The Monmouth inquirer., 1893-02-16


she isn't that kind of gal Thar must be
something wrong, and I'm off for her
house."
''But your breakfast''
''Send it to the Injuns, Nellie. Pm of. =
And he was off A short walk along the
main street of Westport and a turn TO the
left brings you to a little white cottage
-------- 2 : --------- -
with green blinds. Here Captain Jim
stopped, and ignoring the bell knocked on
the door with his great knuckles.
The door was opened by a very pretty
lady, who looked none the worse that her
eyes bore evidences Of recent weeping; she
beckoned her visitor in, and as soon as the
door was closed she held before him a rude
picture and whispered:
Captain Ballantyne. where did you get
thiss"
It was the painting by Whistling Billy
The lady had been weeping; her voice was
tremulous; she was distressed. A great
pang Of self reproach struck Jirn's heart.
She was offended that he had sent her
such thing as present. Why hadn't he
listened TO his sistere
Il am sorry. Ella, sent it," be STAN
mered; 'sbut ye see my Pard painted Ii,
and thought"-
'.Your pardg Who do you meanP An
swer mep'
Jim was hopeiessly embarrassed He
strobe into the little parlor and seated him
self, while the lady, with an agonized face,
repeated the words, ''Who do you meany''
81 mean Whistling Billy answered Jim
at last, 'sthe best feller as ever lived. Me
and him roughed it in the mountings,
Ella, and in Arizony, and then he died"
.'Oh, you will madden mer' cried Miss
Fansler; tell me where you got this pie
ture"
Ella replied Jim piteously, '.at telling
a story I'm like coyote catching hen.
/ have 10 do it my own way or not at all. y
And then Jim told the. story of his pard
and the painting Of the picture in the desert
by the moonlight, and the rifle shot, and
the lonely grave he followed out TO lay the
once merry Billy in
And when he had finished Miss Fansle.
sank to the floor and sobbed and pressed
the rude painting to her lips, while Jim
gazed in mute astonishment. And after
awhile the lady arose and went TO an
album and drew from it a photograph
which she handed to him silently. One
glance and Jim sprang TO his feet and cried
hoarsely:
"Whistling Billy4'
my lover, William Clark" sobbed Miss
Fansler; .'he whom promised TO marry
and be true to. Oh, / thank God you were
with him that cruel night, and that you
buried him',--
And that I avenged him. muttered
Captaia Jim sternly.
There was no answer to this. Miss Fam
sler rested her head upon her hands and
sobbed quietly until Jim, thinking that
she would be better alone, started for the
door, But she called him back.
Don't go, Jim" she said. She had never
addressed him as Jim" before. ''The
poor dead boy loved to sketch, and / have
several of his paintings. The letters
k-r-a-l-e mean Clark spelled backward.
When received this yesterday and from
you it was a positive blow. / longed to send
for you or go to You for an explanation,
hut dreaded to also, for felt that there
was a tragedy connected with it; there has
been so much tragedy in your hfe-and
mine"
She closed her eyes and leaned her head,
perhaps unconsciously, upon his shoulder.
He grasped one of her delicate hands in his
great, hard fingers.
..William went away to the west" she
resumed land I never heard from him
more. All, he was true to mel If l had
been unworthy of his devotion, how could
have survived this dayf"
For ten minutes after this the silence
was so intense that the ticking of clock
in distant room was audible through it.
Then Captain Jim bent his shaggy head
over hers and said;
ELLA, I've packed up to go out thar to
the mountings and the prairies; it's too
lonesome here without have ye. Ella, my
pard is dead that was to be your pard. |
loved him like, he was my brother; he has
told me about his sweetheart in the wilder
ness under the stars, and have loved his
sweetheart just as brother would, be-
cause she was his sweetheart, and when
saw her | loved her for my own sake; SO
my love for my pard's sweetheart is
double one. Ella, shall 1 go to the noun
tingss'
''No," she whispered.
1t was three hours later when Jim went
home and told his sister, and she threw
her arms about his neck and wept, and
then she laughed and cried
''I'll never again give advice toa lover
as to the kind of valentine to send to
lady"
Il wouldn't if was you,n laughed Cap
tain Jim.