The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-04-30

she-was-so to speak-quite onsuited I,
, the marriage relation in its hottest as
= eek"
} ''Damnstion! Why di,I..'t-" bnss: ou
John Ashe, erect and furious.
'sAt the end Of two year," continued Mr
!. McCiOsky, still intent on the valise, Il al.
lowed I'd get divorce Eft about tibet time,
however. Providence sends a circns into the
town and a Teller az rode three hoses tc
onct. Hevin' allsz a taste for athletic sports
abe LETT town with this Teller, leayin' me aod
jimmy behind. l sent word TO her that i
she would give jimmy to me we'd call il
quits. And che did,"
"rell me-" ga.ped Ashe, odd you ask
your daughter to keep this from me, or aic:
she do il OF her own accOr1?'
"She doesn't know II, ;" said Mr.. Cioskv
"she thinks I'm her father. and that her
mothers dead"
~ don't know" said Mr.. McClosky.
slowly, ''sz I've asked any one To marry my
jimmy. don't know ez I've persood that sz
a bizIhes', or even taken 1t up as 4 healIhiul
recreation"
! SOhu ASaS pdCSu Shc room furlOusiy
Mr.. MeClosky's eyes left the valise and fol-.
lowed him curiously. 'Where is this wo-
MANI" demanded Ashe, suddenly. McClos-
ky's eyes sought the valise again.
''She went TO Kansas; from Kansa. she
went 10 Texas. From Texas she eyentoo-
ally came to CAliforny. Being here, I've
purvidsd her with money-whea her BUSH
n.Ss WIS slack-ihrough friend'
John Ashe grosned. ''She's xettin' rather
old and shaky for HOSES, and now does the
tighi-rope business and dying traptze. Never
hevin' seen her PERFORM" continued Mr..
McCiosky, with conscientious caution, II
can't say how she gels on. On the bills she
looks We'll. Thar is poster" said Mr..
McCio-ky, glancing at Ache, and opening
his va!ise, thar is poster givin' her per-
Torrance a; Msrvsville mex; month"; Mr..
MeCio-ky slowly unfolded large yellow
and blue printed poster. profuseIy illustrat-
ed. "She calls herself 'Mams'elle ]. Mig
lswski-ihe great Russian Trspezis,e'"
| John Ashe tore it from his hand. "Of
courss," be said, suddenly facing Mr.. Nc
Ciossv, You don'i expect me to go On with
this?r
MIR. NcC.ossy picked up the pos,er, care
fully refolded il and returned it to his valise.
when You break off with jimmy" he said
quietly, | don't want anything said bout
this. She doesn't know it. She's a woman
and reckon you're a white man.
'.BGt what am ! TO say? How e1n l 60
back on my woTd?'
"WrI;e her note. Say something hez
come to your knowledge-don't cay what
that makes you break 1t OIL You needn't
BE- afeerd, jimmy never ask you what"
John Ashe hesitated. He felt he had
been cruelty wronged. No gentleman-no
Ashe-cou.d 60 on further IN this affair. 1t
was preposterous to think of it. But some
how he ieit at the moment very unlike a
gentleman or an Ashe, and WAS quite sure
he should break down under Jenny's steady
eyes. But ihen-he could write to her.
so ores Ia about as light here as on the
Ridge. Well, rekon they'll come up afore
the rains. Goodnight" Mr.. McClosky
took the hand that his host mechanically ex-
tended, shook 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 a
man in bis parlor. Under his hospit ale
roof the sight was not unusual, but for an
instant subtle sense OF disappointment
thrilled him. When he saw il was no; the
face of Ashe turned toward him he was re-
lieved, but when he saw the tawny beard
and quick, passionate eyes Of Henry Rance
he telt a new sense Of apprehension, 20 that
he fell TO rubbing his beari almos: upon his
very threshoA4-
Jenny ran into the hal, ands seized her
father with little cry of ioy Father"
said Jennv, in hurried. whisper, ''don',
mind him"-indicating Rance with a toss
OF her yellow braids-''he's going soon and
think, father, I've done him wrong. But IL.
all over with John and me now; read thai
|, note, and see how he's insul,sd me-" HeI
lip Guivered but she went on: cts Ridgeway
that he means, father, and believe it wa,
has hand struck Ridgewsy down, or that h,
knows who did. But hush row not 1
word"
She eavehiu feyersh kiss, and elided bacl
into the parlor, leaving Mr.. MeC!Osky per
! picked and irresolu.e With the note in hi
hand. He glanced at it hurr;edly and saw
, taat il was couched in almost the very word
he had suggested. But sudden apprehensiv
recollection came over him; he listened, ant
( with an exclamation Of dismay he seized hi
hat and ran on, OF the house. Blu. too late
. at the same moment quick, nervous foot
n
Q window flew open, and with light laugh q
e greeting Ridgeway stepped in,o the room.
a Jenny's finer ear first caught the steI
= Jenny's swifter feelings had sounded III
- depths Of hope, of joy, Of despair, before h
. entered the rooT. Jerny's pale face was III
!. only one that met his, self Possessed an
self-reliant when he stood before them. A
= angry flush suiiused even the pink roots {
7 49, l. 4 =.
+ nous fire sprang into R,dseways eye', and
J, spasm Of hate and scoIn passed over the low
= er part OF his face and lett the mouth and ja
immobile and rigid.
4 Yet he was the first to speak. 81 ow
yon an apology" he said to Jenny, with
], suave scorn that brought the indignant bloc
!. back to her cheel. for this inrusion, but
/, ask no pardon fJr wi;idrawing from tn
1 only spot where Ia man dare confront IN
+ with safety"
With an exclamation cf rage, Esnci
sprsng toward him. Bui . quickly jean
stood between them, erect aad menacina
, "Ihere must be no quarrel iere," she sai
: to Rance. ''While protect ycur right As
guest, don't oblige me to remind you {
I mine az hostess" She turned with a hal
. deprecatory air to Ridgeway, but he wa
:, gone. So was her aiher. Only Rance re
: manned, with look Of ill-concealed trump
!, on his face.
|, Wnhou; boxing at him, she passed Il
ward the door. When she reached il sh
turned. ''You asked me question an hou
q ago. Come to me in the garden at min
. O'Clock tonight and i will answer you. Bc
!. promise me first to keep away from Nj
! Dent; give ME your word not to seek him
: to avoid him il he seeks vol. Do you prom
!. ise? II is well.
He would have taken her hand. but sh
: waved him awsy. In another moment b
i heard the swift rustic of her dress in the hall
3 the sound Of her feet upon the stair, tn
sharp closing of her bed room door, and a
=. wss quiet.
!; And even thus quietly the dag VOC a u :
Z and the night rose slowly FROM the vale
: aud overshaiowed the mountains with pun
r pie wings that famed the still air into
v breeze, until the moon folio ed it and lUlle
a everything to rest az with the laying on {
b white and benedictory hands. 1t was love
y ly night, but Henry Rance, waiting impa
u tiently beneath a sycamore at the foot OF tn
!. garden, saw no beauty in earth or air or SKY
IF A thousand suspicious common TO lealor
= nature, vague superstition Of the pot. file
n his mind with distrust and doubt. "lf In
should be a trick to keep my hands off thu
:. insoient pup be muitered, but even az ii
thought passed his tongue, white fgur