Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-06-08

IN tne evening Fiynn ana Bagly Went
over to She hut intending to bring the
woman and her children up to camp.
4 skinner will get back about o'ciock.
I guess the sick boy only wants a little
feeding up to make him sll right" re-
marked Flynn as they approached the
hut.
/ They found the woman seated on the
rough floor with the boy on her lap, and
Maggie their late visitor, at her side
sound asleep. With fearless sobs she
related her sad story. About five years
before, or when Freddie was only few
weeks Old her husband left her to Join
a party of prospect9rs who were going
to Sierra Nevada region, and she had
She waited until her funds were nearly
exhausted; then made her way to Sacra-
mento. While supporting her children
IA best she could; she learned that the
party had broken camp; her husband
had been brought to Sacramento, and
| placed in hospital where he remained
long time seriously i'll with brain fever.
She traced him to the hospital only to
| find him that he had gone away again;
| no one could tell whittier. Recently
she learned that man answering his
| description, and bearing the same name,
was working in the Kiwanna mines, and
she was on her way there; He had al
! ways been fond husband and father,
ann she believed ne had searched for
her also, but they had missed each
other.
The two men were deeply moved as
they listened to the story Of her suffer-
lngs, and, after much persuasion. in
duced her to return to camp with them
promising that one of the miners would
go the following day to Kiwanna, about
10 miles distant, and make inquiries con-
cerning the person she supp osed was
her husband. Without fur ther cere-
mony Flynn wrapped the boy in the
Blanket he had brought for the purpose
and Bagly trudged along with Maggie in
his arms.
/ When the party reached camp it was
past the time set for SINNERS return,
but he had notarrived. A bed of brush.
!, wood covered with blanket was ar
ranged for the guests, and after they
had lain down the men lighted their
| pipes, and gathered around the fire con-
verslng III low whispers, and listening
eagerly fer the sound of the horses
/ footsteps.
HE oughter bin here long afore this"
said Begly rousing himself from brown
study. "Boys he's scooted."
The suggestion fell like bomb-shell;
no one spoke for moment, then Bagly
resumed:
Hes got your watch, Flynn-my pis-
| tol and Fleetfoot. He's gone sure as
shootin'. saw the devil shinin' in
his eyes when he drew the slip"
/ The others were 10th to accept their
| comrades suggestion. but all crept to
their resting places with heavy hearts
| We kin live ON BEANS" muttered
| Bagly, "but what in thunder will become
| of the woman and her kids"
| In the morning there was consider
able excitement in Eureka camp. Two
Of the men, Bagly and Reed were mis-
sing. After protracted search the lat
| ter was found near clump of bushes
some distance away in an unconscious
| state, having apparently fallen in a fit.
| They carried him back to camp; laid the
limp form on a bramble bed and gazed
| at each other in blank dismay.
Call the woman; praps she'll know
what to do," advised Tom Knowles.
The woman did not wait to be called.
Seeing that something was amiss she ap-
preached the group The next moment
a heartrending cry burst from her lips.
Failing upon her knees she threw her
arms around the sick man and kissed his
still white face in g, wili distracted way
| A slight tremor passed over Reeds
frame. He opened his eyes, looked
wlstfully at the woman bending over
him. Then gleam of intelligence ilu-
minated his countenance; he recognized
the faithful wife from whom he had been
so long separated by a singular freak of
fate. For one brief moment soul met
soul. He raised his hand heavenward,
murmured family. Cup there, Maggie, D
then earned his souriquet of Silent
Reed.
1 Asolemn stillne prevailed around Eu-
reka camp when Flynn and his scomrades
returned from their unsuccessful search
for Bagly. The remainder of the party
were sitting around i'll Respondent attf-
tudes, while Mrs. Reed, with the sick
child on her knees and one hand fondly
resting on the dead mans face, looked
the very embodiment of inconsolable
grief. Flynn-tender- hearted Tom
Flynn-how his burly frame shook with
sobs as the touching death-scene was de-
scribed to him.
"Boys,'" he said huskily, 1--WE must
face our hard luck like heroes. 1 have
insisted all along that the Eureka held a
fortune fer each of us, because l
believed it. But" it cost him a strug-
gle to utter the next words, which were
the extinguishment of the hope that had
enabled them to endure privation and
hunger without a murmur. But he
went on, II was mistaken. After that
poor creature has grown accustomed to
her sorrow we will bury poor 81 and pull
up stakes. We won't abandon them,
boys. For his sake we must protect
those he loved"
| The men heartily agreed to the last
clause. While arranging their plans for
the future, little Maggie bounded down
the hillside singing blithely, unconscious
ofthe bereavement that had befallen her
"Look!" she shouted gleefully, "what
4 nice stones have found. Full of bright
| specks jes like eyes,"
Flynn took the stone she held toward
him. His face rough and weather-beat-
en-, grew pallid with sudden joy.
Boys" he whispered, in tone Of
it, Where did YOU find it, Maggie?"
Way UP there, past the big hole,"
she replied, vaguely wondering at his
white face.
In moment the men "fell in line,"
Maggie leading the way to the spot
where she fouEd the precious stone AS
they passed the mouth of the pit, the
scene of their fruitless labors, Flynn
stopped to get shovel. The others fol-
lowed his example, carrying with them