Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-08-01
LANE, LITTERATEUR.


land, and all met by some happy accident,
sat around the cracking fire at Rome. The
Roman servant, long nosed and sullen,
raked into fame the fagots gathered from
the Alban hills, for, being the LIST of March,
our pipes and beer were not enough to keep
us comfortable.
Dick Richards was the fellows name
who told the tale. Egadl but he had a
sweet voice, and swear it brings the tears
back into my eyes to think of the story he
told US in his quiet hating way between
the puffs of his long stemmed pipe, the
smoke curling up in unison from our in
dividual bowls as if it were incense for
the memory of Jack Lane litterateur
Poor Jack"
The moment he began to speak we shifted
our feet uneasily, and the smoke got in our
eyes.
Jack was good fellow"
Again we pulled away in silence, and felt
the terrific portent of his tone "A good
fellow"
Puff, puff. A window ratified, moved by
light spring breeze; the Roman servant
brought in more beer.
81 will tell you about him." We braced
up; the story was coming, and knowing
Dick, we knew it would be good. Jack
was from the Blue Grass country. and as
fine looking fellow as you would wish to
see; eyes like pieces of sky, and clear cut,
noble features, and yellow hair that
wreathed about his head in a way that
drove the girls distracted; fine horseman,
magnificent shot, crack chess player, a
gambler, a duelist, and twenty-five years
old when he died. Not a bad fellow, you
will understand, but full of the southern
love for adventure, and with a dash of
wild poetry in his composition, inherited
from some blue eyed ancestor, who had
loved life and its ups and downs ere he was
born.
when he was sixteen his aunt gave
| him $500.
"'You are the only respectable relative
/ left she said, and sighed rs she thought
of her brother, who had just fled to India
to escape the consequences of his four
tenth duel.
Jack took the money and kissed the
donor gratefully. Then he went out--the
gift in his pocket, the words in his mind.
"'Soi The only decent relative left &C
counts for my deuced lonely feeling
"His reverie was interrupted.
Just the man want. am looking for
you, Lane
"'Oh, hello, Deanei What's upY
1--WE have a scheme on hand; going to
start poolroom and need more capital;
want you TO go into it, if you will; your
name need not be connected with it, you
know
Jack put his hand in his pocket, and at
the touch of the money the words of his
aunt came tripping back to him on the
wings of the devil.
81 will go into it, he said, and pulled
out the money. You can take it. ex
pect some from play next week. Never
mind to thank me; it is all right | will
be around tonight
Might came, and at the first hour of darl
Jack Lane entered the door that led him t.
ruin. The associated managers had told
him he need not be connected with tn,
affair, but he came so frequently that h
was soon estimated. not as a stakeholder
but patron.
zone night the aunt, who had given hin
the money he had invested in the scheme
died. Just before she closed her eyes, sh
murmured: Jack, Jack, you were tn
J only respectable one left | gave you tn
, money that led you into evil. Forgive
News of the death found Jack in tn
midst of a game of poker. He had beel
drinking heavily; his wonderful eyes wer
luminous; his rufiied hair lay like wreatl
of gold about his brow.
dead he whispered hoarsely, as h
dealt the cards, and all the money will b
mine, mine
but the reading of the will proved tn
uselessness of his hopes. She had lief
every cent of vast estate to convent
and the codicil attached revoked the mai
purport Of the bestowment to this Sigh
degree: To my nephew, John Stewar
Lane. leave the white silk handkerchief
embroidered with golden L. for on it fel
my bitter tears to think that had give
{ him the key to hell
} Jack Lane took the handkerchief an
put it in his pocket. He left kentuck
: soon after and went west.
at was some years after that / met hir
again in Nebraska. He had been engage
to lay out some swamp lands; he and hi
men were hard at work. He looked sicb
discouraged he hated the work, and tn
air of the swamps was undermining hi
constitution. He WAS gambling heavily
too, in the adjoining town, and the lam
Of life was burning rapidly. He had th
same hearty handshake, the same blu
eyes and wreathing hair.
Writing anyp
"'Some,' he said. Can't help it.
81 invited him to come to my office
was running The Chanticleer then-an
told him to bring some manuscript wit
him.
HE came one night with the manuscript,
The student lamp rained down a gentle RI
dance upon us. He began to read hi
. story in voice resonant with pathos an
softening tenderness, and as he proceeie
| saw in the curling smoke of my cigar tn
( transient characters of the Witch of tn
Swamps.'
IA dream first he explained when b
had finished reading-'ad dream that haun
ed me. | saw the figure coming towar
zoe down through the tsrns and pool;
There was seaweed bound about her, an
like a banner waved filmy silk above he
head spangled with golden letters, an
tears like brilliants showered about bel
and above all rose the purple denseness c
, sky hung Dian mocking me-
II took the story and paid him doubl
? what could afford, and not an atom G
= what II was really worth, for it surpasse
, any Poe had ever written for witchery an
sweetness. He threw up the survey schem
, then and used the money to carry hin
east
D "Y@rs passed. It was In New Mexic
that l 1ext saw Jack Lane. In the tow
= of Patzcudaro, named by the olkines o
TzintzunEan, and meaning place Of psras
. ure He was sitting on a stone bench nea
fountain, bordering the plaza; a gloxiou