The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-07-20


touched and unhappy.
Punks nudged Scotty with his elbow.
"What's that fellows name that was part
ner with Circus Jack in the Banderta ?" he
whispered,
Scotty raped his forehead with his horny |
hand, and ran his fingers into his bushy,
tow colored hair, with clutch of despera-
tioD
"Punks,' he whispered 81 alters counted
you fool, but you amt, you are shinin
light. His name was Jim Wilmer"
Then, colorng up to the roots of his hair,
he advanced and said.
"If you please, ma am"
| The woman turned at this, meeting a
whole battery of eyes without any seeming
J consciousness of it.
"There was feller named Jim Wilmer
here--was partner in the Banderita, with a
feller named Circ-eastways, don't know
his name, but we called him Circus Jack,
ma'am."
The woman's face-her beautiful face
turned as white as the collar at his throat
she leaned against the bar and tried to speak
but the words died on her lips.
Finally, with an effort she half whisper
ed
"Do you know where he is now?"
Then, as the men looked at each other she
cried in a clearer tone, "Is he dead ?'
"No, no, ma am. He was here, 'taint
month" said Scotty. 81 think he's off hun
Il II I. n..l r.
bring him up here. He'll be likely to know;
him and Jim was real good friends"
"Thank you" said the stranger softly in a
voice which smote Scotty's heart exceeding
ly.
The doctor meanwhile had gone for Mrs.
( Sharpe, who presently entered, and invited
the stranger to "hev little tea"
She was small, fair woman, with q
l washed-out look, and mouth not innocent
of dipping but she looked and spoke kindly
and the stranger was glad enough to answer
eyes" and follow her into the dining room.
The crowd fell back as she approached but
only enough to give her room to pass. Some
stealthily touched her dress as she swept by
them, and when she had disappeared, and
the door had closed, forty tongues were loos.
ed at once, and q scene of excitement en-.
sued only equaled by the one which followed
9 the shooting of "the Judge" by "littl'
Jack" over game of poker, in that very
bar-room of the Grand hotel.
c "Mought I AK your name, ma'am?" in
quired Mrs. Sharpe.
Marian Kingsley" was the faint reply.
IL "Miss or Mrs, ma'am ?" pursued Mrs
Sharpe, glancing at the shapely, white, ring
less hands.
The estranger gave slight impatient twitch
SIT doesn't matter" she said. "Call m
= Marian. That will do as well as any
thing"
Mrs Sharpe was washed out woman
Many of the natural and laudable instinct
N remained, perhaps being fast colors but
J. horror of the class to which she now sur
r. posed Marian to belong was one which fac
e. ed out of her nature. She gave slight
supercilous leok, which fell upon the We
u, man like moonlight on ice, and pursued he
inquiries.
III "Came from Frisco p"
c. 81 came through there. | didn't see any
ie thing of the place"
,e "Whar did you come from ?"
ut ''Philadelphia" The tone was changed
l. She evidently felt the impalpable rude
IN ness of the faded woman, and kne
how to resent it in the same way. MOI
III conversation ensued, in the course of whic
III Mrs Sharpe discovered that Marian had
ig little money-enough to pay her board for
As few months-and thatshe had come there
os find "James Courtney Wilmer"
Mrs. Sharpe had information to give
ly we'll as to take, for she knew something
&c jim.
is I'VE called him Jim," she said, lit
or scornfully "He didn't get no 'courtin
IS from me"
tn Poor Marian gave a faint smile.
10 ''There might be other James Wilmers
"a she said, 81 wanted to be sure"
es Mrs. Sharpe didn't think this could
lr the one.
'y "He's rough ragged creetur," she sat
lands had the snakes fur week at u time
'e, Marian shrank and covered at this, vii
d. pitiful look of pain on her beautiful face
nd "Hed money left him ?' asked MI
], Sharpe.
'll Marian nodded.
IT "'Twon't do him no good. Soon as
ed hears of it, he'll drink himself into snake
he Alters did when they struck good lead {
er the Banderita Circus Jack he loses &
| ;.i tbo. ~,
Id In the course of an hour Circus JAG
'n' scrubbed and fixed up" to degree viii,
made him almost unrecognizable by
ID comrades, appeared, escorted by Scotty, al
for presence of "the ladies'"
Or, "'Scuse my not comm afore, said Scott
ed "Hosses must be tended to, and them
mine was about dead beat"
''o Marian smiled graciously, if absently, al
on turned her clear, hazle eyes to Circus JAG
"h who with many excuses, circumlocutior
n'' and profane epithets, most of which he APP
ogized for instantly, and some of which
ION was evidently unconscious of, gave her
ity the information in his power in regard
lex the man she had come to find.
The No one in Mariposa knew him bettt
led As "Jim" he was almost an integral part
the city of Butterflies" The butterfli
at by the by, for which the town is named, {
hat not those which soar in the air, but "Ma
,hs posas," fastened by long, tough flaments
,ar the ground.
ow Many a night had Jim Wilmer crush
,ad his swollen face into them, and slept drur
low en- sleep with their soft wings folded s.
saw rowfully above him.
nd There was something of mystery hu
Q m about him, which the "boys" had ne,
lch been able to fathom. Some said that he
the lOnged to a wealthy and aristocratc fami