The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1916-03-09
Deathbed
Promise
Ry =. A. Mitchell

/, If I could have left you rich / would
not now mind handing IN my chips
But remember this, nay little girl. Il
there's any such thing as the dead
helping the living III help you"
These were the last words spoken by
Tom Atkinson 20 his daughter. Ellen
He passed into Inconsistencies and
died the same night Ellen had been
with him In the gold fields for years
and had suffered with him one disap-
pointment after another till TO her they
were no longer disappointments but
expected happenings. But til the very
last he had expected to strike il rich
and when he was taken down with his
last illness believed that be would get
well enough TO dig little lower In a
hole he was sinking aud would strike
the continuation OF a lead that was
paying handsomely but a hundred feet
away. When death came he had not
reached the goal and left his child with
but small bag Of dust. not worth $50
However. Ellen possessed something
she valued more than gold-the heart
OF an honest. energetic young man.
who was clerking In a store not far
from the property on which her father
had done his last digging and where
he had built the cabin In which he and
his daughter lived Mark Hosmer
married Ellen few days after her IA
Their had been laid to rest. and they
lived together In the abode the bride
had occupied ever since her father had
been seized with his last infatua-
ton.
Hosmer vas willing TO work. bat the
district was not producing the gold
that had been expected. and sales In
the store were running down HIS sal
airy had been reduced and had reached
point where they found Il difhcult 70
make ends meet One night when
Mark came home from work he told
his wife that he feared bis employer
was about to discharge him and do all
the work himself. since the business
would not warrant an assistant
At o'clock the next morning Ellen
awakened her husband and asked him
II be heard anything unusual AMER
listening he said that he did not aud
asked her why she had asked the
question. She replied that every now
and again she had heard a sound ike
earth thrown from shovel.
Go TO sleep. my dear" he replied.
you lived so many years In the sound
Of dirt thrown out Of holes In the
ground that It has got on your nerves.
The next night Ellen fancied she /
heard the same sound. but. since Marx 4
had not heard It and thinking she
would trouble him by calling bis atfen
ton to what be seemed 20 consider q
crick In her brain. she did not wake
him But she listened herself. She
would hear the sound. apparently not
far from the house. Of a shovelfui OF
earth thrown on the ground Then
all was silent In a few minutes she
would hear another shoveifuI tossed.
1t seemed to her. from below. as
though some one were digging m q
trench Once or twice she thought she
heard pick strike q stone. but Of this
she was not sure. She could not 10
cate the sounds. but II seemed to her
that they came from n corner OF the
lot IN rear Of che cabin.
She was tempted the next morning
% tel her husband that she had heard
he sounds repeated. but Fefrained,
that he would think some
hing had gone wrong with her As
Ioon as be had departed for the store
he went out TO the rear Of what was
four acre lot, half expecting TO End
hat some claim jumper had been dig
ing for gold. No sign Of earth thrown
ID appeared.
There was a thick underground sep
rating her from where she had SEEM
d to hear the sounds. and passing
Trough n she came TO the extreme 9
0rner Of the lot. The ground was q
Ist as IL had always been The sur :
ace was uneven. and q ledge Of red
tone few feet high furnished a con
enient seat. She sat down on II and
Ily picked up a loose piece Of the
one. Examining II. she noticed that r
presented a rather singular appear 81
nee Her father had often shown her n
lch pieces Of ore. which. be said. e
ere very rich in gold. e
Ellen took the fragment TO the cabin i.
ID put It in her bureau drawer; then. !.
king her fathers pick and shovel.
e went back TO the spot from which !"
e had taken the stone and began to y
g. ul
Since the place vas concealed BY
dergrowth Mark did not notice the XII
cavation. Ellen. who bad had long
perience in the appearance Of ore,
g on It'll she came to something that
'ked worth examination Taking -.
eeimens, the next day, instead OF dig
lg. she carried them to an assayer. W
)ne evening when Mark came home 20
I'M work looking distressed on nc. IN
mt OF the duIIness Of trade, which TIL
'eboded his discharge. Ellen threw he
! arms around his neck, exclaiming:
Mark, we are richF' az
What do you meanT' -
Come and see" w
he took him to the hole she had dug up
], picking up piece Of ore. told sec
0 that she had had specimen from
place assayed and 1t had shown
o to the ton.
How came you," be asked, ito dig ma