Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-02

-. :. ws.l listen now Is emmy other time
You know your pa went prospsctln LAST
year, an furnished the grub fer the trip
Well, he found purity good claim, an now
an eastern company's sent an expert out here
TO look ut it, an like as not they'll buy It
Well, ono night yer pa got purity full nere IN
town, an l got him TO sign bill o sale OF
the mine Noy he don't know nothin bout
the company, an he don't know tibet the
paper be signed wuz bill o. sale. I've get
grubbir' ON the mine, ennvway, an I've got
mines o my own an money too, an
wouldn't mind givin' this bill o sale to you
if you'd be sensible an marry me Ike your
pa wants you to
Il don't b1ieve you've got no bill o sale,
said the girl, quietly. show me the paper"
Her fare was dark with anger She looked
very pretty, IS she sat there in the clngy
little st,re, on a long packing boz her
glorious brown hair had been blown loose by
the wind, her ragged sun bonnet hung oy It's
strings about her neck, her blue eyes were
bright with excitement, and her brown
cheeks glowed The bishop looked at her aGi-
niringiy as Ne returned with the paper. she
rsse to her feet, and her slight, round Inquire
shovel even through the clumsy PINK cailcos
its graceful curves. She novel round be-
tween him and the open door OF the stove III
which a ROOD FIRE burned, for the evenings
are cod In these mountain villages, and then,
as be read aloud, she suddenly snatched the
paper aai threw it into the stove. lie spranS
forward with an Oara, but IT was TOO iate,
and when he turned TO look for the glri, SIG
was gone.
The next day Dick Johnson rode up to the
saloon, and gravely announced TO the loahG-
4 a.ua~
on sight. and that tine SAID Burns had better
have his gun handy. Then the injured man
began to fortify himself with whisky for the
approaching duel
..What's the matter with Durnsp asked
one OF the crowd. II allus thought that
YOU wuz on the best kind o terms with tho
bishop"
"Oh, he's lived long enough, that's all"
answered Dick; IAN my arms ar a gittin'
rusty fer want o use"
His enemy had been warned, Dick was
drunk enough to pe dangerous, and SO he
thought there was no reason for waiting any
longer, and, rising, he slipped quietly out OF
the saloon, and walked over to the Coop"
Arriving there, he stood near the door,
watching the proprietor, until tine latter
Turned when the hands of both men dew to
their ready pistols, and the shots rang out.
The bishop fell. and Dick, who was a dead
shot. stood calmly looEins at his victim.
The murdered mans wife ran in from her
rooms tehird the store, aud flung herself
down beside the body with heart rendins
shrek Then the men from the saloon rushed
in, and stood around, looking silently at the
bleeding corpse and at the poor wife, who
mourned the dead man a. sincerely as
though be had been the kindest of husbands
to her.
Her pitiful sobbing aroused the sympathies
of the rough crowd, and they began to LOOK
angrily at thavictor. One man pointed sig
uIticaptly to a coil OF rope lying Oh the
counter, but the rest looked at the revolver
still graaped i'll the fallen mans hand, and
they shook their heads.
Dick johnson saw and understood, and he
quietly backed up against tee wall, drew
another six shooter, AID proceeded to make
his defense He told the story OF the bill Of
sale "Xou see, boys, he swIndlcd Inc. Now,
you know, man amt a-soln to ba cheated
like that, an not try to git revelGe fer 1t.
give him fair waInin', lie had his chance al
me; done it all up reg lar, an there ham t
no call Ter hard feellns agin' Inc. I'm sorry
fer her, but you know it amt my fault be
cause her man WIZ scamp, an needed
KILN" His revolvers hel Jed him to make
his peace These men were not towards, lat
they knew they could not take him alive
armed in that way, and, besides, they
thought his conduct quite proper, 50 he Was
promptly acquitted by this informal jury,
and he went quietly home
Thus was rude Justice done. Thus, too,
was it that Cadlie did not marry bishop,
but became Dan Williams bride.-L {.
Whittier in The Argonaut.