The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-09-26

The widow Browning, who had been
hugginy the girls for a minute, raised
her eyes. She reached forward without
speaking and gasped. as if about to faint.
Jack sprang to her and clasped her in his
strong arms.
"They said you were dead, my son.
It's you, Jack, isn't it? Thank Cod!
Thank God for his goodness But oh,
Jack, it was cruel! How could they say
it?'
And she sobbed quietly on hcr sons
shoulder, with her head modestly averted
from the crowded piazza.
''Hush, mother; calm yourself. I'm
all right, as you see, and so arc the girls" "
But the fountains of long repressed
grief, once opened, were not SO readily
stemmed. Elm and Millie added their
tears to hers, and Jack found himself in
somewhat embarrassing position. Here
he was, with three weeping women, sob
lGng as though their hearts would break
and there was fully oEe-half the popula-
ton of the Springs gazing straight at
them wonderingly.
Suddenly he heard loud and vehe-
ment blubbering proceeding from the
other side of the stage coach.
Major! Major!' he cried, with q
shrewd guess at the author of the sounds
1t was indeed the major, whose sus-
capabilities had again been deeply
touched by the sight of lovely woman in
tears. He edged around till he came
within handshaking distance, when,
grasping Jack by the arm-the latter
having now succeeded in disengaging
himself from his relatives-he blurted
out:
"Sorry, my boy: but 1 can't help it.
Never could a-bear seein' wimmin folks
in distress. All, Mr.. Lispenard, you
there, too? Well, 'tisn't for everything
Jonas Black would drop tear, but
mater will hev its way once in a while,"
and the tender hearted major took an
other look at the ladies as il to assure
himself that their grief was not yet
spent, and then started to blubber afresh,
He not only blubbcred. he beloved. His
grief was of the transcendent character
that asserted itself. 1t wasn't to be gain
said. And all the while the voluminous
red handkerchief was saving the air,
being waved with gentle motion in the
left hand, while the right was firmly
pressed against the majors streaming
eyes.
Jack and his friend Lispenard looked
at each other in dismay. They led the
ladies gently and still sobbing to the
parlors; but the transit was fatal for, TO
their utter astonishment when the two
friends emerged a moment later, they
found the still weeping and apparently
disconsolate major surrounded by score
or more miners who We're softly howling
in sympathy, They had learned from q
vague hint cast out by the major in the
intervals of his vehement bursts of grief
that something had happened-they
couldn't exactly say what; but as it had
gone straight to the majors heart, and
as everybody at the Springs loved the
major and stood by him, they followed
his example.
1t was n perfect canival of grief, and
Redrock INDUCED it to the full, just as it
might have injulged in the circus or any
other unwonted luxury. The miners
went sobbing in pairs and groups and
enjoyed the agony. Even the Chinese
cook went moaning about the kitchen,
wondering what had come over every
body and what it was all about,
Long after the mother and daughters
had mastered their emotions and conde-
scended to talk nationally the settlement
kept it up. This episode of grief was a
luxury too rare and unwonted to be
lightly turned aside. Redrock sobbed
itself to sleep like an infant. The major,
who was one of the last to go to bed, de.
clared to Whipple that although he had
never cried since he was boy he had
never enjoyed anything half so much in
his life.
San I tell ye what it is, Cy, that
widows pretty sensible sort O. woman,
and whoever gets either O the daugh.
ters II have perfeok lady fer q mother
| iu.law."
The superintendent's heart gave jump
and his blue eyes flashed at the major in
a way the latter might have resented
had it not been dark and the hour late
After they parted Cy pondered the ma
JOA o "oAuos AAc Souli Aleihc tOtlIHS
out of them. 1t was absurd, he thought,
to imagine that the old prospector and
hotel keeper had ambitions in the direc-
ton of Millie, whose dimpled, oval face
and bright, dancing eyes would ill assort
with his gray locks and increasing avoir-
dupois. 1t was equally idiotic to believe
that he aspired to make an impression
with the tall and dignihed Emmeline,
who had distinguished air about her
that made him seem ridiculous by con-
trast.
Still, jealousy once aroused is hard to
stiie. To think over it is to strengthen
it. And so, while all else in Redrock
slopt as quietly Us q babe at it mothers
breast, Cy Whipple alone lay awake
through the night watches, tossing on
his couch, uneasy and troubled by the
events of the previous evening, and quite
undecided as to the course he should
adopt on the morrow. That it devolved
upon him to do something, however, he
felt certain; and he resolved that he
would seize the first opportunity.
CHAPTER V.
REDRocK SPRINGS GETS A BOOM.
81 s. g