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

see any thing more than bit Of lace
some artificial flowers, a front of blond
hair, and the fatal letter. Yet his guilty.
conscience instantly recognized In these
scant facts the formidable presentment
Of the deceived orphan. Had she dis.
covered the trick, and was she now ON
their trail. with this terrible indictment
IN her handP Or was she still! in ig-
norance--an ignorance which a single
chance question and answer now might
dispel. amid Paintings, shrieks, tears.
and wailingP Capt. Rats grew apo.
plectic with bewilderment; he dared NOT
even ask question Of the driver, who
was already beginning TO survey him
with a sardonic leer, and had audiblv
sought information il he, the Captain.
called this kind Of conduct proper M
" his time o. life" ''Let the gal alone.
Rats-don't you see il amt a love letter
from you she's porting overP- he added
q statement that again covered the Can
tain with guilty bushes. But a sudden
jolt Of the vehicle, a little shrek. and
the fluttering of the letter To the road.
Jared from the readers fingers, gave
the Captain providential opportunity.
To jump from the box 10 the road and
seize the truant cpistle was the work Of
a moment. When he approached the
coach TO restore il 10 its fair owner. an
other passenger had appropriated his
own seat on the box, and thus gave
color ard reason for his exchange 90 the
= inside" The young lady thanked
him, the coach again started forward.
and Capt. Rats fell into the seat beside
her. Here was the supreme moment.
With profuse apology, the Captain
drew his knees together, slipped into a
respectfully diagonal position, so as to
oppose the narrowest point of contact
with her, and carefully busted his knees
and her dress softly with his handker-
chief. The shyest nymph would scarce
~ have been startled, the coolest and
most Anticipated Of duennas would not
have been discomposed by the submits
sive respect Of the Captailk The young
lady, who evidently was neither, turned
a pair Of calm, large gray eyes on her
neighbor, and sat expectant. But how
The Captain improved his chances l
must refer the reader 10 his own ac-
count Of the interview delivered gravely
the same evening to his brother guard
Ians:
ssWhen | saw we was in for it, boys"
ne said, rubbing his knees upward soft
". {" kinder measured the gal afore
10 see what sort Of q hand
'he might hold. But you couldn't hev
old any thing BY her looks. And short
II axing her downright sassy ques-
ion, YOU couldn't get word out OF her
about her own business, nor what she
var up %. And then-well,- contin-
ned the Captain, with languid smile Of
conscious success, ~ calkilated that
his was one o. them peculiar cases that
wanted skill and science, and | jist ap.
,lied 'em, and in course | won. Thet's
III. Yes" said the Captain, with a
avn Of stified Indifference, :" it's all
light now, boys. Every things ex-
:" But how?" qucried the Others.
Well" said the Captain, lazily, II
orter slipped into gineral conversa-
ion about the opery, the fashions, and
'o'try, and Sich. Speakin o. lifiratoor,
told her Of a yarn I'D read t'0fher day
q a magazine, ard then, kinder keerless
nd easy, jist up and told her the
Thole story about her father aud H. and
erself, giving her the name o. Sera-
'hina. calling you and Horton Oscar
nd 'Roderigo,' and File 4 sGustavus,'
nd myself .Rodcntio.' which j. Latin
pr Rats Well, ii do say il myself,
wasn't no SLOUGH OF story, fur was
inder clipper and fresh, and the other
assengers was jist about a. much in
crested as she was. Then sorter
BOXED in her eye, you know, this way
nd Capt. Rats here achieved pecu-
arly Jesuitical leer, ssand said that |
flowed It wasn't true, and asked her
hat he thought about it as story.
md she said it might be true and it
hight not, but was quite interesting.
hens her very words, gentlemen"
We'll, go on" said the Colonel
agerly.
That's aIli-
"All. ALL" shrieked the guardians
,gether. "Didn't she say any thing
se? Didn't you"
" Nary" said the Captain, coolly.
But it's all right, boys. You'll see
Horton seizd Capt. Rats by one shout
er. and the Colonel grappled the other.
or few seconds they shook him furi-
nsly.
"Where il she now, you blank, blank
lule2 Answer MS
"Why, reckon she's over al the
MON Hotel with Fleet. forgot 70 say
lat he happened accidental I'd be there
hen the stage KEN In She seemed 10
) kinder easy and nat'ral with him,
IA -
But before Capt. Rats had finished his
beech, the two men rose furiously and
ishcd ont Of the room barehemed.
nd even a. the Captain sat there, mnte
ID astoundei. yet with his usual vague
milo OF acquiescencc lingering around