The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-10-24

Of, an couldn't have suspicious bout You
took her Just like you'd take a clean, fresh,
shinin' new dollar right from the mint
"But it alters seemed to me that that woman
was lookin' for somebody. The day she rid
up with me on the stage there want q man or
boy on the road that she didn't see-and see
good too. An l never took o stage load o.
passengers to her house in my life that she
wr'n't out an starin' sharp at ev'ry man Of
'em. Then she'd go round on the hills 'mong
the men at work there, an l tell you she saw
all Of 'om. Sometimes when all my passen-
ger'd be out o the stage I've seen that little
culver come SO pitifnl-like to her lip an
there'd be tears in her eyes; but 1 never lot on
to her or any one bout it.
"After travel got 30 light that they was
hardly ever any passengers Myra Clafiitt got
restless like an talked O. goin' away. But the
boys they jest wouldn't hear to it. SO it hap
pened that she was the last as well as the first
woman i'll O-Be-Joyful.
''The camp it begin to sink out purity fast
(the mines never was no good) when1 driv up
my seat on the stage my foot kind o turned in
like, an tho first thing knowed there I was
on the ground with a broken leg.
swell, sir, that Myra Claftitt give me the
best bed in the house an took care of like rs
ifIdbeen a baby, I'd laid over q month, an
La tlol tiIlt titC pollOll uhu AlSh DOup ulOPs
ped out o O-Be-Joyful, an most O. the men
was feelin' mighty blue an des'prit-lke, as
men will feel when they've been cheated or
deceived or turribly disappointed. Bout
this time some claim-Jumpers began to show
up round the only claims that showed any
signs o mountin, to anythin'. Now, you knew
slr, as well as me, jest how claim-jumpln' af-
fccts a lot o miners. that's worked hard for
what they've found. You know a decent min
or hates a claim-jumper like he docs pizen.
They're logged like game, an shown no mercy
when found. When ii got ont that that there
was n claim jumper around O-Be-Joyful it set
men on fire. They was feelin' kind o reck-
less, anyhow; 30 they .netand formed q reg'lar
vigilance committee, an made lows an took
oaths that they meant to stand by. But l tell
you they kept mum bout it, fore Myra Claffitt
Zone o the bows come to me one day an
whispered to mo that they was on the track O.
one O the wust a tho claim-jumpers an they
thought they'd run i'm down that night
A if We do" says lie, .therell be a hang
in bee fore daylight, sure as you're born.
But o n yon fer your life mention it to her,
says he, jerkin' his thumb over his shoulder
toward the kitchen where Myra Clafitt was
singin' at her work.
After supper ev'ry man left the house, an
that left me alone with Myra. She got some
SEWN an come an set down by me in an on
common lively humor, even for her that was
always smilln'. She set there laughin' an
chattin' in her cherry way an once in a
while she sung parts o. songs like Jesus Lover
o my Soul an Rock of Ages Cleft for me-
Finally she got more sober-like an sung part
@ most an awful purity song bout bcin' nearer
home than ever I've been before Thare was
one part that said:
"Nearer my Fathers house,
Where burdens are laid down."
an all O. a sudden she let her SEWN fall in her
lap, clasped her hands over her head, an said
IN fIn at,nt ,~aDt -ro. - 1r...l - 49, uN .-1z-.-
an
down Then, sir, she kind o. shut her eyes,
dropped her chin on her breast an SAYS
agin moro solemn than before; Where
oh, thank Godu
she said, then, jumpin' to her feet, thank God
again an again that there il a 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 dldst lay down the heavy burden of Thy
life on Mount Calvary; Thou whose aching
heart throbbcd out its agony and its life on tho
cross, help me to bear my burden of sorrow until
l can forever lay down
81 mind every word of it, sir; l ain the kind
to fergit a thing of words like them.
well, then she set down agin, very quiet an
began talkin' bout the boys, an how sorry she
felt fer EN- in their Disappointment, an how
brayely they bore 'em. She talked bout them
boys as if they'd been saints, ev'ry
one of ZEN. Std o the pack O. rough felJers
they was | felt 80 guflty-like listenin' to
her. Think I to myself, 1 wonder what
you'd think an Say, Myra Clifitt, if you
knew whore them men have gone now an
what for? l wonder if you'd set there talking
so tenderly mn SO well bout them il you knew
that at this minnit they was out on trails an
hillsides skulkin' along in the storm for it was
stormin' fearfully) trackin' TO his death a poor
devil that's steppin' stealthily from tree to tree
an from rock to rock in the darkness, fearin'
an trenholm 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.
"Bu Myra talked on an on until 1 couldn't
stand 1t any longer. an made believe I'd gore
to sleep, just to have her shut up bout them
fellers that didn't deserve half the good things
she said bout EN-.
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 a brick
of the chimney an her cheek in her hand.
She looked uncommon pale an old an care
worn as she stood there with tho light of the
fire shining up in her face.
An while she stood there, I saw tho cabin
door open very slowly an carefully an, a man'e
face thrust in; AMI tell you sir, that 1, who
have seen the death agony on many \ face; !,
who have seen men turn pale an ghastly, even,
with fear; | never, sir, seen such . face as that
was that come peekin' III behind that door. II
was like that of the dead, on his eyes seemed
on fire. He laid q 'reInblin. hand on the knob,
stepped in, an softly shut the door.
"Myra turned slowly round, an in . second
that man was at her feet.
'Oh' madam! MADAME he fnirly screamed.
grabbin' her hand, Save me! save ME! Hide
me, quick! l ar. hunted like q beast! Men
with murderous hearts are in pursuit They
cannot feel mercy or pity! You, a 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 j
ann
''Ineyer took my eye off that woman's face
for a second after that man begun to speak.
There came over her such y look as I can't
tell you Of. An all the time that man was
whinin' and pleadin' she KEEP steppin back a
little at a 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 do wn
to IL moan that was pitiful to hear. HI put
his hands so implorinly at the last, an fell,
face downward, grovellin' at her feet
"There was dead silence for q full minnit.
an in that time Myra KEEP passin' her hands
over her eyes like a person comm out of .
heavy sleep. Her lips KEEP movin,' but there
was no sound. At last she spoke four words
an the man was on his feet quick as lightnin.'
Them words were:
"sJohn Coffin, my husbandps A@