The Mineral argus., 1883-09-27
JACKS VIGIL.

Jack Barr settled his %tarpaulin a tiifle
rore ~jauntily on his head; took a last
preparatory puff at his pipe; sonorouly
cleared his voice and began:
"Widys,p he said refectively, gazing
at the well filed bowl of the pipe;
"widys are a wonderful institution
there's something about a wildly that
INFLAMMATION any other created woman.
To put it POLITICALLY, gentleman" look
ing from his pipe to his auditors, ''the
wildly is like a rose. In the rose you'd
call it a perfume, in the wildly a charm.
You take the rose and smell of it, and
you can't, for the life OF you, say what
makes it the queen of flowers. You can
only say it's a rose. A"
"Hear, hear" shouted Jacks auditors
uproariously.
Jack raised his pipe to his lips with
serene satisfaction, INDUCING in a placid
Whit till the noisy demonstration came
to an end.
Quiet restored, Jack resumed:
II repeat my last words. You can
only say it's a rose. So, gentleman, it
is with the wildly. That something
about her is nameless. Afar or a-near
you feel it, but you only say-its the
WidV."
Hi, hip responded the audience.
Jack took another puff and somewhat
sadly continued.
Gentlemen, we have so far had the
wildly in general; now we'lltake the wildly
in partiCular-my widv. Gentlemen.
she was as clean timbered a craft az sever
set sail for a husband. Her eyes were
as blue as the ocean, her lips like two
coral banks, and her teeth and skin like
the solid sea foam! not a speck on the
whltene5s Ofeither. And the color OF
her cheek! Bless you! no rose ever
equalled il; while her chestnut brown
bar was enough to entangle the soul OF
-of-vell, Of sailor! 1t got me!
Well, the upshot of my ensnaring was
that | took board with her. She kept a
neat, handy girl, and nobody ever had a
nicer home. The longer I stayed the
more | swOre it should be mine forever,
and the widy with it. | didn't lose any
time, but set straight IN to counting, and
with very good success. Mrs. Merrihew
soon acknowledged that l was the man
for her and the thing was settled.
But, about two weeks before TIE banns
wv W 10 BAbAAHAlNhs 4 htEdAA " IONlEG |
Mrs. Merrihew looked worried, and a
little more worried every day. For ten
days or so she put me of. At last she
told me all about her trouble"
I'm an orderly woman, you know,
Jack2" she said.
''Such another don't live!" 1 cried.
well, Jack," she answered, there's
a chest, pointing to one across the room,
all done up fanciful in chintz-'there's
a chest that won't stay in order one
night First | accused Mary Ann (the
GRID Of meddling with it She most left
me, she was so mad, and ! o found |
was all wrong. But who was at my chest
every blessed night, and who is?-rhere
amt a thing in it but old bills and pa
pers; they are of no use to me, but | Of
look over them, and they amt Of
use to any other living SOUL Jack, l tell
you what | think"
"Weli?"
Il think the chests b~ewitched! And
Mary Ann thinks so too, and threatens
10 20 IT / don't burn it, As true as you
i've, Jack, | put that chest in apple pie
order every day, and every night it's
topsv-turvy. / lock il and put
.he keys under my pillow, and lock and
BOLT The door. and screw down the win
tows--its all the same, the chest is a
siRhL lhe next mOrnlng.
The widy first looked at me with ewes
Is big as sauceTs and then she did some
hing better; she threw her arms around
ny neck. Naturally we wandered Of
rom the chest then; but be fore bedtime
We got back 10 it, and we agreed that ]
vas to sit there in the dark, keeping
lose in a corner away from the chest; il
heard nothing l was to do nothing; If
heard a r%ustling among the papers 1
vas to strike a match and look into it;
all fixed, the widy left me looking
IS happy as al angel.
But somehow l felt pretty queer when
he left me alone with the glim doused;
{ wasn't q bit like knowing what you
we're going TO meet, and meeting it I'M
Ter a good light. l had my own ideas
bout witches and they wasn't pleasant
IDEAS; | began to see eyes glowering at
ne through the dark and 70 feel Shiny
lands touching my neck; and TO hear
voices and soft kissing laughs