Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-11-20


and friendless amid suspicion, growing
prejudice avertod faces, whispered lea, and
back Of all these stood the being on earth
most loved, transformed at once from an
angel Of mercy into an IMPLYING and mis-
taken judge.
These were my thoughts for days and
nights. They were my company-a numer-
Gus and busy crowd. They were kept alive
by tho frequent sight OF Blanche about
Pratts cabin. Mine was but three hundred
yards distant She had house put up for
her own accommodation For assistants she
had every man on the Bar-save myself
The crowd was absolutely hungry TO do
something for Miss Seton The area on
which her cloth-covered house was erected
alongside of Pratts, was leveled as IL by
magic. II Miss Seton wished bowlder
pitched out Of the way they were ready and
habie 10 remove a hundred. Volunteers
went up the mountain, cut young saplings
and built her fence, Pratts well was
cleaned and deepened.
Fifty men with picks and shovels cleared the
trail leading from her residence to the store OF
intercepting bushes AMI impeding powders,
one evening after knocking off work from
the claims, physical inference that In their
estimation, Miss Seton would probably want
often to Ego shopping" or possibly drop
down Of an evening and have chat with
the boys II Miss Seton had desired the
enormous bulk of Scrub mountain to be re-
moved, think the matter would have been
seriously considered In all this Mr.. VIII
liam Setter was the lady's self-constituted
right hand man, and even while working on
his claim would be seized With spasm of anx-
iety and solicitude in her behalf, AMI rush up
to Pratts in chronic state OF fuss-about-
and-do-littleness.
Why did | not seek an interview with
Blanche and endeavor to justify MYSELF
did make the attempt, or rather paved the
way for one. lowed her three hundred dol
lars. l sent her the money with interest
due, through Rankin, explaining to him the
circumstances under which the debt was con-
trected. This, of course, let Rankin into
portion Of my secret Fortunately, he was
man who could keep secrets. He realized
that there was money in this kind OF banking
also and that cash and confidence often go
together.
His manner toward me in this business was
serious and considerate. He seemed to re-
spect the burden he knew was carrying,
and he was one Of the few with mind in
herently judicial that demanded clear proof
before any conviction.
felt for while relieved after having In
trusted this commission to Rankin. He said
to me nothing Of the Pratt matter. But as
thoughts can be felt, knew that he sympa-
/ thized to some extent with my lonesome and
miserable situation
Blanche sent back, through Rankin, only a
formal receipt for the money. To my re-
quest for an interview she made the follow
ing reply:
II would prefer not to soc you under the
present circumstances
BLANCHE SEXTON"
So matters went on for eight or ten days
Broener continued absent Did find any
consolation In the thought that he might be
miserable In not finding Blanche at Marys
villel But what Blanchei His or--mine, l
was about to say. The man had been so reti-
cent on the subject, and Blanche herself being
hermeticaily sealed against me, was still In
doubt whether the woman next door was the
one had seen in the play or not.
could not visit the store. That was nc
place for me. My work at the Bank" was
quite DONE / kept at work on the river
claim, making six or eight dollars per day,
to which ! was perfectly Indifferent Worse
my position while at work gave me frequent
glimpses Of Blanche as she fitted In her neat
morning dress between her own house and
Pratt's She was rare spectacle to the
miners whose claims commanded view Of
the situation l saw them at times peepinp
at her from sundry vantage points as SHE
tripped about, displaying at times slippered
foot and neat ankle which caused many g
heavy sigh.
Why not write herl did write her-pagt
on page, telling the whole story, detailing all
the misery Of my situation, upbraiding hei
for her injustice and cruelty, and beseechinq
her for personal interview But there wa.
no local postoffice delivery on Bull Bar
Rankin was the only one to whom l could
intrust these letters. That would reveal M
to him too much the suppliant. So would
keep the letters ! re-read them. found
then, one too harsh / threw it in the fire
The next was too humble, too duplicating
threw that In the fire. Within twenty-fouI
hours after writing, and the mood / com
, posed in had cooled off, could not find on.
of the right tone and temper. There seemed
no hitting the golden mean" So they al
went in the fire. On the whole, am disposed
to think that as good destination as any fol
copious and exuberant love letters-and hkt
mine, before delivery If you don't think s,
read your own, say three years old, and lool
1 the self that wrote them at that time straigh
in the face, and tell me your deliberat.
opinion of him.
+ From Rankin ascertained that Pratt lay
most of the time in condition bordering OF
Inconsistencies. He had, he said, ''lit up"'i
little on Blanches arrival She, he added
was "bully nurse"
"What does the doctor say of himT
asked.
| sob, something scientific" he answered
, Something he's learned out Of his books tina
nobody can make head nor tail of Look
profound to MATCH especially when he take
i his whisky It's biz-biz, you know
9 1t was CLEAN of sunshine that Rankin
had resumed this vein of tax with me-"
! One morning found pinned to my door
h note without signature, bearing these words
: Better leave Bull Bar Trouble brewin:
a for you"
II felt that this was a friendly warnin,
from Rankin. i felt, also, it portenied som
r secret 'vigilante" business regarding my
4 SELF
r What to do I knew not. This was a newe
L blackness to the cloud was greatly dis
n turbed. was, l own, terribly afraid OF III