Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1888-05-19

, JIiH relurnei. I. An wing fclt mucn
relieved, and at once handed the note to
his master. 1t was written in a rough,
unknown hand, but this is what he
managed to decipher:
PARsoN,-You are understood to be a
pretty good fellow. This girls father
was accidentally shot this evening in n
scutlie with the coach people. She must
be cared for, and / select you for the
job. / know your record, and YOU are
the only man In Colorado l would trust
with an unprotected girl. / will see
that You are supplied from time to time
with money for her keep. etrue to this
trust, or look out for KANSAS.
The parsOn twirled the paper in his
fingers, showed it into his hip pocket,
and then asked few questions of ALI
Wing.
What kind of a fellow brought the
girl here =
"Muchee fine Mclean man, replied
the little Chinaman.
Would you know him again if you
saw him, All Wing
Eyes, stree. All Wing no fool"
Half an hour later the fair young
stranger opened her eyes, and the par
son, in his homely but pleasant way,
proceeded to make her feel at home.
81 am afraid, miss. that your have just
passed through serious trouble; but try
and feel that you are at least safe and
among friends. You are welcome to all
this poor house affords, and anything
that we can do for you shall he done"
But the girl burst into flood of tears,
and could speak no words but "Poor
father-pOor father"
Later on, Parson jim learned that she
and her father were the only passengers
on the preceding day to Denver, and
that they were going through to Colo
RADIO Springs Oh their way to New Or
leans. The coach was attacked by high
waymen, and, rs the girls father, Mr..
Winship, rather unwisely resisted them,
he was shot dead. Then the girl had
tainted, and remembered nothing until
she had found herself in Parson Jim's
best room. Her name, she said, was
Ethel Winship.
Putting the girls story and the con-
tents of the note together, it looked as
though the desperate Kansas had killed
the girls father, and. prompted by some
feeling of remOrse and pity, had under
taken to help the bereaved daughter.
A day or two later, when Ethel was
somewhat rested and her grief less poie-
nant, Parson Jim had another talk with
her.
"What would you like to do?" he
said
"Oh, sir, there is nothing for me to
do. Get me work of some kind here in
this place. We had no frieuds father
and had lived and Travelled together
since my mother died, many years ago.
We were getting poor, too, / know, and
my father had some plans of his own,
but what they were l do not know. If
you will help me to get living here, |
shall be much-ob,iged, and l am willing
to try anything
"My poor child said Parson Jim, in
his kindly voice, Il am truly sorry for
you. If you can I've content in my rough
home for while, stay here until We can
manage something better for you. l
have no one for whom l care, or who
cares for me-only the boys in the camp.
But these same boys will tell you that
not a hair of your head will be hurt
while you stay under my roof. l have
plenty of this worlds wealth-more
than the boys imagine-and can afford
a slight addition to my family"
SO she stayed, and found that Parson
Jim's words were true. She could not
have been treated more as q lady had
she been an carl's daughter and the
guest of a dowager duchess. As tie
yVnaEG raocSa1 Dor,nn lin, y,onacva1 10
add couple of cute little rooms to the
parsonage, one of which was "my ladys
chamber" and the other the "parlor. 4"
Then, too, pretty carpets and furniture
came from Denver, and he boys began
to think that the parson was putting on
''lugs." But they excused good deal
in the parson, and really We'd with one
another in paying homage in their rough
way to the parsons ward.
OF course they soon knew the story;
and Parson Jim had shown Hon. Samuel
Green and one or two others the note
that Kansas had left with Ethel Win
ship.
Months fled and Ethel stayed on at
the Gulch. She became contented, ard
much appreciated the parsons care and
efforts to make her comfortable. She
showed her gratitude in a hundred
womanly ways, and kept the parsonage
as neat and pretty as if it had been in
Massachusetts or in the English mid
lands, instead of in a wild Colorado
valley. Only, every time news came of
a robbery or murder by Kansas and his
gang, the poor girl would become agita-
ted and cry for vengeance on the man
who took from her dear father.
Three years slipped quickly away at
George Washington Gulch. The robbcr
had evidently not forgotten his promise
to provide for the girl, for at odd times
a packet of money had been found on