The Portland daily press., 1874-05-02

anv sense of the ridiculous, he always accept
ed Mr.. McClosky as a grave fact, singular
only from his own want of experience of
the class.
sores is running light now" said Mr.. Nc
Closky, with easy indifference.
John Asne 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 valise, as if for sympathy and sugges-
ton.
You don't reckon on having any trouble
with any OF them chaps ez you cut out with
Jinny?'
John Ashe. rather haughtily. had never
thought of that. 81 saw Rance hanging
round your house the other night when TOOK
yeur daughter home, but he gave me Wloe
BERTH" he added, carelesslv. -,
"Surelv.n said Mr.. McClosky, with pc
culiar winkpg of the eye. Alter pause, he
took a fresh departure from his vallse.
ga few words. John, ez between man and
man. OF between my daughters father and
her husband who expects to be, is about the
thing, take it, as is fair and square. l KEN
here to say them. There're about jimmy, my
gal.'
Ashes grave face frightened, to Mr.. Nc
Closky's evident discomposure.
''Maybe l should have said, about her
mother; but the same bcin' a stranger to you,
l says, materially, jimmy"
Ashe nodded cOurteously. Mr.. McClosky,
with his eyes on his valise, went on:
1T is sixteen year ago as l married Mrs.
McClosky in the State of Missouri, She let
on, at the time, to be widder-a wilder
with one child. When 1 say let on, 1 mean
to imply that subsekently found out that
she was not wilder, nor a wife. and the
hon, g IL oh, 10 ,1a
knowst. That child was Jinny-my gal
With his eyes on his valse, and quietly ig-
noring the holly-crimsoned face and swiftly
darkening brow of his host, he continued:
Many little things sorter tended to make
our home in Missouri unpleasant A dispo-
sition to smash furniture and heave knives
around, an inclination to howl when drunk,
and that frequent; a habitooal use of vulgar
language, and tendency to cuss the casooal
visitor, seemed to pint" added Mr.. McClos-
ky, with Submissive hesitation, 'that-she-
was-so to speak-quite onsuited to the mar
rage relation in its hottest aspeck."
"Damnation! Why didn't" burst out
John Ashe, erect and furious
AT the end of two year," continued Mr..
McClosky, still intent on the valise, 81 allow
ed I'd get divorce Eft about tibet time,
however, Providence sends circus into tibet
town and a Teller eZ rode three horses to
onct. Hevin' aez taste for athletic sports,
she left town with This Teller, leavin' me and
jimmy behind. 1 sent word to her tibet if
she would give jimmy to me we'd call il quits.
And she did,"
TEL me-" gasped Ashe, 'did you ask
your daughter to keep this from me, or did
she do it OF her own accord?'
''She doesn't know it," said Mr. McClosky !;
''she thinks Pm her father, and that her
mothers dead.'
Then, sir. this is your"
81 don't know" said Mr. McClosky, slow
ly, "ez I've asked any one to marry my jim
ny. don't know ez I've pursood that ez a
business, or even taken it up eZ a healthful
recreation
John Ashe paced the room furiously. Mr..
| McClosky's eyes left the vaise and followed
| him curiously. ''Where is this woman ?'
| demanded Ashe, suddenly. McClosky's eyes
| sought the vase again.
''She went to Kansas; from Kansas she
went into Texas. From Texas she eventoolly
came to Californy. Being here, I've purvid-
ed her with money-when her business was
slack-through friend"
John Ashe groaned. "She's gettin' rather
old and shaky for bosses, and now does the
tight-rope business and flying trapeze. Never
hevin' seen her perform" contin ued Mr.. Nc
Closky, with conscientious caution, 81 can't
say how she gets on. On the bills she looks
well, Thar is a poster said Mr.. McClos-
ky glancing at Ashe, and opening hts valise,
thar is poster givin' her performance at
Marysville next month";" Mr. McClosky
slowly unfolded a large yellow and blue print
ed poster, profusely illustrated. ''She calls
herself 'Mams'elle ]. Migawski-the great
Russian Trapeziste."
John Ashe tore it from his hand. "Of
course" he said, suddenly facing Mr.. Nc
Closky, "you don't expect me to 60 on with
this ?''
Mr.. McClosky picked up the poster, care
fully refolded it and returned it to his valise.
''When you break off with jimmy" he said
quietly, l don't want anything said bout
this. She doesn't know it. She's woman
and reckon you're a white man."
But what am to say? How am I to
back of my word?
''Wri:e her note. Say something hez
come to your acknowledgement say what
that makes you break off You needn't be
ateard jimmy II ever ask you WHAT
John Ashe hesitated. He felt he had been
cruelty wronged. No gentleman-no Ashe-
could go-on further in this affair. 1t was
preposterous to think of it. But somehow
he felt at the moment very unlike a gentle
man or an Ashe, and was quite sure he
should breah down under Jenny's steady
eyes. But then-he could write to her.
$50 ores is about as light here as on the
Ridge. Well, l reckon they'll come up be-
lore the rains. Good night" Mr.. McClosky
took the hand that his host mechanically ex-
tended. shock it gravely, and was gone.
When Mr.. McClosky, week later, stepped
again upon his own veranda, he saw through
the French window the figure Of man in
his parlor. Under his hosritabe root the
sight was not unusual, but for an instant a
subtle sense of disappointment thrilled him.
When he saw it was not the face of Ashe
turned toward him he was relieved, but
when he saw the tawny beard and quick,
passionate eyes OF Henry Rance he felt a new
sense of apprehension, SO that he fell to rub
bling his beard almost upon his very thresh-
old.
Jenny ran into the hall, and seized her
father with little cry of Joy. Father"
said Jenny, in hurried whisper, ''don't
mind Notwithstanding Rance with toss of
yellow braids-''he's going soon, and think,
father, I've done him wrong. But it's all
over with John and me now; read that note,
and see how he's insuited me-" Her lip
quivered, but she went on: Its Ridgeway
that he means, father, and believe it was
his hand struck Ridgeway down, or that he
knows who did But hush now; not a
word.'
She gave him feverish kiss, and glided
back into the parlor, leaving Mr.. McClosky
perp,eXed and irresolute with the note in his
hand He glanced at it hurriedly and saw
that it was couched in almost the very words
he had suggested. But sudden apprehen-
siye recollection came over him; he listeusd,
and with an exclamation of dsmay he seized
his hat and ran out of the house. But too
late; at the same moment quick, nervous
footsteps was heard upon the veranda, the
French window flew opon, and with light
laugh of greeting Ridgeway stepped into the
room.
Jenny's finer ear first caught the step,