The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-24
che beautiful, well-lighted rooms across

the hall into this somber, almost fright
full place. The old lawyer picked up
big pipe made of some kind OF red
rock with long stem, and going over
to the mantel filled and lit it at one OF
two candles burning there, and, turn
ing to the young man who stood look
ing about him, jerked his thumb in the
direction of the room they had left and
said: 'You see l keep the child IN
clover. Only way to manage woman,
you know. Down! Feather-ticks!
Snum!' The old man turned about
with shrug and took up candle
from the mantel. "Now, here" he
said, starting toward one of the cabi-
nets. but John Earring interrupted him
with smile: "You only believe in soft
living, then, as kind Of medicine?"
he asked.
The old lawyer stopped and looked
at him. LAD" he said, "it's good
enough for females and too good for
men. Nothing will turn man into q
poodle so quick as a feather-tick;
snum! l believe in hard beds, hard
chairs, hard floors, and-1 was going
to say-hard hearts: for | haven't had
much experience with any other kind.
Yes, there is soft one clicking away
in the breast of little girl in the other
room, though it's willful as lightnin',
sometimes, and guess yours would
be soft enough only it's too internal
honest Can't be honest with bowl
of jelly for heart, you know" This
last as he pulled open the door of a
cabinet of minerals.
John Earling, standing by the old
lawyer with his hands behind him,
smiled. zone has at least to be rather
hard-hearted with himself, sometimes,
in order to do right" said he.
The old mans eyes twipkled as he
held the candle up by his head and
rummaged in the cabinet. EYES," he
said, "being good amt exactly eating
pie always on this earth, and expect
on the other side of the black creek it
won't entitle us to always sit around
among the flowers eatin' the honey
bags Of bees and drinkin' dew out of
tube-roses either. 1t might if we could
be good enough, perhaps, but when
one goes to figuring on the beauty and
blessedness of the Place of Posies he
don't want to forget that humanity is
Il rotten mess. Purgatory is a necessi-
ty, it seems to me; kind of cleanin !
up place, you know"
The old man gave short laugh, and
drew out something from the cabinet.
Now here, for instance he began, sis
half Of bonn b-shell that saw knock the
brain-bowl from a poor devils Shout.
ders at Buena Vista. You see I have
wired into it this pure white shell,
called a "Lily," from the Indian
Ocean; one is the work of man, the 9th.
er the work of God. Fine pair Of
shells, amt they? Of course, man
suffers a little in the comparison!" and
the old lawyer broke into low bitter
kind of laugh. John Earling took
them into his hands and stood looking
at them, while the old man tapped his
foot little and began humming 8
gruff sort of tune as he rummaged in
the cabinet again.
One of the shells was very white and
shapely and veined with crystal and
pink, and the other black and ragged
of edge, and veined with glazed blood
and some short yellow hairs. While
the young man looked at them be
heard Maun running her fingers ovel
the keys of the piano, fetching little
sprays and low flights of sound, and
when he handed the shells back his
eyes were wet.
The old lawyer had something else
in his hand, which, splitting quickly,
he began talking about. He went on
about the room so, discoursing of this
and That object, and presently came tc
the desk between the windows, and the
candies light being thrown on the
wall above it, John EARRING started
back with a cry. A long serpent's
skin was hanging there, spangled, and
striped, and Acknowledgements the wall.
The old mVn laughed at the momen.
tary horror gin the young mans eyes,
and gave the broad flashing hide 8
stroke downward with the backs Of
his crumpled fingers. ''He was fine
fellow" he said. Il got him in Mexico
and come near making meal for the
creeper in the bargain. What splen
did belt his skin would make for the
Devil or his court Harlequin!''
John Earling smiled and shuddered
~ hardly admire snakes enough to un
derstand how you can allow this thing
here" he said.
"Oh, my admiration for snakes
comes from old association, pre-
sumo" said the old man. II have
been great deal with them, for in
stance'-and he pushed the serpent's
skin to one side disclosing the miniature
portrait of dark-eyed Spanish woman
hanging under it. John EARRING looked
at it moment and turned his eyes
upon the old mans face. The old law.
yer let the skin swing back over the
picture and went toward the door.
Come, let's listen to the child play a
Bit" he said; sit will soon be time fol
you to be going, l expect.
"Play us a bit, child" said the father
"play us The Storm" And the
young girl went back to the piano at
the end of the room, with John Earl.
ing's eyes feeding upon that musical
motion of hers, and flashing her exqui-
site fingers along the keys in a kind Of
prelude, began low, pattering move.
ment, like the soft mingling of wind
and rain, which rose slowly into a del.
uge of melody and crashed and ran
softly down into signing, whispering
space that grew again into thick rain
of notes and showered and drove along
to thunderous climax, with something
like the tempest's roar dying away in
the ringing caves of space.
When she had finished, the old man,