New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-28

of their Bses from -shs bssks q alasrsn,
chairs, and one man said Yes" 90
"Had good time home " -
Everybody looked cautiously ut the mar
who had said '.yes." and he, accepting the
responsibility with . taint-hearted smile
said "yes" again, and breathed hard. "Saw
his wife and child-purty gal - said Abner,
rediy. Saw her photograph, perhaps q
continued Abper Dean, quietly.
The man looked hopelessly around for
support Two or three who had been sit
ting near him and evidently encouraging
him with q look of interest, now shame.
lessly abandoned him, and looked another
way. Henry York flushed q little, and
yelled his brown eyes. The man hesitated,
| tended to convey the fact that he was per
tectly ware of the object OF this question.
| ing, and was only humoriDgi it from abstract
| good feeling, returned '.yes" again.
"Sent hOme-let's see-$l0O00 wasn't
Isl" Abner Dean went on. "Yes," reiterated
the man, with the same smile.
swell, thought 80" said Abner quietly,
"but the fact is, you see, that he never went
home at all-nary time"
Everybody stared at Abner in genuine
surprise and interest, as with provoking
calmness and . half lazy manner he went
on.
lyon see thar was q man down in Frisco
as knewed him and cav him in Sonora dur
ing the whole of that three years. He was
h-rding sheep or tending cattle. or spekilat-
ing all that time, and hadn't red cent.
Well, it mounts to thie-that ar Plunkett
amt been east of the Rocky mountains
since '49"
The laugh which Abner Dean had the
right to confidently expect came, but it was
bitter and sardonic. l think indignation
was apparent ia the minds of his hearers.
1t was felt, for the frat time, that there was
limit to practical joking. A deception
carried on for year, compromising the
sagacity Of Monte Fiat was deserving the
had believed Plunkett-but then the SUP.
position that it might be believed in ada
cent camps, that they had believed him was
gall and bitterness. The lawyer thought
that an indictment for obtaining money
under false pretenses might be found, the
physician had long suspected him of in
sanity, and was not certain but that he
ought to be confined The four prominent
merchants thought that the business inter
ests of Monte Flat demanded that some
thing should be done. In the midst of an
excited and angry discussion the door slew
ly opened and old man Piunkett staggered
into the room.
He had changed pitifully in the last six
months. His hair was dusty yellOwish-
gray, like the chimisal on the tanks OF
Heavytree Hill; his face was waxen white
and blue and puffy under the eyes; his
clothes were sOiled and shabby-streaked
in front with the stains Of hurried
luncheons eaten standing, and fluffy behind
tempOrized cOuches. In obedience to that
odd law that the more seedy and soiled q
mans garments become the less does he
seem inclined to part with them. even
during that portion Of the twenty four
hours when they are deemed least essential
Piunkett's clothes had gradually taken on
the appearance of q kind of bark or an out
growth from within for which their DOS
SCISSOR was not entirely responsible How
belt as he entered the room he at
tempted to button his coat over q
dirty shirt. and passed his fingers, after |
the manner OF some animal, over his cracker |
strewn beard-in recognition OF clearly |
public sentiment. But even rs he did 50 |
the weak smile faded from his lips, and his |
band, after fumbling aimlessly around a
button. dropped helplessly st his side. For,
20 he leaned his head hack against the bar |
and faced the group, he for the first time |
became aware that every eye but one was
liked upon him. His quick. nervous appre-
hension at once leaped to the tru b. His |
secret was out and abroad in the
very air about him. As u last resort he
glanced despairingly At Henry York, but
lis flushed face was turned toward the win
lows.
No word was spoken. As the barkeeper
'ilently swung decanter and glass before
hin, he took era ker from y dish and |
numhled IL with affected unconcern. He
fingered over his Ilquer until it's potency |
'tiffened his relaxed sinews and dulled the
nervous edge of his apprehension. and then
10 suddenly faced around. .'It don't lock |
ls if We were goin' to hev any rain much
fore Christmas" he said, with d. FAINT ease.
No one made any reply.
Just lie this III so and again in go |
is always been my opinion that these dry
easOns come regular. Pve said it afore. I
ay it again. It's jist as said about going
ZONE. you know" he added with desperate
"fhaI's a man." said Abner Dean, lazily,
ez stz you never went home Tnsr's a man
z SEE you've been three years in Sonora |
'har's u man ez sec yOu haint seen ycur
wife and daughter since 49 Thal's a man
z Fl you've been playin' this camp for six
lOuths"
There was dead silence. Then voice
aid. quite as quietly:
That man lies"
1t was not the old mans voice. Every
ody tn, ned ss Henry York slowly rose,
tretchiDg out his six feet Of length, and,
rushing away the ashes that had fallen |
rom his pipe upon his breast, deliberateI, |
laced himself beside Piunkett and faced |
be others.
That man amt here" continued Abner
'ean, with l:stltss Indifference Of voice and |
gentle preOccupation of manner, as he
arele-sly allo we'd his right hand to rest On
hI h, .lvyAr x..~s.
ERE, but il I'm called upon to make good
hat he says. why I'm on hand"
All rose, rs the two men-perhsps the
ist externally agltat+d Of tn. M ail-ap-
reached each other. The lawyer stepped
q ht tween them.
perhaps there's some mistake here, .
ork, do YOU k,sov that the old man has |
cen humep
Yes"
'HOw do you know its'' a
York turned HIS clear. honest. frank eyes
] his qnestioDer, and without tremor !
I'D the only direct and unmi gated lie OF I
9 life-"Because I've seen him there"
The answer war conclusive. IL was | {
no~n that York had been yi-,ting in the I
Art during The old mans absence. Tue G
'il"quy had diverted attention from Plum J
III, no. pale and GREATNESS, was staring l
his IN. expected d+Iivertr. As he turned |
.aln toward his tornentors there was i
meth'ng in the expression Of his eye that {
u-ed those that we're Arrest t. hun 10 | 1
II back, and sent y strangs, indefnsble l
rNl through thu boldtst ami most reck- !
a.. AS he made step forward the ply u
Ian almost uDconsciUusiy RAISED bis hand
lth warning gesturt and Old man Plum '
tt, with his eyes fixed upon the red hot &
Dve. and AL odd smile playing about his Q
Duth, began: v
''Ye,-nf cou se yon did Who says You Q
dnts l said wac goin' home. and I've
EN- home. Haven't ~ NV Godl have II
no says I've been ,yinI Who says Tm r
eamnY Is 1t true by don't you speaki u
is tue af.er sll. You say you saw me- e