The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-07-13

erybody had the right to know me. [
kept the Polka Saloon, until I came to
live with Jim. That's six years ago.
Perhaps I've changed some.
The absence of recognition may have
disconnected her. She turned her head
to the fire again, and it was some seconds
before she again spoke, and then more
rapidly =
"Well, you see | thought some of you
must have known me- There's no harm
done. any way. What / was going to
say was this: Jim here she took his
hand in both of hers as she spoke-used
to know me, if you didn't, and spent a
heap of money upon me. reckon he
spent all he had Aud one day-it's six
years ago this winter-Jim came into
nv 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 a heap, and never seemed
to know what allied him. The doctors
came andisaid as how it was caused all
along of his way of life, for Jim was
mighty free and wild.like, and that he
would never get better, and couldn' last
long any wav. They advised me to send
him to Frisco to the hospital, for he was
no good to any one and would be baby
ali his life. Perhaps it was something
in Jim's eye, perhaps it was that never
had baby, but said No was rich
then, for / was popular with everybody,
gentlemen like yourself, sir, came to
see me,-and [ sold out my business and
bought this here place, because it was
sort of out Of the way of travel, you see,
and [ brought my baby here
With a woman intuitive tact and po-
etry, she had, as she spoke, slowly shift
ted her position so as to bring the mute
figure of the ruined man between her
ana her audience, hiding in the shadow
behind it, as if she offered it as a tacit
apology for her actions. Silent and eX-
pressionless it yet spoke for her; helpless
crushed, ahd, smitten with the Divine
thunderbolt, it still stretched an invisible
arm around her.
| Hidden in the darkness, but still hold
ing his hand, she went on -
It was long time before I could get
the hang of things about yer, for [ was
used to company and excitement. [ could
not get any woman to help me, and a
man [ dursent trust: but with the Indi-
ans hereabout, who'd do odd jobs for me
and having everything sent from the
North Fork, Jim and [ managed to wor-
ry through. The Doctor would run up
from Sacramento once in q while. He d
ask to see 'Miggles' baby as he called
Jim, and when he'd go away, he'd say,
'Miggles you are trump,-God bless
you; and it didn't seem so lonely after
| that But the last time he was here he
said, as he opened the door to go. DO
you know, Miggles, your baby will grow
up to be man yet and an honor to his
mother; but not here, Miggles, not here !!
And [ thought he went away sad, and
and and here Miggle's voice and
head were somehow both lost complete
ly in the shadow.
1.-The folks about here are very kind, "
said Miggles, after pause, coming lit
tie into the light again. THE men from
the fork used to hang around here until
they found that they wasn't wanted, and
the women are kind, and don't call. l
was pretty loEely until picked UP Joa-
quin in the woods yonder one day, when
he wasn't so high, and taught him to beg
for his dinner; and then thar's Polly
that's the magpie,-she knows no end
of evenings with her talk and so [ don t
feel like as if [ was the only living being
about the ranch. And Jim here" said
| Migg!es. with her old laugh again COM
ing out quite into the freight, 'Jim,-
why, boys, you would admire to see how
much he knows for man like him.
Sometimes l bring him flowers, and he
looks at EN- just as if he knew EN-; and
times when we are sitting alone, [ have
read him those things on the wall Why
Lord p said Miggles, 1T would be play
ing it rather down on Jim, to take advan-
| tege of his being so helpless. And then,
| too, if we were man and wife, now, we'd
both know that [ was bound to do what
[ DO now of my own accord.
But you are young yet and attractive.
cts getting late," said Miggles grave
ly, land you better all turn in. Good
night, boys" and throwing the blanket
over her head. Miggles laid herself down
beside Jim S chair, her head pillowed on
the low stool that held his feet, and
spoke no more. The fire slowly faded
from the hearth; we each sought our
blankets in silence; and presently there
was no sound in the long room but the
pattering of the rain upon the roof, and
the heavy breathing of the sleepers.
It was nearly morning when [ awoke
from troubled dream. The storm had
passed the stars were shining, and Through
the shutterless window the moon, lifting
itself over the pines without, looked into
the room. 1t touched the lonely figure
10 the chair with an infinite compassion,
and seemed to baptize with a shining
food the lovely head of the woman whose
hair, as in the sweet old story, bathed
the feet of him she loved. 1t even lent
a kindly poetry to the rugged outline -of
Yuba Bill, half reclining on his elbow
between them and his passengers, with