The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-02-27

self come back after me- I've laid
awake many night worryin' over
that.
Anyhow, I amt ever heard from
Jarvis Dauson since | left Ioway.
But that man amt dead" she added
quickly. 81 know he amt. | amt
never heard a sign OF it. | b'lieve in
signs, an if Jarvis was dead, I'd know
it. don't care how many miles they
was between US I'd know it. No;
Jarvis Dauson amt dead, an I've
faith to believe that he'll come back
to me vet. Something is keepin' us
apart that neither OF us understand
now. It'll all be made clear in the
Lords own time. Jarvis Dauson
want the man to desert the woman
he'd sworn to love and cherish while
she lived. | know it ~
Her faith and trust was greater
than my own. had had a larger ex-
perience with mankind than she, al
though her age was fully 80 years, and
mine but %.
hoped that she would never know
the bitter truth, but | felt sure that
Jarvis Dauson had been untrue to this
gOOQ ana 1alUnful vile.
knew how years OF life in mining
camps made men reckless and forget
full of their highest and hottest resolves,
their hottest loves.
"I'm goin' over to Aspen to nurse a
brother O mine that's been taken sick
there. He amt been out here but
month, an we got word last week he
was layin' very sick with fever, an |
had to come right on. There was no
one else to come. But I'm anxious to
get back to Kansas, for fear Jarvis
may come while I'm gone. I'm never
goin to move ag'in Just to make it
that much harder for Jarvis to find
me-"
The stage had stopped on one of the
"turnoutS" made at intervals along
the pass. A long line OF freighters were
passing with their cumbrous and slow
moving wagons.
looked at my watch. 1t was after
II O'Clock.
care we almost to the dinner sta
ton? ?" asked, putting my head out
OF the window and speaking to the
stage driver.
eyes" he replied, ''it's only bout a
mile furder on. I'm a little late to-
day, the roads is bad, but Sue Hold
son'll dish you up q might good dinner
when you git down there. We stop
forty minutes fer dinner at HOdson's;
it's the best eatin' house in this coun-
try, and Sue Hodson's one O the
smartest wimmen. She kin talk till
your head swims."
The clouds were clearing away; the
rain had ceased; rays of sunshine came
slanting down the valleys and gave
the vapory mists a golden hue; the
purple SUBMITS of the mountains were
being revealed against bits OF blue sky
in the West.
| climbed up by the drivers side, my
favOrite seat on stage coach.
"Hodson's is right over yander,
where you see that bit of blue smoke
comm up from the pines" said the
driver. Its mighty poplar place,
but Iheerd Yesterday that Hodson had
sold out to some strangers, and don't
blame himifhehas Hesold an interest
in mine two weeks ago for $4,000,
an keepin' q dinner station is purity
hard work. But folks'H miss Sue
Hodson's cookin' an her talk an her
two little shavers that are as sharp as
tacks. HOdsOn's mighty poplar
too"
In fifteen minutes we were at Hold
sons. The place consisted of a long,
low house of hewn logs, with many
Outbulldlngs for the stage horses and
Hodson's stock.
The cabin door was open, and from
! / !
rag carpet on the floor OF the cabin; a
glowing fire of logs in the great fire
place, with Old-fashioned, cushioned
rocking chairs before it. A sewing
machine stood by window. There
were pictures on the whitewashed
walls, and cans and pots OF blooming
plants in white curtained windows.
A tall, slender woman with an hon
est, kindly face, came hurriedly to the
door. Behind her were the two little
''shavers" of whom the driver had
spoken. One was a pretty boy of
about years, and the other a fair
faced little girl of 4. They had bright
and saucy faces, and were, no doubt,
as "sharp as a tack"
GA light load to-day, john" said
the woman, in a strong, CHEEKY voice.
yes" said John, the driver. "But
what there is of us is mighty hungry
There's a lady inside"
Mrs. HodsOn was at the stage door
in moment.
Let me help you out, madame,
you must be most awful tired. It's
one OF the worst roads in the mount
| aims. Come right in. We've got
plenty OF soap and towels and the
4 best water on earth here, if we do live
in poor sort of way. And I'll take
! dinner right up.
Istayed outside for few moments
| to finish my cigar, and when | went
into the house Mrs. Hodson and Mrs.
! DausOn were both talking at "head-
| swimming" tate. One would have
supposed that they had known each
other for years.
Mrs Hodson was a much younger
woman than Amanda Dauson-
younger and fairer; a prettier woman
| than Mrs. Dauson had ever been.
/ Now that her bonnet and shawl We're
removed | could see that Mrs. Dau-
! son looked very old and careworn and
! her eyes were more eager and alert
! than ever. Her hands were hard and
the fingers bent. She told me that
she had always been very poor and
had worked like a slave"
Her thin lips seemed to be in a con
slant culver, and | felt that there
were greater depths of tenderness, of
| passionate love and longing in her ma
ture than had imagined there could
be in one who talked so calmly and
candldly OF the greatest sorrow Of her
lie
80 you're from Iowa, originally"
Mrs. HodsOn was saying when | went
into the caoin. I'm a real Western
er, born in Calaforny. But | think
. Eve heard Hodson say that he was in
Iowa once, and I've always heard it
was good state. But | don't think
much OF Kansas. We're goin' East
soon, but TvenO idee Wen stay. Hold
sonike'd Calaiorny best, and now that