The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-09-01
THE VERGE OF DEATH

tions, were on the tiptoe of expectancy.
Those three exceptions were old Bar
ton 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
one asked. land do the honors of the oc-
casiony'
II 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 l own, and | guess she's seen
better many a time.
"Humphl 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 GOV punchers with a
lot of gaudy trappings. | amt fool
enough to make a spectacle of myself
and give Miss Newell d chance to laugh
at me, you bett"
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
orxrrnr >, o1nvJn17G fN hn rno. 1y 4lo.
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"
81 don't doubt her beauty" the deacon
replied, ''but what good would it have
done 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"
eyes, and she was looking right smart
at me when she smiled!" cried Alb John
son. Il noticed that"
"Humph!' 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.
I can easily believe that she'd "a smiled,
whichever one of you she was looking
at, when she saw the clothes you had
on. It was enough to make her smile.
Pm 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
lips.
Arson and Alb both grew more san
guine and hopeful as the days went by,
and each in his own 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 sit for
hours gazing thoughtfully into space.
He was in love, though he tried hard
to conceal the fact from himself, and for
all the world would not have admitted
it to any n else.
One morning When the men were pre-
pairing to begin the work of the day a
dispute arose between Arson and Alb,
and as it grew warmer and more bitter
the former said:
"When l become a partner on this
ranch, you'll go, Alb johnson, as sure as
shooting. won't have you here"
"When you get to be a partnerw sneer-
ed Alb. when I get to be a partner,
you'll go, and don't you forget it,"
"You a ~partner!" Arson said mock
ingly. "Why, Rose Newell wouldn't
have you if you were the last mar on
earthg'
"My notion is you'll both see that you
are making fools of yourselves" old Bar
ton observed. ':Miss Rose will never
have either of you. If I had to name
anybody on this ranch that she was most
likely to marry, I'd say it was Deacon
Jim"
There was a universal roar of laugh
ter at that last remark, and every one
seemed to think it a good joke.
"Why," said Arson, "the deacon don't
stand a ghost Of a show. He amt shined