The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-01-31
The Cold-Miner's Story.
AMT . sentimental sorter coo

ANT \ sentimental sorter coon,
bv no manner o. means, and what's
more. / never purtended as | were.
A incident that l knows of. though,
FOR downright sentimentality beats
rnvthing / ever heerd tell of. Even
now. though il happened long time
aro-somewhere back about the fail
az 81 can't recollect it without q
chokin' lump rises inter me gullet and
me eyes become sorter moist It's a
warm OF what a Teller done cos he
thought il was his dooty and COS he
loved Q gal.
Yes. tell yer. there's dramas en-
acted in SIGH lives as ourn which. II
they was performed on the stage,
those pale-faced clever noospaper
knowalls, or crickets- or whatever
they calls 'emselves. would say il was
unnatural. and could never have hap
penei in rale life. But they'd be mis-
took for all that, COS this here yarn
Is gospel
I'm tell yer 'xactly how II come
ABOUT Ii Was at > NhS>h
as wild and brown and lonesome To-
cality as ever mortal man clapped
eyes 0n-aIl level and sandy and mo-
not'nous.
They was a wild. harum-searum lot
OF boys collected there. too, ! gives
yer nv word. OF course. when gold
Is heated at a place. yer wouldn't ex-
pect very high-class serciety. and Da-
wilson's Creek were no exception.
unless il were worse than most il
anythink Nigh every soul there was
: wrong 'un-
Wal. Tim Bennett. though-yer
could hardly call him a wrong 'un.
He was a short, insignificant. little
shrimp OF Teller. with a chivyy yer
couldn't help likin'. and the most in
formally bad luck as ever logged a
miner He had a smile and kind
word fer everyone. and / honestly
bIieve he would have given his last
penny to pard who was down on his
luck. We mostly called him the par
son. not that he was extry religious.
but COS he was so much better'n the
rest of US. and had never been known
to c-ss for more'n half minute at
time
The feIlers at first used ter take
vantage of him, but ii wer'n't Ions
fore he showed US he could use his
fists or his shooter as well as the
7eSt of us
Then there were Nelly Bell-ol
Hanky Bells darter. She were a good
one. and no mistake. She were al
ways mending or patching fer some
one. or making fine appetizin' stew
out of some Of our tough tack fel
some Teller that was took sick. W.
used ter fairly worship her. but she'e
have nothing ter do with us Sh'
was dead gone on the ''parson." an'
the on-y one that didn't know it was
the -'parson- hisself.
Wal. TO be gettin' along. One da.
Denis O'Brien were a-comin' back Z
ramp after a bit Of saunter round
when Nelly comes runnin' up ter him
her eyes all red and swollen witt
.ryin'
Denis she sobbed, "yer are
weIl-pluckcd 'un. and | wants yer Z
help me. VIII yer?"
on comes Denis's hat in an instant
Want me hellup. do We. Nelly
shure, If We on'y say. on with We
bead. Denis bedad Oil do it jist Z
show We that Oi name bis'ness. An
what have We been cryin' yer purt
eyes out for. and what are We afthe
wantin' me to do?"
.Oh. Denis. it's awful. They've bee
md got the .parson' at Shades saiooI
and they're jest a-goin' ter string hir
up. Yer know Dan Black. IL pear
h. keeps all his money in two bIac
boxes. marked u. b. One of theI
boxes has been found empty under
heap of clothes in the parsons ten
and they're sayin' he's done IL. III
Il amt him. Denis Ill stake all i,
Got IL amt him. i has my suspicion
as ter who il is: in fac I'm pretf
sure; but. yer see. | can't prove
Ter viii help me. Denis, won't yer,
Sari?~
But what dye ixpict me to d
Ncny?-
Do? I've been up ter the saloc
and tried ter git him off. but IL ain
10 60 They says the suspicious
700 much agen him-they wal
Proofs. and unless they're brought Il
law must take its course. And | ca
bring proofs Yes. Denis. ! will bril-
Proofs So what l want yer 10 !
ter stop EN- fer half an hour.
mat time III bring my proofs. and
seaa't--then Heaven help poor Tin