Show t r Ilu 3xrtli12i JXEVOTION ANBIDEMS I u ca U LL 1 Si Game + of Cards Which was Never Finished I r t 4 TRUE WOMANS DEVOTION 10 Party of Miners The Experience of a Lonely J MonntaiiisThe in the Graves the wind howled and roared through Sic trees in Newland gulch as though ten thousands fiends had broken loose Anon it would sink into a solemn and mournful dirge then as if a whole of furies had been let loose kingdom the noise would be perfectly deafening Every one itt the camp had turn giI I except the select poker party who bad f a big game in the tent at the forks Sis roughlooking miners sat around the table intent as ifftheir lives depended depend-ed upon the various deals At times the noise without precluded conversation conversa-tion and the betting was done chiefly by signs Suddenly l it Ahen who sat opposite the entrance and who was r dealing happening to fcaht his eyes upward up-ward saw vision that SEEMED TO TRAJSFIX HIM Iu the midst of the deal Noticing his action and the fixed stare with which he gazed over their headline fathers turned turn-ed quickly around grid there at the opening stood woman yoiin Ig andY o would liaye been prepossessing bnt for her bedraggled stated Her hairwas disheveled arid floating overTjer shoulders should-ers in a confused mass and the water was pouring if rorn J1er1soak iJj garments in streams Wildly and pleadingly she addressed them < Jhr gentlemen help pleasemy Husband he is flying down fi j the gulch I InstantTylliat poker game tts broken s up and those rough men whose humane instincts were easily stirred ran out into the darkness and storm Down i the gulch trent the woman followed by six men r s 7 CnOSSIliG OK A ROCKY FORD I below where the maC stream dashed 1 and roared threatening to carry them off their feet to a level mesa beyond i across which she leda them = to a sharp end in the creek perhaps threefourths of a mile below the camp There in the scanty shelter of a scrub oaklthicket 1 man was found lying dying dy-ing Carefully he was taken from the j wet ground and carried back over the slippery and perilous trail and taken i i in to one of Die more substantial tents where he was laid on the floor and some I blankets before a huge fire which had heed kindled purposely It was oon evident thathis life waj slowly but surely ebbing Suddenly aim with an ailort lie raised himself upon his elbow staring S j star-ing around with eyes whose sights were I already dimmed WITH tHE SHADOWS OF DEATH f and reached out his hands in such a suppliant pitiful manner then in a voice nussy amr weaK7Tre ejacnaTecrr 4 Mary Quickly going to him and taking his head in her lap oh so tenderly tender-ly she stroked his hair already danjp with the dews of death and placing her ear to his mouth listened to his labored whispered words with a world of affec t 1 iibn and love in her face The group 3nthe tent at this moment was striking j in the foreground and immediately m i ihe firelight the recumbent figure of the t dying man on the floor with his head I supported by the woman and the flickering flicker-ing light from the blazing logs playing I fantastically on the two central figures f In the background partly shrouded by toe gloom was the group of miners STANDING WITH THEIR HATS OFF i respectful attitude awaiting the presence pres-ence of the angel of death who was Covering near An ominous rattle in the throat convulsive gasp nnd all vast vas-t veri Db what ahelpless pitiful look ° came over the face of the woman as she i glanced at the pityirig faces around her i l and then buried her head in her hands t looking up shortly with a tearstained t I face she said in a voice sad but sweet r Gentlemen I thank you for your kindness I kind-ness to me morethan I can say This I til 9 I is myhusband JoVe Were on our way to Denver in the stagebut the high I water niade the ford impassable and as I he was very ill and they told us of this camp we started in the darkness and the storm but had not goneiar before 1 hebecame exhausted and sank down on I t I the trail and hastened here for assistance f assist-ance We have just come from the East 1 S II for his health which has been bad for i some time thinking he would get relief f I in a milder climate 4 f 1 BUT IT IS ALL OER NOW r i a t Again bowing her head she wept bitterly I I I for a time then Bill Ahern knowing It 11 I that something should be done but scarcely realizing what touched her on the armand said U Beg parding issusj the bo here want to do something for 1 i t YOU but dont know how We thought as you would rather Alolleli and t f maybe wed bettertake the body to another t other tent I JTo noiaid the woman throwing I her arias around the body I must i u stay + with him t len in au apologetic VOIce Excuse fide but I am nearly t f wild wth XY grief I would rather this Jf ° tlhs in d stay with him one night I I an imploring tone I the men golftheir heads to ether and i l 31 g finally concluded to give np the lent to theTronran and her dead for the night t Announcing tins io her ihey silently at filed out into the darkness back to 1 Wher theyhad been playing 1 l JlUTTROTG SSE wAS11O11RESUMED Theyialked over the incident until the t gray light of dawn > The rain having f ceased the sun shortly afterward came marching over the hill in magnificent i f splendor Soon the whole camp was awaKe and smoke from numerous fires indicated that the morning meal was in 4 preparation Ahern and the rest waited until the sun was high in the heavens tent the tent hut for some sign of life from none came they had cooked a breakfast break-fast for the lonely mourner but hesitated to disturb her Finally the morning resolve 1 being pretty far advanced it was resolved that Ahern should be the spokesman in I tendering their hospitality Going to i the opening be pushed back the flies and found the woman IS EXACTLY THE SAME POSITION 1 sas they had Mt her the preceding night I I C I r LltLL H Jvtnf w nea kin oher be received no answer I sad closer thinking she had fallen < < asleephe BhooTHier gently aFHrst then more strongly she never moved Becoming Be-coming alarmed he raised her head and to his horror saw that she too was dead As there was no outward sippar ent cause they concluded that she had died of a broken heart tOn t-On the beautiful little plateau overlooking over-looking the gulch in a bed of prairie lilies wild roses and honeysuckles they dug two graves side by side and lacing boards at the head placed on hem in rude characters Stranger died June 20th 18C9 and despite every effort no information of the unfortunate pair4is to who they were or wheretheycame from was ever obtained Rocky Mountain Moun-tain Nem 11 w I |