Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-09-26

matter. One night, though, the doctor
rode into the station, and everybody could
see that he had been drinking, for be could
scarcely keep himself straight In the saddle
He was late and when he dismOuntod he
walked right Into the dance with his hat on
and without even taking time to dust OF.
As so0n - Aariguits Get eyes on him she
saw what was wrong. and when the D0e
reached her she Strengthened herself mp Hike
Z queen and cut him dead. He was toe
far gone to have any sense left, and %
tried to follow her around, until Ned Hous-
ton, Z young felier from Texas, interferred
and told him to clear out. AsriguitA bad
been dancing with Houston, and he couldn't
very we'll do any less than he did when the
Doc hung on to the girl that way. ! never
taw Marigutta look . pretty - she did
that night She was dressed In white with
q bit Of scarlet ribbon In her bosom, and .
spray Of scarlet geranium In her hair. Her
such eyes, and the way they sc0rned the
doctor ought to have brought him TO his
senses.
When Ned Houston interfered, the Doc,
far gone ~ he was, Strengthened himself
up and said: Follow me. friend Texas;
l don't allow any man to interfere between
me and q lady" aud they walked out to
gether arm In arm The women never
suspected anything, but the men knew
there "a going to be trouble and would
have followed, only there was . dance on
just then, and they couldn't leave their
partners. just rs we were handing the
girls to their seats We heard severa' scat
tering shots. Mariguta turned white as .
sheet, and rad swiftly out of the hall. We
all followed, and when we reached the
spot, We found Doc lying shot through the
breast, his head In Mariguita's lap, and
more scarlet on her white dress than be.
lOnged to the bit of ribbon or the geranium.
We carried the wounded man into the
house and then you should have heard
Mariguita scorn poor Ned Houston. "You
are q brave man, indeed" she said, to shoot
your friend when he is Intoxicated!
Coward! Assassin! Murderer! Begone
out of my sight. Never let me see your
face again."
But Ned couldn't help It. He explained
it all to me. they had just walked into
the yard hack Ut the house. when the Doc
drew. '.Step Of ten PAGES" he said, '.then
turn aud fire." Ned tried to pacify him,
but he had lost his head. and breaking
away commenced tn shoot. You see
there was some jealousy at the bottom Of
1t, as well aS liquor.
The Doc got we'll after all, though he
had . pretty close call. After that, he
kept away from liquor and the girl favored
him more than ever. When the old Don
fell sick she sent for him to cure him, and
although they say that the old fellow
kicked quite lively. he had to take his
r.edicine. l suppose. Anyway the Doc
brought him round all right, for he was
ko.~h - a rSoo Lnnk hs,f h0 w,oa On fond
of that vineyard of his'n that they couldn't
keep him out of 1t long enough to get well.
1t was a mighty pretty place, that is q fact,
nothing like 1t this side of the valley. No
wonder the old Portugee liked 1t 80 much.
Everybody laughed ut him when he first
took it up; but it proved to be in what
they call the 'TherMol Belt where there
are no frosts, and where the grapes grow
as they grow nowhere else. -Four years
from the cuttings he was making plenty of
wine, which he sold at his own price in
the city. for the grapes had u wonderful
flavor they say. Then he built n fine
wine cellar and coined money. though no
one would think it to look at the place
from the road. One thing is certain. he
had a long purse well filled which he kept
hid somewhere about the place, for he wa
too level headed to take stock IN no banks.
When the old Don took his relapse, the
Doc looked serious, and soon, we heard
that late one night he had ridden up to the
Flat for a priest. Then w all knew what
was coming. He passed in his checks
quietly enough at last We heard. and the
very next day the priest married M%ariguita
and the doctor. You see, the rest of the
boys didn't stand no show from the day
the doctor got that lucky bullet into him.
Doc Lanier fell into a mighty good
thing as 1t turned out. for the old mans
estate PANIED out pretty big; much more
than they had counted on. and he didn't
owe a dollar. The fact is, l have no doubt
he must have had money before he pre-
.mpted that vineyard. The Doc straight
ened up like a man after he got married
and Maliguita is just too pretty for my
outsider to look at.