Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-25
A TRAGEDY.


warn't no fiume there in them times, an
the cabin stood right thar on that spot. 1t
was clear up the gulch then--way beyond
sverbuddy else. The pines growed to mid
din size, an the snow piled up thar in win
ter powerful deep The chinooks bowed
acrost the valley and took the snow off like
dew before the sun, but up here in the
gulch they didn't seem to make much diff
ferns. Twas sort o dark an cold in here,
bein shaded by the pines, an it seemed zif
the warm winds never got in.
Bill, he wuz queer; everybuddy wondered
what he built bis cabin way up here fer,
but he wouldn't please 'em huff to give 'em
no reason whatsumever Bein his brother
though, | knowed the reason, an twas as
queer as Bill imself 'Twant nothin more
ner less than that he wanted to keep Mary
that wuz his wife-from seein or speakin
to anybuddy but 'imself
He wuz allus an ornery cuss, wuz Bill,
and when he married Mary Adams an
brought her here from Wyomin to live in
that shack everbuddy felt sorry fer her,
though there waunt none OF em brave huff
to say so before Bill. She didn't seem to
mind his ways, though-not at first, but
when he showed ez plain ez day that ne
wuz jealous of every man that looked her
way she jes' kinder give up sayin much to
any of 'em.
Twas lonesome fer her too, fer women
wuz scarce here them times. Bill, he seem
ed to think she wuz prettieF than any flower
that blowed on the mountain side, which
wuz strange, fer she want much To look
at-1es' kinder mild like, with blue eyes
an brown hair an uncommon soft ways
She waunt awful bright neither but a bet
ter an truer woman never stepped, an she
worshiped Bill before her Maker
He built the cabin up there before she
came an had everything ready fer her to
step into it an hang up her hat. These
things may not be interestin to you, stran-
ger, but | can't help recallin the look o.
that cabin under Mary's hans. There wuz
two rooms in it, an a little sort of closet be
hind, dug into the mountain side, that
Mary used fer "A suller an pantry both
There wuz door in the front o. the cabin,
but none at the back-take notice what
I'm a-tellin ye, cuz il has a BARN on my
story-an the front room wuz uncommon
good size
It's all changed here now, but can hear
Mary's footsteps yet en- light ez that runnin
water over there. an hear her hummin
tune ez she flew round a-gittin Bills sup
per.
A bed set in one corner of the big room,
with red quilt on it, an the light from the
fire danced over it an up onto the ceilin of
the cabin, a-Tnakin a purity picter, an one
to make mans heart ache il he hadn't
got no woman's hans to make things
bright for him. That wuz the case with
me, stranger. But Mary she wuz like
sister to me, an If | could find the brute
that spattered them cabin walls with her
blood I'd hang him to that tree over thare.
ku.. 4 49,. IL
shoot his carcass ez full o. holes ez a skim
mer, though he's my own brother
Where is her He's wanderin up an
down the 'arth somewhere, with the mark O.
Cain on his forrerd. He disappeared after
the KILN, an though the vigilants never
give over their hunt fer days and weeks
they couldn't find him.
Ye see, twas this way; Mary had cousin
Harry that wanted to marry her in Wyomin,
an when she wouldn't have nothin to do
with him, but married Bill instid an came
here to live, Harry, he most went crazy
Bill he was jealous just from thinkin that
Harry'd wanted 10 git her away from him,
an when Harry turned up here after they'd
been married few months Bill wuz pretty
nigh beside 'imself He didn't treat Harry
nohow, an finally told him that il he didn't
stay away from his cabin he'd knock his
teeth clean down his throat. That only
made Harry mad, so he KEEP a-comin on
the sly when Bill wasn't there, an Bill he
didn't find it out for long time, but when
he did he raved an cavorted an accused
Mary o. fkin Harry better'n she did him
So Mary she told Harry he'd hat to stay
away from the cabin er there'd be blood
shed, cuz Bill had an awful temper an wuz
unreasonable when he got mad
Harry he did stay away fer long time
after that, but one afternoon he come ag'iB
an KEEP a-stayin till most time fer Bill to
come home. Mary she got uneasy an KEEP
a-fdgetin round, a-lookin at the door an
at Harry iii she wuz half scarf to death
That wuz when they'd been married three
years, an the little I'm was a-toddlin round
the cabin askin questions an a-taken in
everything with them big blue eyes o. hern.
Ye see, was there that night. I'd come up
TO see Bill bout doing some 'sessment work
together an wuz APPLYING with the baby
till he come
Bimeby Mary walked up to Harry and
says to infer she never minded me
more'n zif I'd been her own, brother-"Har-
ry, ye mus 20. It's mos time fer Bill TO
come, an he mustn't find ye here. BIZ. he
amt never liked ye little bit, an | don't
want no trouble atween We, so it's better
ter It ye should 70 away an stay away.
don't want ye TO come here no more"
Harry, he got up sulky like an went out
without saying word, an 'twant but few
minutes fore Bill he come a striding up
the gulch, looking black as usyul, with his
arms folded 'crost his chest an scowl on
his face. He most always walked that
way, with his arms folded an takin long
strides as II he owned the hull gulch.
The snow was awful deep, an It was bitin
cold, an l can hear now the crunch, crunch
o. Bills feet on the hard path that led up TO