The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-07
Published by Special AraDgement-Copyishted 1885, III Rights ResMyedl
THE DEMON PLAQUE.
AsToRY IN TWO parsley FRANK R. STOCKTON.
PART II.

PAR
habited by Mr.. Billy Haskell, ! found the old
man In his garden digging early potatoes and
carefully searching the ground he turned up for
every tubsr. NO matter how diminutiye Its
size. q ismounted and went up to him, and, as
briefly as possible, told him what had heard
and why ] had come, and asked him what he had
TO say about it.
Old Billy raised himself up, and after having
gazed a few moments at a little potato no bigger
than q pea, he dropped it regretfully and then
said:
you're not the same gentleman as was here
afore about this~
mo-" said ], The couldn't come to-day, and
asked me to do SO. But it's all the same"
..Wel, 1 wish he'd a come, " said the old man
ENORMOUSLY. HE told me was ali right, and if
Eairsy Grome didn't give me half her last years
crap I could sue fur it an git it"
"That was because he hadn't heard all the
story 1 said.
HE was a difrent kind of a man" said Mr..
Haskell with a cloud upon his brow. HE didn't
20 round listenin' to old womens tales about
things they don't understand, SIGH as bosses"
"If you thought your neighbor didn't urder-
stand the care of horses" said !, land if you be-
lieved your animal was worth anything, you
wouldn't have put him into her charge"
II don't want to hear nothin' moro about
that" said the Old man impatiently. II agreed
to furnish q boss an work on her place, an l did
it, an she agreed to give me half a crap, an
she didn't, an there's the long an the short OF
It."
"Well, /" said !, 'if you persist In your present
frame of miEd, and will not consent to take fair
wages for the work you have done, it is probable
shat you will get nothing. for ! see plainly that
rou have no case with which to 60 to law
81 don't want to go to law" said Mr.. Haskell,
San to come down hard on an old woman. II
Sairey Grome II give me half her crap l won't
ask her to pay for the boss, an we'll be friends
agin, Jest as we was"
'Nonsense," said I, ''of course she won't do
that. If you obstinately persist in claiming what
Jou know. as well as I do, you have no right to
claim, l shall have nothing more to do with you.
and you can take what you have earned, or let 1t
alone, just as you please" And I turned away
TO leave him.
: mover VAIN ~ 500 JoU oSo'aS
man, his little gray eyes sparkling with anger.
'ia-comin' here to onsettle peoples minds when
eEerythin' was a goin' on straight; an it'll do me
good If ! ever hear that the other mans got
her"
'Got wboln l exclaimed, stopping in surprise.
"Why, that young lady, as you know well
enough" he cried spitefully. "You needn't sup
pose as I'd think you two fine gentlemen would
Eonsarn yourselves about two old people. as you
didn't know, if you didn't expect to make some
thin by it. You're dom it to please the young
lgosan who had jest as much sense as she was
handsome. an if shd a been let alone I could
have showed her I was right. an she'd a talked
over old Sairey. The other man is the best law
yes, an the best hearted, an knows how to git
On a hess better, an I hope he may git her,
at this l laughed heartily, and rode away.
The next day 1 related to Mr.. Curper the re.
suit Of my interviews, avoiding, however, any
reference to the old mans parting remarks.
sAnd now, !" said ]. 1.-The two can settle the mat
Ter between them as they please. shall nave
nothing more to do with it."
sNor I, with that part Of it." said Curper, who
had highly enjoyed my account Of the latest
phase of the affair, Though I believe if they
were to take 1t into court their counsel might
manage to string the case out several links
further and make a deucedly good thing OF 1t.
Bot, though I have done with their part OF the
affair, I have not done with mine. / am on the
track of Miss Janet, and I shall come up with her
lDet" -
.rYou don't mean to say I exclaimed, that
you intend to push inquiries in regard. to that
young lady's identity, in spite of her expressed
desire to remain unknown"
Eyes, 1 do" said Curper. Il take an interest
In this girl, and keeping her name back Is just a
whira, or q frolic. suppose you will be sur
.nrised to hear that I have written to her, and re-
Guested an interview"
sWristen to her." I exclaimed. '.How did you
get a letter to herr"
There was very little difficulty in regard to
that" he answered. land Miss Janet will find
mat when she addresses herself incognito to a
sawyer he will very soon know as much about
her as about her business. She ought to expect
that as . matter OF course. You see that. al
though the letter wa swritten with a typewriter,
She address on the envelope was written with a
ben. and In a lady's hand. I knew from the let
ter it was not Miss Janet's hand. and I fancied I
had seen the hand writing before. and yesterday
Afternoon l searched over a lot of notes, invita-
lions and things of that kind / have here, and it
vas not long before I found who addressed the
hote. It was Mrs. Morpeth."
Upon hearing this name, we'll known to me, I
evlnced an increased interest.
'sWhen / had made this discovery continued
Mr.. Curper, II had no hesitation as to my plan Of
action. I wrote o note to the young lady, ad-
sdressing her by her nom de plume, but assuming,
as a matter of course, that I knew all about her,
and having briefly stated that I had attended to
the case, as far as possible under the circum-
stances, ] said that it would be necessary for me
TO have an interview, in order that might confer
with her in regard to further action