New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-03

Anu JOCK! mr.. 4cCtO0ky euOoAVOTcO
to throw an expression of arch inquiry into
his small, tremulous eyes; but, meeting the
unabashed, widely opened lid OF his daugh-
ter, he winked rapidly and blushed to the
roots Of his hair.
"Yes, Jack was there" said Jenny, with
out change of color or the least self-csn'
eciouspess IN her great gray eyes, "and ne
came home with me-" She paused mo
ment, locking her two hands under ner
sition on the pillow. HE asked me that
same question again. father, and said
| .yes.' It's to be-soon. We're going to
| live At Four Forks, in his own house, and
next winter we're going to Sacramento l
suppose it's all right, father. chi" She
| emphasized the question with slight KICK
| through the bed .clothes, as the parental
| McClOsky had. fallen into an abstract rev.
| erie.
| Eyes. surely" said Mr.. McClosky, recov-
| eripg himself with some confusion. After
| pause he looked down at the bed-clOttes,
and, pattiDg them tenderly, continued:
"YOu couldn't have done better, jimmy.
| They isn't girl in Tuolumne ez could strike
| it as rich as you hav-even if they got she
chance. He paused again, and then said
| jimmy"
eyes, father"
"Yohse in bed and ondressed!'
"Yes"
you couldn't" said Mr.. McClosky,
glancing hopelessly at the two chairs. and
slowly rubbing his chin, 'you couldn't dress
yourself agin-cOuld YER
why, father"
| kinder get yourself into them things
| aginq" he added hastily.
"Not all of em, you know, bnt some of
| EN- Not if helped you? SOrter stood by,
and lent hand now and then with strap,
or a buckle, or a neck lite, or shoe string"
he continued, still looking at the chairs,
and evidently trying to boldly familiarize
himself with their contents.
care you crazy, father ?" demanded
Jenny, suddenly sitting up, with porten-
tous switch of her yellow name. Mr.. Nc
| Closky rubbed one side of his beard, which
already had the appearance of having been
| quite worn away by that process, and
family lodged the question:
Jimmy" he eaid, tenderly stroking the
bed clothes as he spoke, ''tbis yer's what's
the matter. Thar is is q stranger down
stairs-a stranger to you, lovey, but man
ez I've knowed Q long time. He's been
here about an hour, and he'll be here ontil
| Tower o'clock, when the up stage passes.
| Now, want ye, jimmy, dear, to get up and
come down Stare, and kinder help me pass
| the time with him. It's no use, jimmy" he
went on, gently raising his hand to depre-
cate any interruption, 'its no use-he
won't go to bed He won't play kerds;
| whisky don't take no effect on him. Ever
since / knowed him he was the most un-
satisfactory critter to hev round"
'sWhat do you have him round for, then :"
interrupted Miss Jenny, sharply.
| Mr.. McClosky's eyes fell "Ef he hedn't
KEN out Of his way tonight to do me good
turn, / wouldn't ask ye jimmy. l wouldn't
do anything with him, you might come
down and sorter fetch him, jimmy, as you
did the others
Miss Jenny shrugged her pretty shout
ders.
lis be old or young?"
"He's young enough, jimmy. but he knows
power of things"
| ''What does he dot"
"Not much, l reckon. He's got money in
| the mill at Four Forks. He travels round
a good deal. I've heard, jimmy, that he's
poet,-writes then rhymes, you know. Mr..
| McClosky here appealed submissively, but
directly, to his daughter. He remembered
that she had frequently been in receipt of
printed elegaic couplets known as "mot-
toes" containing Enclosures equally eaccha-
rine.
Miss Jenny slightly curled her pretty lip.
She had that fine contempt for the illusions
of fancy which belongs to the perfectly
"Not," continued Mr.. McClosky, rubbing
his head reflectively, mot ez I'd advise ye,
jimmy, to cay anything to him about poetry.
1t amt twenty minutes ago ez did: set
the whisky afore him in the parlOr. /
wound up the music box and set it goin'.
Then / SEE to him, sociable like and free,
Jest consider yourself In your own house
and repeat what you allow TO be your finest
production and he ragged. That man,
| jimmy, .iest ragged. Thar's no end of the
names he called me. You see jimmy" con-
tinued Mr.. McCloskey, apologetically, "hes
known me long time"
| But bis daughter had already dismissed
| the question with her usual directness. an
| be down in few moments, father" she
said, after pause; ''but don't say anything
| to him about it-dOn't say was abed."
Mr.. McClosky's face beamed. You was
alters good girl, jimmy" he said, dropping
on one knee the better to imprint respect
| full kiss on her forehead. But Jenny caught
him by the wrists, and for q moment held
him captive. Father" said she, trying to
glance of her own, "sll the girls that were
! there tonight had seine one with them.
Name Robinson had her aunt, Lucy Rance
had her mother, Kate Pierson had her sis
| ter-all except me had some other woman.
Father. dear" her lip trembled just little,
II wish mother hadn't died when l was go
small. l wish there was some other woman
in the family besides me. / amt lonely
with you, father, dear; but, if there was
only some one, you know, when the time
comes for John and me-"
Her voice here suddenly gave out, but
not her brave eyes, that were still fixed
earnestly upon his face. Mr.. McClosky,
apparently tracing out q pattern on the
d-quilt, essayed words of comfort:
There amt one of them gals ez you've
named, jimmy, ez could do what you've
NIT NH NAohso vL Of LOT
at their backs Thar amt one ez wouldn't
sacrifice her nearest relation to make the
strike that you hev. Ez to mothers, may
be, my dear, you're dom better without
one" ...f
He rose suddenly and walked toward the
deOr. When he reached it he turned. and,
in his old, deprecating manner, said:
Don't be long, jimmy" smiled and van
ished from the head downward-his canas
slippers asserting themselves resolutely to
the last.
When Mr.. McClosky reached his parlor
again his troublesome guest was not there.
The decanter stood on the table untouched,
three or four books lay upon the floor, q
number OF Photographic views of the Sierras
were scattered over the sofa; two sofa pill
lows, newspaper and q Mexican blanket
lay on the carpet. a. if the late occupant of
the room had tried to read in q recumbent
position. A French window, opening upon
q veranda, which never before in the his
tory Of the house had been unfastened, now
betrayed by its waving lace curtain the way
that the fugitive had escaped. Mr.. Nc
Closky heaved sigh of despair; he looked
&C the gorgeous carpet, purchased in Sacra-
mento at 3 fabulous price; at the crimson
satin and rose wood furniture, unparalleled
in the history of Tuolumne; at the massively
framed pictures on the walls. and looked
beyond it, through the open window, to the
reckless man who, fleeing these sybaritic
alluremepts, was smoking q cigar upon the