Democratic messenger., 1881-11-05

the boatman calls cannot stay. But,
stranger, want to tell you the rest be-
fore ] 20. / want to tell you that l
was bad after that awful day, and in
less than a week became al became
yes, I'll say it-I became moon
lighter. 1t wasn't the money wanted,
for had enough to live on comfortably,
but wanted revenge on the cause of
my wretchedness. He often wondered
after he got married that he never
prospered as he did before, and one day
/ told him that no man would prosper
with unlawful gains. He called me
fool or liar or something and L
knocked him down and rubbed his
nose in a pool of mud and oil. 1 could
have told him Why all his wells refused
to produce oil, but never did. Nitro
elycerine is the best thing to make
wells flow, but it is also the very best
thing to stop them from flowing. A
charge of nitro-glycerine exploded half
way down the hole will blow a well all
to pieces so that she would never be
good for anything. Do you see ?"
I looked at the man in surprise.
"Oh, you needn't look incredulous,
for it's fact. was pretty low down in
the scale of morality then, and used to
go around nights and blow the fellows
wells out of existence as producers OF
oil. 1t was mean thing to do, but he
played a meaner trick on me. All his
wells stopped flowing after awhile and
then he began to go down hill. Inside
of year he became common drunkard
and separated from his wife. Her rela-
tives wouldn't have him about and /
don't know what has become of him.
Dead, guess.
ellis wife then got one or two new
wells up on this very ridge and produced
oil on her own account. There, you can
see them now, over on the hill, yonder.
Those wells never dried up or stopped
flowing, but kept right up to the mark
in good style. [ did hear that some one
had moonlighted them on the sly TO help
the production and that they are now
flowing more than ever"
He smiled knowingly at this, but
offered no further explanation.
"When I saw the fires start over in
the hollow yesterday L came over this
way to protect her wells from the fire.
/ did so, but few hours ago it cost me
dear-it cost me my life. While fighting
back the flames for the last time | was
blinded by the smoke and fell into
pool of burning oil. The boys brought
me over here and did their best to save
me, but you see it was of no use."
He moved his blackened body with
great pain aud gasped in grim agony.
"She never knew il" he proceeded,
slowly and in great distress, ''and oh,
she never will. Perhaps I've done some
good toward her for the wrong did her
erring husband, but it seems hard to go
out like this into the darkness and
through the uncertain mists and fogs."
"But, my friend, You can go up into
the sunlight and life and heaven if you
only will ask"
"Oh, do you think so?" he eagerly
asked. ''Do you think l would have
any chance But what's the use of talk
ing about il now? I have stayed with
out the great fold all my life and l
will not, no, / cannot, be mean enough
to ssk for admittance now, with only
one atoning act for life of worthless
chat.
"Boys, I'm going now. Come nearer,
stranger, and rest your hand on my
head again. There, it's all right now.
Yes, I'm going Don't you hear the
boatman calling? l see the boat and
hear the oars of gold, but the river is
so dark and there is no shore. I'm
growing colder with the chill of the
river wind. Oh, Mary, God bless you,
but you'll never know until it is ever
lastingly too late And my mother,
dear soul-don't- -tell-don't tell her
tell that died as-I lived"
The gloom and stiffness of the night
crept through the cracks of the little
shanty and the soft, mellow light of the
moon came struggling over the trees
and fell upon the trouble freed features
of him who, in going out into the un-
known, had "died as he lived"