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

lchIuinks "o> not the IDEAL parent q
her dreams. AT last Capt. Rats finish
ed. There was slight huskiness in the
Captains voice, a slight dimness in hi.
eyesight rs he ended, and blur upor
the fair page that was not there wher
he began.
The Colonel had dropped his head be.
tween his two hands. Horton had
rever taken his eyes from the paper,
Fleet. who had walked to the window
and had been apparently absorbed in
staring at the staring sunlight without,
Suddenly turned, advanced to the table,
and held out both his hands. In an
other moment they were locked in his
companions, and the four men, holding
hands. closed round the table and the
letter that lay in its center.
1--WE don't want no letter Of condo
lence, Capt. Rats" said Joe Fleet, stur-
Oily, 'sfor there amt any thin to con-
dole for. / don't see Just now how il
is, or how we can fix II, but I know that
that girls parents amt dead, ez long,
please God, as we are living."
The men pressed each Others hands
in silence, until Capt. Rats, with burst
Of revelation, disengaged his, and sud-
denly brought it against his right leg
with resounding emphasis:
That's it-and Il makes the whole
thing clar. We don't write no letters
of condolence--for why? We goes
straight on and writes az il we was the
old man. He's let on enough to me
about hisself and his affairs to make il as
easy as fallin' off a log. Wen just chip
in where we left off. Wen take his hand
as it Is, play out his little game, win or
lose, and il four sharps like US can't
make it easy for that child and rake in
the pot every time, Wen leave the
board. Yes, gentlemen continued
Rats, take up the letter, "I'll answer
this tonight myself. !, Capt. Rats, late
Meriloe, deceased"
Part II.-How the Trust was FULFILLED.
When the combined guardians of La
grange first practised to deceive, they
did not forecast the tangled web whose
pleasant intricacies and sinuosities they
were presently to weave. And when
Capt. Rats calmly announced to his
gentle confederates his intention Of writ
ing his first letter--tn loco psrentis to
the orphaned girl with his left hand, ex-
planning to her the thereby changed
photography through the ingenious iic-
ion Of an accident that had happened to
his right--it was accepted with accla-
nation. "You see,- said the Captain,
sententiously, "every man slings ink
with his left hand ut about the same
gait. The style amt pretty nor plain,
put she'll never find out it amt the old
man's.''
The possibility Of detection thus OBJ
indeed, it afterward APP
Deared that the simple minded girl
lwelt more anxiously upon the discom-
'orts OF the accident TO her father than
en his changed and almost illegible
land-various other gentle frauds and
ieceits were introduced in the CORE
'pondence- A certain emulation of the
Captains skill and importance as cor
grew up among the other
guardians. They began to make sug-
ycstions Of their own, until at last
steamer day brought them generally to-
5ether, in conclave, in the back room
u the saloon, where the fortnightly
'pistle was dictated finally by all. Capt.
tats's pride, which at first resented this
Interference, was finally placated BY the
compromise that the composition or
wording" Of the letter should be his \
'wn, although the subject matter might
'e various contribution.
The result Of this unhallowed co .labo-
alton was a series OF the most extraor-
linary letters ever inflicted on'a single
correspondent. 1t was not long before
heir fame passed beyond the horizon OF
he fair recipient. sDo you know, papa
lear" wrote the simple girl from the
eclusion of Mime. Brimborion's acade-
ny: do you know your letters are SO
cry, rery interesting, could not help
howlng .Lem 10 some Of the girls herea \
,our account 1.-THE Colonel'sl Of the flight \
nth the bear was so real that / almost
aw IL. l laughed till cried over that \
nnny story Of the Chinaman mending
our clothes . characteristic contribu-
ion from Hortonl, but then I did cry
eally, too, papa, over what you Fleet \
aid about your feelings that Sunday
ou saw the sunset from the poor little
orlorn cemetery on the hill. oh, papa,
was just loyely-and 50 sad--so very
ad! Mary Ricketts, said il was Just like
hakespeare, and she knows, oh, so
luch, and is considered very, very
mart! They all think ought 70 be SO
ond Of my dear papa, as II wanted
ny thing 70 make me love himl She,
larry, asked me il you were very old,
nd said you couldn't be very-are
CUP Then that was very good about
he mines that you the COLONEL wrote.
line. Brimborion asked permission TO
opy that part where you 1.-THE COLONEL
cscrIbc the manner Of reducing ores:
he said il was 50 instructive aud yalua-
10. Dear papa, how much you do
now But think like you better
Then You IRE a liifle--illsi 4 little nd