The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-01-07

fewer free fights to chronicle. The grand
pow.wows which used to be held at the
Rest, commencing Saturday night and
| lasting through till Monday morning,
were done away with, thanks to Wait g
influence. Old Scrubs sententiously
remarked .sif he lost in the sale of sper-
rits, he made it up in the cost of bar fix
lures, for he hadn't had to reft the bar
since she came"
Il was the night before the anniver-
sary OF the advent of Wait in the camp
and the boys had al assembled at the
Rest to devise some plan to celebrate the
event on the morrow in becoming style.
While busily engaged in discussing the
subject, stranger rsde up, dismouhted
and entered the bar-room. After hav-
ing refreshed himself with a drink he
quietly listened to the conversation for a
while and then strolled away. Hardly
had he left the room before cry Of an
guish came from Waits quarters. In
an instant every man was there
and found Waif kneeling and
pleading to the stranger who stood in
triumph before her. Steadily he re-
turned the inquiring looks that shone
from a hundred eyes and quietly said:
II have a right here, boys, she is nay
woman" adding with malicious CLEAN
of his cruel eyes, "and if I was to relate
to you her history for the past five years.
am sure yeu would thank me for taking
her away"
Scarcely had he finished before score
of hands had dragged him from the
house. Amid the dire imprecations that
followed, the suppressed call for rope
aroused Wait. Wildly pushing herself
to the centre of the swaying mass
of men she moaned: "Let him
go all he has said is
true!" The strong hands slowly
let go their relentless grasp, and in the
amazement that followed her words the
stranger skunk away. Blindly Wait
found her way back to her room, and,
closing the door behind her, shut out
forever the words of loving hearts and
the strong array of men who would have
died for her. Silently they returned to
the Rest, and not until Old Scrubs
broke out with terrible oath "that he
believed it to be piece of cussed She
nanagin" did they know what to do. 1t
was settled upon at last that Mrs. Snar-
ley should 90 TO Wait and tell her that
they believed in her innocence and that
no explanations would be required. They
all loved her to well to doubt her good.
ness.
Anxiously they awaited the return OF
Mrs. Snarley, and when she came trem-
bling and wailing they asked no ques.
tions, but with one impulse fastened
again to the home of Wait. There she
lay white and dead. The tiny vial,
tightly grasped in the shapely hand, told
that she had long prepared for the dread
full sacrifice. Her sad history was des-
pairingly told in a brief note yet wet
with the tcar.stains that almost oblitera-
ted the wavering characters.
81 loved blindly, trusted and was be-
trayed. Maddened and reckless, L be-
came the slave of my betrayer and
plunged into lite of dissipation. l
loathed the lie and forsook it. But
wherever | found a resting place and
began to reap the joys of pure life he
would find Inc out, taunt and expose me.
Driven like haunted animal, l sought
the refuge of this wild country, where l
hoped none would ever know me and
where would be safe beyond the reach
of shame. He has traced me here, and
cannot live and bear the scorn of those
love aid those who love me. The man
who brought my woe, who has driven
me to my death, is the man | saved from
vout fury tonight. Tell Jim | loved
him better than life, but could not dis
honor him; he will understand"
Old Scrubs read the letter aloud. and
the sobs that welled up from the arts
of the stricken men before him made his
nerves of steel tremble and his hard eyes
rain down tears OF answering sorrow
" hen he had finished, Jim, who had
been kneeling beside Wait, arose, and
with quiycring lips asked him to read
the last few lines over again. When 1t
was done he turned and said: "Boys, l
have got TO take tramp, 1 will be back
in time" Missouri Bill and Handsome
Dick silently nodded, and when Jim's
form disappeared in the darkness they
rode beside him. No one questioned
their errand, but when two days after
wards they returned, jaded and stern
faced, every man in the camp knew that
Wait was avenged.
Mrs. Snarley tenderly decked poor
Wait for the grave, and appeared at the
funeral in an Anticipated bonnet and gar
=
makeup and appearance. No one ever
smiled, however for all knew that it was
not vanity that moved her to pat on the
faded habiliments of woe, but an honest,
heartfelt desire TO do tribute TO the MEM
orv of the old woman, in long, hard
life. that she had ever loved and trusted.
All was over and the camp was DESC
late. The mild sunbeams played about
the lowly grave over which no kith or
kindred should ever weep for their loved
and lost darling; for Wait had preserved
the secret of her family and name, even
to the mortals of the tomb. Far upthe
canon the lurid CLEAN of the sun smotc
the CHASTITY body of the betrayer, as it
swayed dangling from the limb of stur-
DIV oak, food fort birds OF the air and
the beasts of the field.
Jim, thoroughly broken down, remain
cd at the camp only waiting, as he sadly
said, for aeath to come. Only waiting Tor
that time when his comrades should
build another mound beside that of the
unknown child of sorrow, whose simple
tombstone bore only the one word
"Wait'
Useful Information.