McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-09-25

awful purity song bout bein' nearer my
home than ever I've been before.
There was one part that said
Nearer my Fathers house,
Where burdens are laid down,
an all of sudden she let her SEWN
fall in her lap, clasped her hands over
head, an solemn an stiddy-like-
s.Where-burdens- laid down.
oh, thank Godr she said, then, jumpin
to her feet, thank God again an again
that there is place an a time when
the weary burdens of this life can be
laid down an achin' hearts whose every
throb is one of woe, can be forever still
an at rest. o, Thou who didst lay
down the heavy burden of thy life on
Mount Calvary; Thou whose aching
heart throbbed out its agony and its
life on the cross, help me to bear my
burden of sorrow until can forever lay
it down.
81 mind every word of it sir; I amt
the kind to forget thing or words like
them.
''Well, then she set down agin, very
quiet, an kind O. scared lookin' like.
But by an by she begun talkin' bout
the boys, an how sorry she felt for 'em
in their Disappointment, and how bravely
they bore 'em. She talked bout them
boys as if they'd been saints, every one
of 'em, std O. the pack O. rough fellers
they was. felt so guilty like listenin'
to her. Thinks to myself, 4 wonder
what you'd think an say, Myra Claffitt,
if you knew where them men have gone
now an what for? [ wonder if you'd
set there talkin' so tenderly an so well
bout them if you knew that at this
minnit they was out on the trails an
hillsides skulkin' along in the storm
(for it was stormin' fearfully), trackin'
to his death poor devil that's steppin'
stealthily from tree to tree an from
rock to rock in the darkness, fearin' an
tremblin an prayin', likely, if he never
prayed afore. 1t seemed to me L could
see the poor wretch glidin' an creepin'
along an them men with murder in
their hearts after him.
''But Myra talked on an on until 1
couldn't stand it any longer, an made
believe I'd gone to sleep jest to have
her shut up bout them fellers that didn't
deserve half the good things she said
bout them.
"She thought I'd RELY gone to sleep
an so she stepped softly over to the
fireplace an stood there with one elbow
restin' on brick of the chimney an
her cheek in her hand. She looked on
common pale an old an careworn as
she stood there with the light of the fire
shinin' up in her face.
can while she stood there I saw the
cabin door open very slowly an care.
fully, an mans face thrust in; an
tell you, sir, that |, who have seen the
death agony on many face, l, who
have seen men turn pale an CHASTITY,
even, with fear, I never, sir, seen such
face as that was that come peekin' in
behind that door. 1t was like that of a
dead man, an his eyes seemed to be on
fire. He laid tremblin' hand on the
knob, stepped in, an softly shut the
| door.
"Myra turned slowly round an in a
second that man was at her feet.
"'Oh, madam! madam!' he fairly
screamed, grabbin' her hand, save me
save me! Hide me, quick! [ am hunt.
ed like beast! Men with murderous
hearts are in pursuit. They cannot
feel mercy or pity! You, woman, can.
They will hang me to the nearest tree
if they find me. For Gods sake help
me, save me, save my life, guilty an
sinful as amp
81 never took my eyes off that wo
mans face for a second, after that man
begun to speak. There come over hel
such a look as can't tell you of. An
all the time that man was whinin' an
pleadin' she kept steppin' back little
at time, but her eyes never left his
face.
81 reckon he thought she was goin
to give him up to his enemies, for his
voice sunk down to a moan that was
pitiful to hear. He put out his hands
so implorin'ly at the last, an fell
face downward, glovelin' at her feet.
s'There was dead silence for full
minnit, an in that time Myra KEEP
| passin' her hands over her eyes like {
person comm out of heavy sleep
Her lips KEEP movin', but there was NJ
sound. At last she spoke four words
an the man was on his feet quick a:
lightnin'. Them words were:
"'John Claffitt, my husbandr"