The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-24
By PRRcTYAL RIpsDALE.

New York Evening Post: This Is the
story otEyan and Jane and John, also
yyIndyslav BavaliaWesili. butas you can
not pronounce that name and nobody at
brandy Patch tried to. he shall be call
N Reddy Mike, for 80 he was known.
a. the Patch, even at the postonce.
lust when It happened Is immateriai,
hut II is true, for I,lad It from Tommy
Dunty. the foreboss at the Katy Did,
and no miner doubts Tommy's word
"onnyway." which is Tommy's style
Of beginning a story, the men on Mack
ms porch stopped smoking and stared
m the hill, beyond the culm-bank, at a
6rure coming down the road from Grit
ath's house; and as anything SO mo-
mentous as TO cause the smoke to stop
pufIing and swelling and rising from
Mackin's porch is most remarkable. the
women going down to the spring halted
and stared too.
"shure tbs Evan, the bhoy," said
Tommy DuTy. And everybody agreed,
which was not the first time.
An not eight be the clock" an
nounced Tommy. Again the murmur Of
assent.
This was the situation. could tell It
in the way that Tommy Duny told me,
but shall not, because If you are not a
Connaught man you would not under
stand 1t, and II you are Far Down
you would not read It.
In Grlflth's cottage lived Jane, his
daughter, which is not at all strange.
but what is strange is that for a month
past Evan had been going there every
evening, at half-past seven. as soon as
he was washed up" and had his sup
per. He stayed until after 10. II you
knew Evan, the tickle and yet much ia
yored, you would realize what this
meant. Everybody at the Patch did
and so did Evan and Jane. and, much
to his sorrow. John also.
When Evan was seen going there on
payday evening. Of all nights, Tommy
Duffy had turned his pipe bowl down
ward and said there was "a folne house
TO rint on Parrish row." while the
girls OF the Patch looked around for
others: and cast Evan out of their
hearts. even as Jane had cast John
forth few nights after Evans first
call. When you know this you can
guess that John and Evan smiled when
he said, Hello, John"
well. onnyway." as Tommy Duny
would say, the crowd on Mackin's
porch stopped smoking. and in silence
watched Evan as he stalked down the
road. 1t was only s o'clock remember.
When he reached the porch there was
still silence. He sat in a corner and
whIstled softly to himself. Tommy
Duffy surveyed him critically for a
few minutes and then re-Rghted his
pipe. The others did likewise. For
ten minutes the smoke arose heavily
and then some one at the far end hurl-
ed a political opinion broadslde at his
fellows. No one answered, but all
watched Tommy Duffy knock the ashes
out of his pipe on the heel of his hand,
refill 1t, and then extend the blue pa
per to Evan.
Smoker? asked he.
Nope" growled Evan.
Again the thoughtful silence. but
soon a senseless fellow. a mere driver
boy. and new In the mine. too. as one
might see. chirped:
yer down early, Evan"
Every one could sec that and 1t was
absurd to state it. Sense was punched
into his ribs by the two old men sitting
within reach, and with grunt he sub
sided.
But the words had been the spur to
Evans tongue. He jumped to his feel
and shouted across the street to his
boarding mistress, who was leaning
over the gate:
~ give up my place. Get somebody
else"
An interrogatory murmur rumbled In
the stem Of Tommy puffy's pipe.
yep" said Evan solemnly. I'm a,
goin'. Youth never see me again. Good.
by"
Before the pipes were out of thu
mouths which held them he was of
down the road. In a moment he had
turned the corner by the breaker and
disappeared. The next day he had moi
returned, nor the next, nor the third
Mackln's porch was lively with the talk
Of 1t. and Tommy Duffy's opinion was
not the only one.
wladslav BavalIawcskl, or rather