Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-09-30
LITTLE MAY.
A STORY CT TFxAs AS TOLD BY "TExAs
slFTINGs."

IN tn6 hotei WntIe we were stopping,
there was guest whose name. rs the
register showed, Wns Joseph p. Mex
well, but who was better Known among
his associates and the people of tue
town RS " Monte joe He had been in
Lul,ng about three months. No one
knew where lie cane from, and no one
cared tu know. He hsd step, Ell off Il le
train OF nom ng, had reg i,tered ut tie
hotel, ard in three days aiterward was
on speaking terms with one-half Of tue
male population of the place.
In town ke Lnling society was not
exactiug. A stranger was not required
10 txhibit credentials, nor TO state who
his grandfather was, as condition OF
ent,ee Into soc ETY.. In fact, society was
of mixed charac' it bad any
character at ail-fnd could not afford to
be particular. Monte Joe was hsni-
some, well dressed, and of genial man.
ers. lie brought n Llue-t yed, sunny
haired child with him-his daughter-a
smiling, laughing little fairy, who cap
tTr the ht ants of all who knew her.
In her lresei ce the cares of lie van
ihhed, and the people felt, as they | s.
tened to her joyous, childish prattle,
that after bll, this world was rot such a
vale of tears as they had thought it was.
Little May saw Int the rosy -hued side
OF the clouds that encircle her life. She
loved The bright sunshine, the birds and
the flowers she loved music and pic
lures but above II, and with gre ater
and stronger love, she loved her father,
Monte Joe, the gambler. These two,
father and daughter, seemed to live for
each other, and in tie light Of their
mutual love, Joe's face had worn, sad
lCok, except when he was playing with
the child. Then there was a soft, happy
light in his eyes ard a womanly look on
his handsome face. When he got ex
cited at The gambling table aud swore,
or when le WAS insuited or anuoytd.
then The sadlcss and ", mahliuess van
lshed, and his eyes gave evidence of the
devil within.
it must hc scki owledeed that J Joe was
much given to the Vice OF swearing, but
he never swore III the child's presence.
1t was pretty Tell kropn that hs was
ready st I'll times to back any statement
that he might make, and to give his op-
ponent choice Of weapons. His friends
ella med that he never "took water. +"
Int it must not be inferred from this
that he declintd 10 usc water as bevt r
ape. 1t Was OILY their terse way of ex-
planning that he was brave man. Joe
WAS not bully he Be yer sought quar-
rel ; hut, a. n ose who knew him said,
wh' n quarrel was forced upon him
he Was there" 1t was rumored that
he bad killed three men, but that did
not d.tract from his standing iii com
munity where killing a man was often a
necessity and praiseworthy action.
No one could tell anything ahout Joc's
his tory previous to his advent il Lul;ng.
he never received any leiters and he
never wrote any. Regarding The past,
he was reticent He and the child seemed
to lie alone i'll the world. Little May
had never krown 0ny relatives except
her father. jos wore a deep band of
Grape on his hat. He was father and
mother and all 10 her, ard she was all
tie world to him. Tie boys used to say
that if the child should die her death
would kill Joe. Amid such surround
ings and asscciating with such charac-
ters as of necessity little May was com
that the child retained her childishness.
There was nothing pert or rrecocious in
her words or uctions, although she some
times had quaint ways of expressing
herself, and would ask queer and start
ling questions. She play ed but little
with other children. When her father
was alb ent she would amuse herself in
n corner, for hours at tune, with the
end Of an o,d li'Iiard cue, dressed III
rags, for doll This doll was a rscip-
lent + all her secrets. She would tell
1t how lonely she was when papa was
away how much she loved papa, and
what beautiful things she was gong 10
sew and "broider for him when she he :
came big girl. Her greatest desire
was TO get "to wear all the time every
day, as she expressed it, some old jewel
ry that her papa kept in a trunk, and
used TO bring out and show to her when
they were alone on Sunday mornings
"And Dolly" the child wonld say, /
with you was big, too, that you might
tell me what makes papa cry when he
puts that pretty chain around my neck.
Para says lie will tell me some day
when Ise hig girl, when we will live
in pretty little house that will lie Mays
own house, vi Ia vines MI around it, ard
pictures on the wall and bird in a gold
cage. Then I'll let nobody live there
but papa-and you, Dolly, if you be
good"
She told stories to the doll about
giants, bad and wicked giants, who ate
little children, and afterward came to
an untimely end, as all bad and wicked
giants should. Papa killed all the
giants. and it was papa who rescued all
the children who were in danger from
bears and lions. And the child added
something to every story, wherein
4" ,apa" figured as the champion Of the
o. ressed, the benefactor of the poor,
ant the good angel who guarded the
| virtnous.
As little May walked down the street
with her father, women who had lost
all their womanliness-andt there were
many such in the town-spoke in