Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1888-09-06

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ute cause couldn't sees it looked like
anything cept ies' baby, but braced up
an says 1: Bill, he's the pictur' of you
'cept his eyes-hes got his mothers
eyes, Yes, says Bill, 'his mothers
ewes an mebbe her hair, too, only it's
yful short Then l started to say
something, but Bill stopped me, an
says he: Pearl is awful sick, an want
you to get onto one o my mules an ride
on to Deadwood, an git doctor to
come down.
$50 ! done 30, goin' bout as
quick rs anybody ever did with mule
that was kinder set agin goin' anyhow,
an got back way ahead O. the doctor.
When | come up there was nobody in
sight. waited minute an didn't
hear nothin'. Then tapped little on
the trail wagon, an Bill said, come in
sorter choked like, an' / put my hand
under the canvas at tho back end.
There sat Bill Mt the bottom of the
wagon box, with the baby on one arm,
while he was lookin' down at Pearl
her head was a-lavin' in his lap an her
face was SO white that it scarf me- Then
she opened her eyes, an at first they
was big an wild like, but they got softer
an she looked ut me, an said awful
weak, so could jes hear it: Gene,
says she, look after Bill little an
cheer him up when I'm gone. An then
she looked at the baby with her big eyes
an up Mt Bill, an tried to raise
her hands, an Bill saw what she
wanted an pat one of her arms round
the baby, an the other up round his
own neck an leaned over, an [ come
AWAY quick's l could an went round to
the mules, an tried to make blieve 1
was tix'n' the harness or something. A
mule is very cheerin' on such 'casion.
An after a few minutes Bill come out
with the baby still on his arm-the little
Teller never whimpered-an he set
down on the wagon tongue an his head
kinder dropped on his hand AN says he:
Gene, there amt nobody to take care
o me m the boy now!'
"We waited while an then I got a
Teller that came along to drive my out
lit an l took Bills an he got in the
wagon an we went to Deadwood. The
next day was Sunday an we had the
funeral. Ev'ry freighter that could be
was there, an lots of other folks that
knowed Bill come down where we held
it. had preacher, too; Bill was
doubtful, but I told him it u'd be bet.
ter. When he come Bill took him to
one side, an says he! I want to tell you
fore You begin: You know who am an
who she was my wife-you've heard
our story. Now l don't want you to
preach no sermon cause you might say
something ag'in her when you didn't
mean t6ane it would be bad for you,
an OF course me, too, so ies' read little
out O y0lr bible-I reckon that's all
straight talk-an if you must say some
thing jes' say she was squar' and never
went back on Bill jerks
$50 that's about the way it was; the
preacher read some, an then he sung
song heard at church when | was
boy, an some of us joined in little, an
Big Smith whistled the tune kinder soft
like, an looked at the ground; and then
the preacher said that her that was gone
must have been good woman or the
husband she left would not mourn her
so much and SO deep, and then he put
on: She was always true to Bill Jenks,'
an that was ALL
"We buried her down in the gulch,
little off from the trail, iii little park
'mong some pines-Bill wouldn't have
nothing to do with the regular grave
yards-he said folks might not want her
there, an they needn't have her. He
dug the grave himself SO it would be
right, he said. He sent clear to Omaha
after headstone, an it's a beauty
nicer n any they got at the buryin'-
ground.
"The baby, hey? You bet he's all
right--the preachers wife took him for
while, an then Bill got her an her
husband to go with him an take the
baby down to his folks in Iowa--all
Bills family down there are good deal
more on style an that sort O thing than
he is, an they got lots o money, an
were tickled to death with the little cuss,
an are taking the best kind O. care of
him an when he gifts big are going to
send him to school, an give him an edi-
cation an big start in life. The old
folks wanted Bill to stay home too, but
he said the life would kill him, it's so
reg lar, SO he's goin' down to see the
little Teller once year. wonder when
he grows up an gifts wearin' fine clothes
an one thing n another if he'll ever
know anything bout the start he had
way out here by the trail in the big
freight wagon all covered with dusta
Oh, mother thing, Bill named him Will
liam Queen Eugene Jenks-nothing
onery bout that name, is there?"
FRED. III. CARRUTH.