The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1879-07-13

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,v-and-hv ia would com To Oregon and fetch
1le next year. BY that. time my mother
Cgafiid ha nicely settled, lie said. When Bill
graIt heard We were likely to ~ away, &c
came down from Rosita, and hs i looked beside
himself for trouble. He should die, Ur elss ~
10 The bad altogether. he said, II I went 80
| Tar. He made me trembls all over, he was In
such d mad way
III would rather trust the quiater man, who
wanted. |, the girl he loved TO do what was
just then Hugh came In again. Mary went
out quickly, and we had NO more talk about
her two lovers.
One morning Hugh had gone off early, In
tending TO have days. hunting. With his
down the slope with him, and had sat dowl,
on d fallen tree trunk to watch the crested
blue jays strutting about on the grass, and
tle knowing little chipmunks running along
the ground and up the sm aller trees.
In half an hours time Hugh was back. He
came galloping W, and / saw ut once that
something was wrong.
mat teri"
."Jabez slept down On the park last night.
Madge, and hs has brought back bad news
about MaTy's lover, Bill Grant Z
What Is 1t, Hugh2 Tell me quckly,'
LIT seems that he and some other wild fell
lows were on the loose, and had been drinking
a and playing poker together for. some days.
Yesterday morning they auarreled, and one
man accused Bill Grant Of not playing fairly.
He retorted: and then, without another word
|the angry man, who had lost sll his money
Threw d bowie knife ut Bill. 1t entered his
side, and they say he cannot 1--we many
days
20, poor Mary. what will she do7 She
seems 50 devoted to him"
I hurried up to the hut, but could not find
the girl
Half On hour later she came In, white as
death. She looked wildly at me, and put her
hands to her head.
= know. Mary, my poor, poor GIRL You
aWhat shall 1 do. Mrs. Forbes2 o, what
shall dot 1t is cruel, cruelp
made her sit down, and stood over her,
etroking the poor head, and trying TO soothe
the first uaroxysms OF grief.
After q few moments she started up, and
sald: + 4 T. must 60 te t., him! You will not keep
aDo not, Mary, beg Of you! Mr.. Forbes
shall ride to Rosita at once, to see what can
be done, and lle will be here again by night"
a.n.h. mol ! must 60! Nobody but me will
Just then the man had seen talking to her
under the tit trees came UP to the door. He
had heard Mary's last words, and he turned
to inB now and said:
4 Will 60 with Mary to Rosita, ma'am, L
you will allow her
U. IOHE sHe SalH, WlIdly. .'Oy no, mol you
You always spoke Ill Of him.
The man looked sadly at the girl for q mo-
merlt. Then he said:
You know ] would do anything In the
world to serve you, Mary; but now, ii we are
going, We !, must go quickly: there is no time
Go with him, Mary" said, "Jabez shall
get my bronctio up and saddle her for you as
soon as possible You must try TO eat first,
for II Is twenty miles ride to Rosita."
she. could not eat, but she drank some tea,
and I gave John May something for her To
take by the way, III case her strength should
fail.
Away the two rode. watched them sadly
On their way down the mountain track, the
girl looking straight before her with 4 fixed,
pick out the easiest and safest footing for the
the "details Of that sad journey.
They rode us quickly as possible, and with
o1t resting, up to Rosita. John often begged
Mary to give herself little respite, but she
lid not seem to heed or even hear him.
When they reached the town they found /
that the afrair had not taken plaes there ut
nll, but at Ua, O little settlement ten miles
further on, where some rich copper and silver
mines had lately been opened.
"Bill Grant never rested long anywhere"
said the landlord Of the Bison hotel. "He
was always to be found at the last new settle
ment, and he got deal more by gambling
than he did by mining. There's a gill here,
bafmatd OF mine, can tell you"
"Hushl' said John May; "the young lady
that rode up with me just now was promised
10 marry BILL"
The man nodded significantly, then added,
In q lower voice than before:
She needn't make her eyes very red about
him; he was one Of the loosest outfit In these
parts, and she may think herself well rid ot
him.
Mary was iii despair when she found Bill
was not ct kosita, and that they had ten
miles to ride.
"Let Us go at once" she satd, with feverish
haste.
May, Mary, you must rest q little. and the
horses must be seen to q bit. Try and eat d
before we start again
y cannot eat, she said impatiently.
"Do 1t, for Bills sake, Mary, or else you
won't be able to nurse him, Ii he needs YOU
This made her try, aud she esWallowed q few
but that was all. In an hours time
they were on their. way to Ula. They had
started at 10 o'clock In the morning, and 1t
was now about o'clock. An hour and
half later they reached the rough little min
Ing camp and soon found the hut where ,,oDr
Bill Grant lay. II was & miserable place to
end ones days ln, but d kindehearted miner
had tried to make the wretGhed man as com
Portable as he could. He was beside the low
bed when John .nnd Mary got to the door; on
seeing them he Invited them In said he would
not allow them to be disturbed, and then
quietly Withdrew.
Tho dying mars face worked convulsively
when he saw Mary. She hurried up to the |
bed and bent down over him.
NY darling, my darling Y she cried.
Mary, my own true Maryr' he said "you
lre good to come to me Don't fret for me. |
never was worthy Of your love. I've not
1een true to you my poor girl.
She shivered when he said this, but only
3lung to him the more.
John went round to the other side Of Bill |
Ind took his hand.
tPoor lad poor lad T. he murmered.
Bill looked earnestly from one TO the other
5hen, with Il great effort he brought their
hands together with his own.
Mary would have resisted, but John said:
Let 1t be, Mary, to pease him. l will
never trouble you.'
She sobbsd as though her heart would
,reals and hid her face in the bed d-coverin9s.
"Take him when I'm gone, Mary. He's a
rood man, and L" Here his voice faltered,
ind the words came out brokenly.-.I was
llways q bad lot"
When he relaxed his hold John slipped away
rom the bedside, went out and lett the two