Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1888-12-22

pm afeared can't,
I Nell. Pears like Pm
almost gone," and the answer came huski-
ly 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 a parsOn to say bit OF a
prayer, Neil, seems like could go more
comfortable fur I've been rough man,
not like the quiet hum body was when
left you, wife. But you see theirs nobody
but men at Camp Nogood; ha1nt seen a
petticut 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 off the train, an
now I've got ter go am leave ye," and a
sharp spasm of pain convulsed the white
face.
ooh father don't talk of dying" and
the W fe turned her head away as the hot
tears trlckled down her cheeks. "We'n
soon be at the camp. and then, may be,
something be done for you.''
Say, poppy, poppy, I see house away
off yender," and little boy of eight eager
ly strained his eyes over the long stretch
of road before item to the spot where the
faint utline of O rude shanty was visible
in the dist nee.
That's Tim Conway's cabin, half mile
from the camp" said the sick man, fee
bly,, "but Ishan't live to git there, fur it's
five miles away am night comm on-''
mo, no, Brady, it's real light yet II
you can stand it to ride so far may be we
can mak6it. DON'T give up, father, don't,
now" and CLEAN of hope mingled with
her tears at the welcome thought that a
human h bitation was in sight. and better
or hnf hn 10 nh 1yYn int
of their Journey, was almost in sight also.
"Drlve on Nell, PHI try an bear it." A
gray shallow was stealing over the sick
mans face already, but he did not know it;
he 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 stronger
4 breath than that of Boreas which was
. freezing his life-blood and stopping it's
free current through his veins.
The mules plo Ided 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 d little girl OF five, and the baby,
Nell, aged three, so wrapped in shawl5
that she looked more like a mummy than a
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. 1t was not an envlable situation
The hush nd two years before had
started away from comfortable home in
Illinois, imbued with the spirit of advent
ure and with d longing for wealth which
the plo ding 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 diAid ng the proceeds with
his wife for her support while he was
gone, he had taken his share and gone back
with his cOmrAde.
rs claim had not PANIED out as he had
hoped. but not feeling willing to aban don
his enterprise, he had sent for his wife
and Oh ldren TO come out to him, promising
to meet them at Denver.
Gu tc unknown to h m an insidious dis
ease had been creeping upon him for the
past year, weakening HIM slow but
surely, and his wife was shocked when
she saw his dr. wn and altered face when
he met her 1t 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 atfrighted 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 ner
children were on the way.
Eyer ter quit yer swearn', Bill Nevins,
when there's a womint 'round," said Dick
Gowdy. ''Sakes hain't seen womint in
so long most forgot how they look.''
''Some o. you fellers d better shave up
bit err she'll be skeered at the 81 sht of such
Hottentots.n Burt Macomber was the
dandy OF the camp, ami rude the be-
longings of the miners were, they would
have been more 80 had 1t not been for his
refining taste.
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.
rough but kini-hearted set of men,
they had made quite hustle of prepara-
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 hotel. had
partitioned off an apartment for the tired
mother and her children with curtain Of
sacking roughly sewn together, and in an
unusual freak of taste had manufactured
an apology for window curtain from the
remains of old white shirt which had
long since been packed away in his trunk
as unnecessary rubbish.
''Wimmin like SIGH truck" he explained
alphabetically as a comrade stared in sur
prise at the unwonted luxury hanging over
the little window.
All this time the mules were toiling
YEARLY up the trail toward the speck of a
cabin They had almost reached it when
The little boy cried ous: 'Oh, mamma!
Poppy looks 50 queer!" and the wife with
fast -beating heart climbed over the seat
10 the rear of the wagon, where her hus-
oand lay.
The last great change for him was COM
ng fast ami he whispered: "Pray, Nellln
As his beseechins eyes looked up into hex