Sharp County record., 1882-07-13

purpose Of topping the rogue-list with
the capture of MOrely, the chief and
most desperate of the gang, in spite of
his comparative youth. l have tracked
him from Napoleon, where he has rela-
tiveS, to this neighborhood, where | am
certain he is in hiding; it's a thousand
dollars in my pocket, besides benefit
to the community at large, if 1 get the
nipperS on him. | lam fully prepared
for any emergency, and"
Sand you won't catch him!' said the
Colonel, grimly, interupting me in his
turn.
"What!n
"No; simply because he's dead. o,
I've goti on the best authority! There S
a young fellow been stopping with me
for week past-juS returned from a
European tour, the only son of an old
friend ofmine, Judge Barker, of the Long
Shore Plantation-who used to 90 to
school with that scapegrace, Clint More
ly, and who brought us the news of his
death when he first came down here
from Napoleon. He's up on the porch
yonder, with the rest of the household,
looking out at the flood. Come on, and
I'll introduce you. He'll tell you all
about it. -
Much as | was disappointed at what
he told me, | had to dissent from this
proposition, for reasons that were salts
factory to my host and when, a mo-
ment after, Twas made one of the party
on the piazza, it was with no intimatlon
to them as to the real nature OF my
business in the neighborhood.
Besides the Colonel and myself, the
party consisted of his wife and daugh-
ter, both of whom l had had the
pleasure of meeting before in st. Louis,
and two young men, the one referred to
as Judge Barker's son, and a handsome
but rather diffident young planter,
named Renshaw, from one of the back
counties, who, as a timely whisper from
the Colonel had given me to under
stand, was the accepted suitor of his
| daughter.
1t was, indeed a grand and imposing
seen that they were engaged IN con-
templating, and which my appearance
in the group but briefly interrupted;
though the view itself-that of the
lordIy Mississippi in all his terrible
majesty, more than bank full, flooding
the opposite shore with irregular lines
of back-water, stretching and winding
away for miles and leagues into the in
terior-was accompanied by any num-
Der of running comments and specula-
tions as to what would be the result OF
it all, in case the rise should not slacken'
But terribly imposing as was the pan
Drama unfolding before us, was chiefly
occupied in secretly studying the feat
ures and characteristics of one of my
new companions - Mr.. Barker, the
European tourist, and son OF Judge
Barker, of Long Shore Plantation, ETC.,
as he had been introduced to me, with
the profuseness of personal explanation
that frequently accompanies introduc-
tons among the warm-hearted South
ernerS.
This I was the better enabled to dc
without his knowledge, by reason of the
assiduousness of the attentions which he
seemed bent on bestowing upon Miss
Lavigne-rather to her liking, | thought,
for she was vain, pretty little thing,
unduly fond of admiration, but as evl,
IDENTITY to the jealous discomfort OF
Young Renshaw and the disapproval OF
both Colonel and Mrs. Lavigne.
This Barker was an athletic fellow, OF
five or six and twenty, good-looking
withal, except for a furtive, restless ex-
preston of the eyes, significant of any
thing but sincerity, and with certain
self-assertion and loquacity of style that
l made up my mind had never been cul-
tivated by European intercourse, wher-
ever else it might have been acquired
In fact, had about "got him down
pretty fine,n and by no means to his
advantage, when supper was announced
An hour later we were smoking our
cheroots in the bilhard-room, where the
guest from the Long Shore Plantation
was undertaking to instruct Miss La
vigne in the mystery of sundry new
fancy shots on the only table there,
while the rest of us chatted or looked
on, when Colonel Lavigne took my arm
and, under the pretense OF showing me
some new works in his library-the adj
joining room-led me away. .
"What do you think of Barker"
said he, a little anxiously, thought, as
soon as we were alone. "Tell me
frankly"
81 will do so-perhaps to your lasting
benefit, Colonel-if you will answer me
two or three preliminary questions,
said l. lin the first place, had yor
ever met him before his present visit?
Never But Judge Barker has often
spoken of this son being in Europe, aft
er finishing off at one of the Eastern col
leges, and it is no more than natural
that he should have sent him here to Wis
it me, you know"
1.ll