Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-09-27

ute cause couldn't sees it looked Ifk.
anything 'cept les baby, butt bHaced NJ
an says i: Bill, he's the pictur' of yoT
'cePt his eyes-he's got his mothers
eyes. Yes, says Bill, 'his mothers
eyes an mebbe her hair, too, only it,
awful short Then / started to san
something, but BIZ stopped me, an
says he: Pearl is awful sick. an wan
you to get onto one O. my mules an ride
on to DeadwOod, an git a doctor *
come down
$50 done so, goin' bout a,
quick as anybody ever did with a muls
that was kinder set agin' gOin' anyhow
an. got back way ahead o. the doctor
When 1 come up there was nobody IL
sight. 1 waited minute an didn'
hear nOthin', Then I tapped a little OF
the trail wagon, an Bill said, scome in,
sOrter chOked like, an I put my hand
under the canvas at the back end.
''There sat Bill at the bottom Of the
wagOn-bOx, with the baby on one arm.
while he was lOOkin' down at Pearl
her head was a-layin' in his lap an hel
face was so white that it scarf me. Ther
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 I could jes' hear 1t: Gene,
says she, look after Bill a little an
cheer him up when I'm gone An then
she looked at the baby with her big eyes
an up at Bill, an tried to raise
her hands, an Bill saw what she
wanted an pot one of her arms round
the baby, an the other up round his
own neck an leaned over, an I come
away quick's could an went round tc
the mules, an tried to make b4ieve ]
W EZc al A
mule is very cheerin' on such a '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 n the boy nOw!'
''We waited while an then I got
teller that came along to drive my out
fit an I 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
1t. / had a preacher, too; Bill was
doubtful, but told him it nd be bet
ter. When he come Bill took him to
one side, an says hel I want to tell you
fore you begin: You know who am an
who she was my Wife-yOu'ye heard
our story. Now I don't want you to
preach no sermon cause yOu might say
something ag'in her when you didn't
mean to an it would be bad for you,
an OF course me, too, so jes' read little
out O. your bible-I reckon that's ali
straight talk-an' if you must say some
thing jes' say she was squar' and never
went back on f3ili jerks
$50 that's about the way it was; the
preacher read some, an then he sung a
song 1 heard at church when 1 was a
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 a 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 jerks,
an that was all.
''We buried her down In the guIch, a
little off from the trail, in a little park
'mOng some pines-Bill wouldn't have
nothing to do with the regular grave
yards-he said folks might not Wa her
there, an they needn't have her. tie
dug the grave himself so it would be
right, he said. He sent clear to Omaha
after a headstOne, an it's a beauty
nicer n any they got at the buryin'-
ground.
''The baby, hey2 You bet he's all
right-the preachers wife took him for
a while, an then Bill got her an her
husband to go with him an take the
baby down to his folks in Iowa-au
Bills family down there are a 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
regular, so he's gOin' down to see the
little teller once a year. I 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 dust?
Oh, mother thing, Bill named him VIII
liam Queen Eugene Jenks-nOthing
Onery bout that name, is there 2"
FRED. ii. CARRUTH.