The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-04-28
"OLD HOPELESS"
Ho Tells the Pathetic Story of
Poor Nancy.

Two great rocky cliffs in Southern
Colorado form the walls of dark abyss
something like fifteen feet wide. from
the bottom of which comes up the
eternal moan of waters as they rush on
in the solemn darkness over their rough
course to the Rio Grande. The walls
of this chasm are over hundred feet
high, and almost perpendicular.
The place is called Purgatory. and
not altogether appropriately, for,
standing near les forbidding edge. with
the waters seething and moaning far
below. it is not improbable that
thoughts of the final resort of sin is
suggested to the mind of the awe
struck visitor, and cause him ITO shud-
der and grow sick at heart"
To within ten feet of the edge leads
well-worn trail, which abruptly ends
at grave. The latter is marked by
neither rough stone nor slab. and the
many visitors to the spot are told, by
the loquacious mountain guides, Of a
romantic incident of which this lonely
mound is the fatal outcome.
One day in the beautiful summer
time in company with my guide.
halted my steed near the edge Of
Purgatory and took in the widely
picturesque scene.
My guide was hunchback, horribly
disfgured in form. and his dress and
manners were rough in the extreme.
His coarse, iron-gray hair was long and
unkempt, and his distorted face was
covered with repulsive shock of beard.
From out this growth shone his great
dark eyes, whose uncertain expression
bespoke a half-vacant mind.
''Old Hopeless he had been called in
my presence. and the landlord of the
Colorado House had told me that he
was a character of the region. almost
entirely insane at times, rational at
others. but never dangerous and al
ways good guide. So, for want of a
better. he had been engaged for that
day.
When, In the course of our rambles,
we drew up at Purgatory. he suddenly
burst out in tumult of incoherent ex-
pressions, in which caught the word
s'Nancy." Ispoke to him. He Gained
himself as il his mind were all at once
strengthened by visitation of reason.
and began talking to me in an earnest
tone.
"Tll tell ye all about Nancy-Nancy
Summers. Felix he said, in the char
acteristic dialect of the mountains.
"Long years ago she war knowed all
over Colorado. an no one ever said
tibet her name warn't spotless. Beauti-
ful?-yas, vas, more'n tibet She was
ez fair as May-day moon, ca fresh ez
dew-kissed flowers. Her face war a
trifle brown from exposure to Their sun,
but it war perfect in outline frum fore
head ter neck. 1t war full Of firmness.
an tenderness. too. sometimes. Her
eyes war q rich. dark brown, an when
feller looked into 'em, he war her
slave forever Her ha'r war of the same
color. an long an wavy. Thar never
war better figger ner hers. an she
knowed how ter dress ter set it off.
She lived with her parents, who KEEP
Their Colorado House. Their hotel we
left this mornin', Felix. Even at thet
day there war good deal O. travel
along hyar, an they war maxim money.
'.Mebbe Their travel war on Nancy's
account, for she counted her lovers by
Their score, an she used ter hev pro-
posal bout ever day in Their week.
Ever young fellow in the Southwest
triedhis charm on Their purity Nancy.
fer gals war gals them days; but they
gener'ly drew off mighty quick when
they found they made no impression.
an got firm mo- in Their teeth.
zone day thar come along quiet
dispositioned. good-lookin' young fell
Ter, who he'd little sheep ranch all his
own, not hundred miles from Purga-
tory. and he put up at Their Colorado
House, and began ter make love ter
Nancy. He war happy in Their prom
ISM name Of Luke Golden, an he war
head an years in love with Their little
gal. An. Felix, it warn't long afore
it war noised all over the kcntry tibet
he he'd succeeded in winnin' Nancy
heart It war plain ter all thet seen
them together tibet Nancy liked him
mighty well. an her old man had no
objections ter him on account of his
character.
"Ever' mornin' they used ter 60 fer
. ride. an sometimes they would gallop
side by side fer hours through ther
mountains. Often they would visit
Purgstory. an one pleasant day like