The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-10-24
example Of him hat ihrr wont another

lust lhlNH We @i' NN'n we 4Ial;tt
cross the valley WAS an old covered
wa"om not murr'n Il quarter of Il mile
away. The wagon had come in,
reckon, iI~l after We went Ia sleep, an
the foIk, had put up Il tent like rs il
they was IiNin To Stay. BIC Jim he
took a S,iimt nj the outfit. then he tore
loose an Swnrr TT tn set Il woods alirr.
Then he rot his pistols an wEcn som"
body a\rd what he was gnim 10 do,
hc said.
s.I.m "uin over thar an wipe that
d"rucd settler out. I'm going to shoot
hum so full of lead that he'll weigh Il
ton. I'll break up this sqImt;cr bust
ness right on the start.
Il knowcd Big JIM meant what he
said IN felt kind q sorry for the set
tier, but didn't say mothin. Me and
the other boys jest set down m watch
ed Jim aS he slridcd cross the prairie,
and waited 10 see what was goIn% to
nappcn. So;
..Whcn Jim got up sortcr close to
the wagon we see him draw his gun an
cit ready to shoot, then we sec him
rdwc up little closer kinder kccrful
| like, then all 10 once we seen him stop
an wait like he was listening ut some
thin.
"Wal, ! recon most u half hour
must Il passed that way, an we got to
wondering what made Jim sian there
actin like that. Whcn all to once he
whirlrd round an come back to us
lonkin' the sobcrcSt AN SolcmncSt |
ever see fcller look in all my life.
By gosh, stranger, you may not be
lrvC it. but I'd most swear they was
tears in old .Iim's eyes, an | know
when he spoke to us his voice was all
a-trcmble like his fcclin's was too
much for him.
cit was GOOD bit before Jim said Il
word, an all the time he jest set thar
on Il inverted bucket nussin' his head
in his hands, an actin like he was
dreadful cut up. We stood round an
looked ut him, n-wondcrin' what it
meant, but after awhile | yenturcd to
speak to him, sayin':
"What's ailin' you, Iim?'
"Thcn he raised his head sortcl
slow like, an in II tone so sad an
different from what his allus was, that
| didn't recognize it, he said
) ..Boys, I'm iis' completely upset by
what | heard over thar, an | feel sc
blame sncakin' mram that Eve great
notion to shoot myself. never knowet
before how cusscd oncry am
"Coursc we was all s'priscd at that
sort o tall, from Jim, cause he was
50 blamed tough we didn't s'pOs,
nolhin' nd tech his heart, an we wa
a;,AiorIs to know what he'd heard over
; to the wagon, an so we aNcd him.
oval, he said. Il went over thar t'
shoot that settler, an | was Slippin
up 10 the wagon 10 git the drap or
him, when all at once, heard ;
yoicc-thr mcckrSt, pitifuIrst LITTLE
voice ever hear in my life, an
> kuowrd in minute il was the voice
of II lrrtlc gal
...Jim : voice chol,cd up 50 he could
nj say mothin' more, so h" waited ;
moment, an then he went on:
:. sFrllrrs, he said, that voice irS
went through me likr Il knife, an
never felt so quairc since was born
II was so weak an SO ptiful, an 50
helpless like. | heard it say:
:. is the land pretty pa? Is il greer
: with Grass like the old home bacl
cast?'
.. Yes, it is very beautiful, darling.
Il man replied like he was crym'. IT
very pretty AN You will find the greer
prairie almost aS nice as the bIs
meadow bacl. nj the old home. WhcI
YOU get well you can romp over th'
plain and gather flowers and be Yer,
happy.
> 81 ain'l never goin' to be wei
any more, pa, the little voice said
'and won't never gather any Hover
nor romp over the prairie; but In
5 glad it's pretty, 'causc when I'm II
= Heaven where the angels are, an
/ where everything is so beautiful an
bright, | want to know that you AN
: ma have nice home like the old on,
! we lost. | wont be with You yer,
, long now, pa, 'causc | can hear TIN
-, angels singim', an ! know they
= comm To take me away. Don't cry
> dear pa an ma, cause | aim I sorry Il
, go-only | don't like to leave you
: I'm so glad you re goin TO have
!, beautiful home where the grass a'
, the flowers grow; an sometimes, may
! be, | will come back to see you.
:. - Fellows. he said in conclusion
| never felt so awful rs did while
+ was standing there listening to then
, words of that child. Feared like ever
:, one of EN- was Il knife, an that she W..
stabbimT en- into my cussed, wicllc
heart; an though they hurt terrible
y wanted en- TO stab deeper, cause
kuuwcd | deserved it, Thar WA
.. smrakimg up thar like Il low dow
. oncry thief, intending to shoot tha
- fcllcr fer trying to Git II home, Will
he was in there nuSSin his dying chill
+ an her talking about the grass Il
! the flowers an the old home back east
an the angels an Heaven. Boys,
e would II been glad if Il streak of light
=, had struck me right then and there.
=. oval, sir, we never heard nothi
= more bout kccpin settlers off in tn
> valley, an we never tried t0 hold non
!, of il ccpt what the law titled us I
=, hold Big JIM IN all the rest OF I
| helped the settlers every way we couI
;. and when the angels came for III
- lcctlr gal IN took her spirit away, W
made Il grave on the prairie IN buric
-, her whar the grass %rOWcd and wha
, BIC Jim planted 4 tree an SON
- flowers. never see old Jim cry b,
=, fore, stranger, but he shed tears owe
:, that grave like the lrctir gal was h
>. own, and from that day he WAS
. different man, IN Kind an gentle as
= woman. THOMAS j. MoNrFOET.
> They Resumed.
& Detroit Free Press.