The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-09

''Une DAY jim wasn't feeling well, and
I'm blessed if Bill didn't camp right by
his bedside all day long, and me and
Shep, the dog, had to look after the
sheep. Jim was only sick couple of
days, and the next Sunday when the
men from down on the ranch came up to
bring us some papers and canned stuff
they brought letter for Jim from his
employers down in Omaha asking that
he come home at once. When Jim got
ready to go / am an Indian if he and
Big Bill didn't cry, and Bill he walks
clear up to the top of the hill, and sat
down ON bowlder, and kept his eyes
fastened on the wagon as it turned
around the serpentine road, and watched
it until it disappeared on the plain be-
low, and then he came back here and
| sets down awful glum, and says he to me:
"'Jake, Jim's an all fired good Teller
"'You bet he is
"Thats all said, but Big Bill under
stood me. Every Sunday when the men
! from the ranch didn't come up Bill used
to walk clear down there and get the
letter that would be sure to be there for
him from Jim, and he would bring it
back up here, and we used to work pretty
hard to read it, even if it was written
with typewriter, for you know neither
Bill nor me had ever had any schooling.
They were awful good letters, though,
and once he sent us some fine wooden
shirts and mittens, and some crack to-
bacco and couple of pipes; this is one
of them now. About month after he
left we got letter saying he was going
to be married, and he was dead anxious
for Big Bill to come down and take it in,
but Bill wouldn't do it, because he said
Jim might be ashamed of him; but Jim
wasn't that kind of a fellow, as I'm going
to tell you pretty soon.
"About three years after his marriage
Jim wrote letter asking both Bill and
me to come down and see him and his
wife and the kid, and there was lot of
s SHY MRGGh B@ar sid thew # T The
Big Bill they wanted to see, although
Jim and me were good friends, but as
Bill allowed he wouldn't go if / didn't
go with him, consented to go, and SO
when the sheep had been moved down to
the ranch we went down to Omaha.
We didn't tell him we were coming, for
Bill thought it would be big fun to sur
prise him When we got into Omaha
we were kinder scared, seeing all the
people and the rustic; but policeman
comes up and asked us who we wanted,
and we told him the name of the firm
Jim worked for and he explained how to
get there. Bill and me started out and
crossed the viaduct. believe that's
what it's called, big bridge over the
railroad tracks, and when we got to the
other end and walked around bit we
saw the sign up and we crossed over and
went in. There were lots of men work
ing there, and Jim was standing up talk
ing to girl who was a-writing like a
congressman. When Bill saw him lie
walks right up and shoves out his hand
and says he in loud, CHEEKY voice:
"'Hullo, ole Jim, how be YEP
"Jim just looked up and then jumpeda
yard and grabs Bills outstretched hand
in both of his and then he grabs mine,
attacking like politician all the time.
He excused himself for a minute and
| reads little more to the girl and then
| he introduced us to three or four people
| and got his coat. The girl turned
around and commenced hitting a ma
| chine and Bill went up and took off his
hat and his long hair fell about his face
| and he said:
"'That's one of those typewriters, amt
it, missT
"And the girl looked up and smiled
awfully nice and says, Yes, SIR and
then Jim came along and we left. We
went out, and I'll be switched if could
see how Jim could find his way around
with all the wagons and people and cleo
tric cars, but we got on one of them
anu tne..' ,nde for about half an hour
NIL. A pretty little iless-alled M a
above the street and we went up, Tor
that was where Jim lived. The house
was fixed up in great shape, and as Bill
and me stood there kind of awkward
the curtains were showed aside and
young lady came in. She stood for a
second, and Jim just said "my wife,"
when she stepped forward with the
sweetest kind of smile and taking my
| pard's hand and says:
"'This is Big Bill, know, and Jake.
am glad to see you
"Bill just looked all broke up for a min
ute and then he turned to Jim:
No wonder you married, Jim,' says
| he.
"Jim and his wife just laughed, and
while they were enjoying themselves a
little child came into the room and ran
| up to his father, and he took him up in
his arms and kissed him and then set
| him down on the floor, and he ran over
| to where Bill was sitting in one of those
big chairs and climbed up in his lap, and
Bill held him like he was glass, and he
was pleased if he did feel foolish, and
the kid ran his little hands through the
big mans beard and long hair, and
seemed to enjoy it immensely, and pretty
soon Bill turns to Jim and says he:
"'You had better take this, Jim.
amt used to handling such lambs
"Jim reached out for the child, but he
| chung close to Bill. A flush of pride
comes into my pard's face, and he looked
up and said:
"'What's the kids name, Jim?
"But before Jim could answer the boy
said Bill just as plain, and the big fell
low looked up first at Mrs. Jim and then
at her husband and he read the answer
in their faces, and then he pressed the
child close to his bosom, and two big
tears came into his eyes and fell on his
cheeks. We felt at home right away,
and that afternoon Jim got a carriage
and drove us all over the city and out to
the fort. Bill looked awful happy sit
ting on the back seat with Mrs. Jim, and
the kid and Mrs. Jim laughing softly
and talking merrily while her husband
and Bill spoke of when Jim was up here
in the hills. We staid there for three
days, and Jim just showed us all the big
buildings and took us up to one of those
swell clubs and introduced us around
as though we were millionaires instead
of poor sheep herders, and reporter
gave Bill a great write up too.
about a month after we were down in
Omaha we saw man from the ranch
riding up, and so we went over to see what
was the matter, for it was on Thursday
and we thought something was up. He
had letter with a black margin from
Bill and he tore it open and it was from
Mrs. Jim, saying that Jim had been taken
suddenly sick and had died. Well, sir.
Bill just took the letter in his hand and
turned around like one that's paralyzed
and he walked straight over yonder