The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-06-07
L0WRY'S WIDOW.
san Francisco Examiner. I

nina, which was worth cool hundred
thousand. if a cent, aud which Lowry had
fortunately located in her name, she could
have married any one of the magnates OF
the camp otf-hand within two days after
her arrival, if she had been so disposed.
Jerry, whom she bad selected as her
right-hand man, was alternately exultant
and depressed. He became her slave. and
would have jumped down the deepest
shaft on the mountain side If she had
asked him to; and yet he was much of
the time troubled and perplexed. Grad
ually he became imbued with the idea
that he had seen Mrs. Lowry before but
where or when, he vainly cudReled his
brain to remember. And so ne went
about. doing her bidding. feeling amply
rewarded by the smiles she showered upon
him, her light, jestinR talk, OF which he
only was the recipient, and her friendly,
familiar ways. that were kept for him
alone. But with his companions he had
become moody. taciturn. even irritable.
He drank his whisky in silence, drank
often and deeply; he neglected his claim,
and spent half his time knocking around
Jim's cabin, choring for the widow. run
ming errands and negotiating with Tom
Carroll, the wealthest mine owner In all
that region for Mrs. Lowry's mine.
From an offer Of $4,000 Carroll finally
rose to $4,000, and there be stuck.
Its like stealth 1t, an you know II,
durn YOU " exclaimed jerry, wrathfully.
ats all can stand" was the bland re-
ply. IF the widow get more. all
right; / shan't begrudge her the money"
And Carroll turned away.
The widow was eager to accept the
amount offered.
AN throw away $4,000" grOwled
Jerry. Its a FORUM in itself You can
git what the mines worth if you don't
rush go blame fas' You got all summer
before you. ketch me lettin' that swim
dim Carroll get away with the mine like
that; it's worse n stage Robin y
But the widow was obdurate. She must
return East; she needed money at once !;
she had left a dear sister almost on ner
death bed; she couldn't manage the mine
if she kept it; and If Carroll should
change his mind she would not probably
be able to sell il at ala dozen other rea-
sons that came promptly and plausibly
from her persuasive lips.
And so, exactly one week from the day
of her arrival, the bargain was concluded.
The next dGy the papers were to be pre-
pared and the transfer duly made, and the
following day Mrs. Lowry was TO start on
her return trip East.
Jerry was in an ugly mood that even
ing. and even his most intimate compan-
ions let him severely alone. For thee
hours he sat at poker game, and during
all that time he did not utter a word. ex-
cept to sullenly name his bets, call for his
cards and demand his drinks. He drank
heavily, and lost heavily as he drank. In
/ the subsequent expressive language of the
barkeeDer, Jerry PLAYED the rOttenes'
game that ever disgraCed the house He's
worse than down on his luck since the
widow come he's got TO be a blinkin'
blasted iiet He ought to swoller a few
ounces of nltrOglycerine an then set down
hard on a rock; it might knock some
sense into him"
When Jerry, his last dollar gone, arose
/ from the gaming table he stalked straight
] out into the night The stars were shining
large and luminous in that clear mountain
/ atmosphere the air was cool and sweet,
] and high up on the mountain side the tall
| pines were peacefully dreaming in the
] shadows. But the glOries Of the night
/ had no attractions for Jerry. His mind
! dwell solely upon the widow, and irresist-
IDLY his feet turned up the narrow trail
| that led to her cabin.
! The fascination that Mrs. Lowry had
| exercised upon Jerry. and all in the ehort
/ space oil one week, was thing that he
/ could not comprehend. Her beauty her
magnetism, the scent of her clothing, the
/ familiar and confidential tone Of voice with
\ which she invariably addressed him, ali
/ had cOnspired to infatuate him completely.
/ For the last three days he had gone about
! under a spell; bad he been hypnotized he
/ could not have been more completely
/ subject to her influence. The thought Of
her going away was to him something
/ worse than death. The camp, the mine,
/ the blue sky above him, all his surround
! ings, had merged themselves into that one
/ woman, and with her exit they would
/ melt away and leave him the center OF q
I black and dismal void. Such was bis
feeling and, being by nature unintelli-
/ gent and coarse, IL served only TO madden
and brutRlize him. 1t was a short time in
/ which to be metamorphosed from a free
man into a slave, from a thought
less, contented, hardworking, devil.
me care miner into a Worrying, surly, mis-
| cradle do-nothing. who could see nothing
/ in the world but one woman, and in whose
mind was room for but a single thought
| that he was about TO lose her. But men
/ OF intelligence, refinement and wide ex
| perisnce with women and the world have
| had their heads turned in even a shorter
| time and have and have done even erazieI
things than he. He no longer puzzled
himself over the question of her identity
| Was she in truth Lowrys wiGow2 He
] did not know, but neither did be now
/ care. Had be seen that face before2 Pos
sibly. but if he had it was now 6
matter of indifference to him whe1
or where or under what circumstances
| He could not let her 90 away, or if she
went he was determined to 90 with her
And so he stumbled on up the trail
ahsme with love and liquor.
Ii was hours past bedtime and there wal
no light in the window as Jerry made III
turn in the trail that brought him almost
20 the cabin door. Suddenly he collided
with an object; be started back with ar
oath, and at the same time he heard ar
| exclamation of surprise.
man stood before him, and in the
bright starlight Jerry could see that it wa
Bradford, the gambler. Jerry's hand wen
| to his pistol. What the devil you doin
here, an at this time o. night" yelled
Jerry, in a voice like the explosion Of g
blast.
you sneaking spy, take that" crieC
Bradford, suddenly springing forward anC
striking him a blow in tho face that sen
him sprawling. But even as the blow wa
struck Jerry thrust his right hand up
ward and forward. there was blaze o
fire and the still night became alive witt
the reverberating echoes Of pistol shot
Headlong down the steep trail, Owe
Jerry's body fell Bradford. uttering