorly pat
ronized. A crowd had gathered near
lt-not such crowd as in the oiden
time. but sober aud quiet one. Every
one looked anxious to tell me some-
thing, but no one spoke till I found nv
friend Thorp. Taking my hand kindly.
he led me aside, and for moment was
silent: "Well, Cap" he said, earnest.
ly, things is rough on the Bar, they
amt like they vas when you LIFT.
She's gone-that's Daisy-and things
amt gone right for some o. the BOYS
ever since. Yes, Cap, is is mighty
rough!"
Iasked you where Daisy had remov
ed to.
20 no, Cap, you don't understand.
The old woman she went back to Sac
ramento-broken hearted, they said
but Daisy, she's gone called tor, taken
mp among the stars where she belong
Ell. We miss Daisy, Cap. She got
round some o. the boys, and she made
them promise to knock off their grog;
I hain't touched it since, and I've saved
I. little. If she'd only staid, this thing
wouldn't a 'haprened. You see, Cap,"
he continued, here's how it was
One o. the boys got badly hurt in his
drift across the creek, and one mornin'
Daisy. started over to take him some
tin, and it was runnin' bankfull, and
the log was slippery, and-well we
found Daisy a mile below, with her
brown hair all tangled among the will
lows, and her blue eyes kind o. plead
in for help; and we brought her back
poor thing! There want a single
drink taken on the Bar that day, Cap:
it seemed to 60 agln the boys. And
Oregon Sis--her that we all thought SO
bad-she combed out the tangled hair,
and she knelt down and kissed Daisy,
and went two miles a-foot up the
meadows and got flowers and put them
in the little blue hands, and there's
where We laid her, ~Cap-up there
where you see them white pickets."
For some time tue poor fellow could
say no more, but sat with his face bur-
led in his hands.
"And Joe 7 asked.
Hush,'' he said, pointing to the
! a0lOOn. NJOe'a in there hia sand, q