The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-09
THE FOUR GUARDIANS
BY BRET HARTE.
Part 1.-The Trust.

import that so gravely interested the
four most experienced and self-cOntain-
ed citizens of Lagrange. For nearly
half an hour they had been sitting in the
private room of Riker's grocery without
saying a word. Even the silent COM
munion of libation was wanting; their
liquor stood untasted before them-a
fact that aroused the serious concern of
the barkeeper and the free comment of
the outside bar. "Mebbee its some
new skin game imported from 'Fris
co, and they want to keep their heads
level" was suggested by cautious Cos
siper.
The barkeeper shook his head. "Nary
deck o. keerds thar-unless they plays
'em under the table, and tibet amt their
style"
"Ye didn't notiss no Jumps o. sugar,
sorter lynn round, keerless like, before
each man." insinuated another, land
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 thet on
christian like way"
EYES," interpolated a third, sand
trained flies, ez knew jest when to light,
hez been rung in on greenhorns. Thar
was a man down at French Camp ez,
they say, picked up about $1,000 outer
tibet camp with innocent lookin' boss
fly, and ct wuZent ontil one o. the boys
accidenly sot his glass down on tibet
harmless inseck tibet the boys smelt
mice"
"'Tain't 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'nin'
TO revive the old vigilantes of '52.
Thar's lot o dead-beats in this yer
camp he continued darby, 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
lately deceased miner had on mis- death
bed called to his side the above-men-
toned four citizens of Lagrange, and
solemnly confded to them the care of
his only child in the " States" with the
little property he possessed in trust for
neG GldlnltudUtt. L Ills lIuSJ WAS
further burdened with the fact that the
diving man had withheld from the child
the news of the death of her mother,
year previous, and it now devolved up
on the guardians to inform the orphan
of her double bereavement. This was
the 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, a tall, thin, rickety man, who
had been softly pacing the room with
certain deprecatory manner and smile
of imbecile acquiescence in every thing
and any thing that shone out at the
slightest expression, even of veXation or
anxiety on the part of his companions,
gradually neared the door, and laid a
large, bony, good hand on the
lock. The act was instantly detected by
one of the party, who coolly locked the
door and put the key on the table. " Ye
can't slip outer this, Rats" he said; eye
must sit down here with the rest of us,
and see what's TO be done"
Capt. Rats weakly succumbed, and
began TO apologize. al warn't goin'
back on We, Horton" he began. al
only reckoned ez We seemed all to be git
ting along famous, a-thinking, I'd jestslip
out and tend to some business, and al
low We to make up yer mind without
me-countin' me out, and yourselves as
my proxies. Fer wot's agreeable to you
is agreeable to me. I'm no sharp at
this game"
"You're a guardian" responded
Horton, decisiveiy.
ain course. Thet's so. But l allow
it Amt no valid appointment. The very
fact tibet the OF man appinted -
fool like me, shows he warn't in his
right mind"
s'That's so, boys, calculated the eld-
est of the four, with sudden CLEAN Of
hopefulness. "The old man was sorter
Eighty just afore he went off, and we
can Slip our heads outer this lasso he
flung over us by allOwin' insanity, you
know"
"We can't SLOUGH out of thiS kind of
atrust though, Colonel" said Joe Fleet,
the youngest of the party, yet with a
leaders peremp:oriness. % 1t amt while
to do it!''
The CLEAN faded from the Colonel's
face a 90
"Thet's so, it wouldn't be the squar
thing,n he said deiectedly; "kick me,
boys"
Couldn't we sorter club together
and appint kind o. sub-guardian 10
take care o. the whole thing on high
salary. III come down. heavy" sug
gested Horton.
..If ye could get chap to DO your
5eelin' for you at the same figure don't
know but it might suit, - said Fleet with
decided sarcasm. "As for me | amt
rich enough to buy up any chaps con
science"
- Ye mays rs well quit this foolin', :"
broke in the Colonel, with a groan