The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-10-27
THE VERGE OF DEATH

Miss Rose Newell was coming out from
the east to visit her father, and the en-
ployees of the ranch. with three excep-
lions. were on the tiptoe of expectancy.
Those three exceptions were old Bar
TIM and his wife and James Lyall. or
Deacon Jim. as he was more commonly
called.
The morning of the day on which Miss
Rose was to arrive the cowboys, with the
exception of Deacon Jim, spent two
hours or more in making preparations
for the event.
Deacon Jim alone appeared in his or
binary everyday clothing.
why don't you fix up, deacon" some
enc asked. land do the honors of the &C.
casiony"
81 don't propose to make a fool of my
self" Jim replied, by parading before
Miss Newell like a circus clown. I'm
not SO anxious to show off what little
clothing | own, and | guess she's seen
better many q time.
"Humph! Have you fellows got an
idea that Miss Newell is going to take
any notice of you? It's hardly likely she's
going TO come out here and get dazzled
by such common COW punchers with a
lot of CANDY trappings. | amt fool
enough to make u spectacle of myself
and give Miss Newell a chance to laugh
at me. you bet"
When the carriage bearing Miss Rose
arrived at the ranch, the cowboys. with
the exception of the deacon, stood about
the door, each one with his best foot
forward" anxious to be seen by the
young lady and hopeful of making an
impression on her heart.
That night when Jim came in from
the plains they gathered about him, in
tent on singing the praises of Roses
loneliness.
Il tell you, deacon" Arson said, you
Just ought to seen her: | never saw a
woman so beautiful in all my life."
II don't doubt her beauty" the deacon
replied. but what good would it have
lone me to have seen her? She's not go
ing to care anything for u.s."
maybe you know about that" said
Arson. land maybe you don't. If you
had seen her smile when she saw us, you
might think differently from what you
do now.
"Yes, and she was looking right smart
at me when she smiled!' cried Alb John
son. II noticed that"
"Humphv' said Arson. She was look
ing as straight at me as she could look.
..She wasn't!' exclaimed Alb angrily.
Hold on now" said Jim. 1T isn't
worth while for you to fight over that
can easily believe that she'd "a smiled,
whichever one of you she was looking
at, when she saw the clothes you had
ON. 1t was enough to make her smile
I'm sure.
Alb and Arson muttered something,
then went away, and the subject was
dropped.
From that time on they viewed each
other as rivals and were never on good
terms again,
A month passed.
Miss Newell proved a very sensible
young lady, and though she had grown
up under the influences of the highest
refinement she adapted herself readily
TO her new surroundings.
She treated her fathers employees
with the kindest consideration, laughing
and chatting with them with perfect
freedom, little suspecting what stress
they placed upon every word and every
ripple of laughter that fell from her
hips.
Anson and Alb both grew more san
guine and hopeful as the days went by,
and each in his W heart came to feel
assured that he was winning his way
into Roses love.
Deacon Jim had continued on from the
first in the even tenor OF his way.
He never thrust himself forward at all
never made any effort to gain admis-
sion to Roses society, but if anything
rather seemed to avoid her.
A change had come over the deacon
too. Always serious. he had become al
most melancholy.
He liked to NOPE about alone or st foY
hours gazing thoughtfully into space.
He was In love. though he tried hard
TO conceal the fact from himself, and fol
all the world would o have admitted
it to any one else.
One morning when the men were pre-
pairing to begin the work of the day {
dispute arose between Arson and Alb
and as it grew warmer and more lirteI
the former said:
When | become a partner on thi
ranch, you'll go, Alb johnson, as sure q
shooting. Lwon't have you here"
when you get to be a partner!' sneer
ed Alb. When | get to be a partner
you'll go. and don't you forget it.
lyon a partner Arson said mock
ingly. why. Rose Newell wouldn'
have you if you were the last man o.
earth"
MY notion Is you'll both see that yol
are making fools of yourselves" old Ban
On observed. Miss Rose will neye
have either Of yeu. If | had to lam
anybody on this ranch that she was mos
Likely to marry. I'd say it was Deaco
Jim.
There Wasa universal roar of laugh
ter at that last remark. and every on
scented to think it a good io.e