The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-02
THE SWAMP WITCH.


land and all met By some happy accident
sat around the cracking fire at Rome. Inc
Roman servant, long-nOsed and suileu'
raked into flame the fagots gathered from
the Alban Hills. for, being the 1st OF March,
onr mines and beer were not enough to keep
US comfortable.
Dick Richards was the fellows name who
told the tale ESad! but he had sweet
voice and / swear it brings the tears back
into my eyes to think of the story he told
MS IN his quiet, Mailing way between the
pufs Of his long-Stemmed pipe, the smoke
curIing up In unison from our individual
bowls as if it were incense for the memory
OF Jack Lane littersteur.
Poor Jack.
The moment be began to speak we shifted
our feet uneasily and the smoke got into our
eyes.
Jack was good fellow"
Again we pulled away in silence and felt
the terrific portent of his tone. "a good
p fellow"
Puff. puff. A window ratified. moved by
hight spring breeze; the Roman servant
brought in more beer.
81 will tell you about him." We braced
ID: the story was coming. and knowing
Dick we knew it would be good. Jack
was from the Blue GRASS country, and as
fine q looking fellow as you'd like TO see /;
ewes like pieces of sky, and clear-cut, noble
features and yellow hair that wreathed
about his head in q way that drove the girls
distracted; a fine horseman, magnificent
shot, a crack cheSs-plsyer, a gam 0er, a
duelst and . years old when he died Not
a had fellow YOU will understand, but full
of the Southern love for adventure, and
with dash Of wild poetry IN bis compost
ton inherited from some blue-eyed auceS-
tor. Who had loved life and its ups and
downs ere be was born.
When he was is his aunt gave him $500
"'You are the only respectable relative
left she said, and sighed as she thought Of
her brother. who had just fed to India to
escape the consequences Of his fourteenth
"Jaek took the money and kissed the
d:ctsor gratefully. Then ne went out,the
elIt&s MS pocket. the words IN his mind.
50 THE Cnlv decent relative left; that
RecOunt IS for ny.deueed lonely feeling.
"His reveTie was interrupted.
"'Just the man l want. / am looking for
you, Lane
''Oh, hello, Deane! What's up?"
/" We have a scheme on hand; going to
start q poolrOOm and need more capital
want you to 60 into it, If you will; your
name need not be connected with 1t, you
know
"Jack put his hand In his pocket. and at
the touch of the money the words of his
aunt came tripping back 10 him on the wings
of the devil.
81 will go into it, he said. and pulled
out the money. . You can take il. ] expect
some from a play next week. Never mind
to thank NE; 1t is all right. l Will be
around tonight"
Night came. and at the first hour of
dark Jack Lane entered the door that led
him TO ruin. The associated managers had
told him he need not be- connected with
fFr,-o efafr hrr&h no 81 a.,
he was soon estimated not as a stakeholder,
but patron.
zone night the aunt who.had given him
the money lie had invested in the scheme
died Just before she closed her eyes she
murmured:
Jack. Jack, you were the only respeeta-
bic one left. gave you the money that led
YOu into evil Forgive
News Of the death found JACK in the
midst Of a game Of poker. Hs had been
drinking heavily; bis wonderful eyes were
luminous; his ruffled hair lay like a wreath
Of gold about his brow.
Dead" he whispered hoarsely, as he
dealt the cards, land all the money will be
mine, nine"
"But the reading of the VIII proved the
uselessuess Of his hopes. She had left every
cent of a vast estate TO a convent, and the
cOdieil attached revoked the main puTport
Of the bestGWment 10 this slight degree:
ITO my nephew, John Stewart Lane, !
leave tne white silk handkerchief en-
bT0idered with golden L. for on 1t fell
my bitter tears TO think that l had given
him the key to he'll"
Jack Lane. took the handkerchief and
put 1t 10 his pocket. He left Kentucky soon
after and went West.
1T was some years after that l met him
again in Nebraska. He had been engaged
TO lay out some swamp lands; he and his
men were hard at work. He looked sick,
discourage he hated the work. and the
az II the swamp was undermining bis con-
st!-9si n - -, DaTn Hing, teS, - the ad-
joining town, and the lamp Uf life was burn
ing RAPIDLY. He had the same hearty hand
shake, the same blue eyes and wreathing
hair.
WHITING any?'
"'Some,' he said Can't help it,
81 invited him TO come to my Office was
running the Chanticleer then-and told him
TO bring some manuscript with him.
He came up one night with The manu-
script. The student lamp Tained down a
gentle radiance upon us, He began to read
his story in voice resonant With pathos
and soft tenderness, and as he proceeded
saw in the curling smoke of my cigar the
transient characters Of The Witch Of the
SWamps.'
"a dream first he explained, when he
had finished reading-'a dream that haunted
me. saw the figure coming toward me,
DOWN toward the tarns aud pools. There
was se&@eed bound about her, and like a
banner waved a ilmy silk above her head
spaBgled with golden letters. and tears,
p like briliiants, showered above her, and
above all rose the purple denseness of the
swamps, and languid and low in the sky
hung Luna, hooking me-
Il took the story aud paid him double
what could afford and not an atom of what
i was really worth, for il surpassed any
zoe had ever written for witchery and
sweetness. de threw the survey scheme
IN durrr Lo-k
Years passed. II was In New Mexico that
again saw Jack. In the town of Patzcuaro.
named by the Olkings of Tzintzunzan. and
leaning place OF pleasure. He was sitting
on stone Dench near fountain bordering
the plaza; glOri0us-eyed Mexican maid
was by bis side. pale blue serape thrown
abOut her head.
"Her hair riYaled any night ever saw for
blaekneSs: II was like a storm at sea, alive
in its fury Of gloom and grandeur. Her
skin was OF olive tint. her mouth was the
borrowed bow Of Cupid. her figure Gala
tea.
1.-The expression Of content upon Jacks
face was new 10 me. He was smoking as
usual; the girl was speaking TO b i'm in
Spanish. her words chording softly. rhyth-
zaically. with the night air that came straight
from the stars, with dewy, golden weight Of
dreamlke langu0r.
THE mules were pattering by, the bells
tinkling like faint fairy voices. Afar in
iOhS iIhes sretcned the lighted 00n1reS, for
u was market night, and men, women and
fish.
i did not speak to him that night but
IoilOWed tneu. Next day [ went to see him.
~ was GOOD to see his face again. to feel his
hand. / sank into a chair and asked him OF
Same old story he said dismally; dead
oroke, BAD healtll-it was the swamps that
az a. ne got ny and paced the floor; then
suddenly ne stopped in front of me- The
o'I u y suille was On his face.
9In Vic man who stands alone he