Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-04
Dawes LITTLE sNOW-DROP

-s..r. s+es
There was silence in the room; nc
sound. save the labored breathing OF
the dying woman The fiickerinc Isf,
from n single candle shed pale CLEAN
over the pallid face, and accentuated
the darisome gloom of the death
chamber where Mary Chester lay dy'
ing. The sands of life-a brief, sad
life-were nearly run. and soon she
would be at rest. The pale moon was
slowly rising over the mountains, GOV
cred with an icy shroud. and the snow
lay in deed drifts over the roads, i'm
passablc now. which led TO the pictur.
csque Yellowstone.
Joe Chester sat beside her couch
holding her white hand with a sort of
desperation. as though he could hold
her hack from the grasp Of death Joe's
hard blue eyes rested uT.oa the bit OF a
hand. and he thought how pretty the
plrk-tinted fingers had been How fair
and sweet she had seemed 10 him
only twelve months ago that very night
when she had become his wife. The
hard look deepeneG in his eyes: he sup
pressed sob and turned ASIDE ttaf
she might not observe his suffering
-P'rhaps twas meant for 5uds-
uncnt on me-" he muitered, harShly,
look Of terror creeping over his beard
ell face. fur twas a wrong thing arllr
all 10 do 10 fellow-e-cerlr- 1 stole
her. that's ssr1ain-fo- she would q
married him sure, Well Dave Nc
Cu5chcon aIlus he'd the best o every
thing. and ii seemed leeJle hard that
he should get Mary. too, and lid
iovcd her all her life-'
Sclss choscd his urterance-
The dying woman turned uneaSily
upon the pillow. and her sad. dark
eyes sought his face with a look of
Eager entreaty-
Joe in weak. quiverinc voice,
don't cry. dear-ir's all for the best
Where-where is-aahyf'
He started. rs with sudden shock.
the swift blood rushed TO his bearded
cheeks then rccedinE. leaving him as
Ghastly pale as the white face upon
the pillow before him
-I-forsoi.' he mufterei. half-apolo-
retically. He arose and went over TO
the othe- side Of the bed. Safe hid
den away under warm blankets lay a
tiny infant. only q few hours old. He
lifted il with awkward care and placed
II it- 12tA AdI0
.zeSted tenderly upon the little downy
head. and all the grand self-abnesafion
! Of holy motherhood flashed swiftly
into the fading eyes.
Poor little creature, Poor little
motheriess lamb she whispered. in n
I pnayerinc voice: soon TO be alone,
Joe, is this q punishment for our sin :
i was 4 SIN dear. and all sin brings
its own punishment sooner or later l
had promised Dave to be his wife. you
Enow-and-"
And n bad premise is better broke
than kept Mary" he interrupted her.
4 vehelnenfly.
She sighed
Maybe So. Blu; / was wro.,s in let
ting the pre- parationS go ON for the wed
dinghy wedding with Dave McCutch.
Ton when al the time my heart was
yours, Joe. truly Yours He had been
driver Of the Yellowstone Park stage
fer so long. ald he was handsome
and dashins enough to please any wo-
mans eyes; but he new touched my
Heart, Joe, ne-er. No man ever made
me feel a thrill of love but you:
lave loved you always. dear, and you
have been good ami kind to ME. Heav.
CT iless you for it rnly, lying here
CT my dcathbed, see more clearly now
u an ever before: and see, dear, that
no sin ever prcspers long. and punish
nSnt follows closely in the. footsteps
of wrong-doing. You and loved each
other dearly-passioDately but 1 loved
Ely father, too-poor old father!-and
his heart was set upon my marrying
Dave. So 1 weakly let things drift
aiong. until the very night before my
wedding arrived
Then You came to me. locking se
wild and haggard, 50 sad and full oi
suffering, that all my heart went oul
TO you with one mad leap. and 1 sale
that could not marry Dave McCutch
con, for ! loved you too we'll Maybe
l was right-maybe wrong,'
You was right, Mary-dead right,
intcrposed Joe Chester, hastily. 1T.
a sin and crime to marry jes' TO please
your father, and you all the time
n-longin' for another mans love. S'post
you'd married Dave and all this veal
you wanted me-me.he man who't
lay down and die for you tonight el
SO 'twould save you. Nary
Il know-I know!"
How feeblc this weak voice had
grown. The fading eyes closed wear
ily.
I'm nearly gone, Joe." she gasped
in broken accents, and it's agony Il
me-. keep asking what's to become OF
Jou duu-stuu we dIc SAut VI
here In this wilderness-snowed in; herr
we've been prisoners for weeks, will
no hope of rescue. Then, my tria
ca'ne upon me, and here. alone witt
yu, baby was born, and heaven bles.
hcr-shc is still alive! How will yot
keep her-what will you feed her with
dear. when am gone, and you, too
arc aloneT'
She turued away with n heart-brokeI
cry. But Joe Chester was brave ant
strong to endure; he stopped and kisset
the white face.
Don't worry. dariin'.'' he said. gent
ly. ''thar's plenty to cat in this OLE
house. Thars cans O. condensed mill
In the storeroom. You know this plac,
Is used for a hotel in summer, and 81
you need fear nothing-no harm vii
come to baby and melville we wal
for spring to come-but-but-"
His voice died away into a trembling
whisper.
Loud and shriIl. borne on the bittel
wintry blast sound reached theil
ears. 1t was the howl of wild beast,
outside their shelter.
Joe Chester and his wife had los
their way while travelling back to civil
i7ation, and the stir ging wintry colt
had found them and settled down upoI
them. and they were ice and snow