The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1885-11-05

dismounted, and. after great difficulty,
reached the door Of Boston's cabin. He
entered and found Boston tho only oc-
cupant There were only few embcrs
on the hearth. Ho uttered an exolama-
ton and turned to tho bed. Boston
made slight motion with his head and
asked fccbly:
Where's BillP'
81 don't know" said tho doctor.
elbow do you feel to-day"
"Bcttcr. but I was very bad last
night" The doctor blew up tho ON.
bos, put Oh moro wood. tucked tho
blankets about Boston, and began
looking for something to cook. Elbows
tho chest and backP" hc asked.
very little PAIN" said Boston. ~
wonder where Bill is" The doctor
was busy in tho manufacture of broth
and did not hear him. Ho administered
some medicine and gave tho patient two
applications. "The turning point is
passed." no said to his patient. ''you'ro
bound to get well now!" Then no re-
turned to town. but came back In the
afternoon with Colonel Molly and q
supply of provisions "Don't tell him
about Bill." he cautioned. The next
day hc called again. Colonel Molly
was sleeping In corner and Boston
was sitting up In bed. In two days
moro Molly camo back to town and
Boston, pale and very weak, was walk
ing about the cabin. He had hoard OF
Bills death, and turned down another
somber leaf in his book Of memories.
The terrible storm had swept down the
telegraph wires, and among tho de-
layed messages received by the operator
about a week after Bills death was tho
following:
BosroS. Feb. g. ls,s-Bal Rdgsiale. Dead:
rood: George Payson's father is dead. All
bills will be paid. viii come In tho spring.
HESRy SCRASTos.
All the operator could do was to 70.
turn word to Mr.. Scranton that Bill
Ragsdale was dead. In the meantime
George Payson recovered from his con.
valescencc and began a more earnest
and systematic life. lilo left the town
and secured q position in a stamp.mill
short distance away, and tho spring
found him there. graycr, with a fow
premature gray threads in his beard.
Some secret hopo seemed to buoy him
up. and some recollection. which could
not have been all pain. lived with him
and kept iirc In his eye and a vivacity
in his speech.
One raw April day, when the snow
lay in irregular patches over the ground
and the mist rolled slowly up the sides
of the mountains, the stage. numbering
along the muddy street, had In 1t two
travellers of m unwontci type. Tho
loafcrs smoking on the ycranda OF the
hotel held their brcaths with amaze
men, as they saw stately old gentle.
man descend and hand out, with all
the unctuous grace Of the old school.
lady so beautiful, so pcnsivc and young.
that she seemed like one Of the pale
flowers pushing its head up through the
snow in the barren woods. But the
rabid inquiries as to their identity left
the natives no wiser. and they wero
obliged to sleep on tho mystery. Tho
next morning. however. the keeper OF
the hotel came on tho veranda with n
piece Of gossip. The old gentleman
had sent for him and made special in.
quirics after one George Payson, who
had died in February.
No one knew of such man. and this
information. or rather lack Of II, was
conveyed to the old stranger. who gave
his name as Henry Scranton. He
seemed greatly astonishcd and disap.
pointed. and later in tho day hired
team Of mountain ponies and the only
wagon there was in the place and drove
out towards the mining camps. On the
way he renewed his inquiries without
success. At last, however, he hap.
pcned to mention that Payson came
from Boston.
"Thar's chap at Stevens Mill they
call Boston, said the man he ad-
addressed. "Ircckon he'll know about
the man you're after"
The wagon was driven to Stevens
stamp-mill, aud just as the old gentle.
man was assisting the young lady to
alight his eye caught sight Of familiar
figure directing some workmen hun.
dred feet away. He started u little,
took a long look at the man who had
attracted his attention and then turned
to the young lady with an assumed OK.
preston OF nonchalance.
my DEAR" he said, "rm afraid wo
haven't been rightly informed about
this man."
"Why?" she said. dejectedly. what
makes you think SOP"
"Well, tho fact is" he replied. ut
has just occurred to me that there
might be some mistake about those
kilograms we received last winter"
do you mean about the date9" she
asked. "or the place."
The old man was trembling and he
moved so that his tall form shielded her
from the group Of workingmen.
"Not the date nor the place." no re-
turned, laying one hand imprcssively
on her shoulder. "but the man"