Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-05-09

friend, and extending her two little
gloved hands, her lovely face glowing
with affectionate welcome. she exclaimed
in a low tone:
Dear Jim, when did you come ?
HOW did you happen to come? How
glad am to see you'll
Jim had an inspiration at that mo-
ment' His only reply was to bend his
head and imprint q kiss on the kind,
delicate hand.
For time Ida neglected her guests
and abandoned herself entirely to Jim;
then he stood and watched her, drinking
IN despair at every glance. Was this
gracious, graceful, beautiful creature a
tit mate for him?
Jim did not know precisely how queens
looked or moved, but he had convic.
ton that few queens could smile and bow
as did Ida.
The scales fell from his eyer. His
Bowery caricature of her career BECAME
revealed in its true light, and he real.
lied that the chasm between them was
one which never could be closed.
Once, in kind of frenzy, he would
have rushed from the room, but grim
determination to remain and know the
worst withheld him.
At length the last guest had made his
adieu; no one was left but Mrs. Elem
ing. kind of duenna, or companion of
the singer, who disoretely retired to an
inner room.
CHOW, Jim," and Ida made room for
him at her side, "come aud tell me all
about yourself"
She put her hand in bis huge palm:
but Jim felt that her tenderness was
| that of sister.
"And SO you are the Colorado Scout and
Lord Duneagle wrote the play for you 2"
she eaid in reply to his hurried explana-
tions. &c came near ,:oing to see it to
revive old menorla o, Jim, how funny
it all seems! I feet as il [ had lived two
ives!"
She prattled gaily, but nervously, re-
calling episodes in their western life, for
something in Jim's manner alarmed her
and she tried to ward off the fatal mo-
ment.
At length, by kind Of If my of fa'e o,
sho herself pre- cipitated his avowa,. Der
remarks meeting with faint 'espol Sc,
she looked anx1ously into his face.
"Dear Jim, are you happy ?" she said;
'.you do not look very happy. You miss
those long tramps, and that wild, open,
out-of-door ife."
"There's suthin' miss 1nore'n all. an
that's you, Ida. 0, my little g,,rl, yer
lost to me foreyer!" And poor Jim fell
down on his knees before her. put his
head in her lap, and burst into passion
of tears.
Ida sat dazed and speechless, with
one little hand stvoking mechanically his
curls.
He rose at length, shook himself, and
sat down again by her side,
II am not even y r,an," he cried,
"Here I've been a-lowerio' myself afore
yer"
Then, with kind CT rude eloauencc.
Jim went on explaining his hopes of ris-
ing in his profession and expatiating
bis]ove.
"Oh, my darlin',: he said, in conclu-
sion, els there no place left in your heart
fur poor Jiml"
He put his arm around her and drew
her nearer the velveteen coat, but she
did not rest her head trust,ngly on
his shoulder, az he hoped she would.
"Jim," she began, and a sob choked
her; ''dear Jim, T can not"
The wild blue eyes asked why.
There was q dead silence.
II know" gasped Jim at length. 81
seen him. It was that slim, ham
chap what wanted ter put mo out.
knowed all along it could never be-" be
said after pause; II knew it afore
you told me-
They arose by one common impulse.
H. put his arms around her. She chung
to him, and laid her fair cheek against
his, and SO, with amute goodbye, they
parted.
Last summer Mrs. Robert Rochester
visited tho soonos of .hor = outh in Color
ado, her husband, Of course, accompany
ing her.
Everything was changed. Not only
was Denver changed but all her old
friends were dead OF had gone away.
The adobe dwelling, however, was still
"What has become of Mr.. Nymroda ?"
asked Mrs. Rochester Of the occupant of
the cabin, who was an old 'fifty-niner.
as the original settlers o. Colorado are
called.
"Mountain Jim? Oh, he died with
his boots on, as any un might hev calc'-
lated. He went to the states arter his
CURL, who sung, in the opery, or suthin'.
I hearn tell that he bekim play actor
tew; but the gurl-she went back on him
an married another feller--her loss. I
reckon.
"He kim back here an took to drink.
which he allus harkered after. He got
in fight in some dive with man who
said Idly Webster girl. yer know who
once sang in the Alhambry Theayter-
wasn't any better'n she oughter hev
ben, an the man was tew quick fur him.
He shot him through the heart afore Jim
could get his gun out. His body-.im's
I mean-is buried in the field yoader.
The undertaken man struck in the coffin
with him-for the boys all put up to
give him good send-of, yer know-a
curl of WELLER hair that, come ter think,
was just the color of yaurn."