Morris tribune., 1902-05-31
CHAPTER VIII.
THE BREAKIN

t9s&SsB director interfered with tina
design of nature, as he has with man.
another Of hers, and by the transmits
sion of an order for mountain piece
by the dozen, together with checl
so large that 1 feared there was som'
mistake, he determined me to be al
illustrator and designer for railwa.
and like publications. 1 do not likt
these people ordering ''by the dozen.
Why should they not consider an art
lists finer feelings? Perhaps they can
not understand them, but they under
stand my pictures, and 1 understand
their checks, and there we are quits
But so it came that 1 remained ii
Black Rock long enough to witness the
breaking Of the league.
Looking back upon the events Of thai
night from the midst of gentle and de
cent surroundings, they now seen
strangely unreal, but to me then they
appeared only natural.
1t was the Good Friday ball that
wrecked the league, for the fact that
the promoters of the ball determined
that it should be a ball rather than q
dance was taken by the league men as
a concession to the new public opinion
in favor Of responsibility created by
the league And when the managers
patronage had been secured-they fail
ed to get Mrs. Mavor's-and it was
further announced that, though held in
the Black Rock hotel ballroom-indeed
there was no other place-refreshment
suited to the peculiar tastes of league
men would be provided, it was felt to
be almost a necessity that the league
should approve, should indeed well
come, this concession to the public
opinion in favor of responsibility Great
ed by the league.
There were extreme men on both
sides, Of course. Idaho jack" profess
sional gambler, for instance, frankly
considered that the whole town was
going to unmentionable depths Of pro-
priety. The organization of the league
was regarded by him and by many 9TH
ers as a sad retrograde toward the
bondage of the ancient and dying east,
and that he could not get drunk when
and where he pleased idaho" as he
was called, regarded as personal
grievance.
But Idaho was never enamored of
the socia! ways of Black Rock. He
was shocked and disguised when he
discovered that a gun" was decreed
by British law to be an unnecessary
adOrnment Of a card table. The man
ner of his discovery must have been
interesting to behold
1t is said that Idaho was Industrious
ly pursuing his avocatiOn in Slavin's,
with his gun lying upon the card table
convenient to his hand, when in walk
ed Policeman Jackson, her majesty's
sole representative in the Black Rock
district. Jackson-"StoneWa Jackson"
or "Stonewall," as he was called for
obvious reasOns-after watching the
game for a few moments gently tapped
the pistol and asked what he used this
for
"I'll show you in two holy minutes if
you don't light out" said Idaho, hard
ly looking up, but very angrily, for the
luck was against him. But Jackson
tapped upon the table and said sweet
ly:
you're a stranger here. You ought
to get a guidebook and post yourself.
Now, the boys know | don't interfere
with an innocent little game, but there
is regulation against playing it with
guns; So" he added, even more sweet
ly, but fastening Idaho with look
from his steel gray eyes "1ll Just take
charge of this" picking up the revolv-
er. 1T might go off,
Idaho's rage, great as it was, was
quite swallowed up in LIS amazed dis
gust at the state of society that would
permit such an outrage upon personal
liberty. He was quite unable to play
any more that evening, and it took sew
eral drinks all round to restore him to
articulate speech. The rest Of the night
was spent in retailing for his instruc-
ton stories Of the ways of StoneWall
jackson. >--.-.ssE s.*sps'AO-~~ ~..'- "'-~,
Idaho bought new gun, but he wore
it Gin his clothes" and used it chiefly in
the pastime of shooting out the lights
or in picking off the heels from the
boys boots while stag dance was in
progress in Slavin's. But in Stone
wallis presence Idaho was most cor
rect citizen. Stonewall he could under
stand and appreciate. He was 6 feet 3
and had an eye of unpleasant penetra-
ton. But this new feeling in the COM
munity for responsibility he could nei~
Their understand nor endure. The league
became &he object of his indignant
aversion and the league men Of his
contempt He had many sympathizers.
and frequent were the assaults upon
the newly born sobriety of Billy Breen
and others Of the league, but Geordie'S
watchful care and Mrs. MAYORS steady
influence. together with the loyal CO
operation Of the league men, kept Billy
safe so far Nixon, too, was a marked
man. it may be that he carried him
self with unnecessary jauntiness to-
ward Slayin and Idaho, saluting the
former with, awful dry weather, eh.
SlayinT and the latter with, ''Hello,