The Louisiana Democrat., 1890-04-02

lhCmate associates in society. I can
see MIN noW-poor Jack-as he sat on
DIS couch on the stage in lonely dignity,
twisting and writhing his form into all
sorts OF shapes, from sheer nervousness
ana disgust, as the woman proceeded;
ana yet prevented by his soft-heartcd-
ness from manifesting his just disappro-
baton in any way.
TN the evening of which write. we
were sitting, Jack and 1, in my bachelor
quarters, smoking. l was endeavorine
10 persuade him to give up disagreea-
Die, and, as l thought, dangerous task
which he had undertaken - sfor a
friend.''
Give it up, Jack" 1 urged. "Don't
let yourself be used as cat's-paw in
TINS matter. Somebody's finger will be
badly burned when they attempt to
take those chestruts out of the fire.
Jones knows that. He knows, too, that
olade is an ugly dog to deal with, and
dangerous. Give it up. You are man
OF family, and you have no right to get
yourself into an ugly scrape to save an
other man from running like risk.
olade IS slinky sort of a cub, and
would as soon shoot you in the back as
not Give 1t up, dear fellow, and let
Jones attend to his own business. A
go-between is seldom thanked, in the
end, by either party"
L laid my hand persuasively on his
shoulder as l spoke. He remained 81
lent, looking up into my face (for had
risen and was standing over him) with
those great brown eyes, SO like a wom-
ans in their tenderness, fixed on mine.
Give it up. old fellow" My voice
trembled little in spite of my six feet
OF manhood. Jack drew long sigh of
intense relief, as ii weight had been
lifted from him.
"Well, l think / shall, Dick. To tell
you the TRUTH and he arose and shook
himself as if he had just come out of
deep waters, and his brow cleared won
derfully-''to tell you the truth, this
thing has worried ME no little. In fact,
l think Slade was in my mind when l
spoke of dying in my boots just now.
He's an ugly dog to deal with, as you
say, and the dear little wife and chicks
at home would miss me sadly if Left
them to the tender mercies of this cruel
world. The truth is they are family
OF comics, Dick, innocent and helpless.
1t wouldn't do for me to leave them un-
protected
Yes, and you are the most perfect
cony OF any of them,' thought to my
self, as he picked up his boyish, soft |
hat, and started with me down the |
street twiriing slender little cane in
his hand. ''You should get pistol for
yourself, Jack, or a heavier stick than
that. You live so far out of town that
it is scarcely safe for you to be without
of the kind, is it?'.
mo; you are right. I'll get pistol
now while think of it, - he replied, and
we went together and selected a good
'even-shooter, for burglars ostensibly-
'ut / think we both felt the same
'hadow of an approaching need for it,
Vt the time, that was not connected
With professional robbers, at any rate.
That evening Jack told mo the his
ory of his father and brothers.
Many years ago his father had shell
cred man in Texas who was suspected
# horse-stealing; and touched by the
oOr wretch's pitiful tale of woe, had |
elped him to make his escape. That
light a band of masked men came at
Midnight. 1t was the same old horrible
tory. The demon called Judge Lynch |
eigned in the land, and
His headstrong lot hath no curb
After night of horrors unspeakable
fair June morning dawned upon a !
5rong man riddled with bullets, writh- I
ng in untold agony in the arms of q
'enzied, half-crazed wife, and sur
,unded by fair young sons, grown to q
liter manhood in a single night. Even l
ter the lapse of so many years, Jack I
,uld scarcely command his voice to tell +
e Of it. S
His eldest brother was skilled at
liloh, and his youngest-the widowed a
others 'baby-boy"-torturcd to frenzy
T a heartless woman whom he mad1y
we'd, rose from his bed in poor Jacks u
vn home, dressed himself in what was a
have been his wedding suit, took .
ck's own razor, went out into the
wning light OF spring morning, laid
s young head on bed of pansies that
e had planted, wrapped large soft d
vel about his neck, and cut his throat
I'M ear to ear. When they found him
was stiff, for he had been dead some 's
urs; but he had closed his own eyes IL
d laid himself out for burial. 1t was VI
ly necessary to bring a coffin, cleanse y
, beardless throat of its CHASTITY stain, y y
d lay him to rest on the spot he him o'
f had evidently chosen for his last Ill
lch. The old mothers heart broke =,
IN, and in few weeks they laid her -: Se
side him in the bed of pansies. III
rhe day following my interview with r. +.
TX was busy in my Office over a case ~, -,
murder. l felt confident that my r
snt was guilty, and yet was using 49,
utmost endeavor to prove him inno- D.
1t. All my sympathies were with the ho h
rdered, his poor, penniless young J.; ii
low and his helpless orphans-and IL IL
this are we lawyers" Iquoted g, g,
disgust as l rose and went out to
Ike off the repugnance to my task 80
ich was creeping over me by short 70,
*. -
crowd had collected in the street vi
ut block north of my office. in t;r
letively turned my steps in that direc- ~; ~
wv, " :. o. . II