The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-11-16

ompIaSlS Oh LiIO 1HS1 WOLU- WlldG JOuA
cause of complaint against him is2
Certainly, certainly. It is very
agreeable to me, as Mr.. Joyce's friend,
to have man of your honor and charac-
ter as the friend of Mr.. Jones, to ex-
plain to you what it was needless to tell
him-no one knows it better. Mr.. Joyce
was playing billiards last night at
Lynch's, when this gentleman came in.
While the game was going on, Mr.. Jones
made several, observations on the play,
which my friend considered great lib
erty on the part of a stranger. Joyce
had, as he tells me, just executed q very
stroke, when Mr.. Jones burst
ort into laugh, and cried, "What a
fu5e, by Jingo" Now my friend, who,
J nay observe, prides himself on his
pls ying, felt very much irritated that
any one, especially stranger, should
presume to attribute to chance what was
really the result of skill, and told Mr..
Jones as, In my opinion, Mr. Williams,
he was quite justified In doipg-tha& no
gentleman would make such an observa
ton. Your friend replied angrily; one
hot word led to another, till your friend
here gave Mr.. Joyce the lie. This of
course brought the matter for the ti1ne
to an end; cards were exchanged, and
your friend left the room. Here is his
card, and now you understand what
brings me here this morning.
Perfectly. And now, Jones, what
do yon say TO all this2'
ss'I say that know no more about it
than you do.
econ your honor, Owen?'
"sOn my honor, Bill.
"' Pray, Captain Bodkin, were you
present q
""No, was not. Joyce told it all to
me this morning, when he asked me to
come here as his friead.'
"fThen you never saw Mr.. Jones
befores'
SO Never, till this morning.
"'And you don't know, of your own
knowledge, that my friend here was at
Lynch's last nj ht?'
Certainly not but Owen Jones is
the name of this gentleman, and here is
his card. ~
"sYes, but he tells you he never was
there, and never gave his card, and 4
believe him.
SO Am ], then, to understand, Mr..
Williams, said the Captain, with great
gravity, that you don't believe my
friend?' saa
"sThat does not follow. I have not
said So
sMatters were looking uglier than
ever, and I began to fear that, instead
of getting myself out of scrape, I had
got my friend into one ALSO
"There car be no mistake about it.
Lynch's people saw the person who gave
this card go in here from the billiard
room. Your friend slept here last night,
and nobody else of the same name was
in the hotel. You can ask Pat.
pat was summoned.
your honor, said he, 'only two
gentlemen slept here last night-Mr.
Jones, here, and the gentleman that put
his name in the book under the verses,
and went away early this morning.
Bring me the book, Pat said
Williams.
'sPat produced the book in the short
est possible time, and handed it to
Williams, who looked at it carefully, as
if he was reading every word of it.
"Well, Mr.. Williams, are you con-
vinced now?' asked the Captain.
"'I am, Capt. Bodkin.
"' And do you now believe that Mr..
Owen Jones was at Lynch's last night p
"tI do, Capt. Bodkin.'
"HAnd that he gave my friend, Mr..
Joyce, this card 2 7asa,l
"' Yes, Capt. Bodkin.'
"Upon this the Captain gave me a
look as if he would annihilate me and,
indeed, I felt as if / was going to lose
my senses, or had lost them already.
"Good gracious, Williams 7 I cried,
what is the meaning of all thisG Are
you, too, turning against me-you, my
oldest and dearest friend2'
"sLook at that, said Williams, COM
pressing his lips, as if to control come
emotion, as he handed the book to me,
and say, am I not justified in what |
admitted to Capt. Bodlin?'
CT took the book and read the Ines
and the signature. The whole thing
broke upon me like a flash Of lightning
"'Ay, Bill Il see it all, see it all.
IT'S his handwriting, every word OF it;
and the signature too
Not doubt of it., said Williams.
"'Not a doubt of it, I repeated /;
sand the signature Sc John Snmt1, the
travelling name of my scapegrace cousin,
Owen Jones, of Llancwmrust.
Williams could control himself no
longer. He burst out into roar of
laughter that made the glasses ring upon
the sideboard. [ couldn't help follow
ing suit; and I don't know how long
we'd have gone on laughing, but that
we saw the grave and somewhat offended
expression of Capt. Bodkin's face
~ "s Gentlemen, said he, your mirth
seems somewhat ill-timed. This is no
laughing matter. May I ask an expla
nation9'
"' Indeed you may, Bodkin, said
Williams and funny one it is, too
And then he explained the whole