The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-20
.WZark and Jessie.


1t was by word now and then in passing
a smile, a fond look, a sigh. and many
loving notes dropped hero and there and
thrust hastily into her hand. This man,
Paul Denton, was never in sight more
than day al a time. He would appear
suddenly, without doubt. TO see Jessie.
then suddenly disappear again.
when | heard this had grave fears
that Jess cared more for the handsome
stranger than she did for Mark. But /
did not dare tell him, and he did not for
one second think of such a thing. In the
meanwhile both were making preparations
Tor the wedding. Every day Mark was en-
HANGING the beauty of our home and when
everything was complete ii was an ideal
place to bring a bride. And on the even
ing before they were to be married Mark
brought Jess over and with much pride
we three went over the house together.
But someway we could not awaken much
enthusiasm in Jess. She was listless the
whole evening and appeared anxious TO
get home. This time her manner did not
escape my son and saw that it troubled
him.
1T was pleasant night, so walked
| down to the river with them. When
kissed Jess good night there was a tear on
| -. Nh1Nh' IOuiuu dCCouul lOT II. anu
lay awake a long time that night think
| ing over it.
| Tho next morning l was UP early, for
there were good many little things to be
done. Besides, it was Marks wedding
day, and how could l sleep! He was up
before | was, and said he believed he'd
run over and get peep at Jess before
| breakfast, and, putting OH his hat, started
| out OF the door. At that moment Mr..
| Hall, the picture of woe, stepped upon
the gallery. He was deathly pale and
| trembled violently. He tried to speak,
and couldn't, but thrust two scraps of
paper into Marks hand. One was a note
| from Paul 10 Jess, telling her he would
leave that night, never to return, and ask
ing her 10 watch for the tug Glide and
come down to the river to say goodbye to
HIM. Tho other note was from Jessie to
Mark. saying she had gone with Paul,
and pleading with HIM to forgive and for
get her.
Marks lips grew white, he threw up
his hands, said half aloud: jess gone:
gone with Paul. God have mercy and he
staggered like drunken man, then fell
as though dead on the floor. 1t was an
hour before we could bring him to so that
he could speak, and even then he was in
dazed condition, from which he never
recovered. He grew worse every day, and
in little less than month his mind was
hopelessly gone.
"He imagined every day was his we'd
ding day and that Jess was coming back.
He would be up early in the mornings
and hurry down to the river where he
would sit for hours watching for Jess. He
was docile then and | could easily manage
him Rlf ~ IN he H,y Ia.
worse, and l could not do anything with
him. All day, from early morn
until midnight often, he stayed at the
river watching for Jess. And later, he
stayed there night and day, rain or shine.
| would take him food and leave it by him.
Sometimes he ate. at others he would not
taste a mouthful for "a hours. And there
he sat in the worst weather. No amount
OF coaXing could induce him to leave that
spot, no matter how cold or rainy it was.
The summers heat and glare and win
ter's cold were nothing to him. All he
wanted, all he ever asked for, was Jessie.
l would have locked him up in his room
but for the fear that the forced confine-
ment would make him a raving maniac.
II had shed built around the tree
whore he always sat, had it made close,
and that protected him good deal. Often |
lwould find him sobbing like a child, and
once in while | would hear him laugh |
ing, clapping his hands and saying that |
Jess was coming. He lived that way for
three years, and if ever an old mothers |
heart ached, mine did during that time. |
Those who had known Mark in former |
years wouldn't have known him then, he |
was so sadly changed.
Zone morning | went down to the river |
to carry his breakfast and sit near him |
awhile, as | always did, although it was |
not comforting to see him so, and my bow /
was dead. He was sitting in his accus- /
TONED seat, his poor dead eyes gazing out |
on the river watching for Jess.
ut was three months before | went |
down to the river again, and then |
slipped away from an old friend, who.
since my great sorrow. had come to stay
awhile with me. And rs soon as glanced
at that tree | knew why my friend had
asked me 10 avoid that place. Sitting in
his accustomed place was the spirit of
Mark-still watching for Jess. After il
was known l had seen it they told me il
had been there since the morning Mark
died. Not long after that l moved here.
and one week later Jess came home.
paul had grown tired OF her and left
her, and she, broken in health, but a
shadow of her former self, and after more
than three unhappy years, with two little
came to beg shelter from her
father. As time went by Jess improved
some, though it was plain to be seen that
she would never be strong again. All went
very we'll at her fathers for several years.
But Paul appeared suddenly in the neiyh-
stole his two children and disap-
peared, no one knew where from that dav
10 this. The loss of her children killed
less. She faded and died within a year:
md from that day, the day Jess died, to
this no one has seen Marks ghost"
Here the old lady paused, pressed her
to her wet cheek, then went
forward TO meet a white-halred old man
who came feebly up the walk. They shook
hands in silence, then both hogan talking.
'he of Mark, he of his daughter Jess-and
10 | left them.