St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-13

Here he pulled small flask containing a
brown liquid, and after offering it to his
companion, swallowed good portion
1--WE gOt to take swig stranger. when
/ think of way back | wish
| thatd lasted. Fields, fences, barns
cattle, horses. stacks OF hay and straw, the
! old weather-beaten, ciapboarded house
home! (the bottle raised to his lips)-the
little garden around it. the big elm tree, the
old worm fence-pardner. that's picture
that sticks to me here pointing to his
heart). Now if l should leave this 'ere
seat and take shift up street. some cop
would size me up for vag and run me in
mother and father in the ground not a
friend in the world. the old home. the one
bright eSpot upon earth-eh?-v anished.'
There was a far-away look in the old
mans eyes; the rigid features had softened
into an expression of almost childish sad
ness; the tobacco stained lips quivered
nervouslv. Another swallow was taken
from the flask. and the brown face as
Sumed its former hardness.
well. it's 10 use mOping over the past,
but [ rather like sometimes to look back
over the trail. for it's a barren stretch ahead
pard, and the sun don't shine like it used
to. I'll tell you how come to this:
fellers'l say my starters chestnut, but
it's the same old tale with US all who've
got tender spots. We went to school to-
gether-she and 1.-The same old frame
school up there at the crossroads. She sat
on one side of the schoOlrOom and / on the
other ana our eyes ID meet, and she'd smile
and sod |. Laughing brown eyes-yer
couldn't a helped to love 'em. | used to
get through my lessons in hurry, for [
was an apt lad. The spare time filled up
writin' poetry to her. Nellie was Is; l
was only two years better. Her father
was kind of heightened, and lived
in great big stone house in pine grove
about half mile up the road from our
place. Her folks looked down on mine.
They owned nearly LOCO acres with lots of
bush, and they rented some of it out
Nellie was to be sent to college and made a
lady of. Well, father allus was kind to
me, but he didn't like the Clements, and he
just sneered at Nellie, while mother took
our part. Father got mad at last, and said
I'd have to quit fOOliDg with Nellie. Mother
took up the fight for me hotly-she had
schemed all the time the little meetings
Nellie and l had had unbeknownst ton ellie'S
folks
Father threatened to see about it, and
he wanted mother to know that he was the
head of the family. He used to go drink
ing whenever he'd get hot at mother. He
LETT the house, slamming the door.
That night father got drunk. quarreled
with a noted rutfian at st. D., and
came home corpse with bullet-hole in
his head.
Mother never got over this.
''Well. Pll allow still loved Nellie.
my father hadn't got drunk he wouldn't
a'got shot.
Nellie used to come over and pity
mother. She kept coming. and almost
felt kind O. glad father was out O. the way.
1 needed wife. for mother was fast tail
ing away. l was young and passionate,
you see, and had good deal of selfishness
and didn't care much what happened so I
got Nellie. When we met one evening,
Nellie stealing out of her chamber and com
ing over the fields part of the way in her
stocking feet, l told her what [ wanted.
First she got frightened. but afterward she
gave in to me. On, God! if that night
could only be botted out When l got
back home mother lay on the floor dead.
1.-The lamp was burning dimly on the
table. L picked up paper near it.
Heavensl it was copy of a mortgage for
So 900 on the farm. which father had made
out to Simon Eldruff, who kept the tavern
at st. D, the very place my father
was shot in. Father had spent lots of
money there and ran terribly in debt
This mortgage was to pay up everything
1t was due. every bit of it. and not cent
to pay it with. And mother had been read
ing it,"
The old adventurer seemed to be choked
with something, and he could not speak
until he had again put the flask to his
mouth.
well, don't recollect much about the
funeral. was kind of dazed for awhile.