Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-04-08

| of course feebiy, for his life, and in the
| scuffie had torn away this curious
sleeve button from his murderer.
| That, to me, horrible yellow jewel
| have carried ever since, as heonly clue
| by which hope to find the man whom
| / have sworn to be revenged upon.
| was only very young girl when
| my father died, but / had no
mother, sister or brother and concen-
trated all the ardent affection OF my
nature upon my dear good father. So,
young az / was, | then and there de-
termined and solemnly vowed to shoot
| that fathers murderer il ever found
ruling passion and only aim OF my
life, and you can imagine my emotion
when | saw you wearing the mate to
this horrible sleeve button"
"Will you tell me where you got
that sleeve button, for am certain
that you never owned the pair?'
related all knew of the jewel and
then added:
Read this letter which has just
| come, but remember that the man
who gave me the button may be, and
probably is, as innocent as am. Do
not be too hasty, as you may mis-
Judge a second time, and in any case,
my dear young lady, do not she'd
blood even though it be guilty blood
Jet the law do that"
She SAID nothing except to request
me to unlock the door, and soon lsaw
her walking away up the mountain
side. The Rivervifle train left with
out Miss Miner, and was once more
alone in the deserted depot.
About 10 O'Clock she sauntered in
to the station.
/ LET me stay inside there. out of
sight, but where may see and hear
this man who wrote that he would be
here tonight.
/ ] agreed on condition that she gave
up her pistol, which she did after hest
tating for an instant.
/ 1t was Just such night as when two
months before, had sold ticket for
/ a sleeve button. | began to wish /
had never seen the unlucky trinket.
As my custom was on fine evenings, /
drew my chair out to the platform
| and lit cigar. just as on that other
evening, about five minutes before the
express was due my man hurried up.
"Good evening, Mr.. Agent. Please
let me nave a ticket to Nashville and
my sleeve fastening, and take enough
out of this bill for two tickets. That
will make us square, believe, and Pm
everlastingly obliged to you"
''Stay minute" said 81 have
taken fancy to this old button, and
would like to buy it of YOU"
Don't wantto sellit." hesaid rath-
er CURLY.
"Oh, come, I'll give you fair price
| forit. VIII let you have another ticket
and give you S5to boot"
Cant do it-hurry up. can hear
| the train"
"Why, is there any little history at
tached to the button?" Iasked.
eyes, there is, but look above, man"
Lots of time" / said, as gazed at
my watch. There was only three min
utes. "Any objection to telling me
what it is?" this as slowly rose from
my seat.
Eyes, have decided objection to
telling you my private affairs.
| fIe was now getting out OF temper.
He was a powerful looking man, but |
had never known fear, so l resolved
/ III u MS illebtle 81 lilliS.
Must be something rot very good
to tell connected withtnis button" as
| twirled it between my fingers.
Curse youl can't you hear the train
coming?" he muttered. "fyou won't
give me the cursed trinket keep it, but
| for Gods sake stop the train"
81 will when you tell me where you
got it or where the mate to it is, |
answered. My monkey" was upnow
and was game to see the eud of the
play. The strangers monkey was
up, too, for he whipped out large
| seven shooter and shouted: "D--n
you, get your lantern and flag that
train. or, by Cd, I'll send you tofol-
low the man who took the mate to
| that button from me. Look lively,
now; | warn you it's unlucky to keep
that trinket from mel"
| The train was coming along rapidly
! In about a minute it would pass un-
| less stopped at once. BY this time we
were both in the ticket Office, and
| as the stranger uttered his last words
he was confronted by Miss Miner. 1t
was q strange sight to see that beautl-
| full girl, clad in a white summer dress,
| walk up to him with huge revolver
in his grasp.
"Give me that pistol" she said very
| quietly, but firmly and quickly. The
man seemed dazed and handed the
| weapon to her IN mechanical sort of
| way.
Murderer" she Missed rather than
I spoke, your own words have con-
| demred you am Colonel Miners
| daughter, and this is thehappiest mo-
ment lhave known since you killed my
| father"
Before l could interfere she raised
the pistol and fired. The man lodged
the bullet and ran quickly out OF the
| door As he reached the track theex-
press Numbered by, and the locomo-
tive carried with it, for a quarter of o
mile, the corpse ofthe man who had es-
capped shooting only to die more orri-
BILE death. Colonel Miner was avenged.
but | was thankful that his daughter
had been spared the crime of murder,
| however iustifiable it might have been.
| | managed, too, to keep the story
hushed up, and the country news
papers devoted a short paragraph to
the description OF an accidental death
on the railroad tracks.
The next day Miss Miner went
away, and have never seen her since.
/ am still agent at the Big Lick juno
ton but no ripple has disturbed the
stiffness of my quiet stream of life
since that eventful September evening.
| have the pair of sleeve-buttons and
the two revolvers in my possession
yet, but never wear the buttons, be-
cause, although not given to supersti-
tious ideas, l imagine they may car
ry with them ill luck.-Philadelphia