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

And when he thought of Quaker nom
combatant settling in Kansas at such a
time, his sense of humor inevitably insti-
| tuted comparison between himself and a
cat doomed to Hades and deprived Of
claws-a profane picture that had often
been drawn for his benefit
| The knowledge that he had been reared a
| Quaker spread through the town, and he
was often called White-hvered Broad
brim-an epithet that brought the blood to
his cheek, and would have brought his
hand to his revolver, had he been of carnal
mind.
Poor fellow, he was really to be pitied.
His struggles with himself were tremen-
dous they were wearing him out, and he
had well nigh decided again and again to
return East. But the idea that it would
be eowardly to shrink from what appeared
to be duty, riveted him to the West. In
moments of extreme bitterness he thought
that Christianity ought to expire by Inn
| itation, and that its limitation should be
the Mississippi river. The more his blood
boiled, the more chapters he read in the
Bible and the longerhe prayed IN the dreary
room of the second story of a frame build
ing, which served him both for office and
bed chamber. The CLEAN of his solitary
candle might be seen shining through his
window almost every night until a late
hour, for he was hard student though his
Bible had recently made marked encroach-
ments upon his law books, for the reason
that he needed divine guidance far more
than legal attachments in that particular
in his non combativeness by long letters
| L eo4I oil ha
latter (he loved his mother devotedly), who
earnestly besought him to control his
passions, and remember what he owed to
Christian example.
Good, simple SOULS" he would say,
after he had read what they had written,
g they little dream how hard it is for man
to appear like coward, even for the love
of God. I'm not afraid to do right, Heaven
knows; but I'm almost afraid to seem
afraid | wonder what Thera would think
of my meek submission to insults, day after
day."
This question he had put to himself
several times recently-why he could not
tell for Thera, as he admitted, was moth
ing to him, nor would she ever be. Never
theless, she was in his mind very often. and
do what he might he could not keep her out
Thera Dalton was the daughter of a YER
mont farmer, who few months before,
had sold his farm and emigrated to
Kansas with view of making his home
there. Thera, his sole surviving child, had
taught school in her native State, and eX-
pected to teach school in the Territory as
soon as she could secure one. She was in
her nineteenth year, and though not hand
some, she was interesting she had good
mind without much culture, and was a
gentlewoman more by instinct than by
breeding. She and Irkel had become ac-
quainted Immediately after his arrival, as
New England people naturally would, in so
small community; but beyond spending
part of an evening at her fathers house
once a fortnight or so, they seldom met
| She was, by all odds, the most refined and
attractive woman in or near Lawrence, and
given youth, contiguity, difference of sex
and acquaintance, the fact of their CRAWL
tation to one another was foregone con-
| clusion. They were unconscious of the
fact themselves, and lrkeTs question,
whenever he asked it, seemed as futile as
it was foolish.
Mr. Dalton, who had brought some
money with him, had been disappointed,
like all the Eastern emigrants, in the polit-
ical troubles, and was waiting for them to
settle before ne purchased his farm.
Toward the close of December client
of Irkel brought suit against James
Armistead, a Alissourian, living near Law
renee, for the recovery of two horses which
the plaintiff claimed had been stolen, and
which the Judge awarded to him. The
decision was largely owing to the manage
ment of the counsel, who, as may be sup
posed, gave great offense to the Missou-
rian because he had honestly won the case
and had broken down an evidently per-
| iured witness on the side of the defendant
The day after the suit Irkel was on his
way to the hotel where he took his meals.
As he passed "saloon" Armistead was
standing at the door, but was not noticed
by the lawyer, who was walking ON with
his head down, when the latter ran out
with pistol in his right hand, while with
the left he seized Irkel's nose and wrung it
savagely, saying: "Yuh id scoun-
drel, you id aboltionist, I'll learn yuh
how to rob a gen'lman of his prop'ty by
yuh id lawyers tricks At the same
time he leveled his revolver at Irkel in
tending to shoot him if he should attempt
to resent the deadly affront.
The lawyer looked up with flashing
eve, and burning face. He clenched his
fist, lifted his arm a very little from his
side, and let it fall again his breast heav-
ing and his eyes blazing on his enemy until
the latter quailed before it. His lips
opened and then shut like vice the color
that had rushed into his face as suddenly
retreated, leaving it pale as death, while
his eyes glittered still more balefully from
the whiteness in which they were set.
A crowd gathered instantly at the pros
pect of fight A Free State man, who
knew Irkel by sight, seeing him without a
weapon, offered him a pistol which he de-
clined with the words-they came slow
and hard-''I'm a non-combatant. That
man knows it. He heard me say so in
Court yesterday. He assails me for that
reason"
Then again turning his gaze full on
Armistead, he continued I" You're afraid of
me unarmed You know you have done a
cowardly act. You feel you are coward.
The outrage you have committed makes
you cowardly. It's the wrong You have
done me that makes you quail. Use your
pistol. have no fear OF you. 1t is you
who are afraid.
As he spoke, Armistead, muttering oaths,
skunk into the saloon, fairly cowed by
Irkels display of moral courage. The
sympathies of the crowd, though they may
not have been with the AIissourian, refused
to go with man who would not resent
such an insult, and voices were heard to
say, "Why didn't he kill him ?" "D-n
man that won't fight " so, that's white
livered Broadbrim. Every nigger-stealer
ought to be hung.
Some one coming along who knew the
lawyer asked him what was the matter.
Irkel, who had partially mastered his emo
ton, tried to be jocose, and replied ooh,
nothing l was walking down street when
a very pleasant gentleman, whose acquaint-
ance | have not the honor of, stepped out
and did me the kindness pull
pull-my nose-and-and-" He could
not finish. His Indignation was too great
for his assumption. The words rendered
| II 4 Oh i