The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-21

"You'se in bed and ondressed?"
"Yesn
"You couldn't" said Mr. McClosky, glanc-
ing hopelessly at the two chairs and slowly
rubbing his chin, ''you couldn't dress your
self agin-could YER"
"Why. father!"
Kinder get yourself into them things
agin?" he added hastily. "Not all of 'em.
you know, but some of 'em. Not if helped
you-sorter stood by, and lent hand now
neck-tie or a shoe-string," he continued,
still looking at the chairs, and evidently
trying to boldly familiarize himself with
their contents.
Are you crazy, father" demanded Jenny,
suddenly sitting up with portentious
switch Of her yellow name. Mr.. McClosky
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 said, tenderly stroking the
bed clothes as he spoke, "this yer's what's |
the matter. Thar is stranger down stairs |
"a stranger to you, lovey, but a man ez I've |
knowed long time. He's been here about |
an hour, and he'll be here ontil tower o'clock
when the up stage passes. Now wants We,
jimmy, dear, to get up and come down
stairs and kinder help me to pass the time
with him. It's no use, jimmy" he went on,
gently raising his hand to deprecate any in
terruptiOn, 'it's no use-he won't go to bed
He won't play keerds; whisky don't take
no effect on him. Ever since knowed him
he was the most unsatisfactory critter to
hev round"
"What do you have him round, fol, them"
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 We, jimmy. /
wouldn't, SO help me! But 1 thought ez 1
couldn't do anything with him, you might
come down and sorter fetch him, jimmy, as
you did the Others"
Miss Jenny shrugged her pretty shoulder.
"Is he old or youug?"
Hes young enough, Jenny, but he knows
| a power of things"
/ "What does he do?"
"Not much, recon. He's got money in
the mill at Four Forks. He travels round a
good deal. I've heard, jimmy. that he's a
poet-writes them rhymes, you know" Mr..
McClosky here appealed submissively, but
directly, TO his daughter. He remembered
that she had frequently been in receipt OF
printed elegiac couplets known as "mot-
toes" containing enclosures equally saccha-
rine,
Miss Jenny slightly curled her pretty lip.
She had that fine contempt for the illusions
of fancy which belongs to the perfectly
; healthy young animal.
: "Not," continued Mr.. McClosky, rubbing
, his head refiectively, "not ez I'd advise ye
jimmy, to say anything to him about poetry.
> 1t amt twenty minutes ago ez L did. set
J 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 con-
slider yourself in your own house and repeat
what you allow to be your finest produc
J tion,' and he ragged. Thar's ne end of the
: names he called me. You see, jimmy" con-
tinued Mr.. McClosky, apologetically, she q
, known me a long time"
3 But his daughter had already dismissed
the question with her usual directness. "I'll
| hn down in few mOm0nC, father " She
T said, after pause, "but don't say anything
, to him about it-don't say was abed."
+ Mr.. McClosky's face beamed. "You was
l alters good girl, jimmy" he said, dropping
3 on one knee the better to imprint respect
5 full kiss on her forehead. But Jenny caught
D him by the wrists and for moment Eeld
l him a captive. Father" said she, trying
) to fix his shy eyes with the clear, steady
glance of her own, ''all the girls that were
/ there, tonight, had some one with them
: Name Robinson had her aunt. Lucy Ranc'
= had her mother, Kate Pierson had her sis
ter-all except me had some other woman
Father. DEAR" her lip trembled just little
? 81 wish mother hadn't died when 1 was 81
: small. 1 wish there was some other woman
J | in the family besides me. / amt lonely will
you, father, dear; but if there was only
I some one, you know when the time comes
] for John an me"
9 Her voice here suddenly gave out, but no
J, her brave eyes, that were still fixed earn
6SJly upon us lace. MI. mcOlOSky. dppar
= emily tracing out pattern on the bed quilt
D essayed words of comfort:
g "rhere amt one of them gals eZ you've
t named, jimmy, eZ could do what you've dom
with a whole Noah's ark of relations a
. their backs! Thar amt one ez wouln't sac.
t ritice their nearest relation TO make the strik
/. that you hev. Ez to mothers, maybe, my
1 dear, you're doin' better without one" HI
t rose suddenly and walked toward the door
i When he reached it he turned, and, in
! his old, deprecating manner, said: Don
be long, jimmy" smiled and vanished from
D the chamber, head downward, his canva
|, slippers asserting themselves resolutely t,
5 the last. ef.Ir
When Mr.. McClosky reached his parlo
9 again his troublesome guest was not there
The decanter stood on the table untouched
three or four books lay upon the floor,
i number of Photographic views of the Sier
ras were scattered over the sofa; tw
!, sofa pillows, newspaper and Mex
q can blanket lay on the carpet, as if the lat,
occupant of the room had tried to read in
], recumbent position. A French window
opening upon veranda, which never beior
in the history of the house had been unfas
IT tened, now betrayed by its waving lace cul
20 tain the way that the fugitive had escaped
.e Mr.. McClosky heaved sigh of despair;
"a looked at the gorgeous carpet purchased i
e Sacramento at fabulous price, at the erin
E. son satin and rosewood furniture unparal
j. lelled in the history of Tuolumne, at tn
4 massively-fiamed pictures on the walls. an
looked beyond it, through the open window
to the reckless man who, feeiGS these syba
$ rite allureihehts, was smoking cigar upo
70 the fhcohlit road. This room, which had S
n often awed the youth of Toulumne into Fl
y iaJ respect, was evidently a failure. 1t r;
maired to be sean if the Rose herself ha
lost her fragrance. 81 rec kon jimmy wi
4 fetch him yet," said Nh. McClosky, wit
l. parental faith.
{, He stepped from the window upon tn
{, veranda. But he had scarcely done this bt
g. fore his figure was detected by the strange
b, who at once crossed the road. When with
a, afew feet of McCloskv he stopped. "Yo
persistent old plantigrade," he said, in
low voice, audiable only to the person ad
dressed, face fun OF affected anxiety, "wh
d don't yon go to bed? Didn't tell you to 2
and leave me here alone? In the name {