Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-05-24

he Ont rers soon. Jack did moi; come
.rafn thal day Next morning the cook
brcn4lit me "a citp OF tea.
Where Is jack esked.
"Busy."
Thought Of him all day, but he did
"coob. said I. ct last. Il wan YOU to
cell me the truth about jack
Don't You frct! he answered.
"Dut I must know"
"yycil. hes not able.to bo ahout."
"NNhcre ~ i.cf"
''ln No. B. But you cant 20 near him;
he's got p efcvpri leiiriuUsl Wouldn't
know bis own mothcrl'
who's nursing him."
Il am-what little he ccts. We can't
make q hospital cut Of The Charley
Roberts"
Cook tried TO stop me, bat ] staggered
across the cabin into No. 3. could
hardly recognize Jack as he lay ON the
bunk, his face was so flushed and his
ewes so bloodshot. lie had dropped
down too weak 10 take his clothes oil. !
took liio hand and sat beside him.
Jack. my 10y, what's wrong
"Nuthing. Sam.
Jack never said much. He was better
at doing than saying.
/ looked at the poor follow In despair
! had never nuiscd a sick PERSON IN my
life. The captain came in while ! ST
there.
1--WE muat lave a doctor, captain,
said J..
'aiight as well want a gold mine. he
replied.
''Bat look at Jaei;, captain Saalean
lsre dor
Il cont know"
''Bam," snil Jack, booking at me with
i strange exproGsion' you know uy sie-
ter Annie
Certainly. Jack
~ want you To tell her about me"
"You will soon SEQ iicr, Jack"
"No, Sam: I'm going"
"H|o're 10th going home"
eyes. going hOnn. I'm tired! Trcdi'
Then rast, Jack. ! shall he here"
Take my hand. sam.
Il have yOur hand, my boy. Try 70
sleep"
Annie 81 The door. She looks moro and
more like mother as slie crows older.
She's glad to see me from the way she
smiles"
"inlced she Is. Jack"
That's Sam'H voice; he got yer TIC
fever well. ! believe tlad it. too. Hear
old FONT barking at the gate; he's most
Is glad as Annie 60 see me lack. All.
sam, it's good to bc back IN PcnnGylva-
nia-Gods country Annie! Annieg'
He fell back in q stupor, with his eyps
sci. ! felt a spasn pass through his
frame. after which his hard lay in mine
like a ~lifeless thing. | looked up ques-
tioningly at the captain.
Good helm him! he il dead"
90, surely rotr'
Dead! he repeated.
Only wlnn l bent over hin dill | be
lieve it. Jack was dead.
"He died working for others" sait
the captain, and IN lieu of better vords
these must stand for his cpitaph.
/ can only tel. Jacks story 10 a plai.
wey. cannot MI ycvr ores with tcart
as miac are filled, as thorc Il no crt lie.
hi,:a my words. You read of good ncT
-ulsclish and heroic men that poets
sing Of and historians immor.alizc--Lu'
here was one that moody ever heard of
Who was there 70 read a funeral scrElor
over him when we buried him in dlCnClN
place on tie river bank next day. NhC
prayed over the rough pine box? Not {
prayer. not u hymn ut the funeral; c-lJ
some tSars that caHlc of genuiap grief
We left him there on the river bank
with a piece Of drift wood to mark Iii
gravc. which the nest flood would SWEEP
away. / found . little flower growing
thcre-n violet, lthink-which I brought
away for Annie.
Jack IVES 40 Aomcly q man as over sol
taw, n Zig. raw boued fellow, with .
twinkle of the eye that made one laugh.
Had yCu been hJnting for a man oi
pclEh and education you would not have
picked him cut. . His head had not Leon
cultivated at the Cspcl9c Of his hcart.
he used strouS language sometime!
when a rope got tangled, o the pump,
worked hard. or th7 coffee 6iAIt elii
him. / am not trying to picture Lin,
as perfect; ! want you TO know lin q.
no was. lis voice Ia = siykroo.n We
as gentle rs a child's; he had q big, ten
der heart. kindlier than mosS womc,
have, and q hand that served a f.ilnC
until ready to drop froin w~earinesa.
remember hira 5s he bent over me Winl,
| lay helpless with fever. u kindly lishl
beamiug in his face that heautttied il.
learned then how un5oliigh he was. ant
my heart nfcut out To lain. as your
would have gone had you known him
! This wa jack At his best. Il. ID. hasoi
, in PittsburG Bulletin.