The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-12-20
THE WAYSIDE GRAVE.
A Pathetic Story Of the Lonely
Western Prairies.

About five miles out of Skytown on
the Ontario trailn there is a lonely
little grave. At one end of the mound
is rough wooden cross firmly planted
in the earth and q careful eye can
trace the words "Joe's Kid" rudely
carved upon the shorter transverse
piece Of wood. Many a time | have
paused by that little grave and won
dered who lay beneath the rough mon=
umeut and whether Joe" was alive 20
mourn for the child. 1t touched my
heart deeply, that mound on the dis
tant prairie. and often when going TO
or coming from Ontario ! would pluck
bunch Of wild roses and golden-rod
and lay them by the cross.
'If l were Joe" thought ], II should
be glad to think that some one remen-
bered my child"
One day as l was coming into Sky
town saw a man kneeling upon the
sod by the cross and aimlessly hand
ling the withered flowers had put
there from time 10 time. He was clad
IN the garb OF a ranckman and his
brOad-brimmed white hat was pulled
down over his eyes so that / could
scarcely see his face. He had SEEM
ingly just dismounted, for his horse
was standing near by.
Nov" thought /. perhaps the
mystery can be solved" and turned
from the road ana drove over towards
him.
The stranger looked up in surprise
as halted beside him. ] spoke TO
him cordially. He answered me
grufiy and arose to his feet, as though
angry at my intrusion.
Il beg your pardon" said ], but
this little grave has been an object OF
much wonder TO me, and, seeing you
here, 1 thought perhaps you might
know and could explain it."
i can't tell ye nothin' about It, he
replied, in a brusque voice, looking
across the prairie with an air that
plainly told he considered me an in
truder.
l said nothing, but, taking the
bunch OF flowers / had in the wagon,
/ laid them by the cross and started
away.
Hold up, strangeri Are you the
chap as has been putin them flowers
on the kids grave?"
bowed.
He caught my hand and shook il
warmly.
Il beg your pardon ! thought you
was some o them felIers Che waved
his hand towards Skytown) as was
nosin' round out o curiosity like.
You're different people, see 1t now.
an III tel ye bout the kid If you'd
Ike to hear?"
thanked him and he told the story
Every body called her the kid
At the p k ranch she didn't go by no
other name and they called her 'Joe's
Kid from Mingersville to the Mussle-
shell, Purtiest little gal you ever see.
Bout five year old, with curly. yalIer
hair an blue eyes, an was always
smi.in' an laughin.' She was always
around with Joe-seemed to take to
him NOR Z to any of the others and
many ride they had together, Joe on
his broncho and the kid in front of
him. An Joe was just as careful OF
her as a woman could a been. tell
ye, stranger, it don't seem as if that
little gal was dead"
Unwittingly a tear coursed down
the rancher's bronzed cheek. He
paused a minute, cougbed and con-
tinued: 49, -...'s. .---.
.'She came to Us in this way: A
feller from the East came out TO Min
gersyIlo to herd sheep for Frank
Smith. He was a cultivated kind OF
teller neat an tidy 7lol1t his 1ano-t,a.ra
an his clothes, an no kind of a chap
at all for sheep herder. but he was
melancholy and disconsolate like about
some Of his Coin's in the States an
caIno out to Montanny to forget ali
about il Wen. he brought the kid
with him The gal was his daughter
she wan more'n two or three year
old then, an they went right out to
one o Smiths lonesomcst stations
where they couldn't see no one but the
chap as brought their ratious an mail,
an they couldn't see hlm more n onco
a month. | tell ye, strange. it's aw-
iul lonesome, Lots o. sheep he.ders
90 crazy an some kills themselves.
u eli. this fellCr stuck to it. an by n
by Joe dropped in on him an saw
that gal. He an the kid took 10 each
sure glad 10 see any one that looked
like a man, so they struck up an ac-
quaintance an Joe managed TO pull
over to the Lone Star station two or
three times a month. Joe used TO tell
the boys bout the kid, an they laughed
To zee how much he thought n her. an