Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-06-13
the Banderita. Circus Jack, he loses all

| oil " the ladies'"
"Scuse my not comm afore" said Scotty.
" Hoses must be tended to, and them Of
mine wus about dead beat"
Marian smiled graciously, If absently,
and turned her clear, hazel eyes TO Circus
Jack, who, with many excuses, circumlocn-
tiuns, and profane epithets, most of which
he apologzed for instantly, and some OF
which he was evidently unconscious Of, gave
her all the information in his power in re-
gard to the man she had come to find.
No one in Mariposa knew him better. A.
Jim he was almost an integral part OF
the city of " Butterflies" The butterflies
by the by, for which the town is named, are
not those which soar in the air, but Mari
posas," fastened by long tough filaments to
the ground
Many night had Jim Wilmer crushed
his swollen face into them, and slept
drunken sleep with their soft wings folded
sorrowfully above him.
There was something of mystery hung
about him, which the boys" had never
been able to fathom. Some said that he be
onged to wealthy and aristocratic family.
and had left home and become a wandere
and an outcast, because some beautiful wo.
man had Tilted him; others said that he haf
a wife and children. that he had broken hi
welded faith and his wife's heart at th
same time, and that grim phantom fol
lowed him wherever he went, and gave him
no peace. Others told vet another story
that he had been engaged to BEAUTIFUL girl
and had loved her and trusted her abov
telling; that his wedding day was neal
when he had stumbled upon some miserabl
secret which was dead and buried, but coulc
not rest in its grave that there was NJ
! IL. L.
blessed, and he had fled without a word; dis
appeared. and left to her own wretched hear
the task of telling her the reason why.
If any of the stories were true, and sh
vet loved poor jim. he told her enough t.
wiring her heart and haunt her dreams forever
The winter that he spent in the hollow OF
a great pne-tree, on the rim of Yosemit
valley, was perhaps his happiest and most
peaceful. Every Yosemite tourist stops t'
peep inside this tree, and to wonder If MAJ
really lived there. g. 1t was comfortable
enough" says the hale old pioneer of th
valley below. He had plenty of room.
We both slept in it one night"
When Circus Jack told Marian the story
it was fresher and less wonderful than now.
"Was the snow very deepY she said
"Was there no danger of his freezing to
death ?"
al never hearn much about ii anyhow"
said Circus Jack, 'cept thet he lived thar
alone cuttin shingles. 'spect the snow
was bout four or five feet deep up thar whar
he lived. He's close-mouthed one, tell
yer. Never git nothin' outer him. an when
he's drunk he don't tell nothing whatsom-
everr'
This, with glance half plying half
reassuring, as though he would promise her
that the secret whatever it might be, was
safe.
One comforting doubt beat at the woman's
heart all the while that Jack was talking
Perhaps this was not the one !"
She mentioned this at length, and asked
Jack what his quondam "partner was like.
:" He was a sight-buit feller rayther
lightcomplected," was the reply "An'
han nsomel | called him han some, didn't
you, Scotty ?"
Scotty, thus appealed to, gave profane
assent. He had scarcely moved a muscle
since he sat down, with his eyes fixed on
Marian's fair, ever-changing face. Mrs.
Sharpe, after vain attempt to engage him
in conversation, had quietly withdrawn, hav-
ing no relish for being one of a quartette
where two did all the talking.
"Was he-an-educated man ?" inquired
Marian, hesitatingly, feeling in vague way
that the question might offend Jack.
"Yes, he war" replied that worthy, in a
contemplative tone "When " he war drunk
have hearn him talkin' a lot OF stuff like
po'try. Thar's pile of hooks in my cabin
now that he used ter read consid' Fable ]
can't make head nor tail to EN- P'r'ap>
You might.
"I would like to see them," said Marian,
eagerly.
Jack nodded, and pause ensued. At
length Scotty remarked that the " old man,
meaning Cutey, was "rdyther late in light
m up" at which Jack arose and bade tht
stranger good night"
Marian put out her hand, saying ave
will h. good friends, hope"
Circus Jack took it by the finger tip
cautiously, careful not to hurt it with hi.
horny fingers.
"Ill do anything in the world fur yer
madam" he replied, earnestly and ingen
uouslv.
There was one thing wished to ask,
,he said, though it may be a foolish ques
tion. did you ever notice any-ring-
that hs wore or-carried Y
They pu, a ring, but I'm beat ef car
tell what kind. Once when jim was tur
rub- sick an his han' swelled up, wanted
!
lie said when he got well, that it never heo
hen off, nor never shouldn't be while he hac
life to fight
Cant you tell me what it was like 2
she asked.
81 amt no hand" said Circus Jack, rub
bing his head. "l'd know it eff | seed it
but -"
WAS it like this ?" She drew daint,
| purse from her pocket, and took from it
safest corner plain, fat band OF gold, witt
a small disk on it, shaped like the half of
! heart placed horizontally.
Prezactly !" exclaimed Circus Jack, witt
3 emphasis.
She opened her purse to put it back, bu
F, it fell from her hand scattering her littl
:, stock of money over the floor, and momen
l. after, when Mrs Sharpe came in, in respons
to frantic halloos from Scotty, she foun,
Marian in a dead faint upon the floor, witt
Scotty and Circus Jack, with hands claspe,
!; behind them, kneeing on either side of he
! like uncouth angels, while scattered coin
i and escaping masses of golden-blown hal
. formed halo about her head
She was ashamed of and provoked at he
y weakness afterward said she was fatigue
with her long aud wearisome ride, and tina
l. she never tainted before; but if she ha
ptti oHc Soui
have planned nothing better for her poi
y ularity.
+ As for the faded-out woman, her opinion
which had been tottering under severe r,
! proof from Cutey, now underwent a con
Il plete revolution.
: "Them kind never faints % she said
herself dogmatically, as she assisted Maria
!. to her room and begged her to " take thing
8 easy like" She patiently answered one hun
a dred and seven inquiries that evening, vary
,. ing from, 4" llow's the sick lady ?" to, "Jir
d Winners gal perking up little arter he
It faint p and for the rest of her stay in Mar
n posa she proved that kindliness of heart ha
l. been one of the 81 fast colors."
A week after her arrival Marian had learne
all that anybody in Mariposa knew regarC
= ing "Jiln." She wore that curious rin
upon her finger now There were two lie
ters upon the disk, but no one ever had tn
l. hardihood to ask what they We're.
Is Punks, whose eyes were keen, and who's
p curiosity was keener declared that they wer
n 81 l." with little quirl-like between.
e Punks also knew--a fact which did cred
: to his powers and habits of observation
that on the disk of the ring which Jim woI
IS on his little finger were the letters a."
Punks desired TO know What Fail
IS spelled but fail" lie further inquire
II "what they wanted TO hev such a doggone
mis'able word as thet ON a ring fur ?"
e "'Torter be love or sunthin'," he adde,