Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-12-26

V-EA 9Ll-N@@ face, and though she
W@ xEI Ms~ tried to speak cheer
@II&$$ fully, there was a
i-S nv wailing undertone
AoA> N,%M Of grief, almost of
AENlXF3\d despair, in the tone
&%.e 9>N>\ of her voice.
Ppm afeared can't,
Nell Pears like I'm
almost gomez and the answer came huski-
~ from the lips Of sick man stretched In
the bottom Of long emigrant wagon,
drawn by pair Of patient mules. who were
driven over the trail by the woman. If
there was only q parson to says bit OF q
prayer, Nell, seems like Icould 60 moro
comfortable, fur I've been q rough man,
not like the quiet hum body was when I
left you, wife. But you see TIERS nobody
but men at Camp Nogood; halnt seen .
pettisut in nigh two year. Jest tn nix o.
that, Nell. and you'll never know how per-
fectly lovely you an the kids looked to
me when you stepped OF the train, an
now I've got ter go an leave ye," and q
sharp spasm Of pain convulsed the white
face
"Oh! father, don't talk Of dying" and
the W fe turned her head away as the hot
tears trickled down her cheekA Wen
soon be at the camp. and then, may be,
something can be done for YOU"
"say, poppy, poppy, see house away
on yender," and little boy of eight eager
~ strained his eyes over the long stretch
of road before them to the spot where the
faint utline OF rude shanty was visible
i'm the dist nce.
"That's Tim Conway's cabin, half mile
from the camp" said the sick man, fec
bly,, 'sbut shan't live to git there, fur it's
fxo yni1oo NM nj uht a c0vninS ~
mo, no, Brady, it's real light yet II
you can stand it to ride so far may be we
can make it. Don't give up, father, don't,
now" and q CLEAN Of hope mingled with
her tears at the welcome thought that
human h bitation was In sight, and better
still, that the camp, the objective point
Of their Journey, was almost In sight also.
"Drlve on, Nell, I'll try an bear it." a
gray shadow was stealing over the sick
mans face already, but he did not know It;
he only knew that q cold hand was touch
ing at his heart, chilling him through and
through. he thought 1t was the wind which
blew down the trail with shivering sug-
gestion Of winter, but it was q stronger
breath than that Of Boreas which was
freezing his life-blood and stopping its
free current through his veins.
The mules plodded along their way and
LkA0 CAAU10u "dtCUeN tUo AtGI0 8I0CA III t00
distance as It came steadily nearer with
childish interest. Besides the boy Of eight,
there was q little girl of Ave, and the baby,
Nell, aged three, so wrapped in shawls
that she looked more like mummy than
living child, and the mothers tears chilled
on her cheeks as she dr. We the mules for
ward with the hope that succor might be
near. It was not an enviable situation.
The husband two years before had
started away from comfortable home In
illinois, imbued with the spirit of advent
hre and with longing for wealth which
the Flooding farm life did not satisfy. A
neighbor had come home from the mount
aims with marvellous tales Of wealth to be
acquired in the mines, and after selling
the farm and dividing the proceeds with
his wife for her support while he was
koue, he had taken his share and gone back
with his comrade. =
HIS claim had not PANIED out as he had
hoped. but not feeling willing to abandon
his enterprise. he had sent for his wife
and Oh. ldren to come out to him, promising
to meet them at Denver.
Quite unknown to him an insidious dis
ease had been creeping upon him for the
surely, and his wife was shocked when
he met her at the train, and when they
were about ten miles from the city he
had been taken with an acute attack of
his disease, and the a1frighted wife had
pursued the journey which had been COM
menced SO hopefully, for she was cheer
full little body, and had formed many
wifely plans for the new mountain home,
which was ending with heart-sickness and
dread.
There had been quite an excitement In
the camp when the letter had come an
nouncing that the little woman and her
children were on the way. e-
eyer ter quit yer swearin', Bill Nevins,
when there's womint round )" said Dick
Gowdy. 'sakes, Ihaiu't seen womint in
30 long most forgot how they look" u
''t5ome o. you fellers ID better shave upa
bit or she'll be skeered at the sight Of such
Hottentots." Burt Macomber was the
dandy of the camp, and rude as the be-
longings of the miners were, they would
have been more 80 had it not been for his
refining taste. s47.@f = f.
He had once ventured to carry cane,
but his comrades peremptorily drew the
line of prohibition at canes, and he was
forced to discard the obnoxious article
A rough but kind-hearted set Of men,
they had made quite hustle Of prepare
ton through the day on which they had
calculated the travellers would return.
Dan Voorhees, had scrubbed his shanty.
and Sam Collins, who kept the long. board
house which answered for 8 hotel, had
partitioned OF an apartment for the tired
mother and her children with curtain Of
soaking roughly sewn together, and il An
unusual freak Of taste had manufactured