The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-02-27
a NEBRASKA HEROINE.
How "a Woman with Nerve Governed
Western Community.

Talk about leetlo women, said the
man on the cracker box, who was enter
! tanning the insurance agent and tree
| traveller, there amt nothin' under the
/ sun a lectle woman can't do if she sets
! out tew. She jest takes hold and does
! by stratagee what a big woman does by
! main strength and awkwardness- Amt
| it so, Sleepy Sam?"
| The reservation Indian designated
| grunted ''ugh!' although he did not un-
| derstand a word that was said, writes
| Mrs. VI. /. Rayne, the recorder Of this
| anecdote, in the Detroit Free Press.
1T minds me of incident which
! happened when was the postmaster an
'spress agent at this here place. Omaha
warn't much more than village, an its
main curiosity was a floatin' bridge in
| them days. There was a valise come in
| by 'spress with no kind of direction on
| it. Now I'd just had a queer 'sperience
| with q trunk that got left here, no name
| or nothin', but young woman come in
| for il, an l sed, sez l: IDENTIFY it, my
| dear: if it is yours, while | open it
~ will says she; there's a dozen
| eggs in I'm tal1in' TO my aunt to make 4
omelet.'
Take it, my DEAR says l; it's
yours, an your aunt'5 omelet is made,
| but guess the rest of your things amt
improved any
.'Gentlemen. when hefted the valise
it was as heavy as lead"
"Dynamite?" suggested the traveller,
gently.
''Bricks?" inquired the insurance man.
Way off. l felt it incumulent on me
as a Government officer TO open that
valise and find out what was in it, and
was getting ready tew hunt a key,
when right then in walked two women.
One of them was the Widow Smell, 4
poor washed-out, weeping woman, that
always aggravated me to death a sniff
fin over her dear departed Jim, the
mcanest and most cantankerous human
this side of the Rockies. The other
was q little mite OF dandified woman.
/ could hev' lifted her with one hand,
an her head was hardly above the coun-
ter.
'Cap'n, says she-yes, j fit in the
war-'Cap'n, is there vaIisc here for
me?'
".Ain't but one valise here, ma'am,
an that amt for you,' says l.
How do you know? says she, as
pert rs you please. IN thank you TO
let mo sec it
- lifted it up and banged it on the
counter.
BE careful says she, it might go
off, then sho took a key of ribbon
at her mock and handed it 10 me.
"'Unlock it, says she.
The way she ordered me round made
my head swim. Sure enough, the key
unlocked it slick as whistle.
You'll please tell me what's in this
here valise, ma'am,' says l, in my official
voice.
Is oh yes says she, gattin' up on tip
toe, there's n navy revolver. an seven
shooter, and an English bulldog that
only holds one bullet, but shoots to kill
and
- There they are, ma'am, an they're
yours, says l; L don't dispute your
word IN tho least and Will DO much
obliged if you'll just take the hull ar
senal of my hands.
she stuck the revolvors in her belt
and carried the bulldog in her hand.
Come, Alice says she, Wen go
home now,' and she walked out and
walked out past all them reserve Injuns
without 4 look at en-, tho widow fol-
lowing as meek as Moses
What was she doing here?" asked the
insurance man.
'GeQClemcn, she were a visitin' her
cousin, that poor, sighin', cryin' widow.
1t were the year thot the Bad Axe In
juns was sent up here TO our reservation
to make life burden to US, till that
leetle woman come up here loaded for
bear. That cousin of hers didn't have
gumptiOn enough TO keep them from
stealing the roof from over her head
An one night gentlemen, the little
woman heard a step outside her window,
and saw an Injun taking off the widows
best horse, an she jest opens the door
and steps out, an says she: Stop in
your tracks or you're dead Injun,' and
she held the cold muzzle of the pistol TO
his head. He didn't wait for no parley-
in, but just evaporated to onct.
'.The Injuns liked her nightly for
her pluck, an one day as she sot on the
fence drawin' pictures of the bluffs, an
the topees, along rid Injun and stopped
to admire her. He didn't have much on
but blanket, an was dirty and sassy,
an he famed himself with a turkey
tail fan. Says he: -t i
" Got man?'
g y Aes-Chicago-git,' says she. She
kinder played with the shooter in her
left an he got, an / reckon that was the
shortest courtship on record.
That little woman stayed there till
she coaNed the widow 10 swap the farm
for town lots, and sell off all the stuff,
and put the money in the bank, and she
made her stop cryin' an snifiiin' over
that peslIy Jim Smell, an brace up an
be somebody When she got things
boomin' and the Injuns tanned down into
decent mem, go ) OF sassiety she packed
up her firearms and went home to Chi
cago an then the funniest thing Of all
came out, for the widow told on her.
There uerert one Of them firearms I0aded.
She had just bulldozed the hull lot of
US with empty revolvers. Fact, gentle
men; have some pop? The law forbids
any thing stronger"
When everybody had popped the tree
traveller asked carelessly:
What became of the widow?"