Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-14


ner so outrageously studied, that she was
fain to be embarrassed for him. Later he
took to rambling about the house At night,
and was often seen noiselessly passing and
repa,sing through the hall after she had
retired. On one occasion he was surpris.
ei first by sleep and then by the early-ris-
ing Jenny as he lay on the rug outside
her chamber door. "You treat ME like q
child, father" said Jenny. II thought.
Jenny, said the father, apoloqe,ically, II
thought heard sounds as IL you was tax in
on inside, aud listenin' fell asleep. ""You
dear old simple-minded baby" said Jenny.
looking past her fathers eyes, and lifting
his grizzled locks one by one with medita-
tive fingers, what should l be takin' on
for? Look how much taller am than
YOU" she said. suddenly lining herself up
to the extreme Of her superb figure. Then
rubbing his head rapidly with both hands.
as If she were amounting his hair with
some rare ungucnt, she patted him on the
back and returned to her room. The re-
suit of this and one or two other equally
sympathetic interviews was to produce a
change In Mr.. McClosky's manner, which
WAS, If possible, still more discomposing.
lie grew unjustifiably hilarious. cracked
Jenny numerous stories, with the attitude
of facetiousncss carefully preserved
throughout the entire narration. and the
point utterly ignored and forgotten. Ger
tain incidents reminded him of funny
things. which invariably turned out to
have not the slightest relevancy or appli-
cation. He occasionally brought home
with him practical humorists, with san
suine hope Of setting them going. like the
music-box, for his daughters edincaticu.
lie essayed the singing OF melodies with
great freedom Of style and singular litnlta-
ton of note. He sang Come, Haste to
the Wedding. Ye Lasses and Maiiens,"
OF which he knew n single line, and that
Incorrectly, as being peculiarly apt and
appropriate. Yet away from the house
and his daughters presence he was silent
and dlstrauxht. His absence of mind WAS
particularly noted by his workmen at the
Empire Quartz Mill" "Ef the old man
don't look out and whke up said his fore
man, hell hev them fee, OF his yet under
the stamps. When he aint givin' his mind
to EN-, they Is altogether too promiskuss."
4 few nights later, Miss Jenny recognix-
cd her fathers hand In tin,id tap at the
door. She opened It. and he stood before
her, with a valise in his hand, equipped as
for a journey. Il takes the stage tonight,
Jenny dear, from Four Forks to Frisco.
Maybe I may drop In on Jack aforc go.
I'll be back In 4 week. Good.by."
"Good-by." lie still held her hand.
Presently he drew her back into the room
closing the door carefully. and glanclng
around. There was look of profound
cunning in his eye as he said slowly:
Bear up and keep dark, Jenny dear
and trust TO the old man. Various men
has various ways. Thar is ways as is
common and ways as is uncommon, ways
a. is easy aud ways as Is uneasy. Bear up
and keep dark" With this Delphic utter
ance he put his finger to his lips and
varished.
IL was ten o'clock when lie reached Four
Forks. A few minutes later he stood on
the threshold OF that dwelling described by
the Four Forks Sentinel as "the pala,ial re-
sidence of John Ashe." aud known to the
local satirist as the ''ash-box." "Hevin'
to lay by two hours, John" he said TO his
prospective son-in-law, as he took his hand
a: the door "a few words of social con-
verse. not on business. but strickly private,
seems 10 be about as nai'ral 4 thing as
man can do" This introduction, evident
ly the result Of some study and plainly
committed TO memory, seemed so sati.fac-
:ory to Mr. McClosky that he repeated i.
again. after John Ashe had led him into
his private office, where, depositing his
yalise in the middle OF the floor and sitting
down before ii, he began carefully to avoid
the eye OF his host, John: Ashe, q tall.
dark. handsome Kentuckian-with whom
even the trifles Of life were evidently full
Of serious import-waited with Kind of
respect the further speech of his
guest. Being utterly devoid Of any sense
Of the ridiculous, he always accepted Mr..
a. grave fact, singular only
from his own want of experience of the
class.
''Ores is running light now" said Mr..
with easy Indifference.
John Ashe returned that he had noticed
the same fact in the receipts Of the mill at
Four Forks.
Mr.. McClosky rubbed his beard and
looked at his valse, as If for sympathy and
sugg gesiion.
You don't reckon on having any trouble
with any of them chaps ez you cut out
with JennyY"
John Ashe, rather haughtily, had never
thought Of that. Il saw Rance hanging
round your house the other night when
took your daughter home, but he gave me
q wide berth" he added, carelessly.
surely" said Mr.. McClosky, with q pc
culiar winkins of the eye. Alter . pause,
he took fresh departure from his valise.
a few words, John, ez between man
and man, ez between my daughters father
and her husband who expects to be, Is
about the thing. take it, as is fair and
square. KEN here to say them. They're
about Jenny, my gal"
Ashes grave face frightened, to MIR. Nc
Closky's evident discomposure.
Maybe should have said, about her
mother; but the same bein' . stranger to
you, 1 say, materially, Jenny"
Ashe nodded courteously. Mr.. Nc
Closky, with his eyes on his valise. went
on:
1T is sixteen years ago Is l married
Mrs. McClosky in the State Of Missouri.
She let on, at the time, to be q widder-a
widder with one child. When say let on
mean to imply that subsekently found
out that she was not a widder, nor q wife,
and the father Of the child was, SO to speak.
-onheLnowsf Thet child waa Jenny