St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-03-24
1OLD HOPELESS"

~ ~. A0UnSWe, ~ xn0l0a1p0tO JOUW0s
'tOLD HOPELESS"
He Tells tho Pathetic Story oi
Poor Nancy.
Two great rocky cliffs in Southern
Colorado form the walls Of = DIRK abyss
something like fifteen feet wide. from
the .ottom Of which comes up the
eternal moan Of waters as they rush on
in TIE solemn darkness over their rough
coulse 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 inappropriately. for.
standing near its 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 hear"
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 arc told. BY
the loquacious mountain guides. Of q
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 tho widely
picturesque scene.
Ny guide was a hunchback. horribly
disfigured 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 . 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 . character of the region. almost
entirely insane at times. rational at
Others. but never dangerous and al
ways . good guide. So. for want of .
better. he had been engaged tor that
day.
When, in the course Of our rambles.
ws drew up at Purgatory. he suddenly
burst out in . tumult OF incoherent ex-
pressions, in which l caught the word
..Nancy." spoke to him. He calmed
himself, as if his mind were all At once
strengthened BY . visitation OF reason.
and began talking to me in IN earnest
tone.
..rn tell ye all about Nancy-Nancy
Summers, Felix" he said. in the char
actcristic dialect Of the mountains.
..Long years ago she war knowed all
over Colorado, an no one ever said
thet her name warn't spotless Besuti-
ful?-yas, yas. more'n thet She was
ez fair As May-day moon. ez fresh ez
dew-kissed flowers. Her face war .
triie brown from exposure to ther sun.
but il war perfect in outline frum fore
head ter neck. 1t war full Of firmness.
an tenderness, too. sometimes. Her
ewes war q rich. dark brown, an when
= feller looked into 'em. he war her
slave forever. Her ha'rwar of the same
color, an long an wavy. Thar never
war a better figger ner hers. an she
kuowed how ter dress ter set it of.
She lived with her parents. who KEEP
thcr Colorado House. ther hotel We
left this mornin', Felix. Even at thet
dav there war . good deal o travel
along hyar. an they war maxim money.
..Mcbbe ther travel war on Nancy's s
account, for she counted her lovers by
ther score, an she used ter hev > pro-
possl bout ever day In ther week.
Ever Young fellow in the Southwest
tried his charm on ther purity Nancy.
fer GALS war gals them days; but they
gencr'ly drew OF mighty quick when
the, found they made no impression.
an got . firm mo- in ther teeth.
Zone day thar come along . quiet.
dispositioned. good-lookin' young fel.
ler. who he'd . little sheep ranch al hi.
own, not hundred miles from Purga.
tory. and he put up at ther Colorado
House, and began ter make love tel
Nancy. He war happy in ther prom
;sin, name Of Luke Golden. an he wal
head an years in love with ther littl,
al. An, Felix. it warn't long afor,
Il war noised all over the kcntry the
he he'd succeeded in winnin' Nancy
heart. 1t war plain ter all thet see,
them together thet Nancy liked hin
mighty well. an her old man had nj
AFFECTIONS ter him on account OF hi
character.
Ever mornin' they used ter 60 fs
: ride. an sometimes they would gallol
.;de by side fer hours through the
mountains. Often they would visi
Purcatory. an one pleasant day hk
today they drew their hosses up 'bou
-h.r We set now. Felix. an they set IN
maesned 10 ther ceaseless gaspin OF the
vster way down thar fer . long whil'
= silence. he looked y her hnsll.