Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-07

Tuolumne, at the massively framed pie
lures on the walls, aud looked beyond it,
through the open window, to the reckless
man who, fleeing these sybsrtic allure
ments, was smoking cigar upon the moon-
lit road. This room, which had SO often
swed the youth of Tuolumne into Hlisl re-
speet, was evidently failure. 1t remained
TO be seen II the Rose herself had lost her
fragrance. 4 reckon Jenny will fetch him
yet said Mr.. McClosky, with paternal
faith.
He stepped from the window upon the
veraDda. But he had scarcely done this
before his figure was detected by the
stranger, who at once crossed the road.
When within few feet Of McClosky he
stopped. You persistent old plantigrade,
he said in low voice, audible only to the
person addressed, and face full Of Affect
ed anxiety, why don't you go to bcdY
Didn't l tell you to go aud leave M. here
alone? In the name OF all that's idiotic and
imbecile, why do you continue L. shuttle
about here? Or are you trying to drive me
crazy with your presence, AS you have
with that wretched music box that I've
jus. dropped under yonder tree? It's an
hour and u half yet before the stage pass
es; do you think, do you imagine for a
single moment, that can tolerate you un-
til then-eh? Why don't you speak? Are
you asleepl You don't mean to say that
you have the audacity to add somnambu-
lism to your other weaknesses; you'er no
low enough to repeat yourself under any
such weak pretext as that-ehT
a tit OF nervous coughing ended this ex
traordnary cxordum, aud half sitting.
half leaning against the veranda, Mr..
Met losky's guest turned his face aud part
OF a sli. ht elegant figure toward his host.
The lower portion OF this upiurned face
wore an habitual expression Of fastidious
discomfort, with an occasional live of
physical suffering But the brow above
was frank and critical, and pair of dark
mirthful eyes sat in playful judgement
over the SUPER sensitive mouth and 1t. sug-
ges,ion.
Il allowed to 20 to bed, Ridgeway,' said
Mr.. McClosky, mcekly, but my girl
Jenny's jist got back from little tear up
| at Robinson's, and amt irclincd TO turn
in yet. You know what giIls is. s. |
thought we three would jist have a social
chat together to pass away the time
You mcndacious old hypoc rite, she got
back an hour ago said Ridgway, as that
| savage looking escort of hers. who has
been haunting the house ever since. can
testify. Ny beliefs, that, like an enter
prising Idiot. as you are, you've dragged
! that girl out OF her bed that We mi sht mu-
/ tually bore each other
I Mr.. McClosky was too much stunned
by this evidence Of Ridgcway's apparent
! y superhuman penetration to reply. Aflcr
| enjoying his hosts confusion for moment
\ with his eyes, Ridgeways mouth asked
/ grimly:
! And who is this girl. anyway
'Nancy's.'
Your wife'sT
Yes. But look var, Rilgeway, said
McClpsky, laying one hand impIoringly on
Ridgeway's sleeve, not word about her
/ TO Jenny. She thinks her mothers dead
| died in Missouri. Eh"
| Ridgeway nearly rolled from the veran-
| da in an excess of rage. Good God. Do
\ you mean 10 say that you have been con-
cealing from her tact that any day, any
moment, may come TO her ears: That
you've been letting her grow up in ignor-
ance Of something that by this time she
might have outgrown and forgotten' That
you have been, like besotted old ass
all these years slowly forging a thunder
bolt that any one may crush her with 7
That'-but here Ridgeway's cough took
possession of his voice, and even put a
moisture into his dark eyes, as he looked
at McClosky's aimless hand feebly employ
ed upon his beard.
But said McCloskr, look how she's
done. She's held her head as high as any
! OF en-. She's to be married In month To
the richest man in the county. and. he
added, cunningly. Jack Ashe amt the
kind o man to sit by and hear anything
said OF his wife or her relations, you bet.
But hush-that's her loot on the stairs.
| She's cummin'.'
She came. | don't think the French
window ever held finer view than
when she put aside the curtains and step
ped out. She had dressed herself simply
and hurriedly, but with woman's knowl-
edge Of her best points, so that you get
the long curves Of her shapely limbs, the
shorter curves of her round waist and
shoulders, the long sweep of her yellow
braids, the light Of her gray eyes, and
even the delicate rose Of her complexion.
without knowing how it was delivered to
you.
The introductions by Mr.. McClosky was
brief When Ridgeway had got over the
fact that it was two O'Clock in the MORN
ing, and that the cheek Of this Tuolumne
goddess nearest him was as dewy and
fresh ~ An infant's-that she looked like
Marguerite, without probably ever have
ing heard of Geothe's heroine, he talked, l
dare say, very sensibly. When Miss Jen-
ny, who from her childhood had been
brought up among the sons Of Anak, and
who WAS accustomed to have the supremacy
of our noble sex presented to her as ply
sicsl fact, found herself in the presence Of
a new and strange power in the slight and
elgant figure beside her, she was at first
frightened and cold. But finding that
this power. against which the weapons OF
her own physical charms were Of no avail
was kindly one, albeit general, she fell to
worshiping it, after the fashion Of woman,
and casting before it the fetiches and other
idols OF her youth. She even confessed tc
it. So that In half an hour Ridgeway wa
in possession of all the facts connected
with her life, and great many, l fear
Of her fancies-except one. When Mr.
McClosky found the young people thul
amicably disposed, he calmly went t.
sleep.
1t was pleasant time to each. To Mis-