River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-10-14
MIR. DANKS.

"Brutus Cassius banks! Are you 60
ing after thai water, or do you expect
the spring to come to you?"
The man thus pointedly addressed
slid slowly down from the fence where
he was sitting whiting. closed his
huge jackknife by pressing its point
against the rail. and shambled toward
the house.
The woman in the doorway watched
his leisurely approach with an express
sion curiously mingled Of Indifference
and irritation.
A small, STOPPING figure, with a weak
slope to the chin and shoulders; tine
flaccid face with fringe of hay-color-
ed beard, and surmounted by a sun
burned hat; the loose, unshapely
clothes which seemed to have adapted
themselves to the wearer's habit Of
mind-was this the pink-cheekod, trim
young fellow WHO courted her fifteen
years agoP
Il was a-thinkin', Malvine," he said,
taking the pail from her outstretched
hand, ''that a ketch Of fish would taste
kinder good We've had mush pretty
Study lately"
1T amt my fault, said the woman,
shortly.
"No! ! s'pose it amt, " he rejoined
slowly, as though the fact occurred to
him for the first time.
just then little tow-headcd girl
ran round the corner of the house.
"Where are YOU goin' daddy? She
called.
Down TO the spring. Want to 60,
Capitola?" he answered.
/ she looked lovingly at him with her
china blue eyes, slipped her grimy
little hand into his, and trudged of be-
side him.
The woman stood on the doorstone
looking after them. They are well
mated" she thought bitterly. One
has about as much idea OF getting a
living as the other.
She had not lacked warnings years
ago; for Malviua frost, with her slim
straight figure and swapping black
eyes, was the likliest girl in town,
and mothers of manageable sons had
not hesitated to enlarge IN her hearing
upon the "Danks shiftlesness, rein
/ forcing their own opinions by sundry
old proverbs, such as ''What bred in
the bone will come out IN the hesh,
and Like father, like son, But
Malvina only tossed her black curls.
and went her own way.
So one June they were married. and
went to housekeeping in little house
on the bank of the Ohio; and Malvina.
in the strength Of her youth and love,
felt able TO move mountains, but she
found the gravitatiOn Of Inherited
shiftlessuess too much for her.
He had done well for time. The
little cottage was neatly fixed up, al d
when, a year after, the first baby cane,
the young father, with his own hands,
fashioned for II cradle that was inc
wonder and envy of the neighborhood.
But heredity was too strong from him,
and, though the cradle had six success
sive occupants, its drst coat Of paint
was never renewed. Mrs. banks had
never heard OF Sisyphus. If She had
she would have found her task very
much like his, with the exception that
hers was infinitely harder and more
hopeless.
What was it? Mental. or moral, OF
physical weakness or all three? Or an
evil fate, that Whatever he turned his
hand to immeG .ately failed Even
his name .eemed an unkiud fling OF
fortune. His mother having attended,
shortly before his birth, the perform
ance Of some strolling actors, was so
much impressed that the name of Bru-
tus Cassius was waiting for him when
he arrived upon the stage where he
was TO play so Insignificant q part. Ii
was seldom however, that he had the
benefit of his full name, for the com
munity in which he grew up delighted
in abbreviating. But even their rough
familiarity hesitated to call a man
Brute to his face. so he was dubbed
Cash, perpetual satire upon him
who rarely had any cash in bis pocket.
| Against all these odds Mrs. Danks had
fought a good fight; but in the stIug-
Gle her straight back had been bent,
and the snap had gone from her eyes
to her voice.
Somehow the load pressed heavier
than ever this morning. 1t might
have been because il was early spring,
and the air was full of that indefinabie
sense of expectancy, that vague hine OF
reiuvenation that would touch every
thing except the banks fortunes. And
perhaps it was because the flour barrel
was empty, but, whatever the cause,
Mrs. banks turned from the doorway
thoroughly wretched.
Half an hour later Mr.. banks saun-
tered in with the water, the child fol
/ lowing with a string Of two or three
fish.
Setting the pail down, he said in a
depreciating way: Il hev about c'nt
cluded to take with Badgers offer, and
go up to Cooperville.'
She made nc answer, and he contin-
ued: ''Ef anythin sh'd happen, could
come home
80. yes!" she answered. you could
come home easy enough"
The man WINGED, and his sallow face
redeemed.
Il don't s'pose I'm a master hand a
gettin livin', but | tell We. Malyiny,
fate is agin me. Just rs l got a job
across the river that feloa come on my
finger. and when / had chance on
the bridge, out of twenty men | was
the only one the derrick hit when it
fell. You didn't ought 10 be castin' it
up qgin me that he'd to come home;
it's fate.
"Call it what name you like, " she
answered bitterly, its made an old
woman of me before my time.
He made no reply, but went out on
the door stone. where the little girl
joined him, and presently his wife
heard him say:
"Daddy's goin' away. Is CapitoIa
sorry?"
Real sorryl' said the child; adding,
"What'll you bring me, daddy?"
"How sh'd We like a string Of
beads?' he asked. after some delibera-
/ ton.
BLUE beads?" cried the child, then
with the unconscious selfshness Of
childhood-"willy you 20 right OFF,
Apparently he was hur..f his voice
quavered as he asked, (which would
We rather hev-daddy or the beads2'
80, You!n cried the chilH, throwing
/ her arms round his neck and pressing
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