, 1886-09-09
a woMAN,s


From a cowboy lust of the Texas cattle
drive, the scribe learns the particulars of
a romantic tragedy, whose action reaches
from a peaceful Eastern home to the
reckless cowboy camp of the Southern
cattle trail.
Three years ago Ella Morrow was the
belle of a considerable portion of the
granite hills of old New Hampshire. A
blue eyed, golden haired girl of II, Ella
was a typical New England beauty. Shy
and retiring, no one would have selected
her as the heroine of an awful tragedy,
but in that timid and shrinking loneliness
there coursed the stern blood Of Puritan
ancestors, and it was capable of all the
strength of hate.
The tragedy of Elias life was opened
by the appearance, In the fall of 1888, in
the Morrow neiehborhood, OF a young
stranger, giving his name as James Saun-
ders. This man was handsome. accom-
plished, and the thirty years of his life
had evidently witnessed scenes in many
lands and climes. He obtained the dis
trict school of the vicinity. and Ella was
all during the winter which followed one
of his pupils. The teacher soon sue
cceded in gaining the heart of his gentle
and lovely pupil, and when spring came
she was his promised wife. Preparations
were made for the wedding, and Saunders
departed, ostensibly to make arrange
ments for the reception of his wife SO soon
to he in the New Hampshire city he
claimed as his home. He never returned.
When, as the weeks and months went by,
Ella realized that she was deserted, her
blue eye lost its light, and the New Hamp-
shire rose faded from her check.
Soon there was a great trial in the old
farm house. Ella had, alas. trusted too
freely, and the consequences could no
longer be concealed. A child was born,
and in a few days died. A day or two
after the betrayed girl arose from her
couch Of shame and suffering, she disap-
peared- Every effort to trace her failed,
and the heart broken parents took up the
cross placed upon them, in silence.
= v X *
In the late summer of 1885, there rode
into a COW camp on the Leon, in Shackle-
ford county, Texas, a singular specimen of
the genus cowboy. He was small and slight
and had infinitesimal hands and feet. The
features were small and regular, the full
lips were tightly compressed, and the
watchful blue eyes had a hard expression.
The stranger applied for work, and OBJ
tanned it. Calf branding was in progress,
and the new rider proved worthy of his
hire. He gave the name of Vaughn, but
soon became known as Lady among his
rough companions on account of his deli
cate appearance and retiring ways. He
never Joined in any of the boisterous cow
boy pastimes, but ever held himself MS
much separate and apart as possible.
lady carried habitually a light Win
chester. and, was an adept in its use. The
outfit rode more or less all winter, and
Lady staid with it. In the spring Of
this year, the gathering of a herd for the
North was begun. More men were EN-.
ployed, and it was noticed that Lady"
was always on hand, accompanied by his
Winchester when strangers arrived in
camp 1t soo became the outfit talk that he
was looking for someone, and this impress
sion strengthened as a certain haggard
watchfulness increased in the young fellow
as the days passed on.
At last the herd started and journeyed
to Red river without anything breaking
the monotony of the usual trail routine.
Tne herd wagon stopped on the bank Of
The red stream, and camp was made.
Supper was prepared, and some of the
boys were eating, when there rode into the
camp a stranger. He was a stalwart,
sunbrowned fellow, apparently some years
over thirty. Enquiring for the foreman
he requested a Job. As the foreman
stepped forward. n horse dashed into
camp. \ light figure lcaped to tie
ground, the light of the fire shone on
the cleaning barrel of a leveled
Winchester as it covered the stranger at
point blank range. and a ringing voice ex-
claimed Make your peace instantly with
God, James Saunders, it Is |, Ella Nor
row who speaks to you" For the space
of a couple of seconds the spectators were
spell bound, and then came the sharp
crack of the rifle, and the soul of James
Saunders had gone to its account by the
hand of the woman he had betrayed.
Scarcely had the echoes died away before
there came another report, and Lady
also was a corpse. She had pnt a bullet
through her own heart.
On the person OF the unfortunate
woman, so long a cowboy, was found a
letter giving her name and the story OF
her wrongs A deep grave was dug upon
the banks of the Red river, and in il the
rough riders reverently laid the body OF
her who was once the darling of a happy
home, and the pride of the New Hamp-
shire hills. A shallow hole was then
scoope1 some distance from "Lady's''
resting place, and INTO it was carelessly
flung the corpse OF the seducer.
The root and the seat of rheumatism are