Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-12-19

party, closely following and slbowipg each
othsr, and before the astonished proprietor o.
Thompson's grocery was aware OF the tnsen-
ton OF his guests, tho room was deserted
Pho nigas was pitchy dark. In tho first
gust Of wind their temporary torches were
extinguished, and only the red brands dane
ing and lifting in the gloom like drunken
will o-the-wisps indicated their Whereabouts
Their way led up Pine Tree canyon, at the
head of which broad, low, bark tnatcneo
cabin burrowed in the mountain side. IL
was the home Of the Old Man, and the en-
trance to the tunnel In which he worked
when he worked at all Here the crowd
paused for a moment, out Of delicate defer
ence to their host, who came up painting In
the rear.
aPraps yed better hold on second OUT
yer, whilst go in and see thet things Is all
right said the Old Man, with an indiirer-
enee he was far from feeling. The sugges
ton was graciouSly accepted, the door opened
and closed on the host, and the crowd, lean
ing their backs against the wall and COVER
ing under the caves, waited and listened
For few moments there was no sound but
the dripping OF water from the caves, and the
stir and rustic Of wrestling boughs above
them. Then the men became uneasy, and
whispered suggestion and suspicion passed
from the one to the other. Reckon she's
caved in his head the first lick" "Decoyed
him inter the tunnel and barred him up,
likely Got him down and sittin' on him"
ssProbIy bilin suthin to heaye on US; stand
clear the door, boys!" For just then the
latch clicked, the door slowly opened, and
voice said, Come in out O. the wet"
The voice was neither that Of the Old Man
nor Of his wife. 1t was the voice Of small
boy, its weak treble broken by that prefer
natural hoarseness which only. vagabondage
and the habit Of premature self assertion can
give. 1t was the face Of small boy that
looked up at theirs-a face that might have
been pretty and even refined but that 1t was
darkened by evil knowledge from within and
dirt and hard experience from without He
had a blanket around his shoulders and had
evidently Just risen from his bed, Come
in" he repeated, land don't make no noise.
The Old Mans in there talking to mar" he
continued, pointing to an adjacent room
which seemed to be kitchen, from which the
Old Mans voice came in deprecating accents.
LET me be" he added, ENORMOUSLY, to Dick
Bulleu, who had caught him up, blanket and
all, and was affecting to toss him into the
fire, let go O. me, you id old fool, dye ye
hearf'
Thus adjured, Dick Bullen lowered Johnny
10 the ground with a smOthersd laugh, while
the men, entering quietly, ranged themselves
around long table Of rough boards
which occupied the center OF the
room. Johnny then gravely pro-
ceeded to a cupboard and brought out several
articles which he deposited on the table.
SThar's whisky. And crackers. And red
herons. And cheese" He took bite Of the
latter on his way to the table "And sugar"
He scooped up a mouthful en- route with
small and very dirty hand. And terbacker.
Thar's dried appils, too, on the shelf, but
don't admire em. Appils is swelin' Thar" y
he concluded, "now wade in, and don't be
afeard. Tdon't mind the old woman. She
don't b'long to me. S'long."
He had stepped to the threshold Of a small
room, scarcely larger than a closet, and hold
ing in its dim recess small bed. He stood
there moment looking at the company, his
bare feet peeping from the blanket, and
nodded.
Hello Johnny! You amt goin' to turn in
agin, are ye!" said Dick.
AYES, are" responded Johnny, decidedly
sWhy, wots mp, old fSllowp
am sick"
allow sickF'
"Pve got FEWER. And chilblains. And
roomatiz," returned Johnny, and vanished
within. After a moments pause he added in
the dark, apparently from under the bed
clothes, And hiles"
There was an embarrassing silence. The
men looked at each other, and at the fire.
Even with the aPpetizing banquet before
them it seemed as if they might again fall
into the dependency of ThompsOn's grocery,
when the voice Of the Old Man, incautiouSly
lifted, came deprecatingly from the kitchen:
Certainly! Thet's so. In course they is.
y gang o lazy, drunken loafers, and that al
Dick Bullen's the ornariest Of all Didn't
hev no more sabe than TO come round var
with sickness in the house and no provision.
ThSt's what said. 'Bullen,' SEE l, it's crazy
drunk you are, or a FOOL seq /, to think o
such a thing Staples SEE, be you man,
Staples, and 'spect 10 raise hi under my
roof, and invahds lynn roundF But they
would come-they would Thet's wot you
must 'spect o such trash as lays round the
Bar
A burst Of laughter from the men followed
this unfortunate exposure. Whether it was
overheard in the kitchen, or whether the Old
Mans irate companion had just then ex,
hausted all other modes Of expressing her
contemptuous indignation l cannot say, but
a back door was suddenly slammed with
great violence. A moment later and the Old
Man rOappeared, happily unconscious OF the
cause of the late hilarious outburSt, and
smiled blandly.
"The old woman thought she'd jest run
over to Mrs McFadden's for a sociable call, y
he explained, with jaunty indifference, as he
took a seat at the board.
Oddly enough, it needed this untoward in,
cident to relieve the embarrassment that was
beginningto be felt by the party, and their
natural audacity returned with their host
do not propose to record the convivialities of
that evening. The inquisitive reader will ac-
cePt the statement that the conversation was
characterized by the same intellectual exalta,
ton, the same cautious reverence, the same
faStidious dehcacy, the same rhetorical pre-
ciSion and the same logical and coherent dis,
course somewhat later in the evening which
distinguish similar gatherings of the mascu,
line sex in more civilized localities and under
more favorable auspices. No glasses were
broken, in the absence Of any; no liquor
was uselesSly split on floor or table, in the
scarcity Of that article.
1t was nearly midnight when the festivities
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