The Red Cloud chief., 1892-03-25

Scraggs, true to his resolve, soon
found a purchaser for Green's land. and
with the proceeds, which was 4 neat
little sum. John set up in business at
Magic City. John was anxious to
leave the farm. for though n seasons
became more regular and crop failures
almost unknown, he felt that he was
not designed for farm work. and
his past experience with it gave
him n thorough distaste for II.
In his new occupation he sue
ceeded fairly well, and was III
time quite well to do. He regalned his
old time life and energy, and Mary
became as bright as cheerful as n girl.
Gradually the remembrance of those
old bitter days, when they commended
against drcuths, pests and mortgages
faded out, and they could look back on
the past without n shuddcr.
1t was a long time before they knew
of the great sacrifice Louise proposed
making for their sakes in those OLD.
dark DAYS, and when finally h know
ledge came to them they could only
prize her n little more highly as 4 pre-
cious Jewel. the brightest and best pcs
session of their lives.
Scraggs continued in his old occupation
of selling real estate and booming his
| town. and much credit was due him Tor
the wonderful growth of Magic City in
the years that followed. The person who
goes to Magic City now may see Il little
old man, why and nervous, sitting at
his desk in his office surrounded by n
fine display of agricultural products,
busily at work on some scheme for adj
vancing his towns interests. That
man is Scraggs. He is always at work,
and his work is always for his town.
To Scraggs, and men like him, the west
owes much of its prosperity. 1t is such
| as he who make boOms and cause
towns and cities to spring up like
magic. They turn waste places into
gardens. and deserts into prosperous
| communities. They bring before the
world the advantages of their section
| of country, and cause its towns to grow
and its to be sought after.
All honor to Scraggs and his thousands
of faithful coadjutors.
1t transplred after Blatchford's death
that he was indeed broken up. All his
western securities were carried away
by Pearson, and into these he had, upon
P~earson's recommendations, turned
nearly all his wealth. His property in
the east was heavily mortgaged for
money TO send west, and when the
news of his death and his western
losses became known, his eastern cred
itors closed in. and everything, includ-
| ing his residence, was sold at trustees
sale.
Mrs. Blatchford wa thus left pcnni-
less, and suddenly she awolle to the re-
alization Of the fact, and came up face
to face with the most abjcct poverty.
She had to step down from the grand
mansion where she had reigned q
queen, and to-day in a back street in n
poorer quarter of the city, there is an
| old. dingy, dirty two-room house, before
which hangs n little sign bearing the
words ''Plain Sewing" and in this
house, bending over the tircsome seams
one may see Mrs. Blatchford and her
mother and the two Pearson girls who
were sent away 20 school at B~latchford's
expense.
Sarah is Il sadly disappointed woman,
and full often she signs for her fallen
grandeur. She often recalls the days
when she was mistress of Blatchford's
house and when she with all her rela-
tives lived in great plenty and comfort
on BlatchfCrd's bounty. She is. indeed,
receiving the just rewards of her
actions. and is tasting the bitter draught
she poured out to others. Rev. Wheed-
Ter has long since forgotten Mrs.
Blatchford. In fact he lost interest in
her when she lost her position in So
ciety and became unable to contribute
to his salary. Mrs. Blatchford has
never forgotten nor forgiven Aunt
Mitchell, and it is probable that she
never will. But that matters little to
Aunt Mitchell, and she goes her way
quite as well satisfied as though Mrs.
Blatchford was her best friend.
And now, having disposed of all the
other characters, nothing remains but
to account for Harry Pearson. He
went to the mountains beyond Denver,
and though Scraggs made every effort
to apprehcnd him, he was not
heard of for some months after
his escapade. The report that
came then was to the effect that he had
drifted into the mining regions. and
after gambling away all his money
undertook to raise 4 stake by robbing a
mine. He was caught in the act and
after Il hearing before an eX-
temporary pioneer court. was taken
out and promptly hung to the nearest
tree.
And now our story is done. Years
have elapsed since the vents recorded.
and the great state of Kansas has out
grown its early disadvantages. The
fertile soil of its great plains produces
wonderful crops, and its people are
among the first to respond with their
rich products to the calls OF other suffer-
ing lands. 1t has become n of the
first states of the union, and but for one
thing its people would be the most
prosperous on earth. 1t has escaped
the curse of pests and drouths; but.
alas, the farm mortgage still has its
deadly fangs buried deep in its soil.
When this curse is abolished and the
homes of the west become free of the
<-.1-. 81 ,,-, An I'LL Hhn