Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-20
PILGRIM JOE.
a One Eyed Man Put I'D job on
Him, But Virtue Triumphed.

/ came upon nuEnDer d cltlZefs BatneFei
| together under a Tree. They were too
| many for a poker game and two few lGr
a camp meetin', and was 6lled with Gu
rioslty until I had arrived on the spa.
/ When I drew rein. + said TO man with
| benevolent whiskers, who seemed to be
| the leader:
IF thou seeketh Truth, search at the
bottom Of well instead of among the
high grass of the prairie"
Art hou pilgrlm?" he asked in re-
ply.
Il art. I travel hlther and whence
/ clothed in humanity and seekin' the bet
terment Of the world"
"Canst give advice to a man about to
perish for his sins?'
Heaps of it."
Then get thee down and chin with
the one-eyed cuss o"er thar We are
! about to hang him for horse stealing,
and perhaps you can smooth his trail a
| bit"
! Then I beheld a Teller bein' with one
! eye and dissatisfied expression of coun-
! tenance seated among the crowd and,
! goin over to him, / offered my congratu-
| lations and my services. He looked al me
| for long time with his single eye and
| finally said:
Stranger, I'm not klckin' because I'VE
! got to 60 but do feel a leetle bad about
my old woman. She's over thar In the
bend of Dog creek in our shanty, and
she's waitin my return. When her Moses
returns not, she will weep and refuse 10
| be comforted."
"And you want me to 80 to Ter and
! 90 Id
away on business and may be gone
some time?"
That's 1t. Speak gently to her strang-
er. She's a woman of feelins. Lead her
to understand that I've gone back to
Missouri after a COW. She's frail and ten
der and can't bear sorrer.'
II will gladly do it," l said. ut is
part of my mission to cheer the wilder
and the fatheress. Gently and kindly
will I speak of thy departure And now
of thy future?
"Oh. that's all right" he laughed.
But you are soon to pass from earth
| away"
yes. but I'll take my chances on
fndn' anything worse than this coun-
try"
But I feel it my duty to talk with
thee
You needn't waste your wind. I'm no
spring chicken, and you know nothin Of
the country I'm goin' to. If you ga and
cheer up the old woman. it'll be ali l ask"
Thar was a smile on his face as he
talked and thar was look in his eye
that puzzled me. but | said no more and
stood aside He made no objections to
the height of the limb, the length of the
rope or the way his feller citizens pulled
on it. He died easy, and his smile con-
tinued to the last. When thar was no
longer any chance of his speerit returnin'
from Missouri or elsewhere [ sot out to
visit the waitin' and watehin wilder on
Dog creek. My countenance was SOL
emn and my speerits fur from gay, and
as l drove along l said to myself that Vir-
tue was a bullwark and Honesty a bomb
proof and that a wicked man was liable
to break his neck every time he lifted
his foot. l found the wilder to home.
She sot on the doorstep smokin a long
clay pipe, and as l drove up she cheerly
welcomed me with:
"Wel, old boss, what's the best word
with you?
The widow was lop-shouldered and
knee sprung, almost baldheaded, and her
soul was not gentle and tender. That
one-eyed critter had smiled on me, and
now I knew why he had smiled and why
he hadn't kicked ag'in bein hung till he
was dead. However, felt 1t my duty to
carry out my promise, and 1 softly said
to her:
"Can 1 take it that your old man is to
home and in his usual good health?"
"You can't" says she My old man
started out the other day to steal boss
and he hasn't got back yit.'
But you are waitin' and watchin' fur
his footsteps?"
Not huff to worry me. It's about even
up that Nose will be caught and hung"
rs he the sort of man who would re-
trace his steps to Missouri fur the pur-
pose of buyin' cow" l asked as cur
lessly 1 could
Not by fifty acres" she replies. Moses
and Missouri don't agree, and the Moses
would never have milk around the house
when he could git whisky. Stranger,
we've got sunthin on yer mind. Spit it
out"
Can you bear sudden news?"
Il can. Nuthin' but taxes ever knocks
me out"
We'll, then, it is my painful duty to in
form you that you wilder woman"
Moses got horse?"
He did"
And a crowd got Moses?s
YES"
And Moses got The rope?'
Exactly. He has gone to his reward,
whatever it is"
That's what 1 was lookin' fur and am
not surprised. Moses was allus powerful
on stealth bosses and things, but a poor
hand to git away. So he's ended?"
HE will come no more" says /.
But who will?" says she. i've got to
have a husband to replace him. This is
no country fur a wilder woman"
| Il feel fur thee, but"
You don't want to marry2"
81 don't"
But l likes yer looks. ] like yer talk
1t appears as IL Providence sent you here
to take the place of my departed Moses.
| Stranger, I'm coy, and I'm shy. but I'm
| goin to ask yer to marry me-
burned If I will" I said as I started
| fur my wagon.
burned if you dontt" said she as she
| follered after.
| ] reached the wagon first and put the