The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-06-17

arranged with feminine taste and discrim-
nation. The furniture was extemporized,
and adapted from candle boxes and pack
ing cases, and covered with gay calico, or
the skin Of some animal. The arm chair
of the helpless Jim was an ingenious va
ration of f1oGr barrel There was neat
ness and even q taste for the picturesque
to be seen in the few details OF the long
low room.
The meal was a culinary success. But
more, it was a social triumph chiefly,
think, owing to the rare tact OF Miggles in
guiding the conversation, asking all the
questions herself, yet bearing throughout
frankness that rejected the idea OF any
concealment on her own part. SO that
we talked of ourselves, of our prospects,
of the journey, of the weather, of each
other-of every thing but our host and
hostess. It must be confessed that Mig
gles' conversation was never elegant,
rarely grammatical, and that at times she
used expletives, the use of which had
generally been yielded to our sex. But
they were delivered with such lighting
no of teeth and eyes, and were usually
followed by laugh-a laugh peculiar to
Miggles-so frank and honest that it
seemed to clear the moral atm osphere.
Once, during the meal, we heard noise
like the rubbing of heavy body against
the outer walls of the house. This was
shortly followed by scratching and sniff
fling at the door. "That's Joaquin" said
Miggles, in reply to our questioning
glances; "would you like to see him?"
Before we could answer she had opened
the door, and disclosed q half grown griz-
Fly who instantly raised himself on his
launches, with his forepaws hanging
down in popular attitude of mendicancy,
and looked admiringly at Miggles, with a
very singular resemblance in his manner
to Yuba Bill "Thst's my Watchdog"
said Miggles in explanation. 80, he don't
bite" she added, as the two lady passen
gers futtered into corner. docs he,
cid Toppy F-(the last remark being ad
dressed directly to the sagaciOus JOsquin).
al tell you what, boys" continued Mig
giles, after she had fed and closed the door
on Ursa Minor, You were in big luck
that Joaquin wasn't hanging round when
you dropped in tonight"
"Where was he p" asked the Judge
with me-" said Miggles. Lord love
you: he trOts round with me nights like
as If he was man..
We were silent for a few moments, and
listened to the wind. Perhaps we all had
the same picture before us-ot Miegles
walking through the rainy woods, with
her savage guardian at her side The
Judge, remember, said sOmeting about
Una and her lion; but Miggles received
it as she did other com Dliments, with quiet
gravity. Whether she was altogether
unconscious of the admiration she excited
she could hardly have been oblivious of
Yuba Bills adoratiOn-1 knew not; but
her very frankness suggested perfect
sexual equality that was cruelty humiliat-
ing to the younger members of our party.
The incident of the bear did not add
anything in Miggles' favor to the opinions
of those of her own sex who were present.
In fact, the repast over, a chilliness radi
sted from the two lady passengers, that
no pine boughs brought in by Yuba Bill
and cast as q sacrifice upon the hearth
could wholly overcome. Miggles felt it
and suddenly declaring that it was time
to "turn in," offered to show the ladies
to bed in an adjoining room. "You, boys,
will have to camp out here by the fire as
well as you can" she added, "for thar amt
but the one room"
Our sex-by which, my dear sir, / al
lude, of course, to the stronger portion of
humanity-has been generally relieved
from the imputation of curiosity, or a
fondness for gossip. Yet am constrained
to say, that hardly had the door closed On
Miggles than we crowded together, whis
peripg, snickering, smiling and exchang-
ing suspicious, surmises and a thousand
speculations in regard to our pretty host
ess and her singular companion. | fear
that we even hustled that imbecile para
lytic, who sat like voiceless Memnon in
our midst, gazing, with the serene indif-
ference of the past with his passionless
eyes. upon our wOrdy councils. In the
midst of our exciting discussion the door
opened again, and Miggles re entered.
But not, apparently, the same Miggles
who few hours before had flashed upon
us. Her eyes we're dOwncast, and as she
hesitated for moment on the threshold,
with blanket on her arm, she seemed to
have left behind her the frank fearlessness
which had charmed US moment before.
Coming into the room, she drew low
stool beside the paralytic's chair, sat down.
drew the blanket over her shoulders and
saying off it's all the same to you. boys,
az we're rather crowded, I'll stop here to-
night" took the invslid's withered hand
in her own ard turned her eyes upon the
dying fire. An instructive feeling that
this was only premonitory to more con-
fidential relations, and perhaps some
shame at our previous curiosity, kept us
silent. The rain still beat upon the roof;
wandering gusts of wind stirred the
embers into momentary brightness, until,
in lull of the elements. Migeles sud-
denly lifted up her head. and thro wing
her hair over her shoulder, turned her
face upon the group and asked:
"Ts there any Of you that knows me"
There was no reply.
"Think again lived at Maryville in
49, Everybody knew me there, and
everybody had the right tn know me. |
kept the Polka Saloon until come to live
with Jim. That's six years ago. Perhaps
I've changed some"
The absence of recognition may have
disconcerted her She turned her head to
the fire again, and it was some seconds be
fore she again spoke, and then more
rapidly.
"Well, you see thought some of you
must have known me. There's no great
harm done, anyway. What was going
to say was this: Jim here"-she took his
hand in 10th of hers as she spoke" used
to know me, If you didn't, and spent
heap Of money upon me. l reckon he
spent all he had. And one day-it's six
years ago this winter-Jim came into my
back room, sat down on my sofa, like as
YOU see him in that chair, and never
moved again without help. he was struck
all of q heap, and never seemed to know
what allied him The doctors came and
said az how it was caused all along OF his