The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-11-09

Marian had a little money-enough to
pay her board for few months-ant
that she came there to find "Jamei
Courtney Wilmer"
Mrs. Sharpe had information to give
rs well as to take, for she knew some
thing of jim"
"Wc called him Jim," she said lit
tic scornfully. ''IIc didn't get nc
'courting' from wc."
Poor Marian gave q faint smile
'.Thcrc might be other James Winners, ;
she said, 81 wanted to be sure"
Mrs. Sharpe didn't think this could be
the one.
Giles rough, ragged erectur," shC
said, "and's had the snakes fur week.
at time"
Marian shrank and covered at this
with a pitiful look of pain on her beau
tiful face.
"Hed money left him?" asked Mrs
Sharpe.
Marian nodded.
"Twon't do him no good. Soon as he
hears of it, he'll drink himself into the
snakes. Alters did when they struck q
good lead on the Banderita. Circus
Jack, he loses all hisn's at poker; SC
thar they CO.
In the course of an hour Circus Jack.
scrubbed and "fixcd up' to degree
which made him almost unrecognizable
by his comrades, appeared, escorted by
Scotty, also prepared by choice toilet
to enter the presence of "the ladies'"
"Scuse my not comm afore," said
Scotty. "Ilosscs must be tended to-
and them of mine was dead beat"
Marian smiled graciously, if absently
and turned her clear, hazel eyes to Cir.
ccs Jack, who, with many excuses, cir.
cumlocutions, and profane epithets,
most of which he apologized for in.
siantly, and some of which he was
evidently unconscious of, gave her all
the information in his power in regard
TO the man she had come to find.
No one in Mariposa knew him better
AS "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 soal
in the air, but "Mariposas," ;" fastened by
long, tough filaments to the ground.
Many night had Jim Wilmer crush
ed his swollen face into them, and slept
n 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 belonged to wealthy and ars
tocratic family, and had left home and
become wandercr and an outcast, be.
cause some beautiful woman had Tilted
him; others said that he had wife and
children, that he had broken his welded
faith and his wife's heart at the same
time, and that grim phantom followed
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 above telling; that his we'd
ding day was near when he had STUN
bled upon some miserable secret whicl
was dead and buried, but could not rest
in its grave; that there was no room left
for doubt, which is sometimes blessed
and he had fled without a word: disap.
pearcd and left to her own wretched
heart the task of telling her the reason
why.
If any of the stories were true, and
she loved poor Jim, he told her enough
to wiring her heart and haunt her dream.
forever.
The winter that he spent in the hol
low of great pine tree, OH the rim OF
Yosemite valley, was perhaps his hap
picst and most peaceful. Every Yoscm
lite tourist stops to peep inside this tree
and TO wonder if man really LIVED
there. at was comfortable enough,
says Il hale old pioneer of the valley be
low. "Ilc had plenty of room. VIZ
both slept in it one night"
When Circus Jack told Marian til,
story il was frcshcr and more wonderful
than now.
"Was the snow very dccp?' she said
"Was there no danger of his freezing tt
dcath?"
81 never hearn much about it any
how" said Circus Jack, "'cept thet Il,
lived thar alone cuttin' shingles.
'spect the snow was bout four or tiv,
feet deep up thar whar he lived. He
a close-mouthed one, tell yer. Nsve
git nothin' outer him, an when he'
drunk he don't tell nothing whatsomev
crw
This with glance half plying, hal
reassuring, as though he would promis,
her that the secret, whatever il nigh
be, was safe.
One comforting thought beat at tn,
woman's heart all the while that Jacl
was talking. "Perhaps this was not tn,
one! !"
She mentioned this at length, ant
asked Jack what was his quOndan
'partncr" was like.
3, "IIe was slight-buili feller, raythe
light-complectcd," was the reply. "An
han some! | called him handsome
didn't Won, ScOtty!"
Scotty thus appealed TO, gave pro
fame assent. lie had scarcely moved
muscle since he sat down, with his eye
fixed on Marian's fair, ever-changin,
face. Mrs. Sharpe, after vain attemp
to engage him in conversation, ha,
quietly Withdrawn, having no relish fo
being one of quartette where two iii,
all the talking.
"Was he-am-educatcd man?" in
quired Marian, hesitatingly, feeling il
a vague way that the question might OF
fcnd Jack.
''Yes, he war; replied that worthy
in contemplative tone. "When h
was drunk have hearn him talkin'
lot of stuff like po'try. Thar's pile o
books in my cabin now that he used te
read considerable. can't make head o
tan 10 'cm. traps yon might
81 would like TO see them" said Mar
ian eagerly,
Jack nodded, and pause cnsued. A
length Scotty remarked that the sol,
man." meaning Cutey, was 'raythc
f late in lightin' up" at which Jack aros
and bade the stranger goodnight"
+ Marian put out her hand, saying
eve will be good friends, hope"
f Circus Jack took it by the finger Tip
cautiously. careful not TO hurt ii wit
> his horny fingers.
"l'll do anything in the world fur We
madam" he replied, earnestly and in
genously.
''There is one thing wished TO ask,
she said, "though it may be a FOOLS
question. Did you ever notice any
I ring-that he wore or-carriedr'
"They wuz a ring, but Pm beat eff
/ can tell what kind. Once when Jir
WIZ turriblp sick an his han, svalla,