The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-08-06
late, but there's the illigant stew for

ne devil fly away with your
stew, Mrs. Delany,' says l, Where's
my daughter?'
"' "Taint any OF me knows SAYS
she, Il 'spose she's KEEP late. Ateyour
stew, man, and don't be cursin' me,
for | won't take it off you nor no
man..
"Pm fond of Irish stew, sir. and no
woman makes it better nor Mrs. De-
lany, but with this and that l were so
put out l never enjoyed bite less
eight O'Clock came and | was wor-
ried more and more. Then the wife
came out OF the room where Mary
slept with bit of a note in her hand
read it: Dear father and mother,
| have gone with my Barton, that I
love with all my heart
VI was struck cold, sir; saw it all.
Atore | could catch my breath there
were footsteps running up the barracks
stairs, and Mary hurst in, all in silks
and satins and velvet.
oh, father! daddy! Oh mother,',
she cried. Il couldn't 60 after all,
without SEEM you' Her mother
| would have rushed to her girl, but
| stepped between them.
! loh IL llo lldllSillCT Ol llllllc. Says
]. Mrs. Delany, don't touch herl
Girl, go III hear no word from her
mouth. Go! before disgrace me uni
form by strilsin' you, before break
my heart with cursing you!'
She looked at me; she knew what
my temper was when it was up, and
she turned and went.
"Ah, sorrow like that is hard to bear.
It's the broken heart l carried in my
breast them days, and long after.
Men tried TO speak to me OF her and
him, but swore I'd kill the first man
named her name, and I've done it. l
could not face the men and officers
who'd known me so long. / had the
right to ask me discharge after that
length OF service, and did and got it,
and went where I'd never bee a face
that knew me.
"The wife never troubled me about
the hardness, but l knew no other
trade but the soldering, and things
didn't go we'll with us.
MARY kept, somehow, knowledge of
| all our changes, and every month
would come letter with fifty dollars
| in notes to me. No word-no way
could tell from where it came. Christ
mas times the notes would be for
| hundred, so knew she was not in
want
THE Bartons were rich and high
family. Often ! swore to 20 to them
with the story of the ruin of my girl;
but the love still had for her and me
own pride held me back from exposin'
the trouble. never played the fife,
never thought OF the ould thing after,
and it's a hard life the wife had with
me tempers, but she bore it WE'LL
THE wound me daughter, me of.
ticers and meself had given me were
KILN me with anger and despair.
That would hurt me longer, hurt me
sorer and hurt me worse to the life
core than any | ever got from Mex
leans, lnjuns or rebels, and got them
from all.
"Well, sir, it was Just five years from
the time got that deadly hurt, and we
were living in -, with hard scratch
in to get along on me pension and
what / could make laborin,' for
was gettin' ould. Pm past seventy
now.
| lttIliC III !ttbltI ldlS one nluIlU ana
the wife says: You're wanted imme-
diate to the Union Hotel says she;
you been sent for twice. Who
is it?' says |. Il don't know
says she; but brush yourself and 90 at
onct, says she, and III have a nice
stew for you when you get back. May
be it's good luck comm"
so | trimmed up forinspection and
review. I'd been tryin' to get q
watchman's place on railroad and
thought maybe some OF the masters
were waitin' to see me bout that.
81 soon got to the hotel. My names
Delaney, says to the clerk. He taps
the bell and says to the black man.
Show the gentleman up to Parlor B.,
says he.
'Gentlenlann thinks ], 'Parlor B.
thinks |. It's risin' in the world am.
Maybe they'll be maxim a superin-
tindnt of an ould soldier thinks I,
and followed the blackie, all in blind
of wonder
"It's a fine room were shown in
to- and nobody in it. The sarvent
left and was smoothin my hair be-
fore big iookin glass were there, when
heard Il swish like a dress aside me-
| turned and there were Mary-my
Mary!-so beautiful, SO like queen,
with her darlin' blue eyes lookin' SO
"'oh, daddy she cried, holdin' out
her two arms, and calm me by the
name she called me when she were my
own innocent little baby. 'Oh, daddy,
| listen to ME now.'
| ''l'ha l,nf
though me heart We're beatin' like
'twould burst ne breast and lump
IN me throat were chokin' me.
"'Not word, says 1, mot word
with deserters, and traitors, and
worse! You're dead to me! You were
no more Mary Delany from the night
you left your parents'
"'No.' says a deep, clear voice, but
she's Mary Barton, and has been from
that same night and out OF room
leadin into the parlor steps my old
lieutenant and puts his arm around
her so bold, and lookin' so handsome
that was speechless and moveless.
81 struck the tears from my eyes,
and heard a little voice say 'Drandadn
an looked down, and there was my
little Mary three years Old lookin' up
at me, an holdin in her hands that
ould fife.
"1looked from the child to the moth
er. to the father, and saw what an
old brute and fool I'd been No need
to tell me word more
"'Tiss me, drandad!" says the little
one, and | gathered her up, and I, that
had never shed a tear for sorrow or
pam, run the eyes out of me with cry.
in for JOY.
eve talked and we talked. They
told me how they had been to England
and France, for Mary's education,
| how ha liant ants ,,an,,la had ;,,;,