Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-05-12

aforc started for Bill Heddcn's house.
All the way as / went along / war
thinkin' of his gal more'n ever afore.
l made up my mind 10 tell Bill that
very night, but / war sure that he
knowcd what war goin' on jist as well
rs 1T told him. had sort of no
ton that may be Bill would be glad to
take the five hundred dollars I've earned
and put il in his ranch and take me as
partner, seein' as I'd be his son-in-law,
and KNOWN all about the business,
too. l was just chuck full o. happi-
ness, and when | went into the room
whar Bits gal war sttin' readin' |
went up to her, cxpectin' to see her git
up and meet me halfway jist as she'd
always done, and-however. l mustn't
speak of them things. But thar she
sot. She jist looked up onst from her
book, and then she went on readin'
agin as CT war a thousand miles
away.
IL war took all aback, gentlemen.
My head all at once got as big as
bushel and couldn't see straight, for
everything seemed to be goin' round
topsy-turvy. / tried to say something.
but not word would come out Of my
mouth. Then L heard her speak,
and what do you think she
said, gentlemcnp These is the
very Words MIR. Bush, says she, 1
can never marry you, and think we'd
better not meet agin.' Them's the
very words; spoke, too, without .
break in her voice, or tear in her eve,
or sigh from her heart; spoke jist as
Of she war speakin' to man as she
had never seen afore, much less laid on
his heart and kissed, but, as l war
a-sayin', gentlemen, those things is not
to be spoke of. / asked her war she in
earnest. l jist managed somehow or
other to git them words out of my
dried-up mouth, and then knowed no
more till l war out on the road and
heard her a-laughin' and talkin' inside
with Lieutenant Spring. from the Fort,
who went in jist as come out.
my head war still goin' round like
top, but / knowed enough to lay in
the ravine, this side o. Bits house and
wait for the man as had took my place.
In about an hour, / guess, he came
along on his horse. He didn't see me
as l covered him with my six-shooter.
war jist goin' to pull the trigger when
somethin' come up in my mind and
stopped me. l went to my bunk and
tried to git to sleep, but you see, gen.
tlemen, it warn't no use / got up at
daylight and wandered all over the
plains, lettin' my team go, and then l
come in here, thinkin' Us how I'd kill
myself with whisky or somethin' else.
For thar amt notlfin' to keep me in
this world now, as Bill Hedden's gal
has gone back on me. But I'll swear
on stack o. Bibles she loved me onst.
No." putting his hand to his heart as
he spoke, and staggering till he caught
hold of chair, while several of those
present rushed to his assistance; "thar
amt nothin' else To live for since Bits
gal give me up. 1t amt no use, gen
tlemen," as Dave Milligan and Jack
Davis took him to a chair and sup
ported'his head. "She give me my ticket
for the next world when she went back
on me, for you see loved her more'n
loved God and perhaps that warn't
quite the thing for me to do. And l
WtU swear with my dyin' breath that
she loved me onst. l saw it thou
sand times in her eyes and I'll swear
it-swear it with-my dyin' breath"
Boys" said Jack Davis, ''take of
your hats, every mothers son o. you.
Bill Bush war white-souled man eff
ever there war one. If he amt gone
to Heaven don't sec no use I'm SIGH a
place, and he war mighty sight too
good for Bill Hedden's gal. IN Y
Journal.