Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-21
THE EAGLE CLIFF mail.
How a Brave Miss Safely Delivered
Its Valuable Contents.

~, as everybody called him, had car
ried the mails between the towns of
Eagle Cliff and Graniteville, distance
of forty miles and in all that time he
had never lost single trip, q record
ofwhich he was very proud, He liv-
ed in lonely gulch, halfway between
the two towns, and his daughter,
Madge, fifteen years old had been his
housekeeper ever since her mother had
died-two years before the time our
story opens.
She had never had brothers and
sisters, and as her father was away
from morning till night of every day
except Sunday, Madge had a lonely
time of it, with the nearest neighbors
nearly two miles distant.
But this Madge did not much mind.
She had lived amid the mountain
fsstnesses all her life and had never
known what it was to have compan-
ions of her own age.
She did not know what fear was.
When she was but twelve years old
her father had given her little rife
and taught her how to use it, and
when she was but fourteen years old
he came home one evening just in
time to bring to the house a fine
young deer Madge had brought down
herself.
Her fathers trips were so arranged
that he was at home every night with
Madge. He would go to Graniteville
in the morning. get the mail and re-
turn to the cabin by nightfull, and the
next day 60 on to Eagle Cliff, return
ing home in the afternoon with the
mail for Granltevllle.
During his absence Madge occupied
herself in various ways. Much of her
time was spent in making their little
cabin of two rooms wonderfully neat
and clean.
1t was just as CHEEKY and tidy a
place as such rude log house could
possibly be, and Jed Prouty found it
very restful and comfortable after his
ride Of forty miles each day.
He came home from Graniteville one
night complaining of feeling Gagged
out"
I'D hardly stren'th to set in my
saddle the last mile or two, he said,
as he threw himself down on his bunk,
under which he told Madge to put the
mail for Eagle Cliff. I'll git right
into bed and take some hot drinks
and sleep it all off by morning. he
said.
But when morning came he was too
sick and weak to hold up his head,
and riding to Eagle Cliff was an utter
impossibility to him.
i can't CO. he said, with one hand
pressed to his burning and throbbing
brow-'I can't go, Madge; but that
mailbag's got to get to the Cliff some
how. / amt never failed of gettin
it there a single time in fo'teeu years,
and ! wouldn't fail gettin' it there
now fer all there is in it.
i could takeit dad, if it want
for leavin' you,' said Madge, prompt
ly, but can't leave you alone, sick as
you are.'
You needn't leave me alone, my
girl, said her father you could
stop at the Wldder Barton's cabin
and ask her to come up and do all
there is to be done for ne. I reckon
you could git some one there to take
the mail on to the Cliff, but I don't
know nobody I'd trust with it as I'd
trust you, Madge.'
Then I'll take it through for you,
dad she replied, 'and I'll bring back
the doctor, if he'll come, and some
medicine, anyhow. I s'pose Mrs. Bar
ton can do for you as well as I could,
and if you'd feel safer to have the
mailbag with me than with anybody
else, Ill take it through, and you
needn't worry none about its not get,
ting there. I'll be in Eagle Cliff by
noon, and home by sundown.'
4 believe you will, Madge,' her
father said, proudly; but it amt any
ordinary mail you'll carry. Yester-
day was pay day in Granitville, and
lots of miners sent money home in reg
istered letters, fer, you know, there
amt any other way of sending it from
there; and them registered letters is
ell in that mailbag. Then, some Of
the boys give me their money to buy
money orders fer 'em at the Cliff, and
others sent theirs over to the bank
there. They knowed they could trust
yer dad, Madge, and we'll show 'em
they can trust his little girl, too
so they can, dad Madge replied,
smiling with pleasure at this unusual
expression of confidence in her cour-
age and honesty.
I've nearly FIVE hundred dollars in
my belt, Madge, and there's q paper
with it tellin' jest who it all belongs
to and what's to be done with it; and
when you get to the Cliff, you tell
Dock Gray, the postmaster, how Pm
fat on my back, and give him the pa
per and the money, and he'll tend to
everything fer you, fer he's straight
as string, Dock is; an honester man
.,ox,oy 4 80 nod 49, L~o.kb - Ie.