Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-01

ing his big fist down until the decanters
shook, and the painted beauties trembled
with enforced and unnatural modesty. He
went directly up to him and said, "Mr.
iveness. He had no guarantee that every
ruffian in Kansas might not take fancy
to do the same thing, and the prospect of
having his nose pulled periodically for a
series of years was not wholly enchanting.
He read his Bible, and prayed more and
more he wrestled night and day with his
proneness to evil. He kept aloof from
the Daltons, dreading that they, too,
might be opposed to the continuation
of his entirely pacific habits, and he
needed all the strength he could command
to do what he piously believed to be
right. As he walked through the town he
heard ragamuffin boys remark, as they
pointed him out, There's the man that
got his nose pulled" and one urchin,
more audacious and insolent than the rest,
accosted him one morning with, Il say,
mister, as they all's pullin' of yer nose,
ye'd better soap it. 1t won't hurt much
then. Soap it, old Teller
This was wormwood to him he drew
down his hat to conceal the fire that flashed
into his cheeks and yet he felt the humor
of the speech, and laughed little, while
the bitterness stung him like an asp.
Those were miserable days, and more
miserable nights, for the young man. He
was convinced he was right, and still he
doubted at times if any law, human or di-
vine, should compel an inoffensive man to
submit in patience to perpetual insult. He
was martyr to his own opinion he was
stretched on the rack
81 fear | am coward, after all, he
groaned out while tossing on his bed one
night 81 seem not to have the courage
to be loyal to my own convictions. Why
am l thus tortured ?" And the strong
man burst into an agony of tears.
Less than fortnight after the assault
upon him, Irkel was on his way to the
miscellaneous store, where the Postoffice
was kept, to mail letter to his parents.
The days were short, and the dusk was
coming on as he deserted approaching him
Thera Dalton. She was walking fast, evil
IDENTIFY DESTROYS of getting home before the
night had fallen. His instinct was to
avoid her, for he had not seen her since he
had been assailed by Armistead. He was
about to turn off at cross street when he
heard some fellow who had come up be-
hind her accost her with the words, "Yuh
anotha O them id Yankee school
marms that them Mass chus'tts niger
stealers been sendin' out heah. Why in
h don't yuh go home wheah yuh
blong?"
She turned in terror, and seeing that the
ruffian had been drinking, she instinctively
fed toward Irkel, whom she had recog-
nized some time before.
The man followed her, and she exclaimed,
"Please protect me, Mr.. Irkel,' and then
added, excitedly, go no ; never mind. I'd
forgot that you don't But can't you
detain him moment until | find some
other gentleman ?"
He felt the full force of this speech, more
keenly than if it had all been expressed.
"Have no fear, Miss Dalton, he replied.
"You need not go any further for protec-
ton. Here my duty's plain. j And he
stepped between her and the advancing
bully.
"Yuh protect hah, yuh white-ivah'd
Broadbrim p was the taunt of the rutfan.
"Yuh tn meanest sneak and biggest COW.
ah d in all Kansas. Yuh afeah' d o mouse,
Cd d-n you I'll take tn gal away
from yuh undah yuh nose. :"
AS he stepped forward to catch hold OF
her, she shivered towards Irkel, who dealt
the scoundrel ringing blow that sent him
to the ground.
In moment the wretch was on his feet
again, in furious rage. No man can
strike Bill Simms and live to tell o it, he
roared out, drawing revolver, with muir
der written in his face
The girl threw herself before her pro-
tector, and as Smms tried to get around
where he could use his pistol without en-
dangering her, she clasped Irkel in her
arms, saying: you shall not harm him
Your pistol must reach him through me. y
And she chung to him convulsively.
The lawyer struggled to get free "Never
fear, my child. There's no harm in him.
A fellow who can insult woman will not
hurt man." But without violence, there
was no way for him to relieve himself OF
the terrified girl, who clutched him with
the desperate nervous force of a drowning
person.
Seeing this Simms cried: "Jes like yuh,
white-hvah'd Broadrim. Skulk benin a
woman-it's the niger. stealth style.
let yuh 60 now. But I've mahk'd yuh.
I'll shoot yuh on sight. Eff ye've a spank
O grit in yuh, yell come to tn 'Mer'can
Eagle Saloon tonight and settl this eah
thing. Rec'leck it's got to De sett'rd, an
d-n soon ~
Simms strutted off, and Irkel, laboring
to calm Thera's fears, escorted her home.
To her entreaties not to 60 near the Ameri-
can Eagle Saloon, he replied with intense
bitterness "Have no apprehension for
white-ivered Broadbriml He, as you
know full well, is a man CT peace. A man
who doesn't object to having his nose
tweaked isn't likely to get into any serious
trouble.
Please don't speak so of yourself, Mr..
Irkel. l admire you for your principle.
It's great deal harder for man not to
fight than to fight. A woman can feel
that. | shan't misunderstood you, be
sure, especially after your noble conduct
this evening. | have no words to thank
you but the thankfulness is in my heart. u
Irkel babe Thera good evening at her
fathers door, declining to go in for tea,
and requesting her to say nothing about
what had happened.
1t was quite dark as the lawyer went to
the store to mail his letter THE scene he
Hdu pdSseu through Hau uoG ulaue
him unmindful OF that, and on his way
there he congratulated himself that nobody
had witnessed the difficulty" thanks to
the hour and the unfrequented part of the
town. He had determined to 90 to the
American Eagle Saloon and have settle
ment with the ruffian. There was no other
method. He had already relinquished non-
combativeness by striking blow. He
could no longer give that as an excuse for
not resenting personal outrages. Besides,
to meet his enemy was the safest plan. He
knew Simms by reputation as desperate,
who would be very apt to assassinate MIN,
unless he encountered him face to face.
Such men were never so dangerous when
confronted as when avoided and it must
be confessed, besides, that the lawyer had
suddenly got over his scruples against fight
ing. The insult to Thera, and the blow
struck in her defense, had changed him
completely. He was like lion who had
tasted blood His spirit was up, and would
not down. There was sense of emancj-
patton in that blow. He had never expe-
rienced feeling of so unalloyed satisfac-