Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-01-19

'Half-column?' asked Eph, lazily
".Haf a column, nothing!' retorre'
1; give him a column and a quarter
Write up the best eulogy you can. It'll
boom our subscription list Besides
may be the deceased deserves it An,
way, do the funeral up in good shape.
".All right said Eph; I'll do tina
same-In make the people in thes'
parts think they have had an angel il
their midst all these years. and weren'
aware of the fact until Ephriam Jone
published it in the Silver Horn Erenins
Star
cit was just 4:3O the next afternoon
when the paper went to press. Epl
had written up the funeral, doing it il
tirst-class style, too, in spite of the fac
that he was heavily loaded with liquo.
when he attended the obsequies. Al
$50 that afternoon was sitting in my
sanctum grinding out editorial copy
for the morrow when heard knocl
at the door.
"'Come in.' called.
1.-The hinges creaked. A figure
stepped over the Threshold. l gasped
for breath. 1t was Mrs. Pate! wa:
at last face to face with my goddess
What does it mean,' l thought to my.
self. Very soon afterward l found
out.
"'Are you the editor??' asked Mrs.
Pate, in chilly tone, an expression OF
grim determination ON her marble
features, which never looked more
beautiful to me than they did just a.
! that moment.
81 am. madam 1 replied. trying
to appear calm. q made a lamentable
failure of it.)
"'Then. SIR said my visitor. slowly,
may l ask you what you mean by in
sulting the memory of my dead hus-
band?'
"'What" 1 gasped, family, a sicken-
ing fear stealing over me. Mrs. Pate.
what do You mean?'
"Ah! l see you know my name.
she replied. icily. a steely glitter in her
black eyes. May 1 repeat the ques-
ton. What do you mean by trying to
blacken the character of a man who is
in his grave?'
Really, 1 do not understand you,
madam said. 4 was not aware
that my paper had in any way tried to
injure your dead husbands reputa-
ton q had not yet seen a copy OF
that evenings STAR
"'See here, sir, she rejoined, per-
haps you will understand ME now,'
and she spread the paper before me.
"'Read that she said, pointing to
the first column on the first page. The
article itself was all right, being full
account of the life. death and funeral
of the late Mr.. Pate. But its heading!
Great heavens! Its heading! fancy
l can see the black characters dancing
before me now. I. was rs follows:
a SCOUNDREL GONE!i
SILVER HORN HAS SEEN THE LAST OF MAN
WHO WAS LOw-LIvED VILLAIN!!
A Miserable Cur Who Ought 10 Have Been
Shot-His Career OF Infamy:!
Il saw it all! Drunken Eph in
making up the form that afternoon
had. while in state of partial or total
intoxication, placed over the obituary
article the display heading which was
written for an article relating to the
flight of notorious horse-thief and cut
throat!
Madame said to the woman, as
soon rs l had regained my power of
speech, this is all terrible mistake.
Allow me to ex-'
"'There can be no explanation. she
interrupted. in harsh, dry voice; i
can read. and 1 only know that you
have most toully insulted the memory
of my dead husband. You have called
him scoundrel. villain, a low-lived
cur! And do you dare to say that you
didn't mean to blacken his name?'
with motion as quick as that of a
tigress the widow drew a revolver from
her dress. jumped for her wrist. and
grasping it held the weapon aloft.
"'Mrs. Pate asked. imploringly.
will you listen to me for just one min
ute before you attempt any thing des-
perate?
''She promised that she would. l
used that minute to good advantage,
for when the sixtieth second was up ]
had succeeded in convincing her that
it was all dreadful blunder on the
part of my drunken foreman.
1.-The rest Of my story is soon told. !
Mrs. Pate became first my friend. aft.
my admirer. and finally-Mrs. |
Pate that was. Mrs. Augustus Jewett
that isl Chicago Tribune.
A.