Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-03-17

under. sentence of death. 1 had an in
terview with him. In the presence of
death he had softened little and prob
ably uttered the truth. He told me that
daily for two years q young girl had
asked for Anna Carter's mail. The
society got the letter wrote from
Leavenworth. After waiting two years
and not hearing further from me, and
believing that Anna heard from me,
they, in revenge, burned her home.
Her mother and Willie were burned to
death. Anna left the town after the
funeral, and the Molly Maguires, not
doubling that she was going to join me,
had one of their men follow her to New
York. There he lost sight of her. l
gave up all hopes of finding her, and
returned to the San Juan. do not
suppose shall ever see her again. The
thought that she may be in want, that
she may be sick, that she is slowly wear
ing her life out waiting for me, and the
knowledge that she is alone in the
world, haunts me constantly" Watson
sat silent in his chair. There was not q
shadow of doubt of the girls constancy
in my friends mind. excused myself,
after promising to breakfast with Wat
son the next day. At the hotel the next
morning found him in high state of
excitement, that he vainly strove to
conceal. He was exceedingly restless
during the meal. Noticing my inquir-
ing looks, he flushed, and with fretful
oath, exclaimed: s'No. I have not
been drinking. Meeting you has
brought back the past so wildly that /
could not sleep last night. | am nerv.
Gus and irritable. Let us walk"
There had been sharp change in the
temperature. The streets of Leadville
were white with newly fallen snew, and
the air was thick with snow flakes. On
coming to the main street we saw an
ambulance slowly moving up the hill.
Watson spoke to the driver, saying,
/" Have you patients for the hospital?"
eyes," he answered, "some of the
smelters are loaded, and there are some
cases of pneumonia Turning about,
Watson said: "Let us 60 to the Hos
pital. 1 have been here six weeks, and,
to my shame be it said, have not been
near the hospital nor given it dollar.
l will 90 up now and make amends for
my neglect" We followed the ambu
lance up the hill and entered the build
ing. There were some dead men there.
There were many who would never
leave the house alive. In one ward
were many plants and vines growing in
pots and tin cans. This ward was
scrupulously neat and sweet. There
were ten or twelve sick men lying on as
many cots. They were queerly irritable
and unreasonable. We did not receive
a civil answer from any of them. All
looked as if the mere presence of
healthy man was an insult to them-a
cowardly insult, inflicted when they were
unable to resent it. At the further end
of the room woman stood, her back
toward us. She bent over a sick man;
then, seating herself on the edge of his
cot, seemed to be feeding him with a
spoon. Watson regarded her with a
pleased look on his face, and he walked
toward her. Standing at the foot of the
cot, we listened to her talking cheerily
to the sick man, and good
humoredly laughing when he de-
nounced the fellow who invented Cruel
and demanded fried oysters. I was
startled by clutch on my shoulder. l
turned quickly to my comrade, and was
shocked at the change in him. His eyes
fairly blazed; his face was white, his
lips firmly compressed, and his nostrils
were expanded and quivering. His
chest heaved painfully. I could feel his
pulse throb as his wrist pressed against
my neck. The sick man turned in his
bed. saw the petulant Look fit from
his face, and one of angry fear take its
place. Then the dim eyes of the sick
man famed with the dauntless courage
of the American miner as he glared at
the specter standing motionless at the
foot of his bed. The woman, seeing the
look on the face of her patient, sprang
up and wheeled angrily around. She
looked at Watson. The blood left her
face, her eyes opened widely, her lips
slightly parted. She stood firmly for
an instant, then wavered as if about to
fall. Watson sprang to her side, and,
encircling her with his arms, drew her
to his breast. She recovered and strug
gled weakly to free herself. Closer and
closer she was drawn to my friends
heart. Bending over her, he kissed her
lips passionately. Her arms coiled
around his neck, and heard the MUIR
murs, s'Anna!" "Henry!"
was alone when I walked back
through the dead and dying and out into