Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-09-13

pish little man, In chronic ill-humOr,
thanks to the rapid decline of business
in the town, and the brow-beating of his
virago wife. Tonight he was in even
worse than usual temper, on account of
the coach's late arrival, and the crowd
in the drug store keeping him on duty
there, while an overworked deputy, Wis
ible through the glass front of the post
office enclosure. he obeyed, struggled
alone through distribution of the mail,
He would have liked to drive the whole
coRcourse without and close his doors
upon them. Failing safety in that msa-
sure, he obeyed lis instinct to bully a
creature weaker than himself
There's only one schoolma'am in
town. and he's mani" he snarled. IL
don't know anything about your daugh-
ter-she's not my sort. You'd better
20 over to Daniels Guess they con
give you all the Information you want"
She looked at him in doubt and won
der. In all her life her exquisite delica-
cy and femininity had warded off from
her,.such roughness IS this. A murmur of
indignation beganIn the room; but it was
silenced by one sweeping glance of sig
nifcance from the bright blue eyes of a
man who came forward and bsnt his
stately head to the old lady with per-
feet Creole grace.
"That suggestion is not a bad one;
our friend here is uncultured and un-
mannerly, but he means well-we will
take it for granted that he means well.
Madam, will you accept my escort to seek
out your daughter? 1t may be an un
dertaking of time-life in this section is
busy and hustling-people are self-cen-
tired, and pay little attention to their
neighbors-the faculties of perception
and observation become diminished"
- As he led his charge away, the
pleasant cadence of his soft, Southern
tone died away in the safe generalizing
of platitudes, uttered with the intent of
soothing while he gained time.
Every man in the drug store breathed
freer, satisfied of thisissue of this diff
cult and painful matter, since George
Lock'es tact and ingenuity would direct
its arrangement. But one young fellow
walked briskly to the. postmaster, rub
bing his broad hands in a very agony of
indignation and disgust. His jaunty at
tire, astute, slim German face, and slid
ing step made up an anomalous ensem-
BILE. This was Barney Heiman, the
butcher. He exercised shrewd bus
mess faculty, and was always amply in
funds; his unfailing generosity with
these resources gave him an assured
standing among men, and might have
secured rim position in the heterogene-
Gus social life of the town had he cared
for such distinction. Moreover, his very
soul was instinct with the innate chiv-
airy that strikes root deeper than that
learned at court.
"See here, Doctor Lucas y he said
"Pm peaceful-minded, and all that, but
just can't stand no such o'n'ry way oj
talkin' to lady-and an old lady, too
I'd have taken hand myself, but why
to talk to lady, it just breaks me all up
But I'd just's soon tell man what
think of him-even if it's not very com
plimentary-as would to lasso critter
And l think it's mighty rough for you tc
abuse and talk hard to an old lady about
her daughter that she can't help about
and you got half a dozen half-starved
kids runnin' around up here in Chihua
hua, without any schoolin', and learnin
to steal and fill the dance-houses Ibe
lieve man can be man, ifhe's gam
bler-if he amt a tin-horn gambler =
and think a man can stand way up il
town and still want jumpin' on thu
worst kind And wouldn': stop much
at doin' it %
Barney's trade met with approval
more particularly that clause referring
to the hapless half-caste children Docto
Lucas had ignored since his marriage
Such storm of reproach assailed Doc
tor Lucas as made him bend his crsvel
head. Matters might have become Sc
rious for him but for the reaction o
, laughter over Bob Nugent's tipsy Gictum
Bob was q gentleman, drunk or sober
commonly drunk, poor fellow = and h
l voiced his scorn of the druggist"
as not wsrth thrashin', Ba'ney? Dot
Y yo' d'sherve duckin' n tailin' pond; !
: I'd give 7 T. yo' fl wasn't drunk"
George Locke, timing his free step I
t the careful tread of that tiny figure be
g side him, swiftly revolved in his min
!, the situation, and determined to con
d duct bis charge to hotel, assumed to b
It Daniels" where he could, by collusio
d with the people, defend her from unde
J, sirabie information, at least until sh
1 should be strengthened by nights res
What, then, Was his dismay when tn
). dainty footsteps paused on the bros
g sidewalk before door whose streamin
e light made distinct the sign before th
e building-"Daniel's." She dropped hi
: arm, and went straight in at the vic
It door.
, @Is-is Daniels a tavern? Have
l.