Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-01-18


The scene faded BE stood besidt
! the girl he loved wiilst a minister
Of God pronounced the words tha'
made them man and.wlfe And agar
the scene changed he knelt beside
his mothers Bad. whist the hand d
death fingered on her bros. He madf
her a promise; be swore to keep IT
and them Then the presnt stared hin
in the face; he had been living In 0
past Of five and twenty yearsi
Suddenly he felt Jul Dawson's heavy
hand on his shoulder--he ooked up;
Bill had finished his story, and the
others Of the group were expressing
their approval
Il say, sheriff" broke in the coarse
voice Of Jud, "lts up to You to give
us yarn now"
y reckon ! ain't never been much
At tellin stories" said the sheriff, in
the yernacular of the west that i'll
fitted his low, gentle voice.
Jaw come on, now, sheriff" insist
ed Bill. let's hear tale from YOU"
WAL" and the sheriff pushed his
hat still further back his head, "Pll
TO the best | can, though I'm afraid It
won't be Just the kind OF a story you
fellers are used to hearin'i"
"Out with it." exclaimed Bill.
wait a minute till | get you all
a drink and the rounds on me-" said
Jud disappearing behind the bar.
whence he soon emerged with glass
Of whiskey for each man at the table.
The men drank the liquor and then
looked at the sheriff, who cleared his
throat, pushed his char back from
the table and eyed his companions.
WAL, as | told you, boys. 1t amt
nothin' remarkable" he began. ut
were good many years ago; up, there
in the eastern states thar were a
young chap; won't say much about
him. He were middling good Teller
and the folks called him handsome
and he had way OF larnin' things
that made the people sorter look up to
him. WAL. as was sayin' this young
chap lived up thar in the White Noun.
tains and his folks was purity comfort
able off He was going to college too
and that wasn't a small thing in them
ar days either WAL one day-it
war in the early part of the summer
a young gal come up to them ar noun
tains for her health and she was stop
PIN in the house next TO the young
fellers WAL, 1t were only nat'ral that
them too folks seen a lot o. each other
and it was only natral too that ar
young feler fell in love with the gal.
after a time she promised TO mar
ry him, and he were as happy as he
could be. The gal went back to the
city and he stayed tight long on the
farm for 2 time ana then they were
married and the happiest couple go
in"
The sheriff paused a moment then
continued:
Things went long all right, boys
till one day the young Teller had to
go home because some one, it were
his mother. were dyin', and his
wife. not bein' in a Il. way 10 travel,
he had to leave her behind, promis-
in to come back jest as soon as ne
could. WAL something happened he
made his mother a promise-he swore
that he would do somethin for her,
faint no need tellin' Jest what it was,
but ne asked his best friend to sorter
Loo! after his wife tin he'd be able
to get back"
Those listening. beard peculiar
ring in the sheriffs voice. and when
Jud Dawson looked at him he saw
smouldering light in his dull eyes.
at were nearly two years till that
lar Teller could go back to his wife
and he was happy in the thought that
he'd see her again, and press his lit
tie one to his heart. When he come
back" and the sheriff drew a deep
breath. che found that-th2t-."
His. eyes flashed, and his features
We're ilumined by their angry light
when he come back, he larned
that his friend had betrayed his wife
and she, poor creature, when she real
lied what she had done, she put a
bullet through her brain!"
The heriff removed his hat, brush
ed back his white hair and paused.
Go on" said Mountain Bill. what
became of the child?"
Its father could not bear to look
upon is face, so he settled most Of
his small fortune upon it and left 1t