Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-07-01
LANE, LITTERATEUR.

-FOUR OF US, All wanderers IN strange
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 q
sweet voice, and swear II brings the tears
back into my eyes To think OF the story he
told US In bis quiet, hating way between
the puffs OF his long stemmed pipe, the
smoke curling up In unison from our In.
dividual bowls as 10 IL were incense Tor
the memory OF Jack Lane. littorateur
"Poor Jackf'
The moment he began TO speak weshifted
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. pun A window ratified, moved by
a light spring breeze; the Roman servant
brought In more beer.
IL will tell you about him." We braced
mp; the story was coming, and knowing
Dick, we knew Ii would be good Jack
was from the Blue Grass country. and M
fine looking fellow as you would wish TO
see, eyes like pieces OF sky, and clear cut,
noble features, and yellow hair that
wreathed aboHt hts head In a way that
drove the girls distracted: fine horseman,
magnificent shot. n crack chess player
gambler, 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.
lyon are the only respectable relative
left she said. and sighed as she thought
OF her brother. who had Just fed to India
70 escape the consequences OF his four
teeuth duel
Jack took the money and kissed the
donor gratefully Then he went out---the
gift In his pocket. the words In his mind.
Sol The only decent relative left, 40
counts for my deuced lonely feeling
"His reverie was interrupted.
just the man want am looking for
you, Lane
"'Oh, hello. Deanei What's upr
I'VE have scheme on hand. going 20
start q poolroom and need more capital;
want you 10 go into II. IL you will; your
name need not be connected with Il, you
know
Jack put his hand In his pocket, and al
the tauch Of the money the words OF his
aunt came tripping back TO him on the
wings of the devil.
~ will 20 into it, he said, and pulled
out the money. 'Yon can take It, ex.
pect some from play next week Never
mind TO thank me, it is all right | will
be around tonight
"Sight came, and at the first hour of dark
Jack Lane entered the door that led him 10
ruin. The associated managers had told
him he need not be connected with the
affair, but he came 40 frequently that he
was soon estimated. not as stock holder.
but patron.
Zone night the aunt, who had given him
the money he had invested in the scheme,
died. just before she closed her eyes, she
murmured: Jack, Jack, you were the
only respectable one left. gave you the
money that led you into evil. Forgive
News OF the death found Jack In the
midst OF n game OF poker lie had been
drinking heavily; his wonderful eyes were
luminous; his ruillcd hair lay like wreath
of gold about his brow.
"'Dead, he whispered hoarsely, as he
dealt the cards. and all the money will be
mine, mine,
But the reading Of the will proved the
uselessness OF his hopes. She had left
every cent Of q vast estate to a convent
and the codicil attached revoked the main
purport Of the bcstowment to this slight
degree; To my nephew. John Stewart
Lane. leave the white silk handkerchief
embroidered with golden l.. for on 1t fell
my bitter tears to think that | had given
him the key to he'll
Jack Lane took the handkerchief and
put II in his pocket. He left Kentucky
soon after and went west
at WAS some years after that met him
again in Nebraska. lie had been engaged
20 lay out some swamp lands, he and his
men were hard at work Tie locked sick.
discouraged, he hated the work. and the
air OF the swamps was undermining his
constitution. He was gambling heavily.
too, In the adjoining town, and the lamn
of life was burning rapidly lie had the
same hearty handshake. the same blue
eyes and wreathing hair,
"'Writing any4
Some, he said Can't help IT.
u invited him 10 come to my ofIice-l
was running The Chanticleer then-apd
told him 70 bring some manuscript with
him
He came one night with the manuscript
The student lamp rained down gentle ra
dance upon US He began to read his
story In n voice resonant with pathos and
softening tenderness, aud as he proceeded
saw in the curling smoke OF my cigar the
transient Characters Of the Witch OF the
hwamps.'
"A dream drst, he explained when he
had finished reading-'a dream that haunt
cd me. ! saw the figure coming toward
zoe down through the tarns aud pools
There was seawerd bound about her, ana
like banner waved tImy silk above her
head spangled with golden letters. and
tears like brilliants showerod about her
and above all rose the purple donseness Of 4
the swamIs and languid and low In the !
sky hung Dian knocking me-
Il took the story and paid him double
what coald Afford and not an atom Of
what 1t WIS really worth, for IL surpassed
any Poe had ever written for witchery and
sweetness- He threw up the survey scheme
then and used the money to carry him
east.
Yeas passed. Il was in New Mexico
that next saw Jack Lane. la the town
Of Patxcudaro. named by the olkings Of
Tzintxunzan. and meaning place Of pleas
ure He was sitting on a stone bench near
. fountain. bordering the plaza. a glorious
eyed Mexican maid was by his side. pale
blue serape thrown about her head
''iier hair rivaled aay night | ever Jaw
for blackness, Il was like storm at sen,
l.