West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-10-25
DICK .JOIINSONlS REVENGE
A sKEron on MoRMoN 11FE,

- 'A~ANh vi aOhMON
They were the most contented family
In the world The father was by turns
a prospector, trapper, or a rancher but
he never succeeded in making a rood
living any way. lie was a remarka.
bly, handsome mountaineer, tall and
strong, and he looked on honest labor as
quite beneath HIM His word was his
bond; he contracted no debts that Inc
could not pay; yet he often cut up fat
steer and divided the meat among his
neighbors, who sent him vegetables and
groceries jp return, and never asked
where the fat steer had come from. Per.
haps they knew. When herd passed
along the dusty high-road the women
smiled at each other and said 81 guess
well hey some fresh meat to morrow"
sometimes he would drive into town
with team of high-stepbsng: smooth
coated horses attached to his rusty old
blackboard. Then his friends crowded
about him; stroking the glossy necks.
examining the white teeth, but no one
IN this little Mormon settlement ever
ssought OF inquiring where he got them.
DICK johnson was the kindest of men
to his friends aud family, yet he had his
record he would be iynched promptly
Al ne should ever return 10 Montana; he
mad shot bridgekecper who demanded
toll OF him, and, altogether, the deaths
OF haf dozen men were caused by the
well-known fact that sole Dick wpl
mighty lively with his pistols when bc
got 'nutf whisky aboard"
His wife did not always have n GOOD
print dress to wear TO town. the chill.
dren were seldom provided with shoes.
but she always seemed contented and
lazily happy, and there was not mer-
Tier set OF little ones The mother was n
fair haired, Blue-cycd woman, and the
children ali looked like her.
''The Children mostly awl' look Ike
me" she would say, with an amiable
smile; ''awl Of 'em 'cept Caddic. and |
guess she looks moro like her pa"
"1ou kin jest bet / DO, and I'm
mighty glad l haven't no tow head like
these here young 'uns,p Caddic would
answer. She was n remarkably hand
some girl, and people who admired her
delicate, dark face, were always shocked
when her coarse voiee aud coarser lang.
uage were heard, OF course. this ener-
getic girl ruled the whole family; the
man, who, in spite of his strength and
ferco ty was as lender hearted and simple
minded as child, the indolent. amiable
woman, andthe swarm of tow headed
children.
Caddio had dreams Of something diff
ferent fsom the vagrant life that satis-
fled the rest Of the family. Sometimes
she saw herself a busy wife aud mother.
moving about the two or threo rooms OF
q log farm house, with a few hardy
flowers struggling for existence in the
small front garden, with current bushes.
strawberry vines, aud Rourishiug yeQe
tablessurrounding the house, and with
waving fields Of grain stretching away 10
the dark mountains that bound these
Western valleys.
She couhded thoso visions to her
mother once.
81 tell yer what, nav" she said,
''when git married / hain't goin' to
hey no ecch ferlOrn idoby shanty oz
this here. It'll heY TO to a log house.
and well plastered an whitewashed I'm.
side an out An there'H be the purtiest
rag carpet on the front room floor YOU
over see, an good board floor I'm the
kitchen, too An I'll hov likely colt
20 ride, an some COWS SOS to hev lots OF
milk an butter, an yer bet yor life I'll
be boss o. the hull ranch.
"Yew've always he'd fno idoos In
yeW'ro head, Caddie." drawled her
mother IAN Of ycw marries Bishop
Burns, like yow're pa wants yow tow,
maybe he'll CIV yow q big house, but
yew knew we'll enuf that Dan Williams
cant do nc sech thing fer ye."
'Hnh F" observed Caddie. 'Ef that
bull headed ole Burns ever comes
a.shinin' round me he'll Ret sech crack
IN is jaw III make him see stars. or else
my name hain't Cad Johnson
wall, I guess he'd better not risk 81,
thop,n SAID the woman, with a feeble
laugh. Yew're pas ahitchin' up the
HOSES, Caddie, an reckon yewd Jettor
pack thet there bt o. butter in n box,
an mebbe ole Burns all give ycw some
shoes fer - Of yew'fo real nice tow him. s"
'All right" answered Caddio. "Look
a-hele, you Tom, 1911 kick you into the
middle Of next week N you don't stop
tryiu 10 lasso that there pig Come
along here now, an Git yer face washed
We're goin' 20 the Coop an mobbo
you'll git some candy Of you'Il behave
yourselves"
There was only one seat in the wagon,
and on e sat Dick johnson and bic wife.
who hold the baby In their arms
Caddie fat on the box IN the back Of tho
wagon, sad The echildron rolled around