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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1890)
WEST HHOttK. A HEROINE OF THE ROCKIES. S1IK did not look much like a heroine m she tU there in the glorioui morning lunlight, gaiing off toward the purple mountain side, shading her eye with a band made hard and unsym metrical by toil. An invigorating breeze from the Ji tant mow-capped lummiU fanned hrr iun-browtir-1 checka tad played riotously with end of curling, sib vcrhurd hair that had fcapd from bondage and clustered alwut neck and hrow. She wa tall and spare, clad in a gown of coarse texture and dingy color. Neck and feet were Alike guiltta of covering. Several minute, she stood there, hrr gaie Imt on a sjar showing hare and brown amid the purple haze. " What can keep hirn w?" she murmurnl, drop ping her hand and turning away with a nigh. A mo ment longer ihe tarried oubide the low doorway to de tach aome dead leaves from the tinea brilliant with their wealth of acarlet berries, when a fretful Voice from within called " Mildred, Mildred I What lr ye doin'; why don't ye come here? " Hastily flinging Mid the leave she went in. " What ia it, Jess? " " Why, I'm tired to dralh lyin' here and want to get up if ye can stop gawpin' ofT toward the mountain long enough to dresi me. Ye needn't I o keen to have him come, fer of course he'll I drunker 'n a fiol, an' you'll have to Uby him fer the neat twenty four houral" Mildred Mitchell shrank as from a blow, but made no reply. All that long day she cast anilou. e ipecl. ant glance down the sloping hillside and off toward the mountain; but when the night work wa bne and the evening shadow had begun to cluster in the vab ley, ihe stle down the roadway and laid her ear to the damp turf and listened; but there waa ro.und save the moaning of the wind through the tree, or the distant cry of mm bird or Uast She passed a leepleM night, rising long Uf t th lun, to attend to the work and renew her vigil. Her brother' wife breakfasted in M, a wa bef custom, and when Mildred removed the thing, she said- " Ted ha le-n fan-, thU U the f'urth day, and he eiptted to tm Ar the tix day after he went away. I can stand this ro It gr, ard am g'ii;g to take Iirk ard g U The Pan, or go until I tnet Ted " Tie woman on the M bunt into angry nrtuU tior.i against Uicg I ft atone, endirg with a hysterical Ura l against hef lUl buiUnd, calling hitn Ij all rU of abusive ej.Utet. Mildred listened in .Vm untl the storm wa rptit a.vl tie weak, cr- ture had luUldcd InUs weeping and moaning, when he said, coldly I ihall start In a few minute; if you want any help in dressing, hurry up" Jea Mitchell Urd at her Iter in law In surprise. She did not usually answer her ilrmly. M t'ome I M Mildred wa almot redy to start, and Jes saw that al must get up or U left lying th re, and she oUyed; but the last sund that greeted the sister' ear is the rod away, wa the wife' angry riclaiiiation " Tlie blear of leaving me, i!k a I If, her alone to run after that drunken wreUhl H wa the one sn tence she had uttered that rung In Mildred', ear " IW Tcddie!" she murmured, I'itylngly. It was past tn-'ti when she arrive! at The ', and there to all her Imjulrie slt rnrlvcd the same An swer. Her brother had started fr hm an huror o before dark on the second day of his alsew e r Mildred t Presently one of th lounger about at tU tavern offered to accompany her Uck If some one would loan him a horse; and a few minute later they were rid ing bak over the th o lately traveled by Mildred Half way down the mountain sl-l tly itl-l. a they jieered eagerly alut, evidence of a stufii!, atvl a few minutes' heating att rtveled Ted MM he' dead Uy In a clump of bushe a few M fr..m tU roadside. Hi horsf wa ft and hi krt had Uvn rifl! " A clean ra o' murder," remarke.1 h man, un dnTrnelly. Mildml shrieke. and reeled, but leiovrriltg Ur self sit assisted the matt to hind tU I--I; l"0 tU baik of oi l Ihrk. and wlked l-y his si l all th l og mile n,iu. It w afur dark when th iivxirnfil littl pretiiot wioJ it way up th hillsi U. leaving her pr-iou Imrd'H lit a minute, Mil Ifd entered the hour -Jesal" Drtt wa tvt ansf r. 5t.r speaking agiin, Md dred lighted a ran lie As ah f ipeete., J4 lay on the Ud. utiiig Wt have brvugM him sh ai I, if.ly, a she smoMhed the cter of the hm-MU f'h and Wwght a jir of from hf own r-.-m, spreading on tan? filly over it Hruuglt b!m " shrUkrl Jr, 1111114 up in wild yed terror at s'ht 0 ll s!' U U Ken two re an I l thrvigH lU daikr, b'it rvetef xUali of tU Utter Uinf ott'f ln Ut h'i-bar-1 an-l b!i t Ut. - Vr, U wa u.'it t. I lUfck." cowrfd dr. Urylr.g Uf fv In lU .iltcj a U twa carrd la the rifll lm ULl it o tU