Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-06-18
"Hello, be you Migglesa" said Yuba
Q;1I 70 fba co1itarv occ,1 nant

aHello, be you Miggles9 ?" said Yuba
Bill to the solitary occupant
The figure neither spoke nor stirred
| Yuba Bill walked wrathfully toward 1T,
| and tHrned the eye of his coach lantern
upon its face 1t was a mans face, prema'
| turely old and wrinkled, with very large
eyes, in which there was that expression
of perfectly gratuitous solemnity which
| bad sometimes seen in an owls. The
large eyes wandered from Bills face tc
the lantern, and finally fixed their gaze OF
that luminous object, without further
recognition.
Bill restrained himself with an effort.
Miggles! be you deaf2 You amt
dumb, anyhow, you know" and Yuba
| Bill shook the insensate figure by the
shoulder To our great dismay, as Bill
removed his hand, the venerable stranger
apparently collapsed sinking into hall
his size and an undistinguishable heap o.
clothing.
We'll, dern my skim" said Bill, looking
appealingly at us, and hopelessly retiring
| from the contest.
The Judge now stepped forward, and
we lifted the. mysterious vertebrate back
| into his original position. Bill was dis
| missed with the lantern to reconnoitre out
| side, for it was evident that from the help
| lessness of this solitary man there must be
attendants near at hand, and we all drew
around the fire. The Judge, who had re-
gained his authority, and had never lost
| his conversational amiability standing
before us with his back to the hearth
charged us, as an imaginary jury, as fol-
lows: ;. ~
ut is evident that either our Gistin-
guished friend here has reached that con
dition described by Shakespeare as "the
sere and yellow leaf or has suffered some
premature abatement of his mental and
physical faculties. Whether he-is really
the Miggles-"
Here he was interrupted bv Miggles
O Miggles Migglesy Migp and, in fact,
the whole chorus of Miggles in very much
the same key as it had once before been
delivered unto us.
We gazed at each other for moment in
some alarm. The JUICE, in particular,
vacated his position quickly, as the voice
seemed to come directly over his shoulder.
The cause, however, was soon discovered
in large magpie who was perched upon
a shelf over the fireplace, and who lmme-
diately relapsed into sepulchral silence,
which contrasted singularly with his pre-
vious volubility. 1t was undoubtedly his
voice which we had heard in the road, and
our friend In the chair was not responsible
for the discourtesy. Yuba Bill, who re.
entered the room after an unsuccessful
search, was 10th to accept the explanation,
and still eyed the helpless sitter with sus
picion. He had found shed in which be
had put up his horses-but he came back
dripping and skeptical. "Thar amt no
body but him within ten miles OF the
shanty, and that ar id old -skeesicks
knows'it." y, p
But the faith of the majority proved to
he securely based. Bill had scarcely
ceased growing, before we heard quick
step upon the porch, the trailing of wet
skirt, the donr was flung open, and
with fash of white teeth, a sparkle OF
dark eyes and an utter absence of
ceremony or diffidence, young woman
entered, shut the door, and, painting
leaned back against it.
90, if you please, Pm Miggles !" a.
And this was Miggles! This bright
eyed. full .throated young woman, whose
wet gown of coarse blue stuff could not
hide the beauty Of the feminine curves to
which it clung from the chestnut crown OF
whose head-topped by mans oil-skin
wester-to the little feet and ankles
hidden somewhere in the recesses of her
boys brogans, all was grace-this was
Miggles, laughing at us, too, in the most
airy, frank, Uff-hand manner imaginable.
"You see, boys" said she, quite out of
breath, and holding one little hand against
her side, quite unheeding the speechless
discontinue of our party, or the complete
decentralization Of Yuba Bill, whose feat
ures had relaxed into an expression OF
gratuitous and imbecile cheerfuness-
You see, boys, l was morn two miles
away when you passed down the road. l
thought you might pull up here, and sol
ran the whole way, knowing nobody was
at home but Jim-and-and-Pm out Of
breath-that lets me out" EsA >
And here Miggles caught her dripping
oilskin hat from her head, with mis-
chievous swirl that scattered shower of
rain, drops over us; attempted to put back
her hair ; dropped two ir-pins in the
sttempt; laughed, and sat down beside
Yuba Bill, with her hands crossed lightly
on her Jap.
The Judge recovered himself first, and
essaved an extravagent compliment. f-
"Pll trouble you for that thar har-pin," !"
said Miggles, gravely. Half a dozen
hands were eagerly stretched forward;
the missing hairpin was restored to its
fair owner; and Miggles, crossing the
room, looked keenly in the face Of the in
valid. The solemn eyes looked back at
hers, with an expression we lad never
seen before. Life and intelligence seemed
to struggle back into the rugged face.
Miggles laughed sgain-it was a singularly
eloquent laugh-and turned her black eyes
and white teeth once more toward us.
"This afflicted person is''-hesitated the
Judge.
"Jim," said Miggles. Ea4
"Your fathers"
"No."
"Brother?
"No."
"Husband ?"
Miggles darted a quick, halfdefiant
glance at the two lady passengers who |
had noticed did not participate in the
general masculine admiration of Miggles,
and said, gravely: "No-it's jim"
There was an awkward pause. The
lady passengers moved close to each
other. The Washoe husband looked alb
stractedly at the fire and the tall man ap-
parently turned his ewes inward for self
support at this emergency. But NJ .ggles'
laugh, which was very infectious, broke
the silence. Come" she said, briskly,
you must be hungry Who'll bear a
hand to help me get tea ?"
She had no lack of volunteers In few
moments Yuba Bill was engaged like
Caliban in bearing logs for this Miranda
the expressman was grinding coffee on
the verandah to myself the arduous