The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-26


calm steadfastnesS, and the water was
slightly rutfied by the warm balsamic
breeze which blew off land. The can
vas was all drawing well, and no sound
was heard save the lap Of the waters
under the bows. Astern the oily wake
stretched out in the mellow darkness,
sending back the reflection of the stars
with two-fold brilliancy.
'Do you think" he began, choking
back noise, half sob, half groan, ''do
You think cud kill a mon wi a blow
fra that fest ~ and he looked at the
member held in the reflection OF the
pinnacle light, in a serrowful, specula-
tive kind of way. "Ef-ef," he added,
1.-The mon mt over strong ~
"Keep her. stiddy."
Davy corrected the course of the
hooker which, owing to his emotion,
had yawned trife.
Then by degrees and with much
labored effort he told his story, to which
the not altogether reassuring question
was preface.
He had been foreman in a sawmill OF
a countryman of his which was at the
piers we were now bound for. He had
been doing well, he said, until he went
to board with his employer. There he
met and loved Jessie Duncan, the black
eyed daughter of the mill owner. Davy
did not rave over the strength of his
passion. A few simple words told as
effectually how completely it had taken
possession of him. 1t fastened to him
like death Sickness" as he termed
it. The most trying feature was that
he could not find out whether twas re-
turned or not, and when a travelling
music teacher came along with the
cheap fopperies of his class, and was
employed by Mr.. Duncan to give his
daughter lessons on the organ, Davy's
apprehenSions were aroused. Miss
Jessie. it must be confessed, was
possessed of a considerable fund of
coquetry, which was ever brought into
action by her position of belle and
almost the only eligible lady in q large
settlement of men. When the music
teacher took advantage of his position
to carry Oh Irritation, Days latent
jealousy became mania. Like many
another, the stalwart lover avoided the
object of his alteration, and fell to
hating his sleek and perfumed rival,
keeping watch of the latter's move
ments and brooding much in secret.
Piqued at the neglect, Miss Jessie found
a rather ostentatiouS solace in the new
| conner. The climax came one night at
dance, at which all the mill hands
were present. when Davy, surly and
lowering, at last asked her to dance
,1 N
angry scowl he strobe out into the dark
night. The men grinned. The few
women present looked pityingly after
him. He wandered around, as foolish
lovers will, over sawdust piles and in
the adj accent groves, muttering to HIM
self, until the lights in the dormitory
over the clearinghouse where the
festivities had been held, were all ex-
tinguished, and then he sought his bed.
On going into the living room, he was
shocked mortified to find the music
teacher on the lounge beside Miss Jessie
with his arm about her waist-a posi-
ton which he himself had never been
allowed to take. The Young man was
struggling for kiss and Miss Jessie
was making that degree of resistance
consonant with selt-respect, but which
was to eventually result in a confusing
defeat.
@The spectacle threw Davy into a
frenzy. He made rush at the teacher,
who staggered up just in time to catch
y stunning blow from his fist.
.All con mind of noo," he said, sis
Jessie on Bonded knee, with the white
face of the lad in her lap, with blood
comm and she a-moanin': we've
killed him. Ye've killed him! Leave
my SIGHT and don't We ever. ec5r, EVER
come back, o, we've killed him.
He brought the hooker which had
fallen off a little up to her course, and
went on:
Il thowt it war all over wi me, an
| felt queer in my insidaS, and hot and
weak like. and was ashamed OF hav-
i'm hit felier so much smaller than
me.
He paused again.
But Jessie said 90 All I minded. l
lramped all night in the wood and on
the shore. an when see the schooner
pa'ldlei out 10 you. JeSSie's cry has
bin ringin' in my head ever since,
chasing sleep away. l can't stand it
any more. I'm going up to the mill
to morrow an give myself no. Glib
betting wad be relief-rest to what
I've borne"
We made Duncan'S pier about ten
o clock the next morning. As soon as
we got out our line, Davy appeared on
deck, white as new duck. The man
VINO made our hawser fast hailed him
IT once:
"Hello, old man! where in thunder
have you been all this time? The boss
has got your wages for you and your
dudS are up to my house"
us he dead? Did he die?"
"Who dead?'
THAT lad | ki-struck."
dead nawthin'! Why, he's left
long ago. Didn't think We laid 'em out,
did ye:"
Davy staggered in his blind joy. The
man on the pier laughed.
"Well, now he went on as the
hooker. nearing the dock, enabled him
to Chamber aboard, '.vou did hit him
beautiful. He carried fearful heal
on him some time. Guess it did 'em
good, 'ceptin' his looks. But and
the pair went below When the mill
hand emerged he was enioined to
secresv As to Davy's whereabouts, as
he did not choose to face the gang
again after making such 4 spectacle of
himself The other hands being at
work some distance away made his re-
tirement possible. He arranged with
his friend to have his chattels and
wages sent to Chicago. and later it was
vaguely given ont at the mill that he
was trimming grain in that city.
He never asked after Jessie. Had he
narval Nm to do 81 he wnnld have