The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-25

ward, and all OF that, ant Deen the
best man in the world. l never harmed
anybody, but I generally kept pretty
full, and if l got ahead any, why it all
went in few days for liquor; and so
travelled round, and was never anything
but a vagabond. Well, last spring l
struck the camp an saw men making
money, an after big drunk found my
self without cent. This ant no place
for man when he's dead broke, an l
tumbled to myself an chopped short. |
worked month in the Little Pittsburgh
an never got drunk once, an then took
my money and laid in two months
grub stake, an went up South Evans an
took up claim. There's where first
met Kitty, out there. Her father had
the next claim to mine, an she kept
house for him, an we got kinder neigh
borly like. When l got broke ] was
down forty feet, an the hole looked
good. worked for the Little Chief a
month then, and then went at it again.
All that time didn't drink drop.
"The second day after | went back to
the hole, Kitty's father sickened, and, in
three days he was dead. Me an two or
three others did all we could for the girl,
but there wasn't many of us up there
then, an we was all poor, an she had no
money to get away with. So just
moved my grub over to her cabin, an |
told her that if she'd do my cookin', an
struck it, I'd share even with her. She
couldn't do anything else, poor thing,
an SO I went on working, an in month
l got it. Of course I felt good, an if I'd
been broke it would have been all right.
But had couple of dollars, an came
to town, an when the money was all
gone vas too drunk to 60 to that little
gal, and because | knew she'd come over
to my cabin to call me to supper, l
thought I'd 60 down the shaft an sleep
it of. But drunken man can't calcu-
late, you know, an after I'd let the rope
down an fastened it, | went to slide
down the rope an touched the bucket,
which was on the edge of the hole, and it
came down on my face, an left this scar.
l don't know how l got down the rope,
but | know that when l got down l
couldn't get up, an I laid there without
knowin' nothing, and when l come to,
it was mornin', an there was that
little girls face lookin' down the
shaft. | thought it was an angel, an
kinder swooned off again, an the next
thing l knew some one was tyin' the rope
around under my arms, an blessed if it
want that little gal. When she got
through she just Skinned up the rope an
histed me up herself. I don't know how
she did it, but she got me out and nussed
me, an Pm we'll. I sold my hole yes
terday an got enough to keep us both
comfortable, an Pve got used to her, an
don't know how to get along withouther,
an SO we want to get married, an that's
the long an short of it."
"But there's such difference in your
ages"
Not so much, Squire" said the man
with movement of his eye that would
have been wink, had wink been pos
sible. "Shes twenty-five an Pm fifty
two-the same figures, you know"
"But is the girl entirely wlling?"
"You can ask her." and as the old man
spoke the door opened, and the girl, who
had become impatient at the long con-
ference, walked in.
There's nothing wrong about this,
Judge" she broke out. 1m turning
twenty-five an my own mistress, and
Jim is the kindest, best man in the
world, an l love him, and though he
don't say much, l know he loves me, an
we've got $4,000, an we're going to get
married, unless" and here she broke
down in sob, che changes his mind"
"Pll never change my mind, Kitty"
said the old man, drawing her toward
him.
In few minutes man and wife went
out of the Office, and the Squire, with a
gratifed smile, pocketed the best fee he
had received for a month.