The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-11-22


dead man AMI listen to the hideous wind.
He threw his coat about him, pulled his hat
over his ear-. ana fed from the place
The drifts were terrible, and the sleet
thai beat upon his face was like the touch
Of death TIE light Of the railroad station
snone tarou h the storm, AMI toward this
he struggled the sleepy operator i'll the
telegraph room started up in astonishment
at tue huge. snow-covered figure that stag
gersi into tie room.
my pardner IS dead I wanter send a
telegral 10 Boston Whatn it taks.'
"How many woris?'
Il dom know said Bill I'm not up to
this lay-ous u yourn. What's the lImit:'
"Ju-t wTits out
write out! slii Bill. grimiy %, no;
Pm no fUrtessor in a college, Just you
write exactly what tell you"
GAN right"
"Just say" began Bill Edward Payson.
No. l225 Beacon street, Boston Got that
down.'
4Beacon street. Boston, yes" said the
operator
Bin continued: Il take my pen in hand
NO." said the other "Cut all that"
aye see," said Bill, appologetically. 81
wanter break the news to the old gent.
H viewer. you Know best Just say his son
George del hero Tonight CT ne wmony.
)
TIE operator real:
DEADWOOD, Feb. >. 1873 II. Edward
Paysun, 1873 Beacon street Boston, Mass:
Your son George died here tonight of pueU-
moGia. WIN Jury him aeTe ana await your
orders. BILL RAGsDALE
@That's right. III ave him buried hero
till the oil man comes. Now, young feller,
I'm dead broke, but tell you what III do.
Here's my gun. III leave it in hook with
you till L make a raise Is it bargain!'
The operator was glad to oblige MIR. Rags
dale, and told him that the arrangement
was entirely satisfactory. Bill stood by the
stove moment
"Poor Boston, he uttered, poor Boston.
4 man can't tell when his turns comm"
Then he passed out into the storm and the
wind changed the door after him.
BY o'clock in the morning the storm had
ceased. and party OF miners passing along
the railroad track. found not 100 yards
from the station ~ dead body of Bill Rags
dale. 1t was fruse1 stiff, but two rough
holes in his forehead showed that he had
not diel from exposure. few hour later
DR.. Morgan rode a stalwart broncho as far
up the guIch as he could go, then dis
mounted, and after great difficulty reached
the door of Bo tons cabin. He entered and
found Boston tie only occupant. There were
only q few embers the hearth. He ut
tered an exclamation and turned 70 the
bed. Boston made slight motion with his
head and asked feebly:
"Where's Bill"
Il don't know" aid the doctor. "How do
you feel to- day.'
"Better, but l was very bad last night
The doctor blew up the embsrs, put on more
wool, tucked the blankets about Boston,
and BEGAN looking fer something 20 cool.
"How's tho chest AMI back:' he asked.
Very little pain" said Boston. IL won
der where Bill is' Tho doctor was busy in
the manufacture OF broth and did not hear
him. He administered some medicines and
gave the patient two applications "The
turning point is passed." he said to his pa
TENT. "you'ra bound to get well nowl" Then
he returned to town, but came back in the
afternoon with Col Molly AMI a supply of
provisions. ID mt tell him about Bill" he
cautioned. The next day he called again. Col.
Molly was slesping ina corner and Boston was
sitting up in bed. In two days more Molly
came back to town, and Boston, pale and
very weak, was walking about the cabin.
He had heard of Bul5 death, and turned
down another sombre leaf IN his book of
Inemcries. The terrible storm had swept
down the telegraph wires, and among the
delayed messages received by the operator
about a week after Bilrs death was the
following:
Boston, Feb. ), 1875. BILL RAGsDALE,
y
dead. All bills will bo paid WIN come in
the spring. HENRY SCRANTON.
All the operator could do was to return
word t. AIr. Scranton that Bill Rags1ale
was dead. II the meantime George Pay
son recovered from his convalescence and
began mora earnest and systematic life
He left the town and secured position in
a stamp-mill a short distance away, and the
spring found him there, graver, with few
premature gray threads in his bearl. Some
secret hope seemed to buoy him up, and
some recollection, which could not have
been all a pain, lived with him and kept
fire in his eye aud vivacity in his speech.
One April day, when the snow lay in
irregular patches over the ground and the
mist rollet slowly mp the sides Of the noun
taius, the stage, numbering along the muddy
street. had i'll it two travellers Of an I'M
vontai type. The loafers smoking on the
veranda Of the hotel held their brsaths with
anazsment as they saw a stately old gentle
man descend and hand out, with all the
unctuous grace OF the OLD school, a lady so
beautiful, 50 penslve and young, that she
seemed like one Of the pale flowers pushing
It's head up through the snow in the barren
woods. But the rapid inquiries to their
Identity lefe the natives no wi-er, and they
were obiiEeI - -Ieap the my terry. The
next m3rajnS. however, the keeper Of the
hotel Game en- the veraaia with q piece of
gossip. TIE Old gentleman hal sent for
him AMI mads special inquiries after one
George Ia son, who had died in February.
No enc knaw o. such mau, ana this in
formation. o. rather lack CT it, was con-
veyet TO tAs Old stranger, who gave his
namo as Henry Scranton He seemed
greatly astoHishsi and disappointed, and
later in the day hired a team of mountain
ponies AMI the only wagon there was in the
place AMI drove out towards the mining
camps Ga tae way he renewed his in
QUros witaout success. At last however,
be h1rpeHel t. mention that Payson came
from B3=tJa.
Thurs chap as S5evens' Mil they call
30 ton, >" sail the man no addressed. 81
reckon he'll know about tho man you're
after