Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-23

thing for 'em. Bill ought to ha' known
better than to go an fall into the canal,
an him drunk an all. An he ought to
ha' known better than to 90 an make a
lot O. palaver an talk about me pulling
OF him out. Why, anybody 'ud pull a
man out o. the water as couldn't get out
hisself. There amt nothin' to make a
fuss about in that. If somebody else had
a-heard him boiler instead O. me, they'd
a~run an hauled him out by the hair as
I did,
-. But you nearly lost your own life
did you not?'
"I dunno! P'raps 1 did. 1 know 1
was under the water a bit. You see,
women's petticoats hang about their
legs, an is a trouble to 'em. But there,
l never see such a fool as that Bill is,
anyway. Next time he falls in, he'll
stop in for me-if there's nobody else
about to pull him OUT The latter part
of the speech was added apologetically,
as if she were ashamed of having been
so mean as to say she would not help
anybody in distress.
A good soul, Bess. Rough, unculti-
waited, unrefined, but still noble in a
rugged way. and possessing the true
qualities of heroism-courage and hu-
mility. Black Regis was the better for
her presence. She was in some degree
a restraining influence for good. Her
companions and associates almost I'M
consciously feared her censure, and
were often deferred from committing
unworthy actions by the thought of
what Bess would say. In difficulty they
ran to her. She could advise, and, better
still, assist them in their needs; and
many an act of true charity was per-
formed by her.
None could quell disturbance quick
er than she. When the authority of the
policeman would have been laughed at,
she could command respect and order.
Upon one occasion she caught q miner
ill-using his wife, and, calling the men
who stood listlessly by ga lot o. faint
hearted fools,'' took the case in hand
herself, and gave the man good beat
ing. This raised her very high in the
estimation of the Black Regisites.
Nothing so popularizes a person in the
eyes of the vulgar and untutored as
muscular superiority-suprem of
brute force. From that time forth the
appearance of Bess upon the scene of
action was sufficient in most cases to
SItty Tic HdIuS Vi LIE CUIllOdIdLJS.
The Bill Thomson affair was not quite
so simple as Bess tried to make it APP
pear. She had really saved the mans
life at the risk of her own, and only
succeeded in crawling to the edge of the
canal after very great difficulty, holding
the senseless Bill in her powerful arms.
How she came to be near him when he
fell in she never quite clearly explained.
''She was just out for an airing, that
was all, when she heard him holler,"
she had said when questioned upon the
subject. But 1 am inclined to think
there were other and more sufficient
reasons than this, as the sequel will
perhaps show.
Bill declared he owed his life to Bess;
that she was brave lass, and he would
do anything she liked for her if she
would only ask him.
Practical Bess, having the cause of
his mishap clearly in mind, returned
simply: ''Then give up drinking for
three MONTHS
81 will. If I don't. blow me!'' en-
phatically answered Bill. Those who
are not acquainted with the daily life of
such men as Bill in such a place as
Black Regis will not be able, 1 fear, to
appreciate the sacrifice he was making in
promising to abstain from Intoxicating
liquors for three months. But am in
clined to think in this matter also that
other considerations than respect and
gratitude influenced Bills decision. We
shall see.