Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-06-07

|
where Andy had disappeared. At last
she was rewarded. Her keen ear
which had listened throughout the
long dark hours of the night caugth
the sound of breaking twigS and hail
ing footsteps With straining eyes
she saw the bushes sway and fall
, apart. No triumphal return this, for
slowly, now on hands and knees, with
a mortal wound in his chest, the
spouse apparently crawls back empty
Il handed. and adds another life to the
4 cause"
Twelve months passed after Andy's
taking off when a messenger invited
old man Buttons to call on Mrs. Pink
Bradshaw.
"Yo' amt goin' I'll put yo'self Ell thet
old she cats way, are yo'T" asked one
of Buttons advisers and fighters
''Yo' needn't be so peert about calm
tibet woman Il she cat" the old man
reiOined, and added. I'm goin'.''
The fact was, Buttons had always
| covertly envied Pink Bradshaw his
comely, capable wife, and he had al
most imagined that she had been a
little gracious to him on one or two
occasions, when they We're forced TO
pass on the same part of the trail
IN go" he muttered again.
Women folks don't hold grudges like
men and | recken she's lonesome like
in tibet thar cabin"
The woman was sitting in the door
way, listleSsly Watching the anxiety
of a mother hen collecting her wander
ing brood for the night There seemed
to be a hidden bond of sympathy be-
| tween the anxious fowl and the be-
reaved wife and mother.
Mary mate nor chick" she sighed,
softly. "Oh, Pink, eff / could only
cum to you an my po' little boy"
After time she raised her eyes and
glanced down the road. AS if in an
Swer to her unspoken question, the
portly form of her husbands enemy
her enemy-appeared around a clump
of grea sewood. She sat very quietly,
but there was a darkening Of her eyes
and a nervous twitching around the
lines Of the mouth"
Even, Mis- Bradshaw"
Even, Mister Buttons
She arose while speaking and opened
the door invitingly. Wont yo take
a seat an set DOWN."
THANK yo', Mis- Martha, don care
eff do
Buttons was painfully embarrassed
The long time which had elapsed since
he had been received upon hospittable
footing in that house brought up I'M
pleasant memories. He could not help
wondering if she was thinking Of the
same thing. 1t was uncomfortable to
be talking face to face with this
woman when he recalled the manner
of her husbands death and the part he
had himself taken in it, But if the
| widows thoughts were running in the
same channel her conversation gave
no token of it. She talked of crops
and stock and the latest news from
! the mines, and numberleSs smaller
topics which were calculated to place
her guest at his ease, and all the while
sitting by the fireplace calm and ap-
parently listleSs, save when her fin
gers cOnYulsvely locked and unlocked
under her blue Bingham apron.
Il reckon yo' wonder what l wanted
to see yo' fer" she suddenly asked
and before he could reply she con,
tinued: Il know yo' all air mighty
lonesome ova thar
She paused a moment and the blood
ran in vivid streaks of crimson about
her face. Il thought you mOut kinder
like some good company"
She could get no further, for the
impetuOus Wooer broke in, 'Yo don't
mean it, Marthy?' and with a quick
movement, he caught her hand. But
he dropped it at once The GOODNESS
of it seemed to revive the forgotten
suggestions of big Pink Bradshaw. He
turned to the open doorway for air.
Then he heard a voice say: do [
mean it? [ never meant anything
more than this
When he turned again Buttons was
looking down a clean, bright rife bar
rel. He understood then. The silent
weapon and the silent woman behind
it spoke volumes, and in a language
with which the old man was perfectly
familiar. Once he moved his lips as
though he would speak, but as he did
so his eye lifted from the cleaning
blue steel of the gun barrel to the eye
of his merciless judge and eXecutioner.
Then he Strengthened up-never since
his youth had his back shown such
sprightliness.
Shoot, yO' dam hell-cat?" he be
gan, but the noise Of the explosion of a
forty-fOur cartridge swallowed up his
voice. The body rolled down the steps
and lay across the path where some
years before Pink Bradshaw had lain
while yet his first-bOrn was but q few
minutes old.
The smile returned to Mrs Brad
shaWs' lips as she stepped to the door
and glanced down at her work.
Woman's wit had triumphed over 50
many years of obstacles and waiting.
She had measured out justice as it had
, been measured out to hers, eXacting
/, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The
smile fingered on the widows lips as
she softly drew the blinds and barred
: the dOor.-William J.. Vail, in San
Francisco Chronicle.