The Osceola times., 1880-04-17

out 10 nnd EN-.
Well, there they was, heaped up be.
fsre us, on plate in their nice white
kivers-a dozen of 'em-an' Dave an
me pitched in. That wasn't all the meal
though, fur there was jerked venison
an as good bread as ever was turned out
OF pan, an ginewine yallar butter. But
1t was the eggs that ketched me. Eggs
an civilization 90 hand in hand an
shoulder to shoulder. Did you ever
think Of that? We started in on egg
apiece.
MY first egg just struck the spot, an I
let out my belt couple of notcses, an
took an egg number two. Dave lifted his
second one the same time. So we KEEP
company, egg for egg, right along At
the fifth or fourth egg, | don't know
which, Dave says:
Jim, this reminds me Of old times.
used to have little bow-legged, hump
backed hen got of one of the Brazier
boys-Bill Brazier, dead now; killed on
the pike east of Gray's mill; throwed
Off his horse down the steep hill there
an struck his head ON boulder
'Then we both reached for the plate.
u reckoned he'd lost count while tel
lin his stofy, so 1 says:
"'GO slow, old boy, that eggs mine
Not much, says he, you're off your
nest
This was too much. fired right up.
To think he'd tried to blk an old pard
outen egg, after all that pard had done
fur him, soured me clean to my heels.
You see, I'd shared everything with
him, drug him through his sickness,
tended him like woman, an now to
have him come the hog game on me!
The devil was in me, an | drawed the
revolver; it was layin' on the floor be
tween us, an was goin' to let daylight
through him, when the woman screamed
and the man of the house spoke up
This brought me to myself; but l had
him down fine. We both got up from
the table leavin' the last egg ON the plate
Dave takin' the shotgun from the place
where it was leanin' outside the door
scorned to take any advantage of him
then mad as l was, an gave him a fair
chance to get the gun. We walked on
for quarter of mile without speaking,
each looking out of the corner of our eye
for fear the otherd get the drop.
Dave, says /, this business has got
to be settled
"'Yes.' says he, and some other things
has got to be settle too. might have
been an honest, happy married man in
lndiany this minute il it hadn't been
for you, instead of the tramp now am.
1t was my money you wanted to bring
you to Californy, and you made me run
away from the only woman | ever
loved
"'Your money, you say; d. your
money. Do you want me to tell you
who the only woman you ever loved is?
She's my divorced WIFE
This staggered him some.
"'Well, what of that-that wouldn't
prevent her from maxim me good wife,
would it?'
"'Dave G;lchris, you was young, and
wanted 10 save you: had some things
in my own life didn't care for even you
to know. When first met you in the
regiment | had just served term of two
years in the Ohio penitentiary.
so you're a prison bird, are you
"'Ies, Pm prison bird. loved that
woman and married her. We had scarce
ly been married three months before we
were both arrested, charged with steal
ing, and the goods, a roll Of black silk,
was found in the house. 1t had been
stolen from dry goods store one day
when we were both in town | bad
heard of kleptermaniacs-people who
can't help but take things, and | couldn't
call nv wife's offence stealing.
couldn't bear to see her, young and deli
cate, go to prison; so | confessed that
myself took it, and, on plea of guilty
was sent up. Well, the parting between
us was bitter one, but i thought I'd
done my duty. But in less han six
weeks that woman applied for divorce
from me, an got it on the ground of my
being in the States prison-me who had
gone there to save her.
IF you'd told me this sooner, I'd
probably have believed it, Now / think
you're tryin' to pull the wool over my
eyes
"Well, stranger, this made me mad
der'n bear with gum bile, an there
was nothin' for il but blood. We both
made cur little arrangements in case of
accident, and then each got behind a
tree. My plan was to watch my chance,
and at the first show to let fire. Soon
see the top of his hat sticking out from
the side of the tree, an l was about to
let him have it, when one OF them lnjun
stories came in my mind. Then | see
through his little game.
"'Not much,' says / to myself, an
empty hat on ramrod to draw my fire.
Then / stuck my leg out to draw his,
not havin' much respect for shotgun
they scatter so-an' thinkin' could get
my leg in again before he fired. But |
4 IL. l. l.t
me down. But | held on to the revolver
and as i fell-he had come from behind
the tree--I fired, but missed. Dave
threw down his gun and rushed toward
me, crying like baby. / drawed up to
let him have it, but he never finched.
"'All right, Jim, old pard, / deserve it
as an ungrateful dog
THAT was too much for me, stranger,
and | throwed the derned weapon away
for fear somethin' might happen. Next
| knowed Dave had his arm around me,
huggin' me, and then-l jest got lost
completely. Guess it must a. been from
the loss of blood.
"When things came round again / was
in that cabin, and Dave and the man OF
the house and the tidy little woman in
the white apron were standin' over me,
and blast my eyes if the owner of the
cabin wasn't my own brother Josh,
which ] didn't know him from Adams
of OK, on account of the ha'r on his face.
And got well, all but this limp, and
Dave forgot the grass widder, married
the tidy little womans youngest sister
an settled down only three miles from
Josh.
"But you bet Josh's wife has been
learned lesson she won't soon forget.