Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-01-27
Among so susceptible a community

Among so susceptible community II
was impossible for a gentle, womanly
being like Wait to live without awak~
ing tender love in many hearts. PERI
haps every man in the camp felt a
twinge of the spirit divine, but only
three made any demonstrations. Those
were Big Jim Mills, Handsome Dick,
the gambler, and Missouri Bill, the best
man in camp when it came to scrub
and no. back down fight. These two
latter personages soon withdrew from
the contest, and it was generally conce-
ded that Jim was the lucky man. Cons
sequently, when one day Jim, after a
long ft of abstraction, threw down his
pick and strobe toward Waits domicile,
none were surprised and all wished him
success. What TRANSFERRED within the
next half hour forever remained IN
! known, but when Jim appeared in sight
again all knew that he had been unsuc
| cessful. He did not have the downcast
hook of one rejected, but puzzled,aas if
he could see 10 earthly reason why
things should be so mixed. Strange yet,
as Jim turned to go, Wait pulled his
head down to her and imprinted long
kiss on his burning forehead. Dazed
and wondering, he slowly walked over
to the Rest with his hat in his hand, as
if thinking that its rude touch would
dispell the lingering pressure Of tn Sc
soft lips. During the long evening that
followed he sat apart from his compan-
ions, moody and silent. His hat was
still in his hand, and he would now and
then press his forehead as if the glory
of that cinging caress yet burned on bis
swart brow. Snarley confidentia|ly told
Old Scrubs next morning ''that his
old woman had come home from a visit
to Wait, and said she had found her
stretched upon the bed, moaning and
sobbing as though her heart would
break
After this episode in the life Of the
camp, it settled into its wonted exist
ence. There was less money lost at
poker and fewer fights to chronicle.
The grand pow~wows which used to be
held at the Rest, commencing Saturday
night and lasting through I'LL Monday
morning, were done away with, than ks
to Waits influence. Old Scrubbs sens
tentiously remarked eff he lost in the
sale of sperrits, he made it up in the
cost of bar-fixtures, for he hadn't had
to refit the bar since She came.
1t was the night before the annver
sary of the advent of Wait in the
camp and the hoys had all assembled at
the Rest to devise some plan to celebrate
the event on the morrow III becoming
style. While busily engaged in dis
cussing the subject, a stranger rode, up
disnountcd and entered the bar-room.
After having refreshed himself with
drink he quietly listened to the CONVEX
sa.ion a while and then strolled away.
Hardly had he left the room before q
cry of anguish came from Wait S quar~
tiers. In all instant every man was
there and found Wait kneeling and
pleading to the stranger who stood in
triumph before her. Steadily he
returned the inquiring looks that shone
from hundred eyes and quietly said
Il have right here, boys, she is my
woman adding with malicious
CLEAN Of his cruel eyes, "and if | was
to relate to you her history for the past
five years, l am sure you would thank
me for taking her away"
Scarcely had he finished before a
score of hands had dragged him from
the house. Amid the dire imprecations
which followed, the suppressed call for
a rope aroused Wait. Wildly pushing
herself to the centre Of the swaylng
mass of men she moaned ''Let him
go! all he has said is true 7 The
strong hands slowly let go their relent~
less 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 a
terrible oath 'sthat he believed it to be
piece of cussed shenanagin" did they
know what to do 1t was settled upon
at last that Mrs. Snarley should go to
Wait and tell her that they believed in
her innocence and that no explanations
would be required. They all loved her
too well to doubt her goodness.
Auxiously they awaited the return
of Mrs. Snarley, and when she came
trembling and wailing they asked no
q uestions, but with one impulse hasten
ed again to the hsme 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
dreadful sacrifice. Her sad history