The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-01

you've raised; traficking in his wifes beauty;
my dear woman" sad, "a great many re-
spectacle German wives do the same
snatched the letter from him. Its easy to
who's his father-where he got his
ness" cried. land from this day forth I'll
never darken your door,
seldom heard from her during the next five
years. and short letters telling me of two little
lives ended in a first breath, of business troub-
les. how dear Ezra felt that he must try
other place, OF constant journeying and begin
ming anew. When wrote back begging her 20
let come out 70 be with her. got only OBJ
lection. man and his wife were hapoiest alone,
and though she blushed to write it. for
she loved me dearly. dear Ezra was not fond
of me, aud would not hear my name.
Six years after she went she sent happier let
ter. There was girl baby this time; il was
three months old and would live. She had
named il Ellen. after ms. Knowing he'd take
money from her, sent her package of little
clothes for it. making EN- short for la. by the
time the parcel would get there the child would
have growed good deal.
It pretty nigh two years after that when
towards o'clock one night some one raped to
my door Mary Ann Walker lived with
then, lone widow woman and good company,
though given TO mourning overAher husband,
which as all the neighbors said she ruled pretty
rough when he was alive, SO her talk was always.
as good jokes to me and kept me up wonder
full / let in a rough looking man with SLOUGH
ing walk. holding his head down. l knew him
easy enough, Tom SavAge-one OF the crew
Ezra took to California eight years before.
got him q chair and there he sat and talked till
all of IL O'clock, about her, that awful journey
and Ezra's meanness
'sHe got drunk Inore'n emmy of rs on the trip"
said Tom, land couldn't be depended on one day
at time. In California he worse. but
stayed with him on her account / amt good
man, Ellen Frazier, but that there little woman
reused all tie best in rae. It used TO make me
swear to see her tending bar, and rough miners
joking right with her and saying things no lady
oughter hear, and she looking piteous but das
sent frowp. for Ez would go for her for hurtin'
trade They was alus movin on. Ez runnin' a
gamblin' den along o. the saloon, and IL CROWN
so rank, so many bein' robbed that even in
miain' camp it couldn't be lowed an Ez he'd to
git out Lots of wuss tnings would happened
TO him but for her. II got to be knowed after
time what sort she was, and though it couldn't
be understood why she would stick to sot like
him. when better men offered to git
rore respected for it You kin bet
your pile when that there last baby o. hern was
horned, the toughest IN camp, regular
one-killed FIVE men in his day-rode forty mile
for doctor and fetched him back at the muzzle
of gun, the doc not wantin' to come come
to tell We these things 70 set your mind at rest
consarnini emmy comfort she's havin' an emmy
coed in him. She's knowed all over the State
-fellers SEE. as rough O. time as Mis- Ezra Tut,
tie has,, or as barren lode as Mis- Ezra's life.
You bet she calls herself Mrs. Ezra though, like
she proud of it"
'tSigns her letter 20 her own sister Mrs. Ezra
futile, too" put in bitterly.
'You bet; aud hm-she must be In love with
her memry of him as he was onc't-he's the
oneriest looking cuss now you ever sea hogs
bird slider him"
The next day / had a long interview with
Tom, learned the way to CO. and set out for
California myself, all alone got there safe,
and proceeded to hunt them up found in ev-
cry town they we'll known, the general
opinion being that Ezra was the worst unhung
villain alive. and his wife one of them old
fashioned wimmen, God bless emp But they
ain never blessed. I'd say bitter enough, and the
and tell all about Ez Tuttle. finishing I'm her
sister. poor thing. And the strangers would say
unanimous. Il wish you'd married himl" 1 guess
/ did look kinder fierce Id given mp teaching
long ago, had worked my farm myself,
paid of my mortgage and had money saved mp.
but doing it had broadoned me all over. My
face brown. my hair grown thin and plugged
up small behind, and my face was as sharp as a
hatches, just pair of little black eyes sparkled
mothers bonnet considerable of poke, with
green veil. fathers plaid shawl, good. stout
CATERS, and gown to my ankles. calculated
TO walk some so was prepared for it. had
carpet bag, solid packed, that l never let go,
big green umbrella cotton ald some worn, but
handy for weapon, it was SO heavy My hear
ing was good on my travels. and l knew was
generally called ''the Old GAL" but that didn't
harm me none
At last found them at queer place set up
high on a mountain. lot of log huts.
saloon TO every two houses, more mon than 1
ever set eyes before, and q big wooden hotel
just swarming with them. A Cinnamon came
eibng out to get my csrpet-beg, but waved
him away and climbed out of the stage myself
heard the loafsrs on the piazza laugh when l
came up the steps.
Guess respectable. wimmsn amt general
here" said including them all in q whitening
look, and went IN and asked a up nan Oenln0
the bar where Ezra Tuttles den of inquiry was.
He said Tuttle's saloon as next Co the street
corner. went there. 1t was log house, two
roomed, the first room divided by q counter
where there were drinks. stepped in. There
was a fair sprinkliug of men sitting around, and
behind the bar big woman. painted like
heatnen goddess, the brassiest one of my sex
ever had to blush for.
fsEz is sick s-bed," she says when pushed by
her. "Outer the ark. heard her say" and 1
Just recollect, yen kussay." says l. ''shers
wasn't none of your kind saved in the ark. They
were drowned in the deluge and only respecta-
BILE folks saved"
On the bed in the back room was big Great
ure with bloated red face bald head and duh
fshy eyes. Could eight years change man
500 Ezra futile, I'd hoped you was Dead"
says, drove to it by my strange experience He
just glared at me.
ions" he eroans. 'and their eating me alive"
There was no ant there, Mature occasional
" gets even in this world" / say. Your mind
is Furnishing your stomach
I went out the back door, and there. bending
a stove set in the open air, was faded,
eyes She me. and just burst out crying,
and then talked ard talked. sat on the
ground aud held her in my arms as had when
sas little, golden-haired child. All me,
what pitiful story it was
ssWhere's my niece. Ellen2" says at last
sfYou wrote me she was healthy" just then a
fat oldish man. with long. gray beard and
twinkling eyes, Wilkins by name. come towards
us carrying child on his shoulder little fairy
with big blue eyes aud yellow curls like the
baby Jessie so long ago
these miners are so good to me-" says Jessis.
'T never knew what kind hearts there co uld be
under rough clothes and strange manners.
That creature with the ants not pleasant
to take of nor nice TO see but his wife was
just as devoted, and never in all her stories of
her life had she said word against him.
The next morning, after I had been up all
night bearing his rawlings. where he saw every
kind of creeping thing, | wasn't feeling any
too pleasant, and my eye fell on the hussy at
the bar
.'How's Ell" she asks, cool enough.
What business is it o. yournl' / answers
giving her one look.
ASK his wife," she grins.
Jessie I says, going right in, "why does Ez
have that woman here3' Then that poor creature
broke down.