The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-06-19
.Husband

MlggleS dafteQ q QUICK, nali-uenaue SinnSO
at the two lady passengers, who, mad notc-
ed. did not participate In the general mascu-
line admiration Of Miggles, and said, gravely:
There was an awkward pause. The lady
Il messengers moved closer tc each other The
Washoe husband looked abstractedly at the
/ fire and the tall man apparently turned his
! ewes inward for self-support at this emergen-
: cy. But Miggles's laugh. which was very in
, fictitious, broke The silence Come she said,
briskly, you must be hungry. Who'll bear
hand 70 help me get tea? zsF -.
She had no lack of volunteers. In a few
| moments Yuba Bill was engaged like Caliban
Fl in bearing logs for this Miranda; the express
/, man was grinding coffee on the verandah to
myself the arduous duty OF slicng bacon was
assigned and the judge lent each man his
good humored gand yollibls counsel And
when Miggles assisted by the judge and our
Hibernian ssdeek passenger set the table
wit all the available crockery we had be-
come quite Joyous, in spite OF the rain that
II beat against, the window, the wind that
whirleds down the chimney, the two ladies'
| who whispered together in the corner, or the
| maybe who uttered satirical and croaking
commentary on their conversation, from his
perch above. In the now bright, blazing fire
4 we could see that the walls were papered
with Illustrated journals, arranged with iemi-
nine taste and discrimination. The furniture
boxes and nact;no cases, and covered with
gay calico or the skin OF some animal. The
| armchair of the helpless Jim was an iDgen-s
| ions 1S,iatio11 of q Hour sbarreL There was
| neatness and even a taste for the picturesque
| TO be seen in the few details of the len low
| room. ~
4 The elnealI was a culinary success. but
more, it was q social triumph-chiedy. |
think, rowing to the rare tact. of Miggles in
guiding the conversation, asking all questions
herself, yet bearing throughout a frankness
that rejected the idea OF any concealnientson
her own part. So that We talked Of our
selves, Of our prospects, Of the journey, of the
weather, Dfeaeh othez--of everyth ing but cur
| host and hostess. 1t must be confessed that
| MlSgles's conversation was never elegant,
rarely grammatical, and. that at times she 1
used ezpletives, the Of which had gener-
i ally been yielded to our SEX, But, they were
/ delivered with such lighting up of teeth and
eyes, and were usually followed by alaucl,--s
q laugh peculiar to Miggles-so frank and
honest that itseemed to- clear the.mo at
lmosphere. ~, /, M t,i 4 ..aas s.. ,.4la
Once, during the meal, we heard a noise
like the rubbing Of a heavy body against the
outer walls Of the house. This was shortly |
door, That's Joaquin, said Migeles, in re- 4
| Ply to cur questioning gances; would you |
| like to see him?' Before we could answer.
she had opened the door, and disclosed a |
halt grown grizzly bear, who Instantly raised |
himself on his launches, with his fore-paws |
hanging down in the popular attitude of men, |
delaney, and boxed Aadmiringly at Migeles,sl
with avety singular resemblance in his man
ner to Yuba Bill. That's my Watchdog
| said Migges in explanation. 20. he won't |
lIbite,' she fadded,sas The two lady PASSENGERS
llutteIed into corner. Does he, old TOppy |
1.-THE latter remark being addressed directly |
TO the sagacious Joaquin). Il tell you what.
coiJ olnztf r1 = i.
Closed the door on Ursa Minor, Won were inS|
big iuckstiiatsJ Joaquin wasn't hanging round
when you dropped in tonight
where was he p asked the Judge
l. with me; SAID Migges. sLord love you
he trots round with me nights like as ii he
was man. tAfNs ~
We were silent for a few moments, and lis
tened TO the Wind Perhaps we allhad the 4
same picture before tls-of Miaeles walking i
through the rainy woods, with her savage
guardian at her side. The JUDGE. |
remember, said something about Una and
her lion; but Afiggies received it as she did
o5ner compliments, with quiet gravity.1lE
Whether she was altogether unconscious Of L
the admiration she excited-she could hardly
have been oblivious of Yuba Bills alteration
81 knew mott but her very ffankness Sstiol /
gested perfect sexual equality that was cru
ely Illuminating to the younger members of
1Ic iuclutAt OF tue pear Qid not add any, L
thing in Miggles's favor to the opinions Of
TACT, the repast over, chiliness radiated
from the two lady passengers that no pine |
bou9hs brought in by Yuba Bill and cast as a
sacrifice upon the hearth, could wholly over
come. sMiggles. felt it; and suddenly declar-
ing that lt was time to turn in offered to
show the ladies to their bed in an adjoining
room. Yop boys will have to camp out here Il
by the fire as wei as you cam she added, for
there amt but the one rooms
Our sex-by which, my dear sir, allude of
course to the stronger portion of humanity
has been generally relieved from the imputa-
ton OF curiosity, ora fondrless Tor gossip
- t am constrained to say, that hardly had
together, whispering, snickerng, smiling. and
exchanging suspicious, surmises, and a thou
sand speenlatiensi in regard to our pretty hos
tess and her singular companion. fear that
weleven hustled that imbecile paralytic, who
sat; like yoiceless Memnon in our miflss,
gazing, with the serene Indifference OF the
Fast In his passionless eyes, upon our wordy
councils. In the midst of an exciting discus
sion the door opened again, and Migges re-
entered.
But not. apparently the SINE Miggles who
few hours Before had flashed upon us. Her
eyes were doWneast, and as she hesitated for 4
moment on the Threshold, vita a blanket
her, the frank fearlessness which had charm
ed US moment before. Coming into the
room, she drew a low stool beside the paralyt-
les chair, sat down. drew the blanket over
her shoulders and saying, of it's all the same
to you, boys, as we're rather crowded I'll stop |,
here tonight, took the invalid's withered
hand In her own and turned; her eyes upon
the dying fire. An instructive feeling that
thislwas only premonitory to more confiden-
tial 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 a lull of the elements,
throwing her hair over her shoulder, turned
her face upon the group and asked: i4n4 .uI.
IS there any one OF you that knows me? i
10 There was no reply.
eHhink againi llived at Marysy1le in $50.
Everybody knew me there, and everyb ody
had a right to know me. I kept the Polka |
Saloon until IAcames to live with Jim. That's
six years ago. Perhaps I've changed some.
The absence of recognition may have dis
concerted her. She turned her head to the
fire again and it was some seconds before she Il
again spoke and then more rapidly -
f 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 both of
nerS as Sne SpOke-'uSed to know me, IT. you
didn't, and spent a heap Of money upon me.
II exon he spent all he had. And one day
it's six wears ago this winter--Jim came into r.
my back room, sat down on my sofy, like as
you see him in that chair. and never moved
again without help. He was struck all of a |
heap, and never seemed to know what allied
him. The doctors came and said as how it
was causedal along of his way Of hfe-for
Jim was mighty free and wild like-apd that
he would never get better, and couldn't last
long anyway. They advised me tie send him
to Friscot to the hospital, for he was no good 4
to any one, and would be a baby all his lie
Perhaps it was something in Jin's eye, per:
haps it was that | never had baby, but ] | ]
said No. Z / was rich then, for 1 was popular
with everybody -gentlemen like yourself,
sir, came to see me-and sold out my bust
ness and bought this yer place, because it was
sort of out OF the way OF travel, youlsee, and
brought my baby here
With a woman's intuitive tact and poetry.
she had as she spoke slowly shifted her posi-
ton SO as to bring the mute figure Of the 'r1i-
ined man between her dieuce-hiding in
the shadow behind it-as If she offered it as a 4
.acit apology for her actions. Silent and ex-
pressionless. it yet spoke for her; helpless
crushed, and smitten with the divine thun-
ofiH CIR