Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-10-02

"well, then" l replied. II may as
well be frank. The fact is, | entertain
very little hope OF your husbands re-
coyery."
"Ye hear that, Bill? Doctor says
yer to pass In yer checks, So just yer
git ready and do it,
was amazed at her eold-blooded
tone.
II know'd 1t. lass | knowd IT,!
BIZ replied. Doctor | turned to
the bed. "St down. Martha, bring
the doctor chair and the old wom-
an placed one close TO the bed for me.
When l had seated myself-for |
thought Ii best to humor hlm-he look
ed round the room and said:
Now, I'm a-goin TO make confes-
sion. Don't any of yer git interruptin',
cause | can't speak SO we'll. He
paused, and then went on:
Breath seems terrible short.' Then
| turning his head to me, he Remarked:
Eyer remember that ere accident to
Jem Barker nigh on twelyemonth
: sin'?"
nodded, for | reeollected 1t per-
| fectly. One of the drivers In the tun-.
mel just outside the town had slipped
and fallen ON a rail IN the dark.
load of earth had passed over his
body. breaking his back, and death
had resulted almost instantly He was
| found shortly afterward, and the coro-
ner's jury returned verdict OF 'accl-
dental death
well" the Injured man pursued.
that ere accident wor no accident!
1t wor no accident! II wor sumat else.
| had better tell We that Jem Barker
and | wor mates; he wor called 'Guz-
zler.' cause he could swallow so much
drlnk-llke soap suds down sough,
as the sayin' Is | wor called 'Darkie,
cause ye can see why II We look
at me physog. | could do fairish
drop o. liquor at times but the wust
of 1t wor that we both wor fond O. the
same gell--thats Liz DER yonder";
and he nodded in the direction of his
wife, who was seated on box which
stood beneath window. Her eyes
were fixed on the speaker.
Liz he suddenly exclaimed and
with somewhat more energy than he
had displayed In the narrative, for his
breath had failed him several times
then, Liz, LIZ! don't look at me like
that | Gamma bear 1t. | cannap and
he broke off into long groan.
His wife dropped her eyes but still
sat like a statue, with her hands clasp
ed In her lap. The injured man strug-
gled for breath, and then went on:
Il know'd Liz wor fond o Jem,
cause he wor fair and handsome, but
| loved her the bestest. Ay, though
we be nayvies. doctor, We can love
only some people thinks as how we
Just pair off likel But they're wrong.
Well, to be gettin on WI my story.
i LIZ ere had no eyes for me when Jem
wor about, and l got jealous. All the
old friendship tween me and Jem wor
gone on my side, and | began to hate
I'm. The crisis came one night when
| meets Liz acomin back from the tun-
mel. which wor then beln' bored. |
wor on day duty, and Jem wor workin'
Il
and night In shifts. She had ia en- him
down some supper, and l could see
how things wor goln' So | up and
tells her of me love, and axes her TO
marry me. LIZ treated me better AN
| thowt she would have; she just says,
bill, don't dislike We. but l like Jem
better, and I've promised I'm | wor
| 4 I
I.iz--but she jurst turns on 'er heel
and walks off. sayin' as when the
drink wor in the wit wor out, | had
had drink, thee know'st | went down
to the tunnel and meets Jem a,comin'
out WI truck o. muek-we call earth
muck, thee know'st | dinna let him
see that | wor angry, so | just jokes
wi him like. As | wor goin' through
the tunnel thowt struck me; If wor
! Just to come up behind Jem, and gle
i'm a push In front OF the truck, ii
would perhaps lame i'm, and then per-
haps Liz would ma be bothered wi
| lame chap. | left the tunnel and went
'ome. but | dinna sleep that ere night.
| Next day | took Jem's place driving,
and 'twere then | worked out my
plans. Thee know'st there be timbers,
called side trees, on each side TO sup
port the roof o. the tunnel till the
briekies take the work in hand, and
thowt as how, IL wor to hide in one
of them just i'll the darkest place, and
when Jem comes on just put out my
and and gle him push, 1t would do
! all | wanted. | shanna forget that ere
day! The idea growed on me. and
when | left work, made up my mind
to do IT, SO | walks down about nine
o'clock the same night, and Just as |
/ reached the open cutting l heered Jem
| wish Liz good night. l wor fair mad
| wi jealousy. l had murder In my art.
Keepln' out o sight o Liz, | creeps
down just In time TO see Jem take the
horses back into the tunnel to bring
load O. muck up. | creeps down in