The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-03-08

ments' he stood thar holdin' his wide-
brimmed hat in his hand; but finally he
got his bearin's an says, says he:
Boys, I've never come hyar afore,
cause promised the gal 1 love that
would never enter barroom nor take
a drop O. likker. But now I've struck
it, an l guess she'll forgive me fur this
once. What'll ye have?'
eve all knowed Billy 'ad found Mr..
Pocket, so we stepped up to the bar AN
ordered our likker an drank to the
luck % Billy Logan. One drink led to
another-as it always do, stranger, an
pretty soon Billy's tongue got loosened.
But don't want to weary ye, stranger.
1t wuz the same old story. He 'ad
come West to make his forum, SOS. to
marry the gal as 'ad promised to wait
fur him.
"His pocket wuz good 'un. 1t net
ted him MORN two thousand. He
staked out his claim an sed as how he'd
bring the little gal back with him, an
reckoned he'd make fortun out o. his
claim when he come back. We all thot
he wuz shore goin' to make good for
tun, but Fate, pardner, is queer
thing, and Fate ruled otherwise"
The two women, already referred to,
now stepped out on the porch and
seated themselves near Allen. OF
course they could hear what Jerry was
saying, but they needed it not.
"We guv him great send off the
day he left. An just afore the stage
pulled out we made up purse o. fifty
dollars, as our weGdin' present to the
little gal. We guv it to Billy as he wuz
gettin' into the STAGE He wuz gone
only three weeks, pardner Il was III
the evenin', an the barroom wuz filled,
when in walks Billy. We wuz mighty
s'prised to see him back so soon. Jim,
the bartender, loosely asked Billy how
he liked fioatin' in the matrimonial
sea. But Billy didn't pear to hear
Jim. He jes stepped up to the bar an
called fur likker. He took several
drinks an we all concluded as how
somethin' 'ad gone wrong with him.
Purity soon he says: Boys, amt mar
ried.'.
"Then he told us all bout it. He
got new suit o. clothes as soon as he
reached New York City-in fact,
logged up as he used to afore he came
out hyar. Then he went to his home,
but his folks wuz gone on visit, it
seems, so Billy gets cab an goes over
to the home o. his sweetheart. From
the outside he could see lights in every
window an concluded thar wuz fam
dangle goin' on. He strolled round
, to the rear o. the house an entered. As
he knew the lay O. the land he care
lessly sauntered down the hall an
stopped at the parlor door. No 'un
seemed to notice him so he stood thar
, an"
, "What ?" 1 asked.
SAN watched her gettin' married to
J his old college pardner. He come back
hyar soon's he could an now spends
most O. his time in the barroom playin'
, the accordion an singin' tha' song.
Does he drink? Yes, indeed; says as
r how the little gal proved false an
reckons his promise is forgotten-like
! hisself.'
"How bout the claim" queried.
! "Oh, Billy sold it to some folks as is
goin' to bring lot O. new-fangled ma
!. chinery hyar an start minin'. They've
: bought several other claims an calls
i em The Homestake Nine They
}. reckon they've bonanza; but dunno;
q time'll tell"
) Supper was announced and Harry
Q Allen, his wife and sister-in-law, and I
u were ushered into the small dining
|: room and seated at the same table.
t From our table we could see the miners
O as they, one after another, filed into the
l. diningroom. All had seemingly en-.
v tered and taken their accustomed
o. places. But one of the boarders was
absent and someone said: "Whar's
" Billy tonight?" Before an answer
e could be given the diningroom door
j. was swung open and in stepped young
e fellow, somewhat under the influence
ID of liquor. simultaneously those seated
IL at the same table as I, arose. Allen
le CONTINUED on page three.)