Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1896-07-24

rooms were as comfortable as any
you could find, with no expense to speak
OF. either. Besides, there was Dolly's
curly head and innocent face, maxim
sunshine fit to turn a mans home into
heaven.
"If you could have seen here. sir, curl
III my big arms on chilly evenn at
the fireside, like a pretty kitten! L
used to think that an overgroWn, rough
workin' Teller had no business to have
fairy for a wife; but then she always
said that she was proud of her big,
strong husband.
"Why, sir, when my days work was
over, and I was at home with her, [
never let her cross the room without
kissin' her. Sundays and holidays we
used to amuse ourselves by excursions:
or sometimes I'd get billboard tickets,
and then we'd have bite of supper
for a spree when the theater was over.
Them usher fellers would always find
a good seat for Dolly after the first act,
and of course u tall man like me could
see first-rate standin' up. There's no
doubt but that l looked heap more
az the back of Dolly's head than at
the stage. When Dolly would be all
excited and ask me on the way home
if it wasn't just splendid i'll the part
where the father turned the son out
doors, or Che girl got engaged in the
woods in the moonlight. l couldn't
think of what to say, but jest had to
own up that I hadn't much idea what
the whole thing was about. That
white neck of hers peeped above its
lace collar in such tantalizin' way!
How could 1 look at anythin' else?
Then Dolly would laugh at me like
everyth:n', sayin' I was an old goose,
but she'd give me a kiss at the same
time, so I was glad to have her make
fun of me.
'All through the summer we had that
happy life. Then the autumn came,
and the days went along jest the same.
I didn't believe any such happiness
could be kept up on this earth. and
don't believe It now. When a man ha,
lived like that, there's no end to it but
death; he can never go back to ordi-
nary times when his luck changes. I
was gettin' along irst-class in my work.
too. I'd had chance for steady jobs
right through the winter, and Dolly
an me hadn't nothin' to worry us in
the future.
THAT time seems so long ago! It
was only this mornin', sir, that whole
troop of lovely young ladies visited the
prison. I was sittin' with the pain in
my head pretty bad. when they stopped
in front of here. They looked in a mo-
ment, kinder scared like, but one of
them plucked up her courage bit. and
says sha: How could you kill your
poor wife?'
poor young lady a-standin' there
and lookin' at me, to ask why 1 killed
my Dolly!
"'Dolly had to die. She knew she
had 70 die, because loved her so much,
I answered, very gentle, for knew no
one would understand; no one ever has.
All them sweet-faced young girls
turned away with terrible shocked
looks. One of 'eln, with frightened
face and big tears in her eyes, stopped
| and threw flower in to me, runnin'
off as fast as she could after the Others.
II picked up the flower. It was a
rosebud, one of Dolly's roses. I tool:
it and held it against my forehead. My
head was so hot that the cool, sweet
leaves withered in a minute. Perhaps
I held it there longer than thought,
because when took my hand away the
rose was all brown, lookin' as old as the
one I've got here in my pocketboolS.
You see, Dolly and roses belong togeth~
er. When put that flower to my lips,
it was like kissin' Dolly once more; but
it was like kissin' Dolly after she was
dead; my burnin' head had taken all
the life out of the poor little rose.'
"Here, get along! Get along!" a
rough voice sounded in the corridor.
Some prisoners were being transferred
to another part of the building. With
their heads bowed and their chains
clanking, they shuttled past.
eve were so happy!" continued Blake,
scarcely needing the interruption. ''Tke
| days flew by, and Dolly's birthday came
along before I knew it. 1t was about
Christmas time, so red roses were get
tin pretty expensive, but Dolly had to
have bunch of them on her birthday
the first birthday she'd had since we
was married. I'm not sure whether
kissed her 20 times or not, because gen
orally did kiss her 20 times, anyway.
That day made up my mind I'd have
some fun with her. I got up early in the
mornin', while her pretty head was still
cuddled in her piller, and her blue eyes
so sleepy, it seemed as if she was d little
girl six years old.
''She looked so cunnin' and innocent.
and she didn't want to get up one bit.
I wrapped a silver brcastpin in pink
cotton, and put it in a carved wooden
box I'd bought. I dropped box and all,
quite careiess-like, into one of Dolys
shoes, and then dressed myself jest as
quiet as if it wasn't anybody's birth
day at all. Iguess Dolly's feelin's were
bit hurt when talked about ordinary
things, as if 1 had no idea what day il
was; but you ought to have seen her
face wnen she tried to draw on that
~,