Litchfield enquirer., 1878-05-09
THE FOUR GUARDIANS OF LA.
 GRANGE.
PART I. THE TRUST.

 perienced and elf-cdntained citizens of La- grange. For nearly half an hour they had been sitting in the private room of Riker's grocery without exchanging word. Even the silent of libation was wanting their liq- uor stood untasted before them-a fact that aroused the serious concern of tho outside bar ''Mebbee it's some new skin game imported from Frisco, and they want to keep their heads level" was suggested by a cautious gos- slipper.
 The barkeeper shook his head. 'Nary deck O keerds thar-unless they plays lem under the table, and thet aint their style"
 ''Ye don't notiss no Jumps of sugar, sorter lyin' round, keerless like, before each man," and quiet, waitin for some d-d fly to light, and rake down the pile. I've heerd," the speaker continued cautiously, ''that heaps O good money hez been lost in that un-christian like way"
 .'fYes,'' interpOlated third, land trained flies, ez knew just when to light, hez been rung in on greenhorns Ther was man down at French Camp ez, they say, picked up about $7, 900 outer thet camp, with innocent hoss fly, and ct wuzn't ontil one O the boys acci- dently sot his glass down on thet harmless in- seek that the boys smelt mice."
 ''Taint no game, I tell ye, reiterated the bat ETS on their mind. My belief is their reck'nin to revive the old vigilantes of '52. Thars lot O dead beats in this yer camp" he continued darkly, with an aggressive recollection of cer- tain unsettled scores, "ez mebbee will find out soon enough worss up."
 Unfortunately, none of these surmises, how ever ingenious or reasonable, were correct. The simple fact was that lately deceased mi ner had on his death bed called to his side the above mentioned four citizens of Lagrange, and solemnly confded to them the care of his only child in the Estates" with the little prop erty 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, a year previous, and it now devolved upon the guardians to inform the orphan of her double bereavement. This was the first meeting of the guardians since they had looked upon the face of their dead comrade. Hence their grave silence and perplexity.
 At last the spell was broken. One of the party, a tall thin, rickety man, who had been softly pacing the room with 8 certain depreca- tory manner and smile of imbecile acquies- ence iIA everything and anything that shone out at the slightest expression, even of veXatiOn or anxiety on the part of his companions, gradu- ally neared the door, and laid 8 large, bony, SNO was instantly detected by one of the party, whe coolly locked the door and put the key in his pocket. ''Yer cant slip out of this, Rats, and ye must sit down here with the rest of us, and see what's to be done"
 Captain Rats weakly succumbed, and be- gan to apologize. ''I warn't goin back on ye, Horton,' he began. q only reckoned ez ye all seemed to be getting along famous, athink- ing, I'd jest slip out and tend tosome business, and allow ye to make up yer mind without me-counting me out, and yourselves as my proxies. Fer wot's agreeable to you is agree able to me- Pm no sharp at this game"
 "You're guardian" responded Horton, de- cisively.
 'In course. Thet's so. But allow it ain't no valid appointment The very fact thet the old man appinted d-d fool like me, shows he war mt in his right mind"
 ''That's so, boys" ejaculated the eldest ot the four with sudden gleam of hopefullness, ''The old man was sorter flighty just afore he went off, and we can slip our heads outer this lasso he flung over us by allowing insanity, you know"
 ''We can't slouch out of this kind of trust though, Colonel" said Joe Fleet, the youngest of the party, yet with a leaders per
 The gleam faded from the Colonel's face. ''Thet's so, it wouldn't be quite the squar thing, now' he said dejectedly: ''kick me, boys"
 Couldn't we sorter club together and ap- pint kind of sub-guardian to take care O the whole thing, on high salary. I'll come down heavy" suggested Horton.
 ''If ye could get chap to do your feeling for you at the same figure, don't know but it might snit," said Fleet with decided sar. casm. "As for me ain't rich enough to buy any chaps conscience"
 ''Ys may as well quit this fOOlin," broke in the Colonel, with groan. 'The games made and we're goin' to wade in like men. Mebbee us may get shot or buried in a tunnel and so get excused on the squar But just now, we must wade in."
 ''Oh yes, wade in :" said Horton derisively ''Do you know the first thing we ve got to do. ' Why write thai girl, and tell her that her fath. CT was d-d old liar, and thet her mothers been dead year, and thet now he's dead, too, and thet the d-d old fools property won't bring $500, and that we're goin 10 give heI $5, 900 for charity, aud adopt her, and if she's a loving sort of gal, and high-spirited sort of gal, seel like it, and like us all the better Oh yes !'' he continued with sardonic shrill ness. ''Its easy enough to do, all that, to dc all that of course: Wade in Yes Wade ir
 
 over yer head the first thing"
 The men looked aghast at each other, anG there was another ominous silence. Couldn't ye let it on easy," suggested the Colonel de spairingly, ''sorter begin to day with the moth or, 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 ou ontil, in the course of a year or she'l take the charity quite peaceful?" But Joe Fleet dismissed the idea ferccly. ''Ef she's got any pluck she'll take it in { lump. You'd go to work driftin' into her feel ings like that instead O sinking your shaft straight down, any way you'll hey her here crazy on your hands in week !"
 The latter idea was so awful as to compel another gloomy silencefor it's stern contempla- ton. Couldn't ye drop it down on her all in lump-money, deceased parients, ct cetter- ry," suggested Capt. Rats, with vague and inn beetle good humour, 'kinder brisk and busi- ness-like"
 '1t's gal" said the Colonel, shaking his head, lover IA"
 '.Hold on and give Cap'n Rats show," in terrupted Fleet. "Ef there's man az can dt 1 it, it's him. Didn't he edit the Record up a Murphy's? Wade in and give us specimen. The suggestion met with unanimous favor Captain Rats, not entirely displeased witl GIlIS CUuuuCuCC HI IuCLOLlCcA ohlAA1 clAA 0lA gularly into chair with almost audible creak ing his joints, dipped a yen in the iuk, ant then put it in bis mouth. Then softly with drawing it and waving it before him, as il tracing an imaginary epistle in space, he be gan: ''In the midst of life we are in death, anC not knowing what day may bring forth, wt beg to inform you-No," reflected the Captain slowly, feeling some unfavorable criticism ir the air ''No, that won't do. Let's see Ah ''The death of your mother, followed by the illness of your father, resulting in his decease and the entire loss"
 ''Ain't them bricks following each othel rather close P suggested the Colonel, faintly The Captain stopped, rubbee his long chir thoughtfully, and looked at the others. It wa evident that this was the prevailing impres sion.
 Well, yes was rather thinkin' so my self"
 "And it's bein' gal, don't. you want tC heave in here and thar little sentiment" " saiC l Horton, land eDrter touch her up gently They say when you make lem cry easy, they sA