The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-06-06
Judge BTackenham'S Heroic Moment
BY JAMES NOEL JOHNSON.

Copyright, 1901. BY
have been spending a BIT Of tn,
torrid season with my friend Judg,
Thomas Marshall Blackenham OF Ty
CART Creek, Kentucky.
After dinner to-day the Judge led the
way to the broad veranda. The Judge
ponderously seated himself In a shrek.
ing rustic rocking-chair, threw his
rat right leg across the left. pushed
backward and rested a chunky lst
Chat held the handle Of a palm leaf)
on the center of his p%rotuberant girth.
Soon through the heated silence
came the imperious voice Of Mrs.
Blackenham:
ID all that v again, my ladyi /
saw you a plate in the water,
turn It over a time or two. give It a
slap and a swipe with the drying rag
and dismiss it. Do It all over again. -
That's tough on Lille. hot as It is,
but there is no help for It," spoke the
Judge in smiling sympathy; her
mother would never abate jot or
little Of her stringent housewirery ex.
actions"
What a wonderfully lucky man you
are, Judge" ! said, with the frank
freedom Of intimacy. "In your wife
the beautiful and practical have met in
harmonious union. How could you,
with your careless habits, ever win a
woman OF such punctilious precise
ness?'
The Judge rolled his sunset face over
toward me. He affected Indignation.
What do you mean, sub? While prob.
ably am no prize beauty now, l was
the L%ochinvar Of this state. was the
glass Of gallantry, the beau ideal. the
tossing blossom of Kentucky chilvalry.
sub! Twas her was a lucky woman.
sub; yes, sub, though at one time, sub.
she didn't have the propah apprecia-
ton Of 1t, probably"
"She was the reverse of practical
too, when she was young, sub. She
had gone to school at Lexington a few
terms, and when she returned her lit
tie brown head fairly swarmed with
romantic ideas. A dishrag in her
white hands then would have seemed
dehlement. Though rich in all the al
Turing grace of manner and physical
attributes of perfect fem%ininity, she
seemed to possess no inclination for
the sterner sex. We young fellows in
the community who aspired to hold
heads on a level with hers were great
ly nonpiused at her frigid bearing. We
couldn't believe she was a born man
hater. Her glowing lips, her pink
mantled cheeks, her sparkling blue
lyes, her form filing all the rules of
symmetry. her step light as IL
she trod an unpalpable substance. all
conspired to resent such a charge.
Bat she gave scant attention to us. l
tell you.
Tom Baker bought a span of fine
bay horses and a buggy to macth.
Every day he would dash by her house.
his grand steeds shifting the hard road
with rapid, ringing hoofs, his buggy
wheels richly humming, the black top
catching and throwing sunlight at
every motion. Twas all vanity and
vexation. She scarcely gave his snowy
equipage a glance, or If she did deign
\ look 1t was to wonder why a young
man Of his lean means should incur SO
much expense to advertise himself a
fool, He soon sold his rig at half
price and left for Frankfort, where he /
Is nova popular s~aloonkeepef.
"Milt Turner bought a suit Of clothes
IN a credit-worth seventy-ive dol
airs. The next Sunday when he
she was badly in need of his
company home, she told him her pa
vas all the company she required. He
8 now a restaurant keeper in Chicago.
John De Laney, knowing her to be
church member, thought the short
to her heart was the ministerial
'ath. Accordingly he went t o Cincin-
lati, and for six months gorged his
mind on theology. He returned with
smooth face, an affectedly meek, but
superior clerical smile, a long
allied, black coat and a nicely gotten
Ip parson voice. He made an appoint
nent to preach, but To-! though the
was jammed by a curious
the only one he would have
iven a cuss to exhort, was promi-
Iently absent. He is now a highly
steemed gambler of New York.
Jim Stevens, more practical than
he rest, pooled his little stock OF
money with all he could borrow. and
up a store. Alas! twas a bootless
%enture. for Flossie Blake not only
entered the store, but indig-
.antly sent back a dress pattern
there by her father land which