The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-26
A WORTHLESS FELLOW
BY CLARENCE NJ. pouTELLE.

BY CLARENCE NJ. BOUTELLE.
GA worthless fellow; simply worthless fell
low" The words were not new to Bill Fed
den, but scowl crept darkly up his hand
some but weak and dissipated-loolxing face as
he heard. He looked quite capable of thrash
ing the man who uttered them and equally
incapable of giving any other denial to them
than the denial of mere brute force. The
denial of brute force and the assertion of
muscle are going out of date in these DAYS,
almost at the threshold OF the twentieth CEN
tury. But of denials or assertions, poor Bill
Fedden had no other.
Perhaps Charley Chase spoke with greater
emphasis than was necessary. A Western
donation party brings all classes together
Bill Fedden might have been out of place
there, but he didd't look SO. Doubtless he
would have looked so in church; no one could
say; he hadn't been there for years; no one
looked for the Feddens at church. But the
donation party was a different thing: wild
games and laughter went on under the eyes
OF the minister who shouted the truths of re-
ligion to his rough hearers on Sunday and who
shouted to his rough sons and rough oxen at
their work every other day in the week; he
even took part in them sometimes himself,
and the young people always took as much
enjoyment out Of the donation party. which
occurred every winter, as they did out of that
educational agency, the spelling-school. or
that worldly amusement the genuine Western
country dance. M
And all the Feddens always came; and they
were always liberal, and they had always
been welcome. Charley Chase was enphsti
He evidently meant to impress the girl to
side of her nature. Every one in town knew
the truth of what he said; he intended the
girl should feel as we'll as know. And Bill
Fedden, who overheard him, meant to punish
him for it.
A small house is well crowded on such oc
casions as these, and Bill found himself a
long time in crowding down upon his victim.
This one and that had hearty word for him.
but his answers to all were short, and his eyes
were fixed on the couple he was following,
Charley Chase, whom he meant to thrash
within five minutes, and Alice Brown, the
minister's daughter, whom he as fully in
tended to marry-some time.
Tom French kept him for half minute
talking about deer hunt they were to make
when the next snow fell, and he thought Bill
in queer mood indeed.
"No liquor. in his breath; perfectly sober;
what ails the fellow?''
That was what Tom French said to himself
as Bill went on.
schools, quick with figures, and generally
counted the smartest young fellow anywhere
in the vicinity, did himself credit by his acute
ness.
whats up? You amt going to kill
Charley Chase, are you? What's he been
doing?"
..I'm going to thrash him; you mind that"
said Bill.
$50 ahead; Pm well fixed" and Len
leaned up against the window sill behind
MIN. "pll open the window when you
begin to sweep the snow out of the yard with
him."
An old maid who believed she had a mis-
sion to convert young Fedden, and who, per-
haps, was simple and honest, in her belief
albeit the neighbors always said, econvert and
marry" when they spoke of it, intercepted
him, and got an oath in answer to some re-
mark which was intended to be kind and con-
siderate.
A wild, dashing girl who had Bilps attention
the whole OF the winter before, and with whom
he had quarrelled held out her hand in
friendly way, with reckless look in her ewes
which would have kept him longer half year
ago than it did now.
Bill met a man he owed, growled when
the money was asked for, but paid 1t and
went on. He growled more, perhaps, when
a man who owed him, insisted on paving
him. He had followed Chase through two
rooms already, and his anger had not cooled a
bit.
He met the minister next, talking with a
stranger, and he had to be introduced. The
minister was bluff ana frank and hearty
with him he liked the minister he loved
the minister's daughter-but he hurried on.
ga worthless fellow; simply a worthless
fellow" and the tones in which the minister
told it to the stranger were as bluff and
frank and hearty as those he had Just used
to Bill. Full of earnest conviction, laden
with the very spirit of truth, and SO loud
and clear that Bill heard them.
He paused. He couldn't thrash the min
lister he couldn't thrash the minister's
daughters father Should he thrash any
body? He turned sharply to the left,
opened the door near him and stepped out
into the night. A strange look was in his
face; something very like sob came from
between his set teeth.
He thought of it as he stood there. Drink
from his boyhood difficulties with his teach
ers, from whom he had learned next to |
nothing; difficulties with the neighbors; a
growing reputation for fighting; strong sus-
plcions as to his regards for the rights Of |