Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-09

"Blamed IL 1 know. !cept he has picter that
he takes out from his inside westcot pocket
over his heart. 'spose-and holds it ahind the
light and never takes his eyes often it. oness to
read letter that he carries in the same place"
Are you sure he never says anytEing!'
"Pve heerd him mutter once or twice, heav-
ing big sigh, but the only word I've ever been
able to catch was Maggie. and L m not sure Of
that. He kisses the picter ever many times,
and when he is through puts 'eni back together.
| He is the most considora.ist man ever knowed.
| He never forgits me and moves about like q cat,
/ fearing of waking me, not 'specting cause my
eyes appear to be shet I'm pecping atween the
! lids"
.And then does he lie down?'
! ale slips out of doors, coming back Jest afore
! daylight to prevent my waking up and finding
/ him gone. think thar some woman in the
business, and, il a woman" added the philos-
opher, "then a man, and, resumed the bull
| dog, showing his fangs, Il want to find that
mani
'And has the doctor never explained any
thing Of this?'
II can't 'zactly say no. He was so infarnal
blue three nights ago that up and asks him
whether couldn't do nuthing for him. He
looked at me steady like for a minute and then
says. says he, mike, what do you think 1 come
out to the mines fur?'
"'To dig gold,' says, innocent like.
"'No,' says he: I'm looking fur a man.
at took ane all aback when he said that and
| COutAuuCTb dktCf Ptopci pdurC.
And what are you going to do with the
man when you find him|
81 say, did you ever see blood red thunder
and lightning mixed up with the Are from the
| eyes Of . rattler when he snaps back his head
| to strike? Wal, that was the doctors face
when drops down on him with that question,
and then he says: Wait till find him; he's
| somewhat on top Of the 'arth and come out to
the Golconder to look for him.
"Then purceeded, kind of gentle like, to ask
/ 4 l. a. I Al
| did he look like and any other p'ints that
might be of use to me. But he shook his head
and says: Mike, it isn't for you to find my
man it's for me. II any one else shets me out
III shoot the chap that does it, even if it's you.
I tell you he's mine And that look that L m
| speaking Of comes back agin ten thousand
times worse than before. 1t made me shiver.
He wouldn't say nothing more. which is all
| know"
A few days later blizzard struck New Para
disc and Devils Gulch. Little snow was flying
| in the air, but the sleet that spun and gyrated
everywhere was like billions of birdshot. There
were places in the gorges where it would
| snatch up q man and fling him away like a
feather in hurricane. 1t bounded through
the gullies, gorges, ravines and pockets, Shrek
ing like legion Of demons; it penetrated the
thickest clothing like dagger and chilled the
marrow In ones bones; sometimes its bowling
| sank to dismal wall, so low and tremulous that
| we fancied it was subsiding, only to break out
| the next minute with tenfold ferceness All
| that we could do while it lasted was to cover in
our cabins, or at the Angels Bower. and wait
! for 1t to spend itself. There was no working in
the Golconda until an abatement came.
| On the second night we gathered at McGuig-
| ans. There had been abatement enough during
the day for the landlord to gather more wood
| and plug some Of the chinks and crevices in the
| three months before. when the doctor intro
duced himself particularly to Red Mike. I
never saw him in a more entertaining mood.
| He told anumber of his army experiences, and
every one felt when listening to him that
nothing in our own lives was to be named be-
| side them. l can see now in recalling that
night that the difference lay in the manner Of
telling and the resistless personality of the man
| himself.
As he sat, partly tipped back on his STOOL
with his legs crossed, his feet, as delicately
shaped as a woman's, showing through the big
boots, which came above his knees and into
which his trousers were tucked, his SLOUGH
army hat on one knee, his bright ewes spark
ling and the thin silken hair tossed off his fore
head, he formed picture whose peculiar win
someness no painter ever surpassed.
| The bulldog crouched in his corner ,devour1ng
him with his eyes and ready to spring at our
Threats on the first provocation. But there
could be none. No one would interrupt the
narration which we wished could continue till
| morning.
At times the shrieking blizzard shook the
structure SO savagely that we expected it to go
scurrying down the gulch, spilling us on the
way. We drew in our breath and tried to be
| as heavy as we could. while praying that the
elemental fury would hold off until the doctor
finished the particular story he was telling.
In the midst Of his narrative the door was
showed inward and John wilkins entered.
The man lived half a mile up the gulch with
his wife and small child, a little girl four or
i've years old He was o shiftless ne'er-do-
well, who rarely visited New Paradise and was
known to only few of us. He spent most of
his time wandering through the mountains be-
yond prospecting, except when compelled to
shoot game for food or till the little patch Of
ground attached to his squalid home. His wife
was such q recluse that none of US had ever
seen her.
Our first feeling was that Of wonder that the
fellow could have fought his way through the
blizzard, which was bitter and fierce enough to
strangle polar bear. In appearance he was q
reminder Of Red Mike. except he was more
cadaverous, holloweyed and STOPPING.
Something unusual must have driven the
man thither; for, without approaching the fire
or the bar he said:
"Gentlemen. I've come for doctor. 1 heard
you had one with YOU
"What is the matter?" one asked. "Is your
child sick?''
mo; it isn't Alice It's her mother. I'm
afraid she's going to die. She's had bad
fever for more than a week. but didn't hear
about your having a doctor among you till to-
day or would have come for him."
How is your wife now?''
"The fever is gone, but she is SO weak. lying
with her CLASSY eyes fixed on the ceiling that I
don't know whether she's alive or dead till
speak to her. One thing is certain-if she
doesn't get help before morning she will co.
Is it true, boys, that you've got doctor among
you?'
EYES," replied; "there he SITS"
The turning Of wilkins eyes toward the doc
tor naturally caused US to do the same. With
out any one having noted it he had donned his
army hat and pulled it down so low that only
his nose and eyes showed between the rim and
beard. He was looking straight and silently at
the caller, but even with this partial screen
was struck by the strange glitter in his eyes.
prOtrusion Of his mustache showed that his lips
| were compressed and he was breathing hard
through his thin nostrils. His legs were still
crossed and the arms were folded.
II don't suppose you want to make journey
up the gulch with me-" began wilkins apollo
getically, 'for it's mighty tough out doors, but
if l can stand it you can, and it's a case of life
and death"
His last words were uttered TREMENDOUSLY and
he drew the back Of one bare hand across his
eyes. All OF US were sorry, for rough men are
quick in their sympathies, but we felt the doc
| tor would be warranted in refusing in self-de-
| fense l don't know whether were sur