Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-03-14

faces of his componions.
Well, / don't know" responded
Tom Flynn with some cheerfulness.
Pr'aps we may. But how about your
wife, Old Man? What does she say to
it ?"
The Old Man hesitated. His conjugal |
experience had not been happy one,
and the fact was known to Simpsons |
Bar. His first wife, delicate, pretty |
little woman, had suffered keenly and |
secretly from the jealous suspicious of
her husband, until one day he invited |
her infdelity. On arriving, the party
found the shy, petite creature quietly
engaged in the household duties, and
retired abashed and discom6tted. But
the sensitive woman did not easily re-
| cover from the shock of this extraor
binary outrage. 1t was with difficulty
she regained her equanimity sufficiently
| to release her lover from the closet in
which he was concealed and escape
with him. She left boy of three years
to comfort her bereaved husband. The
| Old Mans present wife had been his
cook. She was large, loyal and aggres-
sive.
Before he could reply, Joe Dimmick
suggested with great directness that it
was the cold Mans house," and that,
invoking the Divine Power, if the case
were his own, he would invite who he
pleased, even if in so doing he imperiled
| his salvation. The powers of evil, he
further remarked, should contend against
him vainly. All this delivered with
terseness and vigor lost in this neces-
sary translation.
"In course. Certainly. That's it,"
said the Old Man with a sympathetic
frown. "Thars trouble about that.
It's my own house, built every stick on
it myself. Don't you be afraid o her,
boys. She may cut up trifle rough
ez wimmen du-but she'll come round"
Secretly the Old Man trusted to the
exaltation of liquor and the power of
| courageous example to sustain him in
such an emergency.
AS yet, Dick Bullen, the oracle and
leader of Simpsons Bar, had not spoken.
He now took his pipe from his lips.
cold Man, how's that yer Johnny get
tin on? Seems to me he didn't look so
peart last time | seed him on the bluff
hRavin' rocks at Cinnamon. Didn't
seem to take so much interest in it.
Thar was gang of 'em by var yester-
day,-drowned out up the river,-and I
kinder thought O. Johnny, and how
he'd miss 'em! May be now, we'd be
in the way eff he was sick?''
The father, evidently touched not
only by this pathetic picture of Johnny's
deprivation, but by the considerate
delicacy of the speaker, hastened to
assure him that Johnny was better and
that g little fun might 'liven him up"
Whereupon Dick arose, shook himself,
and saying, Pm ready. Lead the way
Old Man; here goes" himself led the
way with leap, characteristic howl,
and darted out into the night. AS he
passed through the outer room he
caught up a blazing brand from the
hearth. The action was repeated by the
rest of the party, closely following and
elbowing each other, and before the
astonished proprietor of Thompson's
grocery was aware of the intention of
his guests, the room was deserted.
The night was pitchy dark. In the
hrst gust of wind their temporary
, torches were extinguished, and only the
red brands dancing and fitting in the
gloom like drunken will-o'- the-wisps in
dicated their whereabouts. Their way
!; led up Pine Tree canon, at the head of
which broad, low, bark-thatched cabin
burrowed in the mountain side. 1t was
the home of the Old Man, and the en-.
: trance to the tunnel in which neworked
t when he worked at all. Here the crowd
t paused for a moment, out of delicate
Difference to their host, who came Up
; painting in the rear.
"P'r'aps yed better hold on a second
S out yer, whilst l go in and see that
f things is all right" said the Old Man
$ with an indifference he was far from
feeling. The suggestion was graciously
: on the host. and the crowd. leaning thei
n under the caves, waited and listened.
d For few moments there was no sounC
e but the dripping of water from tn
is caves, and the stir and rustic of wrest
# ling boughs above them. Then the mel
st became uneasy, and whispe' ed sugges
l. ton and suspicion passed from one t
the other. Reckon she's caved in hi
,e head the first ickr' "Decoyed hin
ar inter the tunnel and barred him ur
os likely" SCOT him dewn and sittin' q
r. him." 'Prob'ly bilin suthin to heav
D. on us; stand clear the door, boys 1!
Of For just then the latch clicked, the doc
e slowly opened and voice sale, g Com
he in out O. the wet"
Is The voice was neither that cf the Oh
st Man nor his wife. 1t was the voice
id a small boy, its weak treble broken b
ne that preternatural hoarseness whic
ne only vagabondage and the habit
a. premature selfassertion can give.
was the face of small boy thas locke
S up at theirs-a face that might hay
ey been pretty and even refined, but TIL
IL, it was darkened by evil knowledge frol
IN within, and dirt and hard experient
from without. He had blanket aroun
a his shoulders, and had evidently jul
arisen from his bed. ssCome in
n repeated, and don't make no nois
The Old Mans in there talking to mar
be- he continued, pointing to an adjacel
,ly room which seemed to be kitche
lily from which the Old Mans voice can
CT in deprecating accents. Letme be" ]
of added, querulously to Dick Bullen wi
=" had caught him up, blanket and a
in and was affecting to toss him into Il
sss fire, "let go O. me, you id old foe
ey. dye hear?'