The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-04-09

Miss Miner stood near while | read
nv letter, and when | was through
asked me il | could give her ten MIN
utes Of my time where we could talk
without fear OfdisturbanCe. We went
into my inner Office and locked the
door. Then she drew from her pocket
a small revolver and the mate to my
sleeve button, laying them upon my
desk. A curious smile overspread her
face as she said: "Mr. Norton,
the first time | came to Big
Lick. | came with no particular
purpose, merely to wh9e away
an hour or two OF a Simmer day.
Every time ! have COME since, until
to-day, | have carried. this pistol, be-
ing purSuaded az first that you de-
served to be shot. have been eager
to identity yoI, that might have the
satisfaction OF shooting you, and, be-
lieve me. / should not have hesitatcd
for q moment had | been convinced
thai you were indeed the man at
trst supposed you to be. The last
! day | was here | had some doubts as
to my being on the right track. am
now satisfied that my suspicious were
totally unjust. Before | go any fur
ther. will you forgive me, and prom
Use me your friendship and aid IN the
future?'
| felt, to use a vulgar expression,
all in a heap Seeing my hesitation
Miss Miner continued:
II will satisfy you that | had good
reason for my conduct, and a only
reiterate that | am very sorry now
that my suspicious should have fallen
on you"
She then told me the following
story:
Five years or more ago, when the
q was almost at its close, my ia
ther, who was Colonel in a cavalry
regiment in the Union army, was serl-
ously wounded. Our house vas not
very far from the seat OF war, so he
was brought to the old homestead to
die-as we all thought. But he raj
lied and in a few weeks appeared to be
in a fair way to recover. When, one
evening, soldier called at the house,
saying that he must see my father at
once and alone on important military
business, he was admitted to the sick
chamber and left with my father. An
hour passed, when the doctor, think
ing my father would be worse after so
long an interview, decided to 60 to the
room and request the soldier to with
draw. To his horror he found my
father upon the floor unconscious, his
head badly bruised. His bureau was
open and emptied of all money and
| other valuables. The robber and
murderer had decamped. say muir
derer, because my father died that
night, though not before he was able
to tell something of his assailant. My
father had struggled m%anfully, though
of course feebly, for his life, and in the
scuffle had torn away this curious
sleeve button from his murderer.
That, to me, horrible yellow jewel l
have carried ever since, as the only clue
by which | hope to find the man whom
l have sworn to be revenged upon.
| was only a very young girl when
my father disd, but ! HAD no
mother, sister or brother and concen-
trated all the ardent affection of my
nature upon mydear good father. So,
young as / was, I then and there de-
termined and solemnly vowed to shoot
that father murderer if | ever found
him, on sight. Revenge is now the
ruling passion and only aim OF my
life, and you al imagine my emotion
when | saw you wearing the mate to
this horrible sleeve button"
"Will you tell me where you got
that sleeve button, for | am certain
that you never owned the pair?"
related all I knew OF the jewel and
then added:
Read this letter which has just
come, but remember that the man
who gave me the button may be, and
probably is, as innocent as / am. Do
not be too hasty, as you may mis-.
judge a second time, and in any case,
my dear young lady, do not shed
blood, even though it be guilty blood
LET the law do that"
She said nothing except to request
me to unlock the doQr, and soon saw
her walking away up the mountain
side. The R~iverville train left with
out Miss Miner, and ! was once more
alone In the deserted depot.
About 10 o'clock she sauntered in
to the station.
LET me stay inside there, out D
sight, but where / may see and heal
this mar who wrote that he would b,
here tonight"
/ agreed on condition that she gave
up her pistol, which she did after hest
tating for an instant.
1t was just such anight as when tive
months before, / had sold a ticket foi
q sleeve button. began to wish
had never seen the unlucky trinket
AS my custom was on fine evenings,
drew my chair out to the platform
and lit 81 cigar, Just as on that othe
evening, about five minutes before tn