The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-05-17
THE FOUR GUARDIANS.
ny BRET HARrE.


AZ certainty WAS mAlltr OF strt0u
import that so gravcly interested tn
four most experienced and self-contain
ed citizens Of Lagrange. For nearl,
half an hour they had been sitting In tn
private room Of Riker's grocery withou
saying a word. Even the silent com
mrnion Of libation was wanting; thei
liquor stood untasted before them,
fact that aroused the serious concern o
the barkeeper and the free comment o
the outside bar. "Mebbee its some
new skin game imported from FRS
60, and they want TO keep their heads
level" was suggested by cautious Cos
siper.
The barkeeper shook his head. ssNary
deck o. keerds thar-uniess they PLAYS
'em under the table, and tibet amt theiI
style"
4. Ye didn't notiss no Jumps o. sugar
sorter lynn round, keerless like, before
each man, insinuated another, q and
them chaps lynn low and quiet, waitin
for some -- fly TO light, and rake
down the pile. I've heerd," the speaker
continued, cautiously, .that heaps o.
good money hez been lost in tibet on
Christian ike way.
:. Yes" interpolated third, " and
trained fiies, ez knew jest when to light,
hez been rung in on greenhorns. Thar
was a man down at French Camp ez,
tsSy say, picked up about $1,000 outer
rhet camp with innocent lookin' boss
fy. and e wuzent ontil one o. the boys
accidenily sot his glass down on tibet
harmless inseck tibet the boys smelt a
mice.r
:. faint no game, tell ye," reiter-
ated the barkeeper, stoutly, "thar's
suthin' more'n flies and sugar on their
minds. My belief is they're reck min
10 revive the old yigilantes Of '52.
Thar's lot o. dead-beats in this yer
camp" he continued darkly, with an ag-
gressive recollection of certain unsettled
scores, "ez mebbee will find out soon
enough wot's up"
Unfortunately, none of these surmises,
however ingenious or reasonable, were
correct. The simple fact was that q
lately deceased miner had on his death
bed called TO his side the above-men-
toned four citizens OF Lagrange, and
soleinnly coniided TO them the care Of
his only child in the g States,r with the
little property he possessed in trust for
her maintenance. This trust was
further burdened with the fact that the
dying man had withheld from the child
the news OF the death of her mother, q
year previous, and it now devolved up
on the guardians TO inform the orphan
Ct her double bereavement. This was
tic first meeting Of the guardians since
they had last looked upon the face of
their dead comrade- Hence their grave
silence and perplexity.
At last the spell was broken. One Of
the party, tall, thin, rickety man, who
had been softly pacing the room with
certain deprecatcry manner and q smile
Of imbecile acquiescence in every thing
and any thing that shone ont at the
slightest expression, even Of vexation or
anxiety on the part Of his companions,
nearcd the door, and laid
large. bony, good-humored hand on the
lock. The act was instantly detected by
ono Of the party, who coolly locked the
door and put the key on the table. " Ye
cant slip outer this, Rats he said; Eve
must Sit down here with the rest OF US,
AID see what's TO be donc.r
Capt. Rats weakly succumbed, and
oegan to apologize. IL warn't goin'
Dack on ye, Horton he began. ~
1nly reckoned ez We seemed all to be gil
ling along famous, a-thinking, ID jest slip
1ut and tend to some business, and al
ow We 70 make up yer mind without
me- couniin' me out. and yourselves rs
aiy proxies. Fer wot's agreeable TO you
L agreeable to ME. I'm no sharp at
itss game.
:. You're GUARDIAN responded
Horton, decisively.
M Ia course. Thet's so. But allow
4 amt no valid appointment. The very
ect tibet the Oh man appinted --
DOL ike me, shows he warn't in his
light mind
That's So, boys, calculated the ED !
~ 81 the four, with q sudden CLEAN Of |
lopefulncss. 1.-THE old man was sorter
lightly just afore he went of, and we
an slip our heads outer this lasso he
iuag over US by allowin' insanity, you
Inow."
1--WE cant SLOUGH out Of this kind Of l
.trust though, Colonel said Joe Fleet, /
ne youngest Of the party, yet with a
eader's peremp.orincss. \ 1t amt while
. 10 illr
The CLEAN faded fromtheC Colonel sface.
4 ihet's 20, X wouldn't be the squar
hing" Ne said dejectedly; "kick me,
,oys."
Couldn't we sorter club together
md appiut kind o. snb-guardian 10
axe care ~ the whole thing on high
alafy III come down heavy" sug
yrsfad Horton.
II ye could Get chap 10 do your
eeiin' for you at the same figure don't
.npw nut II might suit, n said Fleet with
lceided sarcasm. ..As for me amt
'ich enough 70 buy up any chaps con-