The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-08
"GRBSSY.
ny BRET HARTE,
Author If 'The Luck Of Roaring Camp, Tales
Of the ArgOnAuts, " "In the CATquiueE
Moods" "Marujn," Etc.
copyrighted 1855, blythe Author.


Kinstry had assumed towards her hus-
bands weak civilized tendencies was not
entirely free from human rancour. That
strong loyal nature which had unsexed
itself in the one idea OF duty, now that
duty seemed to be no longer appreciated
took refuge in her forgotten womanhood
and in the enthusiastically small argu-
mcnts resources and mannuvres at its
command. She had conceived q singular
jealousy OF this daughter who had
changed her husbands nature and who
had supplanted the traditions OF the
household life; she had acquired an eX'
ar.erated depreciation ofthose feminine
charms which had never been factor IN
her own domestic happiness. Shesawin
her husbands desire to mitigate the
savage austerities of their habits only a
weak concession to the powers OF beauty
and adornment-degrading vanltes she
had never known in their lifelong stiug,
Gle for frontier suPremaey-that mad
neutrality-suspicious. victorious out OF that
struggle. "Frzzes," "lnreblows" ana
fancy iixin's" had never helped them
in their exodus across the plains, had
never taken the place OF swift eyes,
quick ears, strong hands and endurance
ind never nursed the sick or bandaged
the wounded. When envy or jealousy
invade the female heart after forty 1t Is
mt to bring bitterness which knows
no Alternating compensation IN that
couuetry, emulation, passionate appeal
or innocent tenderness which makes toll.
cradle the Jealous caprices OF the young
er woman. The struggle for rivalry Is
felt to be hopeless, the power OF imlta'
ton is gone. OF her forgotten woman
hood Mr.. McKinstry revived only u
capacity to suffer meanly and inlet
mean suffering upon others. In the
ruined cas,leo OF her youth, aud the fail
ing in Of blnquetting hall and bower,
the dungeon and torture chamber ap'
neared to have been left, or to use her
own metaphor, she had querulous!y
complained to tie paFson that Accord
in to some folks, she mOut hev BIN IN.
barren fig.tree elected TO bear Persim'
NUNS" mr.
Her methods were not entirely differ
eut from these employed by her suffer
| ing bISttluDOu III Inv S'',S' = :,
unlucky Hiram, "worrited by STOCK,
was hardly placGted or consoIeu py
learning from her that 1t was only Tue
result OF his own weakness, aCtihg upon
The cugsedncss Of the stock-dispersing
Harrisons; the perpleXity into which he
was thrown by the news OF the new ieGal
claim TO his land, was not soothed by
the suggestion that it was u trick OF that
Yankee civilization to which lie was
menn,y succumbing. She who had al
wnys been Il rough but devoted nurse IN
sickness was now herself overtaken by
vnpuejrregl.lar disorders whichinvolved
Tie greatest care and the absence OF all
axciting causes. The attendance OF Nc
Kinstry aud Greasy at "crazy quitting!
marty" had brought on "blind chillsr
the importation Of melodlan for Cressy
to play on had superinduced an IN,
nerd rash," aud Il threatened attack o.
"paIsy creeps" had only been warded oil
by the timely postponement OF an even
ing party suggested by her daughter
The old nomadic instinct morbIdly G&'
cited BY her disContent. caused her 10 lay
: artful plans fora further emigration; she
knew she had the germs OF "mash fever
caught from the adjacent river; she re-
lated mysterious information gathered IN
"cass meeting" OF the superior facilities
for stock raising on the higher foothills
she resusCitated her dead aud gone Mis-
: souri relations in her daily speech, to Z
D manifest inyidious comparison with thu
living; she revived even heincidents oil
her early married life with the same bale.
mi intent. The acquisition ola few billed
shirts" BY Hiram Tor festive appearances
with Greasy painfully reminded her that
he had married her in hickory; ShG
further accented the change ny herself
appearing in her Oldest clothes, on the
hypothesis that it was necessary. Tor
some one to keep up the traditions oil the
past, Ia
have been more decided had she ever
possessed the slightest influence over
| her, OF had even understood her with
the intuitive synpathics oil the materna!
relations. Yet she went SO far MS to
even openly regret the breaking off OF
the match with Seth Davis, whose fam.
ily ut least still retained the habits and
traditions she revercd; but she was
Promptly silenced by her husband ln'
| forming her that words that had to be
TUX back" had already passed between
him and Seth's father, and TINT accord.
ing to those same traditions blood was
more likely to be spilled than mingled.
Whether she was only withheld from
attempting reconciliation herself
through luck OF tack and opportunity
remains to be seen. For the present
she encouraged Masters's attentions
under new and vague idea that tlirta-
ti0n which Distracted Cressy from her
studies was displeasing to Mckinstry
and inimical to his plans. BIindly ig-
norant OF Mr.. Ford's possible relations
! 10 her daughter, and suspecting nothing,
abe felt towards him only Il dull AYERS
ion as being the senseless pivot OF her
troubles. Seeing no one and habitually
closing her ears 10 any family allusion
10 Cressy's social tnumphs, she was
unaware OF even the popular admir-
alton their memorable waltz bRd e%-
cited.
Ben had confded to the master his IN
renious plan for settling the boundary
DISPUTES. the barking OF Mckinstry's
yellow dog announced the aPpFeaeh OF
y stranger 10 the rancho. 1t proved to be
Mr. Stacey--nnt only as dazzlingly ar
raved MS when lie Grst rose above
Johnny Filgee's horizon, but wearing in
addition to his jaunty business air
look Of compliment expectation OF the
pretty girl whom he had met at the ball.
fla lind not seen her for month. 1t
wSs n happy inspiration OF his own that
enabled him to present himself that
morning in the twin functions OF VIC
torious Mercury and Apollo.
McKinstry had TO be summoned from
an adjacent meadow, while Cressy IN
the meantime undertook to entertain the
gallant stranger. This was easily done.
Il WAS part Of her destinations that dis;
dainiug the ordinary real or assumed
Ignorance Of tho ingenm Of her class, she
generally exhibited to her admirers
with perhaps the angle exception Of
the master) u laughing consciousness oil
the state of mind into which her charms