The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-02-07

I'D show him how ter steal inter a
mans house like tibet. Poor little
Jimmy. God knows I meant we'll by
her, mother; an I WIZ a fool not ter
see tibet she wur pinin' fur somthin'
whnt ] could never give hur. Eff she
had only told me tibet she wanted ter
so way, an tibet she coulden love me
rs she should, I'D hev sent hur any,
whur. But ter leave like this, an with
a man whut--'
l could hear no more. / saw it all
now. His pretty, innocent-looking wife
had eloped, and he thought I was the
scoundrel. l burst into the room, and
exclaimed. before he could say n word
i'll his establishment:
Mn. Adams, j have Just learned
what all this trouble is about. I nm
innocent of this, i'll thought, word, or
deed. AS God is my judge, and as 1
hope to receive mercy above, 1 have
not seen nor heard of your wife since
she left here for church this morning.
You may be mistaken. Why do o
think she has left you? Let me see
that paper yonr mother had Just now.s
For answer he gave his mother q
terrible look. and she covered before
his gaze as if in terror. He then
reached for his gun, and said. in a
voice so low and calm as to be more
terrible than a cyclone of wrath:
Back! Don't yer dare ter touch
anything whit she has writ with yer
vile serpent paws. I will give yer ies'
two minutes ter tell whit yerdone with
her, an then I'm goin' ter make yer
swar ter keep her always. An eff 1
ever hear tibet yer hev let her want fur
anything, or tibet yer hey got tired of
her, l shall kill yer on sight jes' as I
would a miserable, cowardly cyote tibet
yer are. Wllur is she?"
MY dear sir. You must he mad. I
swear to You l hev not"
With a quick motion he brought his
gun to his shoulder, when his mother
caught it and held OH to it with q
dcath-grip.
Don't, Hank; not tibet way. Give
Their stranger time ter pray. Give him
a chance. Let him read ther letter.
Don't yer see his hosses nm buggy air
in the lot. Don't yer put blood on yer
soul whit Yer can't ever wash off.
Hank, my son. wait jes' a little. His
comm back shows he might he inner
cent"
His bosses an buggy amt no sign,
nor his bein' back hear, nuther, cause
he'd be sharp enough ter try an blin'
us that way. But I'll let yer hev yer
way, mother, seein' as We air all I hev
lef' ter ME now"
He handed me the paper, and I read,
in a clear, feminine hand, these terri
bly, plain words, the outraged husband
watching me closely as I read:
Dear Hank-I thought 1 loved you
once, but I find 1 do not. I ought to
have told you before. but could not
bear to do so, as you seemed SO happy.
1 cannot longer bear tho loneliness,
and the dfudgery, aud the dcsolation
of life here. If 1 staid longer I should
hate you for bringing mo here. o, how
can I sign my name TO this terrible let
ter? I go away with one you do not
know, but do not try to find me. 1t
will be useless. / will not sign my
name, because / want you to forget it.
Forgive me, as I hope God will.s
That was all. But I trembled as ]
read it, and staggered, and would have
fallen. had not his strong arms caught
me.
aMr. Adams" I managed to say,
@this is, indeed, terrible. How you
ever came to imagine I was concerned
in it I do not know. But, kill me il
you will; but, il you believe I did this
terrible thing, I shall die {argiyine
you: ] believe that il Goa ever does
7 w. 49,