Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-01-18

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611sfpemyni9k ~ - dtsliksd "a
1eAx6 Mary Jane a1one; but Fred
ptondod ~ hnsd she q taat consented IA
Eoytslling Mary J9ne if abe was moi
baCk b. night, she could sag al night
with some Of The ~neighbors' wives ifshe
wAe AlrAid 70 stay GonA
They had inst driven away when the
man that had gone 10 work In the shaft,
cAnno Rack carrying Jim Clark. He had
met with q accident was badly injured
internally, and his leg Was broken in
two places. below the knee.
They laid him on the old lounge, in
The bes.room 81 the Chrystal Palace
Hotel, and did all they could to make
him comfortable. There was no doctor
IN the place, but the stage would be
making IL weekly trip tomorrow they
could send him TO ons then. He heard
their remarks In silence, then turned
his face to tho wall and laid 80 still the
boys thought he wa asleep.
The day wore on, and one by one the
usual loungers dropped into the bar
room 10 chat. and drink, and smoke;
they looked at the silent figure on the
old lounge, and told each other in low
tones that Jim had got . slim chance
this time.
Al it grew dark it commenced to
storms cold, miserable rain, that,
freezing ~ il fell, covered everything
with . coating Of ice.
"Ireckon the widder1l have to stay
out to Graham's tonight" said the
landlord, as he threw more wood on
the are to make it blaze; sits much a. q
mile out there an the road1l be
awful
Seems 10 me 70 take : mighty sight
Of interest in the widder,s said Jack
Rise; @Settin' yer Dap fur her?"
mo I haint; I'd ruther marry Mary
janet I be = widderer-she's the
prettiest.
.The wilder never1l let Mary Jane
marry said Tom Bayley; "she thinks
nobody amt good enough fur her."
aSay!" said Jack Rice, "lets go an
get the justice an marry her to old
Pete Ryan fore the wilder GETS back. .
A laugh came from the crowd OF
loafers around the stove.
1Mebby Pete don't want to get mar.
ried."
4Yes he does any way he will for .
glass Of whisky"
Pete Ryan was asleep in the corner
behind the stove; he was q dirty, repul-
sive old sot, ready to do anything for q
drink ut any time; they all knew Jacks
words were true.
"Old 81 won't marry EN-"
nN~r Lz .u.l1. 49,. I..IR l...- l. -tA
I saw him in Mikes saloon when / come
by. He'll marry EN- for the fun of hear
ing the widder jaw when she finds il out.
The gal won't know any better; we kin
tell her her mother sent word she shud
marry him."
Influenced by Jacks earnestness and
the poor whisky they had drank the
men arose.
We'll bring ST first, an be sure OF
him; then some Of us can go after the
gal" and Laughing at what they thought
would be a hugh joke, the men started
for the door.
"Say. ~fellers, I wish you'd carry me
to my shanty first"
The interruption came from Jim
Clark.
"You don't want to go to your shanty,
stay and see the fun"
will you carry me or not?"
"Thunderation, man, you needn't be
80 ugly! We can take You, / s'pose, il
You must go. Ketch hold, boys"-and
lifting the wounded man with scant GER
emony they hurried out into the storm.
Reaching his cabin. they put him
upon his bed, lit his lamp, and hurried
away, promising to come back and make
him more comfortable after the we'd
ding WA over.
Widow Kelly, sitting in Fred Ora
hams cabin, is surprised when some
one calls her name and pounds ON the
lower half of the door. She opens it
and finds Jim Clark stretched upon the
the ground, his face white with the
pain he Is suffering, and his hands and
knees torn and bleeding.
"Mary Jane" he gasps, as the widow
bends over him in surprise and pity.
They are marrying her! Go now!
Hurry"
"Who will marry herr" she ex-
claimed, forgetting the suffering of the
man before her, in her anxiety.
aWhere is She"
"The hotel--the boys-Pete Ryan! I"
The widow waited to hear no more;
without shawl or bonnet she PUSHES
away, and reaches the "Chrystal Palace"
just in time. There is Mary Jane, and
by her side, SO drunk he can hardly
stand, is Pete Ryan, while in front Of
them stands "Old 81" ready to begin the
ceremony.
Her abrupt entrance, and her anger
surprised and sobered the whole party,
and as she talks they ell realize in all it's
enormity the wrong they we're about
to do her, and ashamed to look each
other in the face, one by one they stink
from the room, until the widow and her
child are Il II alone.
Fred Graham, returning from his
bass, is surprised to find Mrs. Kelly
gone and Jim Clark lying insensible
upon the door step. He took him in
and cared for him as well as he could,
but the pain and suffering he had n
dured, MS he crawled along the rough
road, on that terrible journey, was too
much for his strength, and when, the
next day, the widow came to thank him
for saving her daughter from such O
fate. there was only q lifeless body to
show that he had remembered and re-
warded the widow for her kindness to
him.
One Hour.
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