The Portland daily press., 1880-06-14

Wall amt agoin' to brag, but about the
hottest fire I ever see was that n unoef
which I brought Tom in, pretty hard hit an
nigh on to busted up: but somehow he man.
aged. with my stickin' to him, to get along,
was finally sent home down South to
recooperate To make a long story SHIRT
went through the whole wah, and when our
side passed in their checks, went down
home with many sore heart, many tear.
and wounds, bundle of rags and derned
empty pocket.
Nothin' KEEP me up through the whole
cussed affair but the thoughts of little Sis;
/ looked for'red so anxious to seeln' her.
and the reckerlection of her pretty ways
and her sweet face. and the. tears she shed
when she kissed me good by ag'in and ag'in.
hangin' about my neck. KEEP the life in me
many weary day when I was ready enough
to go. Wa'al, I reckon you'll understand
the feelin' | had when got to August one
evenin' and found the old shanty shut up
and no Lii. Wonderin' what could be the
matter. made tracks for the corner grocery
where found folks right glad to see ue: but
they seemed done gone dumb. and lookin'
kinder queer, and actin silent. like it was
funeral. So says I right aout, 'sWhat in
thunder's the matter with. all o. yer? and
what's come O Lil?" Wa'al, they tried 10
so finally it all come out Tom Stidgers had
come home invalided and dead broke. and
Sis of course took him in and nussed him as
if he'd been her brother, and just like fool
wimin folks. fell in love with him. Wa'al,
| Lii wasn't the first fool of her sex. reckon.
| and won't be the last, by long shot.
The worst part of the story is that one
| mornin' they was missed, and there warn't
| no doubt that the d---n scoundrel Tom had
| run off with her to one of the northern cit
| les. without leavin' nary clew to track 'em
| with. My grit was up, and it didn't take
| long to make up my mind, you bet. l sold
the old shanty and the little stuff what was
in it for what they would bring, and made
| tracks for the north to find Lii and maybe
| git squar' with Tom
| 7 searched YEARLY through the northern
| cities. city by city. never givtn' it up and
never faggin', till found poor little Sis
but. gentlemen, would rather have found
her headstone in the graveyard than to have
found her as 1 did. I took mighty good care
| of the poor gal, but it warn't no use: she
| pinned away. and buried her in Chicager
and then looked round for the trail of Heft,
Tom.
| Not critter could tell word about him
| aud poor Lil-God bless her!-never would
| She was true to him. bad as he had useG
her. Wa'al. l spent long time rovin' ovel
the north. huntin' for Tom. but finally
was busted up, and so sick that 1 had to re-
turn to Augustine. I kind er thought he't
be found in his old tracks some day; and so
as had to do somethin' to live, 1 took tt
huntin' and fishin' round a little, and drink
in great deal, and waitin' my turn. On,
day, at Mike Snllivan's bar, who should
see but Tom Stidgers himself! Gentlemen
many's the skeery place I've been in during
the great wah, many's the dashin' charge
I've gone through, but never felt as I die
at that moment. My head swan round Xix.
drownin' cotton tail mist came over my
eyes, knockin' and drownin' like thous
and ingines KEEP rattlin' in my ears. NJ
hand was on my Derringer, when I saw
flash across my eyes, felt warm splash
heard a crash, and then all was dark. Thu
folks told me afterward that Tom was to-
quick for me, and his shootin' brought on
pretty free fight. for yer see the boys 'roun(
Sullivan's wasn't the kind not to take
hand in any muss goin' round free like. 81
Tom scored the first trick in our game, bu
I'd got TO git squar' with him somehow; ant
I've tried more nor once in all these Ions
years. but his everlastin' luck helped him
till to-day. But to-day,'-here Chunky Bill
dropped his voice, and throwing the stick hi
had beeo whiting into the fire, rested hi
elbows on his knees an dstared steadily into
the blaze-'to-day 1 reckon we've go
squar.'"