The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-01-04
Blue EYED JOE BlHESI0N


derfoot looking fellow over there?' in.
CURED passenger Of the stage driver
during change of horses, pointing 10 q
man standing in the door Of the express
Office.
That? That's Joe Eggleston. He
amt so meek as he looks. list We get
up alongside of me on the box for the
next relay, and III tell you somethin'
shout him."
In few minutes the driver got the
reins in between his fingers, the man
holding the leaders let 90 and they
Dung away down the road.
WAL. as to Joe Eggleston." said the
driver when the pace had settled down.
Il always thought Joe a quiet, inoffen-
sive chap with no great spunk till his
affair with Jennie Robbins. Jennie's
people We're poor enough to eat gopher
meat, and as Jennie was as purity as a
pictur' and had all the men In the
neighborhood in love with her they
wanted her to make a good match.
Jennie was only fourteen at the time
they set their hearts ON her marryin'
Phil steere, big cattleman. but she
had all the monkey shines OF woman
of twenty. She wasn't havin' much of
a time when Steere asked for her. so
she didn't object, thinkin' that with his
money she might make things hum.
He was forty, crossgrained and mean
as sawdust
"She hadn't much more'n said yes
when along comes Joe Eggleston. nine
teen years old and as fair lookin' for a
man as Jennie was for a gal. The
men didn't think much of him. He
seemed timid sort of a Teller and
most of the time didn't even carry a
gun. BE was clerk in the exprer
Office, and man that dabbles in liz.
isn't ginerally much good for blood.
But the wiInmen all seemed to cotton
to him. He had way of lookin' at 'em
out of them blue eyes of his'n. At any
rate him and Jennie jlst went together
Ike two magnets. Joe knowed that
she was laid out for Steere, but that
didn't keep him from bein' about with
her hull lot.
"one day joe SEE to her, seq he,
Jennie, there's goin' to be a weddiR
down at the City hotel in Park CITY,
Park City was relay station for the
stage line, and. as to parks, they was
on the maps Of the town that was TO
be. What dye say SEE Joe. to us
goin'? After the pair git hitched there's
10 be a dance
TN go with We, Joe,' she SEE, but II
Mr.. Steere finds 1t out he'll put holes
enough in yer body to make a culender
of We. Have We got gun?
There's plenty of guns in the office
SEE Joe. IN take a couple along in
case Mr.. Stcere gifts on to u.s.
They lit out after dark, but, as bad
luck would have II. one of Steere's COW.
boys saw EN- and went Off TO tell the
big cattleman that his little bird had
flown. Steere was kind OF paralyzed at
fust, but the more he thought about
measly clerk takin' his gal away from
him the madden he got. He mounted
the fastest horse he could find and dug
OUT in the direction Joe and Jennie had
started. lie followed 'em all right
enough till he came to where the road
forked; then he took the wrong fork.
This is why they got to Park City long
before him. If they was goin' to git
married, they'd "a had time enough
for a dozen hitchin's before he come
up, but Joe hadn't no money to support
wife. They was list follerin' the in
stincts of two children of nature. II
beats anything the way SIGH will run
their heads into moose jist for a little
funl
WAL, the weddin' was over, and the
guests was all a-slingin' lively leg in
the dinin' room, the tables bein' piled
up agin the wall. A fiddler stood on
bar'l scrapin' away and CALM Ladies
changed 'Alaman leftr and all that
Joe was a-slingin' Jennie in turn cor.
ners' when all of student Steere rode
up to the open door and begun TO pump
lead into the room. The change that
come over that dance was remarkable
There was a screamin' of wimmen and
a swearin' of men, though none of the
men raised gun. for they never sup
posed Steere would be shootin' that
away onless he was backed by dozen
or more of his cowboys back In the
dark holdin' the drop on the crowd.
Then was when Joe showed up.
Catchin' sight of Steere outside and
KNOWN well what was up, he drawed
with his left hand, for Steere had
winged his right, and begun shootin'.
moyin' for'ard at the same time. Jen-
ME she got out his other weapon. and
as soon as he had emptied the first
handed 1t to him. and he kept on pump
in.
"one Of Joe's shots knocked the big
cattleman off,n his horse. Then one Of
the men said to Joe. 'Ye little fool. git |
out of this while We have chance
Some on 'em hurtled Joe and JENNIE
out back door. and they made tracks
for home, leavin' Steere to be carried
upstairs to a room, where he lay for
a month not KNOWN whether be was
a-goin' to turn up his toes permanent
or not
.sNfao,,.,,t,iia rorne of the neople tod |