The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-08-17


What sigh was that! not noisy, but
profound and eloquent at once Of an
old grief and fresh perplexity- Bob
Withcrs, the gentleman In his shirt
sleeves before the mirror. had heaved
that sigh every night for ten years, sim
ultaneuusly with the act Of removing
from his head the fine chestnut wig
which conceals the almost complete des-
titntion OF the natural covering. The
grief j. therefore an old one. but an cle-
msnt Of perpiexity has mingled with
this nightly sigh more lately--since hav-
isw wooed aud won Angie McLane in
his wiz, he has been screwing up his
courage to the point Of revealing TO her
that il i wig. as he feels in fairness
he ought TO. lie has put It off, and put
Il of, never finding just the right OPP
portunity for the confession, until now
the wedding Is but month of, and the
task seems harder, more impossible,
than ever. He is at present spending =
couple OF days at the house Of the Nc
LareS in the country, with view of
getting acquainted with the family.
Meantime the process of getting ac-
painted with the family does not get on
very prosperously. Bob is a very poor
match from the parental point of view,
and a bitter disappointment to the Nc
Lanes. Nothing but Angles resolute
character could have extorted the grudg-
ing consent which their engagement had
Al length received. : The family con-
sisted. besides Angie, Of her father and
mother and two brothers, John and
George. Mr.. McLane kept his room,
being confirmed invalid. John, strong
willed and arrogant in temper, ruled the
family with rod Of iron George being
kinder tempered, but Of much less
strength Of character. Angie was the
only member If the family whom John
could not rule, and she had carried the
point Of her engagement against his bit
Ter opposition. Mrs. McLane was mere
shustlecock between John and Angie, re-
ceiving an impulse from one which
lasted till the other got hold Of her,
John had accepted Encouragement with
an exceedingly bad grace, and made
scarcely deccn. pretense Of conceal
ing from Bob hiscontempt and hostility,
and his desire To find any pretext fol
forcing quarrel. This was particu
lzrly unpleasant and demoralizing 4
Bob, because the injury 10 his own self
respect BY the sense Of the tacit deceit
he was guilty of a. to his wig left hin
unable 20 meet Johns overbearing in
science with the quiet dignity he wouls
have liked to assume.
After going to bed he lay awake |
couple u hours thinking over his EN-
barrassing circumstances, when he sud
denly remembered that he had left hi
seal-iing on the library table dow
stairs.
Jumping out Of bed he put on part o
his clothes. and, softly opening the doc
~ the room. went across the hall AM
down the stairs to the ground-iloor.
was quite dark, but he found his wa
easily, having good topographic IN
stinct. From the lower hall he entere
the dining-room, and from that III
library. The sea-coal fire in the graf
was still pickering brightly. illuminatin
the srmptuously furnished room with
faint. soft glow Of peculiarly rich effect
There on the table his ring glittcred j
the fitful freight, and. as he slipped
on his finger, he felicilated himself 0
his successful enterprise.
A. he started to return, light-stan
which he had easily avoided in comm
down, he now blundered fully upon.
Every body knows that when one stul
the toe Ia the dark, instead Of deliverin
the blow when the foot IL moving SLOW
est, ~ the beginning or end q the stcl
il always happens 50 that the toe strike
with the maximum momentum. So
was This time. II Bob had been kickin
football he could not have made anic'
calculation Of force, and the shock sci
the stand completely over.
II would have made noise enough an,
how, but II must happen that on Ia
stand the family silver was laid out Il
breakfast. and the clangor was simili
10 that az Apollo's silver bow, VIII
time be LET fly at the Grccian host befo
Troy.
His first rational idea was To bolt Il
lis room. and gain II before any Of
was fairly reused. bus the shock ha
80 scattered his wits that he could NJ
Al once rccollect his bearings, and
realized with indescribablc sensation