The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-06-23
In the Nick
O. Time.
~ 49, - - 49, ~ ~

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The Widow Carney came out of hel
two room shanty beyond the dump. She
stood erect in the spring sunshine, look.
ing owe a network of railroad tracks,
across to the switchhouse, where Kath
leen had taken Fergus O'Hare's dinner.
Nelly Carney was still little more than
a girl. Her face was arch and sweet,
her eyes bright, her hair black and cur
~. The wind blew her calico dress
away from her fine figure.
"And you say that she's a widow p
John Conover remarked to Fergus.
''Not long, l venture
"Three year. said Fergus, painting
a little. "Not for any fault of the b'ys.
She's a little uppish, is Nelly Carney.
Phil were a fireman an like to be an en-
gineer wan day, but the greasers down
Coyote pass finished him wan night
when they attacked the train. Company
gives her the rint av the hose thar, an
she keeps borders for meals"
That is how John Conover met Nelly
Carney. He was getting ready to go to
the mines. He had just come from the
eastern states and had a claim up about
Toby's creek that his brother had left
him when he died the year before.
He did not say much about himself
to any one. He took his meals with the
Widow Carney for a week or so and
bunked in with Fergus O'Hare. He said
he was getting his outfit. Nelly Carney
did some sewing for him, and they sat
together evenings, while little Kathleen
slept beside them.
One of these evenings John Conover
seemed to be very thoughtful. At last
he took a sudden resolution.
"Nelly," he began gently, "I'm 60
ing up to a rough place, but I've got a
notion to take you along.'
lit takes two to make a bargain, Mr..
Conover.'
mot this bargain. l know You'll 20,
dear. I'm only wondering if it'll pay
you. Jim always stuck to it., that that
creek claim was bound to pan ont. If it
does. you and Kathleen will be fixed for
life. If it don't, you might have a
tough time. Shall we go down to the
squire tomorrow, NellY'
Nelly took a nights sleep on it and
in the morning consented to 20 up
country with John Conover. They were
married one day and set out the next.
taking the little child with them.
1t seemed a shame to John Conover
that he had brought such a pretty
creature to live in such a wild and lone
some spot. She was happy enough, ap.
parently the same Nelly that he had
seen on the dump that spring day. The
more he loved her the more he brooded
over her sacrifice of a home and friends
among civilized people. He worked
hard, and the next summer made a good
find in a hole and sent her back to San
Francisco with a small fortune and in
.structions to put Kathleen into a con-
vent, where she could have schooling
and be made a lady of for the future.
Life in a hotel is a great educator.
Day after day Mrs. Conover went about,
saw great plays, read novels, visited
her child and enjoyed existence. She
received Johns %infrequent letters with |
a positive alarm. Suppose he should
send for her to return. She could close |
her eyes and see the great, dark, snow
topped mountain wall, the rough cabin
close under the shadow, the brawling
waters of the mountain torrent. In
dreams she heard the drumming voice
OF the wind among the pine boughs,
the scream of the wild eagles. That
was all. She missed John at first with
all the passion of her impulsive nature.
But as time went on the longing grew
fierce, and she felt she would rather
never return than to go now when life
was so full of gayety and novelty.
One day Fergus O'Hare came to see
her. The colored servant told her, with
3 grin, that the visitor would not write
name on a card maybe couldn't.
Nelly flushed, for she knew it was but
little time since she had been ignor-
ant of card formalities. She said she
would see him in her own parlor, and
he amused bellboy showed up the
He looked rougher and
pOFe grimy than ever.
"How do you do, Fergus9" she said,
With q little condescension,
Fergus had stopped in the middle of
be little parlor.
aNelly Copoverl Oh can't behave it's
be same be said.
sSIt In ,, cha lau0hed Then in her