The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-18

70 t3e graves mime IaSt growing pOpu-
lous cemetery.
The seeming apathy with which the
dead srustler's" friends received the
news of his hurried demise BODIED i'll.
There was none of the usual exclama-
tions Of Poor fellow. There was o
heap OF good in him, after ALL" or
Now, Tom, you might let him have
his little fun. He was only shooting up
the town" To less fearless soul than
Tom Houghton's the calm that succeed
ed would have appeared ominous. But
Tom had no thought of danger, and
would have secuted the suggestion.
A few days later, as the little Mexi-
can woman drew her shawl around her,
and, slipping through back streets and
lanes, made her way to the town well to
illeher pailswith water from its cool
sdspths, she observedsa couple ofrough-
looking fellows leaning against thecurb-
ing. This was nota sufficiently uncom-
mon occurrence to attract her attention.
but . few words she caught arrested
her.
Going out to see the fun"
What's mp 2"
Don't you know? The boys have
got Houghton out in the hollow back Of
the Two-mile House, and they say
they'll roast him alive.p
The men had given no more attention
to the swarthy little woman, slowly and
painfully drawing the heavy bucket
from the deep well, thanif she were one
of the dogs that roamed the streets.
They did not observe how her hand
shook as she einptied its contents into
her tin pail, nor how she tottered and
swayed as if from some deadly physical
weakness asshe made her way across the
street and disappeared around a corner.
Once out Of their sight, she dropped
the pail on the ground and flew as if
with winged feet to where she knew
the county officers we're located, hith-
erto forbidden ground to her feet. She
caught at the arm of the first man she
met.
"Oh, for the love of God"-she used
an expression whose meaning she had
~ grasped until that moment
save him.
The man was . stranger, Just arrived
from the East. He looked down upon
her rs upon some new and curious Gre
alton, whose type had failed to be pre-
scented to him heretofore. He turned
to Q friend who had just left his side:
Look here, Burnham. What does
all this mean?"
The gentleman he addressed was n
Of the county officials. He.came quick
~ to the spot.
j. is your sherif-they have him
down by the Two-mile House-do not
wait, or it will be too late" She wrunp
her hands ina fearless anguish.
Fact, Cap" asserted q bystander.
mot ten minutes ago some one came
and told Houghton there was . row at
the Two-mile House, and he went off
9alone-the crazy fool" In his excite
ment he sought the most natural relief
that OF abusing the subject Of his
anxiety.
The eastern man, secretly somewhat
elated at the opportunity thus afforded
him by Witnessing what promised to be
so stirring a specimen of the tlagical
episodes OF frontier life, insisted upon
accompanying the posse of men who
speedily organized for the rescue. He
witnessed with exultation the short.
sharp, decisive contest, and admired
the cool courage Of the man whom they
found helplessly awaiting his fate at the
hands oi these modern brigands. The
sun had long sank below the southwest
ern horizon, but a glow in the western
sky that was like alurid flame, cleayed
the gathering darkness and touched
with mischieyous fingers the various
physiognomies of the captured roughs.
There were faces which, in their duskv
tones and abandoned yillainy, reminded
an observer Of . canvas of Velasquez;
others partook of a certain rugged type
which only missed the heroic by having
too great an infusion of the brute:
while . few would have been fair ard
prepossessing, but for certain tell-tale
pencaings about the eyes. Fooled in a
serious purpose, they were ready to
treat the whole affair as a huge Joke.
As some of the men prepared pinon
torches to light their way back to town,
and the prisoners were marshaled into
line, the Eastern man turned to his
friend Who is the woman ?-his wife %
a.Not much.n The speaker laughed
carelessly, then added, in a graver
tone, Zone OF those unfortunate ALI
ances SO common throughout New Mexi-
co-unhallowed by either marriage,
sacrament, or priest, which prevent a
man from asking an honest woman's
hand in wedlock, and cut him entirely
aloft from family and friends"
An undertone of irritation might have
been detected in the gentleman's voice.
A fine impression the event of this day
would leave on the mind of this friend.
q man of influence, whose good will he
had been striving to enlist in the inter
est Of their little town.
Another ear caught the words. The
color leaped like q flame into the wom-
cheek, and burned there q con-
Stunning fire. For the first time in her
life, o s~enss=of5Wk she had forfeited
swept owe her in one great wave OF
agony. She drew her shawl about her
head, half-hiding her face in the folds,
and was stealing away, when a hand
detained her, and a voice, altered from
It's customary tone Of command into a
certain indefinable tenderness. checked
Tom Houghton had been doing some
,ard thinking in the last hour. Out
calm and collected, and resigned
20 the wretched fate before him, the
glimpse of his dusky face over the
bank of the rayine had appeared to
Inn like q symbol of hope.
Don't go home yet. shall be- eady
n q moment
Not home. II is not there I am go
ng."
She spoke with the quaint precision
lcquired in the s Of q foreign tongue,
the undertons Of pain did not es-
ape his attention.
What does this mean? Would you
cave me?"
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