The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-04-10

| boy, whom a ranchero Congressman has
lassoed and corraled at West Point, going
| to come into the society of gentlemen and
| utterly thwart all attempts at ration al
| conversation with his brags and his lies
about Indian killings Not while | am
about
"Rancheros do not lasso COWBOYS II said
gravely. Nor do | think that Blanken-
| burgh is from the West, and if you knew
my niece Cicely as well as do YOU would
| let her have her way and be content with
| your afternoon innings. You have been
very foolish"
Robert looked a little alarmed and then
grew peevish.
well" he said, Il don't see WHY she
must take up her time with an ass like
that
II don't see," | answered a little s5iff1y,
''what reason there is for Miss Draper's
being called upon to account to YOU for
any portion Of her time"
was a little sorry next day for the snub
| had given Robert, for man in love is
| like a man in liquOr-after a certain stage
you must pass over every thing he does |
was particularly sorry when | saw Robert
pulling a forty -to-the-minute stroke alone
in his wherry for the yacht at the same
hour in the Afternoon at which he used
generally to set out on a leisurely pull up
river, toward the DEVILS Oven, while nv
niece was dabbling her hand in the water
! from the stern of one of the hotel skiffs
| But the Lieutenant did not come down that
| evening. | afterwards heard that he took
| means of celebrating the remembrance of
| his insult when he reached the garrison,
which inCapacitated him for duty for a day
| or two, and so when | saw Robert radiantly
hand my niece into a rOwboat after tea
| that evening concluded that his period of
| penance was over and all was on its old
| footing.
1t was two hours later, namely, at 9,3O
| o'clock, that was smoking in front of the
| billiard ROOM when saw Robert and my
| niece go up the board walk and asceId the
steps of the hotel. They were walking
| rapidly, and | saw that both were silent
| and distract. As they passed Robot made
an imperiOus sign for me to staywhere
was, and abandoned the intention, which
he thus anticipated, of following chem up
stairs. Two minutes later he ran DOWN the
steps, seized me by the arm and hurried
me toward the wharf To my expostulation
he only said come under his breath, in
manner of suppressed excitement that
had only seen in one man before, and he
was an unfortunate friend of mine who
was on his way with me and adoctor in
cab to Kirkbride's.
saw his hands tremble as he fumbled at
the knot which secured to the wharf the
skiR which he and my niece had just left.
After thirty seconds of vain effort to unite
it, he drew his knife with curse. The
fisherman who was standing in the boat,
steadying it and looking curiOusly in his
face during his struggle with the painter,
started back at this action The young
man observed.the start, and laughed loudly.
| could see all the loungers in the lighted
door of the billiard room turn their heads
at it.
"You needn't be afraid of me, O'Niel,"
he said, in rasping voice. Pm harmless,
quite, Get in, Draper
had no particular fancy for trusting
myself in a Skiff to the middle of the st.
Lawrence with presumptive mania, but
subtle intuition told me that it was either
that or a scene, and thought at the same
time that with a crazy cunning he had
calculated on my intuition for having his
way. | obeyed. | saw the stout white ash
blades of the oars bend like whalebone as
he took the first savage stroke when our
bow was pointed outward
Six of the strokes carried us fairly into
mid-channel, where we rested in the midst
of the broad pathway of light thrown from
the lamp of the little red-topped lighthouse
on the reef. 1t was the sound of voices of
men singing that arrested Roberts oars.
The music fiOated across the water from a
sailboat, whose canvas l could dimly make
ont some distance down stream. Robert
dropped his right oar, doubled his fist and
shook it despairingly at the indistinct
wilderness, and then dropped his head in
his hands and stared blankly at me.
Mr.. Draper" he said, at last. He spoke
in voice from which his late fury had
gone utterly / thought it curious that he
should have put the handle to my name,
which he was proud of having dropped
some years before, and then / recognized a
pathetic likeness, both in the tone and man
ner of his address, to that of a child in what
it considers great trouble.
Il have mother and two sisters at home
as you know, and if ! hadn't shouldn't
have brought you out here | should have
come out alone, and shouldn't have gone
back
All my sympathy vanished at this. "a
threat of this kind is, perhaps, the most
contemplate utterance that man can
make, Robert" | said. IF you wish to
carry it out shan't deter you-jump right
overheard" Twas caught with cough at
that moment, and, remembering my ex-
IRENE susceptibility to cold, grew very
angry. '1f you've simply brought me out
here | said, ito pour out lot of slop
about my niece, Cicely, having refused
you, you can row me right back to shore
and then you can go hang or drown or
whatever you want. The family has es-
capped, must say, most disagreeable adj
dition in the shape of very deadly ass
Don't" he said. with a gesture of hope
less depreciation, that would be nothing
to this. never knew what a mans honor
was, buO w" L We lOSl IL. uO hHOW HO"'
For mercy's sake, man, what do you
mean" | cried.
l will not say what thought crossed my
mind. Go on stop this internal beating
about the BUSH"
The sound of the singing came more
plainly over the water and Robert raised
his head and looked hatred at the white
sail from behind which it came. THAT
cursed load of cads and walters has cost me
| more than life," he said. ''Listenn'
1--WE pulled up to Warmers tonight and
| heard the sunset gum" he said, heavily.
| when it went off your niece asked me if
wasn't opposed to sunset guns any way, as
| being waTlike, you know, and we got
| thrashed over all the old straw that was
chopped last night. She's very fond of
arguments, your niece" said Robert, with
a melancholy break in his voice that was
| as near a sob as u laugh. ''She took the
| oars and sat in the stern and we drifted
| down between Friendly and Timsville.
The talk stopped, and was watching, after
| it grew dusk, the figures of those New York
| fellows on Friendly, about their campfire
| in front of their tent on the bluff, you
| know. Silhouettes are awfully fetching
against the canvas, with the fire between.
/ heard little gasp and oars splashed in
the water. | looked at your niece.
thought she was dying-so many women
have these heart troubles you know She
| swayed back in her seat, and grasped the
| gunwale. ] never saw such a staring black
as her eyes, nor such dead white as the
face. She tried to speak once. Then she
| gasped out, nd-behind-lookn
"One of those fellows on the bluff gave a
| /. Il 4 "a