Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-23
Only a WOman's Grave,

Onlya WOman's Grave.
1t IS only one wee romance CT the
many which are interviewer with the
history Of Ell Dorado county-a romance
OF woman's grave. The tiny mound is
upon the crest of a pretty little knoll
overlooking the disolate,, deserted mining
camp of Cold Springs, half way between
Placeryille und Coloma. The sitting
sunlight, trembling through the leaves
of grand old live oak, falls lovingly,
tenderly upon the grave, just as it did
twenty years ago. Marvellous changes
have crept with the years over all the sur
roundines Five thousand miners work
ed in the fat and gulches Of that little
mountaia-rimmed camp in those ear.y
golden days. No claim was allowed to
be over Is feet square, and even then,
the ravines and hollows, the valleys and
hill slopes were all located and there
were miners to spare. 1t was one of the
loTeliests camps IN the foothills. There
were some Of the grandest men, the most
humorous, the most heroic, in the mines
OF those days that ever the sun skone on
men whose nobility of soul would have
stamped them herodes in anyIage or cline.
And one such was large, broad shonld-
cred man--handsome, we'll educated,
general tavorite among his fellows, and
who was always known as Judge"
There had almost written his name and
You would know him, and it is the one
tender event of his life am telling
It you chanceu to be in Cold Springs
on the day June Meredith and her hus-
band came to town, you were doubtless
standing with the crowd by the hotel,
watching the. stage as it came numbering
down the Hangtown hill. The news had
flown ahead of the stage that genuine
respectable woman was coming with her
husband to live at the Springs. Every
claim was vacated that afternoon to see
the phenomenon, for in that little valley,
with its hundreds of men, it was indeed,
a phenomenon to have real lady come
and settle among them.
Just as the plump, pretty figure, the
blue eyes and the light-brown hair
emerged from the stage, and a thousand
brcathless voices were whispering, "How
beautiful" she gave little stited scream
and fell fainting in the arms of her hus-
band. Every body said it was the heat,
the fatigue, the excitement which caused
her to swocn, and all were to much en-
gagged with the event to observe the
blanched face of the Judge, who clutched
the column Of the porch to keep from fall
ling.
When few days had elapsed and the
excitement over the new arrivals had
partially subsidized, it was discovered tha-
the judge had disappeared. No one re-
membered to have seen him after the
stage drove in.
Ere the swarm of life swept away from
the placers, and the hum of mining and
minors voice ceased, the little knoll over
looking the place be came dotted with
graves. Many VINO LETT home and friends
with an ardent eager thirst for gold,
wearied and fell asleep among the gold
veins-found resting places in the very
heart Of the diggings where thay worked.
And some mounds IN this mining camp
burial ground covers hearts that in life
were warmer and tenderer, if possible,
than those OF the brave, generous pioneer
covered hearts of the pioneers wives.
In one Of these graves, the one whose
romance | am telling, lay June Meredith
When the mines were worked out, and
the busting camp had become farm
ing village, most Of the graves were re-
moved to filter burying place near the
road. When the bodies were being re-
moved, the workmen found well-dress-
ed, middle-aged stranger sitting on the
grave under the oak. He had been seen
to enter the village at dusk the evening be-
fore, and it was readily conjectured that
he had been at the grave all night. He
said few words to the man who had
charge Of the work, and emphasized his
language with handful of money, and
then he disappeared without letting any
one know who he was or whence ne
came. 1t was scarcely necessary to say
that this grave was not touched. The
knoll was robbed Of all its other dead,
but June Meredith sleeps where they
laid her. The date on the marble tomb
stone showed that the stranger had visit
ed the spot On the anniversary night Of
the death of the woman who lay slum-
berlng there. In speaking, one with
another, concerning the event, it was
ascertained that a stranger, or some one
lcscluDllHS nlHl, udu Dteu seeu III tut
neighborhood during prior years, at
about the same time Of the year.
This is about all The Judge had
never been seen at the Springs after his
sudden disappearance, until the stormy,
dreary night when June Meredith died.
No matter how completely he worshipped
her, no matter how desolate was his aim
less life, his sense Of honor forbade him
from SO much as visiting her while she
was another's
But when she was dying, when all hope
Of life was gone, when she lay with closed
eyes so quiet and still that she seemed to be
listening to voices from the further shore
the door opened softly and the Judge en-
tered the room. He was pale and bag
gard and careworn, and was only a shad-
ow CT his former self, but the blue eyes
Enclosed ana frightened with a joyous
recognition. In the dim shadow land OF
death there is no hesitation. With eager
outstretched arms she clasped his neck,
and as his lips tuched hers she murmured
SIN heaven?"
The next moment she was dead.
Every year, on the anniversary night Of