The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-05-17

ltls anu auopt ncF, anu II >ncb loving
sort Of gal, and high-spirited gal,
she'll like Il. and like us all the better.
oh yes!" he continued with sardonic
shrillness, . it's easy enough to do all
that, Of course. Wade in Yes, Wade
in-drop right out Of the ford into deep
water over yer head the first thing
The men looked aghast At each other,
and there was another ominous silence.
"Couldnt We let il on easy" suggested
the Colonel. despairingly, sssorter begin
to-day with the mother, and next month
when she's feeln' better and more able
to bear II, kinder light gently down on
her with the deceasc Of her father, and
so on ontil, i'm the course Of year or 50,
she'll take the charity business quite
peacefulp"
But Joe Fleet dismissed the idea
fiercely. ssEf she's get any pluck she'll
take il in q lump. You 90 to work
driftin' into her feelin's like that instead
O. sinking your shaft straight down, and
you'll hev her crazy here on your hands
in week.
The latter idea was so awful as to
compel another gloomy silence for its
stern contemplation. . Couldn't We
drop it on her all in lump money,
deceased parents. ct cettery, suggested
Capt. Rats, with vague and imbecile
good humor, "kinder brisk and bust
ness-like.'
ats gal, said the Colonel, shak-
ing his head, "oyer 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 specimen"
The suggestion met with unanimous
favor. Capt. Rats, not entirely dis
pleased with this confidence in his
rhetorical skill, slid angularly into
chair with an almost audible creaking
OF his joints, dipped a pen in the ink
and then put il in his mouth Then
softly Withdrawing il 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-
flectod the Captain slowly, feeling some
unfavorable criticism in the air; ..Ns.
that won't do. Let's seei All THE
death of your mother. followed by the
illness of your father, resulting in his
decease, and the entire loss
s.Ain't them bricks follerin' each
other rather close?r suggested the Col
onel, family. The Captain stopped,
rubbed his long chin thoughtfully, and
looked at the others 1t was evident
that this was the prevailing impression.
"Well, yes; was rather thinkin' so
myself" he assented, vaguely.
.'And its bein' a gal, don't you want (
to heave in here and thar little senti-
ment,' said Horton, sand 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, 81 was thinkin' that very thing,
only jist now l was sorter samplin' il
shown We what could be done. A good
way" he added, now completely lost IN \
the destinations Of condoling compost
tion-s'a very good, takin' sort Of way,
is 70 tell it, and yet seem not 10 tell ii;
to kinder ring in cold deck OF informa-
ton, and never let her see We shuttle the
keerds. Suthin' like this, We know
sHonored Miss: Enclosed please find
aA alt WI -V4NVVs >LtlAE NVuAtA ilift DttI
sent before but for Wclls-Fargo's Office
being closed the day Of your fathers fu-
neral. The weather here j. 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,' continued Capt. Rats, with the
glow Of successful authorship mantling
his cheek, ssthat kind OF letter mout be
written 50 that b. the time she got
through with it, Il would seem as II she'd
knew il all before, and she couldn't get
nary soul to sympathize with her, and
help her take on The feeling Of the
majority was 50 strongly in favor Of the
last composition that they all turned i'm
patiently 70 the only dissenter-J
Fleet. But at this moment knock on
the door checked further discussion.
II was Jack Foster, cxpressman--
alert, vigilant, familiar, and fateful--
holding letter.
z For John Meritoe,'' said the Ser
ran Mercury, crisplv. s.As we don't
nave no otis nor agent at his present
address, we deliver at hislast residence.
He tossed the letter on the table, wink I
%, and was gone.
II was for the dead mantle great
first cause Of their perplexity. For
few moments il lay there nndisturbed,
while the men looked at each other in
silence. Then Capt. Rats, with de-
rision aud independence new to him, I
took i mp. s'Ther's 20 one, boys, hcz I
4 better right To 1t than we has" he said, .
~ propose that we open Il here afore /
each other and read it, u
ga u opening n. I second the mo.