Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-12-20

'.pm afeared can't
= Nell. Pears like Pm
almost gone" and the answer came huski-
;y from the lips of sick man stretched IN
ihe bottom Of long emigrant wagon,
drawn by pair of patient mules, who were
driven over the trail by the woman. III
shere was only parson to say bit OF a
prayer, Nell, seems like l could go more
comfortable, fur I've been a rough man,
not like the quiet hum body was when
left you, wife. But you see theirs nobody
but men at Camp Nogood; halnt sesn a
petticut in nigh two year, jest think O.
that, Nell, and you'll never know how per-
fcctly lovely you an the kids looked to
NE when you stepped off the train, an
aow Iva got ter go an leave ye," and
sharp spasm Of pain convulsed the white
hce.
rOhl father, don't talk of dying" and
she wife turned her head away as the hot
tears trickled down her cheeks "We'u
soon be at the camp. and then, may be,
something can be done for you"
"Say, poppy, poppy, l see house away
off,yender," and little boy Of eight eager
ly strained his eyes over the long stretch
of road before them to the spot where the
faint outline of rude shanty was visible
in the distance.
That's Tim Conway's cabin, half a mile
from the camp" said the sick man, fee
bly,, shut shan't live to git there, fur it's
five miles away an night comm on"
"No, no. Brady, it's real light yet If
you can stand it to ride so far may be we
can make it. Don't give up, father, don't,
now," and gleam Of hope mingled with
her tears at the welcome thought that a
human habitation 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;
ne only knew that cold hand was touch
ing at his heart, chilling him through and
through. He thought it was the wind which
blew down the trail with shivering sug-
gestion of winter, but it was a 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
the children watched the little speck in the
distance as it came steadily nearer with
childish interest. Besides the boy of eight,
there was little girl of five, and the baby,
Nell, aged three, so wrapped in shawls
that she looked more like a mummy than a
living child, and the mothers tears chilled
on her cheeks as she drove the mules for
ward with the hope that succor might be
near. 1t was not an enviable situation
The husband two years before had
started away from a comfortable home in
Illinois, imbued with the spirit of advent
ure and with longing for wealth wh ich
the plodding 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
gone, he had taken his share and gone back
with his comrade.
HIS claim had not panned out as he had
hoped, but not feeling willing to abandon
his enterprise, he had sent for his wife
and children 20 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
past year. weakening him slowly but
surely, and his wife was shocked when
she saw his drawn and altered face 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 affrighted 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 en- ling witt heart-sickness and
dread
There had been quite an excitement in
the camp wien the letter had come an
nouncing that the little woman and her
children were on the way.
Eyer ter quit yer swearin', Bill Nevins,
when there's womint 'round," said Dick
Gowdy. "Sakes, hain't seen womint in
so long mos: forgot how they look"
''Some o. you fellcrs ID better shave up
bit er she'll be skeercd 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 so had it not been for his
refining taste.
He had once ventured TO carry a 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 a hustle Of prepara-
tion through the day on which they had
calculated the travellers would return.
Odu NOOEnCCS ucQ eCTuOpcQ HIS SudQIy,
and Sam Collins, who kept the long. board
house which answered for a hotel, had
partitioned of an apartment for the tired
mother and her children with a curtain Of
sacking roughly sewn together, and in an
unusual freak Of taste had manufactured
an apology for window curtain from the
remains of an old white shirt which had
long since been packed away in his trunk
as unnecessary rubbish.
ssWimmin like sich truck" he explained
apologetically as comrade stared in sur
prise at the unwonted luxury hanging over
the little window.
All this time the mules were toiling
wearily up the trail toward the speck Of a
cabin They had almost reached it when
the little boy cried out: ''Oh, mammal
Poppy looks so queeri" and the wife with
q st-beating heart climbed over the seat
20 the rear of the wagon, where her hus-
band lay. l
The last great change for him was COM
Ing fast and ne whispered: ssPray, Nelfi"
e. bis besseching eyes looked up into her