Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-08-30
BELLA DONNA.


tricks Of skeerin' a team Of horses going
down grade or a whoopin unexpected at
an elderly man that's some narvous from
stage drivin' over twenty-five year: but
she want never that er way. She was
leetle, pale faced creatur'. with the slim.
NEST arms, the longest legs, and poor,
shabby gowns allus too short fur her. she
growed So fast. an they want made
with tucks TO let down, as | told her
they'd oughter be- She come to town
Miles Canon--that sets down at the foot
of Mt Snefiles like il was dropped there.
along with her father. Hard Luck"
Stevens He was drunk as usual. and
she luggin' a big bundle done up in red
bandanna, a tiny sun bunnitted ere ,tur
not more'n D years old.
''lt's too bad, | says, sissy. to let you
hug that and that old villain staggerin
as usual What's he to your"
''Just plain dad, she answers with n
little sigh. hes allus thater way, and
they've put muver in the ground over to
Leadville, and I've got ter live with him,
but rm goin' TO be spectacle allus.
promised my muver that"
BLESS yer heart" | cries. ''if Mike
Breen kin help you TO the came he will
Them leetle old ways of yourn kinder
chokes me up.
As they did every time I see her keep
I'm house fur that old reprobate, he pre-
tendin to be prospectin, but settin'
around saloons loafin' When she got to
be knowed. there was allus some one to
lug him home fore he got too fur gone
to be hateful. as he done when deep in
Ticker Their vittles somehow got paid
for, though Hard Luck" never airnt
nawthin. Missy would thank a feller
so cute, with such mite Of curtsy, IL
was wuth a dollars buyin' of pork or
meal just 10 see her. She wouldn't an.
swer to anythin' but Miss Stevens,
though her name was Bell. fearin' it
want high toned.
My road lay by her cabin half mile
from town, an | got in the habit OF
breathin' my horses there. fur it's a steep
pull up the grade. an out she'd come to
say How de do" and arter time TO
ride piece with me could swing her
up over the wheel like bird, fur she
weighed nawthin'. an there she'd set
aside me, her leetle sun bunnit hangin'
by the strings, her yaller hair blowing
her pale checks tinted bit. and them
big, black, sorrerful eyes full of a child's
delight, Land, how purity she was then!
One day she says:
"Mister Mike, you an me is acquaint
ed long time"
Five year. missy" answers, fiickin'
the off horse with the whip; he allus
shirked.
I've bin thinking we're such real
frens you needn't call me Missy emmy
more. That's just fur the camp. you
know"
Better not change-rm used to
Missy"
but ! kin be spectacle Just the same
an want To make you think l care a
heap about you. Now. Bell is so short
1t amt fine ernuff. an | shall be u way
up lady some day, so got me name to
the drug store that bitches onto mine"
Gimme suthin' easy can't get over
no jaw breaker. Missy"
"You wun't laif. lookin' at me with
them big. serious eyes.
Not "a grin, even.
well" brcathless like, its--it's
Belladonner Amt il butifulg'
One day when she rid up with me she
told me. Us she was going 10 be a great
lady. she ought to be dedicated.
II can't go To school in the canon, fur
father would set hisself fire or suthin'
an hev 10 git our meals; but kin read
some, muver taached me little, an I've
picked up more, an ! want you to gii
me some books"
An If she didn't put silver quarter
In my hand. warm from her tiny fist.
took il, fur she was that proud shed bin
mad. an I've got it yit. an | worrited al
the way to Silver City what I'd git
let her think her money paid fur all
She airn't some mendin' fur miners, fun
she'd set a patch wonderful with them
leetle claw fingers. an as she growed big
wouldn't take no more gifts of vittles.
pal an me explored Silver City fur them
books. an brought her book called
"Dlonter Christer. Bible. a volume oi
plays by shakerspear that ! thought
wouldn't do her no harm, fust reader
an a 'rithmetsc. She was tickled. ] tel
you, when dropped them inter hel
aprin. an arter that allus see Belladon
ner (as | keerfully called her, though
he'd 10 laff inwardly-but lawi I'd called
her hull drug store TO please herl with
a volume under her thin arm. an tn,
words she used ev'ry day was reg la
double deekers
She Jest soaked up larnin like {
sponge, till / used To wonder that leetls
head could hold so much.
So time goes on. an the leetle gown
fits better. Is long ernuff. an is neat
made by her own hands. an she get
more flesh on her. an our leetle maid is
young Teddy, an a young civil engines
surveying for railroad comes often 4
tho cottage--a good chap, Jack-an'
liked him. She growed 80 purity, too
with her golden hair and shinin' eyes
an the pink in her checks, an the sorte
light on her face as young love gives.
Wal. one day as drove down grade
abe come runnin' outer the cabin. he
eyes sparklin', her lips parted, her face a
rosy--ap she generally quiet and pale
an that yaller hair hyin about he
shoulders. Jack was with me, an Sc
him color up an look at her sorter hun
cry, as a man does when hard hit, bu
she barely spoke To him.
"They say pas struck 1t rich" sh
criea take me down 10 the Canon
Mister Mike; I'm wild to know.