Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1889-12-18

"NAN reH4@ zHH+ XII VAkShs IL w
while he t he got Their
nickname i Jack--an' the,
name jest fits b. ohm is or giant in
size, and his heart - big in proportion
ter his body. Err better Teller than
John stood ia two shoes; au' I,
who've known him ever sance he wuz
knee-high ter Or grass.hopper, ken swar
ter it. He own Their big grocery store
thar ercrust Their street, an' ther
dry-goods store jest beyond this hotel
aud Their big house yer passed Jest be.
fore yer entered this village, is his'n.
Men john didn't make our
fortin' diggin' Californy gold. e.
some did, continued tho landlord.
AFTER we'd BEN thar erbout FIVE years,
We got kinder homesick; M, ez we'd
made or big enough pile ter start us in
business here in u native village, we
concluded ter hull out fur home.
But jest before We got ready ter
start, thar wuz o new arrival Of the
camper man named Horton, an his
daughter. When Giant Jack see ther
gal, he decided ter stay erwhile longer
an, nv course, ez l didn't want ter
start fur homo without him, I stayed,
too. Giant Jack had fell In love with
Clara Horton, almost at fust sight, an
! couldn't blame him furit; fur she wuz
pnrtier'n any picter / ever see.
Horton pretended that he had come
tor dig gold, but We found out
afterwards that that wuz only
or blind. He wuz er professional gam.
bier; an before he had ben at Their
camp ten days. he had fieeced no less'n
half er dozen miners. Such scoundrels
wax very common in Their California
gold regions in them days,
1Giant Jack disliked Horton from
the fust, but he made friends with him
90 he could git 'quainted with his
daughter: an before Clara Horton had
ben n week at the camp. she an Giant
Jack wuz Their best nv friends.
.Giant Jack had pitied ther girl on
Their day when he had fnst seen her-
when ther stage had brought her and
her father mp from Their city; fur she
seemed or lady, with her quiet ways on
her wistful eyes, an not a tall fitted fur
thor wild, rovin' life, which it wuz plain
her father wuz lcadin' her.
PITY ID akin ter love, they say an
mebbe it wIiz ther cause nv Giant Jacks
fullin' In love with Clara Horton so
sudden; fer ten days from Their time he
had fust Q her, he axed her ter be
his wife.
I like yer better'n any other man I
over see. she told him, an / would be
glad ter leave my father, whom / can
neither love nor respect; but, on her
dyin' bed. my mother made me promise
never ter leave my father, without his
consent. Ell he don't object, an you
aront ashamed ter marry or gamblers
daughter, / will be your wife; but l
cant break ther promise / made ter my
dyin' mother
Horton not only objected, but told
Giant Jack he'd put or bullct through
him OF he caught him hangin' round
arter Clara any more. No n short Nv
or millioner, he said, could have his
daughter.
*Giant Jack drew his pistol from his
belt, thought erwhile, an then put it
back erg,in.
u yer want Clara's father said
he. I'd let daylight through YER
Then be went back ter Clara, an
tried ter coax her ter marry him with.
out her fathers consent. He told her
that her mother wouldn't blame her, ct
she knew what er black-leg her father
WIG, an that II wux foolish fer her tor
make her own life miserable, an his'n.
ton Jest fur Their SAX nv keepin' or
promise. But Ill his Argyin didn't do
20 good. Glars, though she cried when
No wing pleadin' with her, refused ter
break her promise.
Eur three ur four DAYS afterwards,
Giant Jack went round lookin' s~ullcnr'n
er mad bull; then, one %evenin,, he go3
me an three other fellers to go up TO
Horizons cabin.
Les shake he said ter Horton,
when we got thar; an ter show I've
got nothin' erg'in' yer, TIL play er game
nv keerds with ycr.'
Horton shook hands with him
heartily, but he looked or little s'prised,
flr Giant Jack had allus refused ter
play with him before.
@Uv course, I'll have or game with
yer, said he, awful clipper; fur he
though he'd got er new victim. Set
right down thar.
Giant Jack sot down ter Their table,
an Horton seated himself opposite ter
him.
They cut fur deal, an Giant Jack
drew ther highest keerd.
What's yer gamef' he axed, shuAlin'
Their pastcboards.
~sSeven-up, said Horton. That's
thor nanSk .,~os~t1n~ rn~rn e..