The Red Cloud chief., 1888-12-21

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N-3nMI @ face, and though she
NV Ken n tried 70 speak cheer
! ~~ fully, there va .
I'M M wsiling unde<tOne
~ MN Of grief. almost OF
AESSS~ despair, is the tone
~ II sfeared ] can't,
Nell Pears like I'm
almost gone" and the snswer came huski-
u from the lips Of q aick man stretched In
The bottom OF . long emigrant wagons
drawn BY . pair Of patient mules. who weno
driven ovor The trail by the III
:Aere VA only . parson to say . bit Of
prayer, Noii, seems like I could go more
comfortable. fur I've been . rough man,
not like the quiet hum body ] Was when
left you, wife. But you see Tiers nobody
bat men st Camp Nogood; haint sosn .
petticut In nigh W year. jest tn nix o
tbst. Nell. and you'll never know how per-
Scctly lovely you an the kids looked to
~ when you stepped OF the train, an
9oW Iva got tor go an leave ye." and .
Shaxp sposm Of pain ~convulsed the white
hace.
.Ohi father. don't talk Of dying" and
80 wife turned her head away n the hot
team trickied down her cheekA Well
5000 b q tho camp. and then, may be.
someshiug be done for you"
"Ssy, poppy. POPPY, I see . house away
on yender." aud slittle boy OF eight eager
ly strained his eyes over tho long stretch
Of road before thon 70 the spot where the
faint outline Of . rude shanty was visible
in the distance.
"Thss's Tim Conway's cabin, half . mile
from tho CAMP" said the sick man, fec
bly,, "but I shan't live to git there, fur it's
0ve miles away An night . comm on"
mo, no, Brady. it's cal light yet II
goa can stand it to ride % far may DO we
can make It. Don't give up, father. don't,
now" and . CLEAN Of hope mingled with
hor tears 1t the welcome thought that .
human habitati0u wa In sight, n better
otiIl. that tho camp. the objective point
Of their journey. was almost In sight also.
"Drivo on, Nell I'll try a bear t." A
gray shadow was stealing over tho sick
man's face already, but he did not know it;
ho only know that q cold hand WA touch
ing 1t HE heart, chilling him through and
through. He thought 1t was the wind which
blow down the trail with . %shivering sug
Eostioa OF winter, but it was . stronger
breath than that Of Boress which was
freezing his life-blood and stopping its
free current through his veins.
The mules plOdded along their way and
the children watched the little speck in the
distance - It came steadily nearer with
childish interest. Besides the boy Of eight,
there was Q little girl OF five, and the baby,
Nell, aged three, 70 wrapped In shawls
that she looked more like . mummy than a
living child, and the mothers tears chilled
on her cheeks NJ she drove the mules for
ward with the hope that succ0r might be
near. It was not IN onviablc situation
Tho husband two years before had
started away from . comfortable home in
Illinois imbued with the spirit OF advent
ere and with . longing for wealth which
tho Flooding farm life did not satisfy. A
neiShbor had come home from the mount
aims with marvellous tales OF wealth to be-
soquired in tho mines, and after selling
tho farm and dividing tho proceeds with
his wife for her support while he was
gone. no had taken his share and gone back
with his comrade.
Hss claim had not panned out q ho had
hoped. but not feeling willing to abandon
his enterprise. he had sent for his wife
and children TO como out 70 him, promising
to meet them ut Denver.
Quito unknown to him an insidious dis
oSse had been creeping upon him for the
past year. weakening him slowly but
surely. and HE wife WAS shocked when
she saw his drawn and altered face when
he met her At to train, and when they
Wsre about ID miles from tho city he
had beoa taken with N acute attack OF
Ais disease, and tho aArighted wife had
menced % hopefully, for she was chcer.
Al 1SHH1A AnAvv s~A AAA fneNAA ~AAO
wifely plans for the new mountain home.
dread
There hsd been quite IN ~excitenent II
the cs0p vi % the letter he'd cs0e an
nouncing that the little woman and her
children wore on the way.
Eyer ter quit yer swearin,. Bin Nevins.
when there's . womint round" said Dick
0oWdy. SSakea, I hain't seep awomint in
- long I NEST forgot how they look"
.'Eeus q you fellcrs d better shave upa
0lt q she'll - skeeraa at tho sight Of such
Hottentot.." Burt Nacomber VA the
dandy Of IL CAMP md rude - the BE-
lon&ines Of the miners were, they would
hsvo boea more % had Is not been for his
ro0ainG taote.
He had oace ventured - carry . cane.
but his cearades peremptorily drew the
line Of prohibition q canes and be VA
forced % discard the obnoxious article.
A rough but kiad-hearted ct Of men,
thsy - 0ade q1its . hustle Of prepare
eao0 tAroaRh he DAY on which they had
oalculaeed ~ travellers would return
Doa Veoehoes - scrubbed his shanty.
IA Zen CoalinA Who kept The long. board
honm Which answered for . hotel, he'd
q a apartment for 10 tired
"a her oAildrea with . cufsaia OF
Daokine roaGAly seWa togetAor. md In IN
pnusasl freak q taste had manufactured
- auolagy Tor Q window curtain iron The
re0si.s az a ola white shirt which had
80 dnce besa packed away in his trunk
y unaooossary rubbish.
-sSVfmnin like sich truck" ~ explained
.,aloeoeically - . comrade stared in sur
- - - vnvoated luxury hanging .
ljlsas window.
: m this tine The mules were telling
veerily M The trail toward The speck OF .
-. fSsy had almost reached u when
- lif4le hoy cried out: 'Oh. nsnnaI
ennuy Ieehs % Queerr" and tAs vile WIN
|. ~ AeoeinR h0aft climbed over the sees
4 ~ - eft 10 wagon, where her NUS
~ ~ uaat change for hin wae con-
Lr1SeH0d = UAispeceA: fray. ~:
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