Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-05-04
A Fallen Idol,
BYA. S. DUANE.
lContinued from last week.l

looking lieutenant from Fort Huachu-
ca. watched Jack, but if he felt it
he never WINGED.
Jack was having trouble in his State
of Virginia mine. The foreman, who
was very competent when sober, had
declined to remain in that state two
consecutive weeks, and things were
becoming demora1ized.
1 have an especial liking for the fell
low" Jack said. He is a gentleman
and he shows it, and this IS his only
fault. He seems to become perfectly
wild when he gets on one of his sprees,
and am afraid he will do some dam
age. They say he has had some do
mestic trouble; but then they always
say that of a drunken man. He is a
fit companion for anybody when he is
sober, and if he'll stay long enough
I'll give him as good a position as I've
got, and he knows it. I'll be hanged
if believe he wants it.
We went out to the State of Virginia
V.
The roads over the mesa are hard and
white, and smooth as park roads for
miles in every direction, extending
away down into Mexico. The little
buggy spun along through the gay
morning sunlight, and there was no
suggestion of business in the atmos-
phere. The foreman, Hartley, was in
his room, little building beside the
hosting works. 1 got out and went
in with Jack. 1 had seen the man a
number of times, and knew him very
we'll. He was sitting on the side of
his bed when we went in, white and
trembling and nervous, just recover
ing from the effects of last nights
intoxication, and hardly ready to be-
gin again. There was four days
growth of beard on his chin, but even
this and his miserable appearance
could not entirely rob him of his gen
tlemanly bearing.
Hartley, Jack said, am sorry to see
you like this. You promised me you
would try to keep straight.
l was lying, the man SAID, with
scorn of himself in his voice. 1 in
tended to keep away from whisky.
The best thing you can do for me is to
discharge me now, and let me go down
there to the Crystal Palace Saloon and
kill myself. You would be better off,
and so would /.
What do you want to kill yourself
for?
Because life is a hell to me. He
gave short, unpleasant laugh.
wanted to go. l knew the man did
not realize what he was saying, or he
would have bitten his tongue off soon
er than tell his story; but Jack stayed
in the doorway. He was honestly in
terested in the man, and he felt that
he could only possibly bring a remedy
after knowing the disease.
married wife; and Hartley laugh
ed again.
Then you ought to be the more
ashamed of yourself, Jack said.
Morrow, did you ever marry a wom-
on, and think she was an angel, and
go on believing in her, and having
her fool you to the top of your bent,
and finally make your name public
scandal?
No.
Ia f1 t11f h
boy, l thought to myself. You are
aching this minute, or think you are,
because you haven't married woman
of just that sort. But poor Hartley
went on.
married my wife, young, and as
thought, innocent girl. 1 took her
among. new people. In six months
she had proven to me that she was
bad. discovered that she always
had been. She eloped and came, un-
derstood, to this part of the country.
1 came out here to look for her. When
| find her 1 am going to kill her.
The strain had been too much for
Hartley. He fell on the bed and be-
gan to shake with great sobs. We got
up and came away. ~ ef
That night Jack gave dinner par.
ty. There were two or three mining
superintendent and their wives, Mr..
Malcolm and Jenny, and an officer or
two from Fort Huachuca. The toi1ers
were as dainty, and the service as
good as could be found in the United
States, The flow ers were great pur-
pie orchids from San Francisco, droop-
ing in clusters from the candelabra
that hung from the red. wood ceiling.
| Jack looked very handsome in his
evening dress. The world had gone
well with him, as the world could see.
Nobody knew that he was devoting
the best of his life to worshiping an
unattainable idol-an idol thai was
really of his own creation.
Jenny had put on a soft, white
gown, that made her look very Young
and sweet. Her round, dimpfed arms
did not look as though they could hold
rifle steady or pull against frac-
tious horse. could see that Jacks
eyes settled in her direction whenever
anything was said that brought dis
cussion or laugh. Jenny was his