The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-05

| Oh u gal, anu " ulgu SplTlJ6u gal, Sne Ii
like it, and like US all the better. Oh,
yes" he continued, with sardonic shrill-
ness, "It's easy enough to do all that,
Of course. Wade in! Yes! Wade in
drop right out O. the ford into deep
water over yer head the first thing"
| The men looked aghast at each other,
and there was another ominous silence
| Couldn't ye let it on easy" suggested
the Colonel, despairingly, 'sorter begin
to-day with the mother, and next
month. when she's feelin' better and
| more able to bear it, kinder light gently
down on her with the decease of her
father, and SO on ontil, in the course of
a year or 80. she'll take the charity
business quite peaceful 2"
| But Joe Fleet dismissed the idea fierce
ly. EFF she's got any pluck she'll take
| it In q lump. You go to work driftin'
into her feeiins like that instead O. sink
ing your shaft straight down, and you'll
! hev her crazy here on your hands ia q
| week."
The latter idea was so awful as to
compel another gloomy silence for its
| stern contemplation. "Couldn't We
drop in on her all in lump-money,
deceased PARENTS, ct cettery," sug-
gested Capt. Rats, with vague and i'm
beetle good humor. "kinder brisk and
| businesslke.
Its GAL" said he Colonel, shaking
his head, cover H."
"Hold on and give Cap'n Rats show, "
interrupted Fleet. 'Ef there's man
ez can do it it's him. Didn't he edit The
Record up at Murphy's? Wade in and
give us a specimen"
The suggestion met with unanimous
favor. Capt. Rats, not entirely dis
It,Ia mi hi 4 Ii,
rhetorical skill, slid angularly into a
Of his joints, dipped pen in the ink,
and then put it in his mouth. Then
| softly withdrawing it and waving it be-
fore him as IL tracing an imaginary
epistle in space he began:
In the midst OF life We are in death,
and not KNOWN what day may bring
forth. we beg to inform you-No," re-
flected the Captain slowly, feeling some
unfavorable criticism in the air; mo,
that won't do? Let's sect All! The
death of your mother, followed by the
illness OF your father, resulting in his
decease, and the entire loss"
"Aint them bricks follerin' each other
rather closer" suggested the Colonel,
family. The Captain stopped, rubbed
his long chin thoughtfulIy, and looked
at the others. 1t was evident that this
was the prevailing impression.
well. yes; / was rather thinkin' 80
myself" he assented, vaguely.
"And its bein' a gal. don't you want
to heave in here and thar a little senti-
ment." said Horton, land sorter touch
her up gently? They say when you
make 'em cry easy, they kinder like it,
and get over it quicker"
jess So" returned Capt. Rats cheer
fully. II was thinkin' that very thing,
only jist now [ was sorter samplin' it
shown ye what could be done. A good
way" he added, now completely lost in
the destinations OF oondoling compost
tion-"a very good. takin' sort of way,
Is to tell it, and yet seem not to tell it;
to kinder ring in a cold deck Of inform
the keerds. Suthin' like this. you
know: 'Honored Miss Enclosed please
find draft for $4,000; same would
have been sent before but for
Wells Fargo's office being closed the
day Of your fathers funeral. The
weather here is fine, but we suppose is
fur different with you in the East, as
your deceased mother often remarked
to the writer. Business is dull and ores
are running light, most O the claims on
the North Fork sharing the fate Of your
late fathers property Ye see," con-
tinued Capt Rats, with the glow OF sue
cessful authorship mantling his cheek.
that kind of letter mout be written 80
that by the time she got through with
it, it would seem as ii she'd knew it all
to sympathize with her and help her
take on.
The feeling Of the majority was so
al rNnulu in fouor nf hn loo
ton that they all turned impatiently to
the only dissenter-Joe Fleet. But at
this moment knock on the door
checked further discussion.
1t was Jack Poster, xpressman-alert,
vigilant, familiar and faithful-holding
q letter.
''For John Meritoe." said the Sierran
Mercury, crispiy. "As we don't have
no offs nor agent at his present address,
we deliver at his last residence" He
tossed the letter on the table, winked,
and was gone.
1t was for the dead MANTLE great
first cause Of their perplexity. For
few moments it lay there undisturbed. !
silence. Then Capt. Rats, with de. |
cision and independence new to him,
took it up. "rher's no one, boys, hez |
q better right to 1t than we has," he
said. Il propose that we open it here
afore each other and read it,"
"As to opening 1T, I second the mo,
ton, said Joe Fleets voice, 'but we'll
see who it's from before we read it."
added that honorable man
The letter was opened. 1t was signed |
Fanny Meritoe."
THE girl herself" said Fleet prompt
ly; "read it"
With hesitating voice, that at last |
have been the hesitating vout hful &C.
cents OF the writer, Capt. Rats began.
How shall / describe l.? It was i'm |
pie. 1t was girlish, it was affrctionate, it |
vas real. Against its candid frankness [