Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-04-14

The fresh air Of the street had the e
feet to wear offin a measure the fumt
OF the drugged wine. and nausea er
sued that forced Morley to wander int
the square and throw himself upon on
OF the benches standing in the yestibul
OF the Court House. When relieved .
the qualm, he instinctiyely arose an,
mechanically walked on in contrar,
direction from home, having just con
seriousness enough to feel the strange
ness of his condition.
The little hotel il / may so und,oni
fy the term, at the entrance 10 the vii
lage by the river road-one of tbos,
catch-penny nuisances OF cheap rum
and mean device that disgust the eve OF
virtue wherever collection Of house,
may be found, no matter how small
was lIt up, displaying from its bar-room
window the odlous green bottles set of
| by gaudy drawings from the uproarous
Court OF Bacchus and the clap-trap plea.
SAINT to the morbid taste Of the vulgar.
Something impellent, that dreadful some.
thing which the appetite for false slim
uIus engenders m the unconscious VIC
tim, turned Morley's footsteps thltber.
lie paused at the entrance as If stopped
by some kind power, and seemed TO lis
ten to the noisy hubbub going on
within.
The tlnkling strings of cheap old
die" were making desperate effort 10
keep their see-saw notes up to tune
with the jubilsnt clack of the "bones"
m the hands Of Gumbo, a musician. sub.
sidized from the crew of an oyster nun.
| Ey upon every convenient occasion to
make merry" for the ordinary evening
guests. Gumbo's repertoire, though
limited 10 the shake downs. I" the par.
tlcular property Of the school Of meIo-
dy.in which his talent had been devel-
oPed, was quite in keeping with the
delicacy OF the musical ears ia attend
ance, and having gotten through amid
much fervent applause from his appre.
clatlye audience with Shoe Fly, Old
King Cole, Blue Tail Fly and several
other productions Of similar attractions,
was giving the cotpds grace 10 The - ors-l
refined Jim Crow" under the per
suasive" of cup OF the essence Of
pIne"toP, when Morley reached the
door.
Gumbo's No. lis, in rivalry with the
bones, were making mad shufFle on
the dusty hooI, and his corpuleut adj
mIrers pressed against the walls to make |
room for the turn abouts" and jump
JUS SOS" Of the redoubtabe Crow. !" |
when, m an unlucky turn" however.
the pofcupine representation thai Cum
DO had made OF his head departed from
IT'S course IN its effort 10 make the ne |
ceosary lalsetto bars 10 the stunning ten
or of the excited fiddle, by Dumping |
that member against an empty gin bar,
rel that stood in front Of an admiring pa |
iron, who contributed TO the medley by |
a gaIloplng whistlng beating the mea-
sure with a pair OF arms and hands |
somewhat after .he fashion Of oyster
rakes diving in muddy water.
Bending over the instrument that was
to assist so materially into the compo.
sitIon Of the required note, il may be 10
get the full advantage Of its thunder.
but not unlikely to sniff up the linger-
ing odor Of the departed spirits, as his
last nickel had also departed, the stout
est cord-wrapped tut of the acting
Crows forelock twisted unceremon-
ously and out OF the order OF the 3ro-
gramme OF performance, into the eve OF
the over anxious, the "redness" oil
which was quite demonstrative enough
TO proclaim him the veteran topper ofthe
company if not the most amiabie.
This act IN the performance, de froD
as far as he was concerned, aroused his
combative spirit, and upon his initiative
blow the melee became general, which
brought forth both bones and fiddle into
play, IN which crescendo was the order
10 the end of the piece.
The noise fell upon the half-conscious
perception OF Morley, and vague un-
Outstanding of something disagree able
seemed to disgust him. He turned
away, making several steps from the
door, but the demon tina. held him was
loo active to be cheated of lis prey. and
returning he rushed, as it were, Intoi
The midst Of that rif-raf of human kind
whose presence, had he been himself
he would have shrunk from as SO much
fatal contagion.
His appearance had the effect to ouell
The brawl; though every face expressed
the utmost establishment he was salu-
ted with the respect due a superior class
OF beings. and the obsequious landlord
came forward with fawning manners
and seryile fattery. In answer 10 a de-
mand from the unexpected visitor. he
proceeded to prepare mixture.
We leave him at the vile work while
we return to the anxious sister. twas
long past the hour of his customary re.
turn. and Lucy had wondered manv
times what could keep him. The tea
table waited, for whenever he was not
absent from the village, she never sat
down without him.
II was 80 unlike him to dissppoint
her IN this particular, so contrary TO his
regular habits 10 remain away after OIL
Zee hours: nothing could have happen
ed 10 him, or he would have sent word 10