The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-10

Delphic utterance he put has finger TO his hps
and vanished.
1t was 10 o'clock when he reached Four
| Forks. A few minutes later he stood on the
/ threshold of that dwelling described by the
/ Four Forks Sentinel as the palatial residence
| of John Ashe," and known to the local satirist
! as the ash box" "Hevin' TO lay by two hours
! john" he said to his prospective son-inlaw, as
/ he took his hand at the door, 81 few words of
| social converse, not on business, but strictly
| private, seems to be about as natral thing as
a man can do" This Introduction, evidently
| the result of some study, and plainly committed
| to memory, seemed so satisfactory to Mr.. Nc
| Closky, that he repeated it again after John
Ashe had led him into his private office, where
! depositing his valise in the middle of the floor
and sitting down before it, he began carefully
| to avoid the eye of his host. John Ashe, tall,
| dark, handsome Kentuckian, with whom even
the trifes of life were evidently full of serious
| import, waited with a kind of chivalrous re-
/ spect the further speech of his guest Being
utterly devoid Of any sense of the ridiculous
/ he always accepted Mr.. McClosky as grave
! fact, singular only from his own want of expe-
! rience Of the class.
Ores is running light now" said Mr.. Nc
/ ClOsky with easy Indifference.
! John Ashe returned that he had noticed the
/ same facts in the receipts of the mill at Four
Forks.
Mr. McClOsky rubbed his beard, and looked
at his yalise, as if for sympathy and sugges-
ton.
You don't reckon on having any trouble
with any of them chaps as you cut cut with
Jinny?"
John Ashe, rather haughtily, had never
thought of that. / saw Rance hanging round
your house the other night, when / took your
daughter home; but he gave me wide berth"
he added carelessly.
Surely" said Mr. McCIosky, with peculiar
winking of the eye After pause he took a
fresh departure from his valise.
"a few words, John, ez between man and
man, eZ between my daughters father and her
husband who expects to be, is about the thing
l take it, as is fair and square. | KEN here to
say them. They're about jimmy, my gal"
Ashes grave face frightened, to Mr.. Nc
Closl1y's evident discomposure.
Maybe l should have said about her mother;
but the same bein' a stranger to you, says
materially, jimmy"
Ashe nodded courteously. Mr.. McClosky,
with his eyes on his valise, went on
a. 1t is Is year ago as 1 married Mrs, Nc
Cl0sky in the State Of Missouri. She let on, at
the time to be widder,-a wilder with one
] child. When l say let on, mean to imply that
/ / subsellently found out that she was not a
+ wilder, nor a wife; and the father of the child
was, so TO speak, UnbeknoWnst. That child
/ was Jinny-my gal"
With his eyes on his valise, and quietly
.
1 darkening brow of his host, he Continued
Many little things sorter tended to make
/ our home IN Missouri unpleasant. A DISPOSE
! ton to smash furniture, and heave knives
around; an inclination to howl when drunk,
and that frequent; a habitoOal use of vulgar
4 language, and a tendency to cuss the casOoal
vistOr-seemed to pint" added Mr.. McClosky
with submissive hesitation 'that-she-was-
/ So 10 speak-quite omsuited 10 the marriage
/ relation in its hottest asneck'
Damnation Why didn't"-burst out John
Ashe, erect and furious.
"At the end Of two year." continued Mr.
McClUsky still intent on the vaIise, a" | allowed
/ I'd get a divorce. Et about tibet time, however,
Providence sends a circus into thet town, and
I a feller q rode three horses to onct. Hevin'
/ allez q taste for athletic sports, she left town
with this Teller, leavin' me and jimmy behind.
/ sent word TO her, thet IL she would give jimmy
I TO me, we'd call it quits. And she did"
! Tell me- gasped Ashe did you ask your
/ daughter to keep this from me? or did she do it
I Of her own accord 2"
She doesn't know it" said Mr.. McClosky.
She thinks I'm her father, and that her
/ mothers dead"
Then, sir this is your"-
81 don't know" said Mr.. McClosky slowly,
ez I've asked any one to marry my jimmy.
/ don't know ez I've persoOd that ez a biziness,
| or even taken it up as a heaithful recreation"
4 r.
/ McClOsky's eyes left the Yalise, and followed
| him curiousiy. Where is this woman" de-
mauded Ashe suddenly. McClosky's eyes
sought the yaiise again.
'Sbe went TO Kansas from Kansas she went
/ into Texas; from Texas she eventooaly came
/ to Californy. Being here, I've purvided her
4 with money, when her business was slack.
I through a friend"
John Ashe groaned. ashes gettin' rather
4 old and shaky for HOSES, and now does the
tight-r0pe business and flying trapeze. Never
/ heyin' seen her perform continued Mr. Nc
/ Closky with conscientious caution, / can't say
4 how she gets on. On the bills she looks well.
/ Thar is poster" said Mr. McClosky. glancing
I at Ashe, and opening his valise,-' thar is a
poster givin' Der performance at Marysyille
next month" Mr. McClosky slowly unfolded
large yelow-and- blue printed poster pro-
I fuseiy illustrated. She calls herself Nam
4 selle J. Miglawski, the great Russian Ira
pezste.'"
John Ashe tore it from his hand. "Of
course he said, suddenly facing Dir. McClosky,
4 = you don't expect me to 20 on with this 2"
Mr. McClosky took up the poster, carefully
refolded IT, and returned it to his valise.
1 When you break of with jimmy" he said
4 quietly, don't want anything said bout
this She doesn't know it. She's a woman,
and reckon you're white man"
But what am l to say? How am I to go
Write her a note Say something hez come
/ TO your knowledge don say what that makes
you break 1t of. You needn't be afraid Jinny'u
ever ask you what"
John Ashc hesitated He felt he had been
cruelty wrOnged No gentleman, no Ashe
could 60 on further in this affair. 1t was pre-
posterous 10 think Of it. But somehow he felt
at the moment very unlike gentleman, or an
i Ashe, and was quite sure he should break down
under Jenny's steady eyes But then-he could
write to her.
So ores is about as light here as on the
( Ridge. Well, ] reckon they'll come up before
the rains. Good night" Mr. McClosky took
the hand that his host mechanically extended
shook il grayely, aud Was gone.
When Mr. McCiosky. d week later, stepped
again upon his own ycranda, he saw through
the French window the figure Of q man in his
parlor Under his hospitable ROOF, the sight
was not unusual; but, for an instant, a subtle
sense OF disappointment thrilled him. When
he saw it was not the face of Ashe turned to-
ward him, he was relieved; but when he saw
the tawny beard, aud quick, passionate eyes oil
Henry Rance, he felt new sense Of apprehen-
sion, SO that lie fell to rubbing his beard almost
upon his very threshold.
Jenny ran into the hall, and seized her father
with little cry Of JOY. Father" said Jenny
IN hurried whisper. don't mind him. indi-
eating Rance with a toss Of her yellow braids
hes going soon. Aud ] think, father, I've
done him wrong. Bat it is all over with John