Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-12

actually robbed the committee an so We
a-reckoned on his a-leavin' the reighborhood
shortly after got there"
The Door cabin or shack" of the claim
holder did not look like the abode of des-
perate character. Beside the door was little
bed Of bright hued prairie flowers, and a wild
morning glory was trained up to one Of the
little windows. The approach of the COM
mitteemen met no opposition, and, with wea-
pons handy, they entered the cabin.
Upon the poor bed lay the claim holder
His emaciated face, fever flushed and CHASTITY
and his voice, little more than a quavering
whisper, told OF a dangerous illness On the
table lay little heap of money, and on q
chair at the bedside was a bowl Of broth
I'm glad to see you" the sick man said,
family. Il suppose Ira Henneker sent you.
He was here little while ago"
The intruders appeared exceedingly uncom-
Portable Each looked at his neighbor as if
mutely asking him to say something appro-
pirate.
'Sick LONG pardnerf asked the chairman
Of the committee, presently,
II don't know" said the sick man, YEARLY
II have been delrious, think l grew
worse and worse, and then all was blank
till just before Ira came. 1t may not have
myself slipping from consciousness But
feel little, just little, better now. Ira was
very kind to me, and the broth did me good y
1t was evident that he had not seen the
money on the table.
Il must get well as soon as l can, for Alice
is coming soon-coming soonn
Alicel He dwelt lovingly on the name
"Alcel Little Alice! Coming soonn
"How soonf asked the chairman, for want
Of q more appropriate question.
If she meets with no delay on the trip, she
will be here by the 10th or 18th Of this
month. must hurry and get well by that
time, for | want to meet her when the buck
board brings her over from Prairie City.
am going to hire you to bring her, Hank,
and Why, he's gonel"
Hank did not learn all Of the story till
afterward. 1t was the simple story Of two
long waiting hearts. The claim holder had
come west to make on the prairie home for
the only girl in the world to him, and to
whom he was the only man in the world
And she, left behind, had persevered in her
duties as the teacher Of little country school,
adding to the small store Of dollars that
should be common property when they be-
came one
Presently the time prescribed by law before
a claim becomes the property of home
steader" would end, and then they could set
tie down comfortably in a little prairie home
of their own,
At last, a little windfall, In the form of a
small legacy from distant relative, came to
the girl, and she FASTENED to write the good
news to her lover. The marriage need not be
postponed any longer. As soon as the neces-
sary LOCALITIES were completed and she OBJ
tanned possession Of her property, she would
hasten to him
A little later the claim holder fell ill; how
dangerously he did not realize.
At his isolated cabin his condition had not
been suspected by the scattered neighbors till
the visit of the boomers
Ere the claim holders story was ended
there came the thud of hoofs, and moment
later Ira Henneker strobe in, followed by Dr.
McCord, from Prairie City.
Tbs boomers left the cabin, but when, after
the examination, DR.. McCord Joined them,
with grave face and solemnly shaken head,
they reentered the house. Without consult
ing the rest, the treasurer of the finance COM
mittee laid on the table a little pouch con-
tanning the reception fund.
Doc said he, in hoarse aside, .'if
,noneyll make
Il can only do my best, " returned the ply
sician
Whats left will be plenty fern- began
the chairman.
Plenty fer the boom, finished some one,
as the chairman paused.
Ten minutes later, with the exception Of
the physician and a couple of volunteer nurses,
the sick man was alone The rest of the
boomers were attending to duties or purchas-
ing articles deemed by clumsy sylnpathizars
to be Of utility to an invalid This done,
they arrayed themselves in their best clothes,
kept for state occasions.
Meanwhile, the half wild ponies Of Hank
Fisher were jerking the old blue blackboard
along the grass fringed road rapidly toward
Prairie City.
Had to be thar in time fer the train If it
1erked all the wheels often the blackboard"
Hank explained to his passenger. Thar was
the girl Nv that pore cuss comm on the train
that was durb near due, an him half dead
an not e1pectin' her for sev'ral days, OWN
to havin BEN delirious an losin' track Nv the
digit o. time, so to speak"
The girl who descended from the train at
Prairie City and inquired for conveyance TO
Lone Mound was soon seated behind the half
wild ponies that Immediately began kicking
distance swiftly behind them.
Somehow" said Hank confidantially.
"her face reminded me Nv these yere wild
blush roses that grow on the sunny slopes O.
the little hollers it was so pure an innocent
an bright, An her eyes, blue as fax flow
ers, er the sky when the summer rain clouds
break away fer a minute, so to speak, was
as soft and sorto meltin, as-asn-
At loss for an appropriate smile, Hank
bestowed upon the half wild ponies sound
crack of the black snake whip
Wal" proceeded Hank. pretty soon after
we come in sight NV his shack, | seed sump'n'
was up The boys was a-stapdin' in solemn
row in front nv the house, an ali NV EN- had
their hats off When we got up clost, two
Nv EN- showed the cheerman NV the boom
committee forward as If they wanted him to
do some talkin', an he looked as If he'd ruther
be killed on the spot. When the team stop
ped, the cheerman twisted about as if be was
spectin to be whipped fer sump'n', an lookin'
at the girl beside me an jest openin' an shut
tin his mouth like a cat fish, without sayin'
word
Hank, SEE he, all Of n sudden, he's gone
over the Rangei' an got back Nv the others,
spite Nv their tryin' to make him STAY ahead
Nv EN-
THE girl didn't see what was up. but did.
an fer minute ! reckoned on turpin' this
we're ole blue blackboard around an gettin'
her away from the sorrer that was before
her, was that overcome by my feelins. so
to speak. Then Doc McCord come out NV
the shack and stepped forward
Miss, SEE he, yer young mans ben
powerful SICK, an-an'-I-you-you must
prepare fer ther worst. an
Like a fash she SEED it all. The NEXT
minute she was in the shack an a-kneeIini bv
her dead lover, with her head bowed on his
breast an her hair, which had come loose.
sorto caressn' his dead face. None nv us
reckoned on intrudin on her grief. but tho
cry that come to me before could git out O.
heartn' was one that never want to hear the
ike Nv ag In, it was that full Nv anguishin'
despair, SO to speak
What did, began Hanks passenger.
At that moment the mound that for about
two hours had doomed up before them was
passed sufficiently to reveal little settlement
just beyond it. A small cavalcade was leav.
ing it.
That thar's Lone Mound,- said Hank
an yere comes the fun'ral They started
their grave yard just over thar on the slore
Nv the mound, where it's always sunny when
it is anywheresn
When the little procession reached them
the team OF half wild ponies was halted bv
the roadside, and as it moved slowly pas.
both or the occupants Of the old blue buck
beard sat with bowed and barred heads.
The horses that drew the first wagon tho
substitute for hearse, were lastly drar.d