Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-05-25


used to say in the army that l was
doomed to live ont my days without a
wife, but don't know. | rather like
Bcss-perhaps because were both from
the same State; but
This would always be the end of
his u.using, and he would steal away
if Bess happened to come in sight, and
she would sec nothing more of him the
rest Of the day.
But on this particular afternoon Sam
came to the door, and touched his hat
to the girl. who laid the book aside
and asked him If n storm was coming.
II don know about that, said Sam.
Il don't think we are going to have
the sort of storm you fear, Miss Bess,
hut the Indians are upagain down on
the river, and we're apt to have
trouble with them"
oh, | hope not. They came by here
to-day and nodded pleasantly to me.
But, look here. one of your old army
companions dropped in upon me this
afternoon.
One o. my pards?" echoed sam.
AT least he said he was"
What did he call himself?'
Jack Dawson"
the lfns, and the girl. who happened
to be looking at his hands, saw them
shut impulsively.
lie did not like the thought of Jack
Dawson coming TO these parts at least
not while such vision of female lowell
ness filled the chair in the telegraph
Office.
Bess turned and looked aftec hir. a
n
novel.
What makes that man hunt me up
in this fashion," unused Sam. That
old quarrel sticks in his craw yet, and
we will have to have settlement
when we come together. Jack Daw-
son, it was the day before the opening
at Gettysburg, and you took the ini-
tiative and gave me that brutal insult.
1t was all about girl, but she's been
dead these ten years, and neither OF
us won her, and now You come down
here just to rob me again.
81 IN not going to stop till I've found
him. We've got to fight it out some
time and it may as we'll be now. Thi.
world, big as it is, is too small fo
us and the meeting has to come. II
take the Wildfire trail after I've had ;
bite, and mebbe I'll hear something o
him in that direction"
Sam was as good as his word, an,
after bite he mounted his horse an,
rode away
The old ranchman knew the trails O
the region. Danger had never daunte,
him, and from being the devil of tn
regiment he could be as gentle as
woman and his hands were as soft a
girls.
Three hours later Sam was a lon,
distance from his bachelor home, ant
in the widest Fart of the ella coun
try.
Its him." he said half aloud. cit
Jack as large as life, and the onl,
enemy had in the old army"
Sam crept nearer, leading his hors
by the rein, and when near the cabil
he stopped and seemed to draw bacl
with a dark frown.
''He doesn't look for me. No, h
never dreams that | am here and
could startle him out of his boots"
All at once the man in front of tn
shanty knocked the ashes from hi
pipe and looked up,
What did he see?
In the light stood the man he ha
not met in nearly twenty years.
Tor a moment the twain stood fac
to face, and Sam, advancing, impu
sively said
AT last! You didn't look for m,
Jack. eh?"
For you in this country? Heavens
no. | heard you were somewhere i
Arizona, but / never thought of bein
surprised in this manner"
How are you fixed, Sam?'
''Tolerable."
MARRIED."
mo, of course not. I've found on
pretty girl in this God-forsaken lanC
don't say that because she came froI
the old state but she's am angel a