The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-06-15


and there WIS fully one-haIf the popula-
ton Of the Springs gazing straight at
them wonderingly.
Suddenly he heard a loud and vehe-
nent blubbering proceeding from the
other side of the stage coach.
Major! Maori he cried, with
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 bIurted
out:
ssSorry, my boy: but I can't help it.
Never could a-bear seein' wiIan.in folks
in distress. All, Mr.. Lispenard, you
there, too2 Well, 'tisn't for everything
Jonas Black would drop a tear, but
mater will hey its way once in a while,
and the tender hearted major took an
other look at the ladies as if to assure
himself that their grief was not yet
spent, and then started to blubber afresh.
He not only blslbbered, 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 dislnay. They led the
ladies gently and still sobbing to the
parlors: but the transit was fatal. for, to
their utter establishment when the two
friends emerged a moment later, they
found the still weeping and apparently
disconsolate major surrounded by a score
or more miners who were softly bowling
in sympathy. They had learned from
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 q perfect carnival OF grief, and
Bedrock INDUCED it to the full, just as it
might have injulged in the circus or any
other nwonted 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. Bedrock sobbed
itself to sleep like an infant. The major,
who was one of the last to 60 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.
IAN / tell We what it is, Cy, that
widows a pretty sensible sort o woman,
and whoever gets either o the daugh-
tiers II have perfeck lady fer mother
in-law."
The superintendent heart gave jump
and his blue eyes flashed at the major in
way the latter might have resented
had it not been dark and the hour late.
After they parted Cy pondered the ma
jor's words. He could make nothing
out of them. 1t was absurd, he thought,
to imagine that the old prospector and
hotel keeper had ambitions in the direc-
ton of Mile, whose dinpled, oval face
and bright, dancing eyes would i'll assert
with his gray locks and increasing ayoir-
dupois. It was equally idiotic to believe
that he aspired to make an impression
with the tall and dignified Emmeline.
who had a distinguished air about her
that made him seem ridiculous By con-
trast.
Still, jealousy once aroused is hard to
stife. To think over it is to strengthen
it. And SO, while all else in Bedrock
slept as quietly as 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.
REDRocE SPRINGS GETS BOOM.