The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
A Man Of Sawdust.A Story Of an Elopement
By A i an c. Q &

not long before she died that if 1 ever got
think that she knew what would come to
pass, and that she feared for me-"
The captain nodded his head. Eyes, /
can understand what made her say that.
L always thought great deal of your
mother. We were raised on adjoining
farms. toted her about when she was a
child. l was her first beau, and after /
went to law school she wrote me every
week, and then we had falling OUTPUT
what am / saying"
He shrugged his shoulders and drew his
hand across his forehead, as If to brush
away the misty cobwebs of the past. Now
what is it, my girl?
fingers. mo one knows 1 here. L
couldn't stand it any longer. l have left
home. Papa is married, and / simply can't
stay in the same house with-with her."
And so you came to me-you did just
right Amanda will be as tickled as L am.
Wait till / get my hat and we will go out
to the house at once"
But / didn't come for that the girl
said. shrinking back into her chair. II
can't do that, because-because, you see. L
..Eloped?" The captain raised his brows.
"Eloped alone?'
oh; no. not alone: he's here, too-it's
Lee Early, you know"
But 1 don't know. and If 1 did, what
them"
I'VE want you to go with us to the clerk s
office. They won't let us marry. He says L
must vouch for me Or"
How old are you. my child?' interrupted
the captain.
Il am not eighteen yet" she responded
but you see. We thought that If you ex-
planned to him-if you went along with US
and said
Slowly. slowly, Now. say it again. What
| is il am 10 do?''
Lee said that you could fix it if you
would. Yes. that is just what he said-fx it.
/ don't know what he meant by il.
| a no MAJ ed "a
| darkening into frown. Wed best have
| Mr.. Lee Whats -his-name up here and see
| how he proposes to fix it. Why didn't he
come himself, anyway? Now, in my day
He said it would be easier for me-he
| said you wouldn't refuse me; truly, If had
| insisted he would have come"
Wei. since you didn't insist, l shall,
said the captain grimly: 'go get him up
here and let him speak for himself"
| ''Ah. yes l seem to remember you: now
Jackson Early was your father. l. beat
| him once In suit in court and he boted
the ticket when | ran for clerk | see. my
young man, that you are falling quite nat
| Uraly into your fathers ways; he sent a
1 substitute instead of going to war himself.
| That was the time when we needed men for
sure, and we found them, too-among the
| boys. Nowadays they're made of different
| stuff; they're not men any more; they re
| dolls-pretty-little-do Knock 'em about
| and out falls the dust. ii does. sir. Sit down.
| Mr.. Lee. 1 perceive that you are smoking.
| Personally | don't object in the least but
| perhaps Miss Alice here No? Very well.
| No harm to ask permission you know: no.
| likeness never spoiled a man yet. Now,
/ Mr.. Brandon. what have you TO say TO me %
| NO. not Brandon" corrected the girl,
| blushing furiously. "Early-Mr. Lee Early -
| Precisely. echoed the captain. Early.
| of course-Lee Early. Mighty good soldier
he was named after. but rebel; yes. a
| rebel.
| The old man listened with a judicial air
| twirlinG his penknife about on the table
| and studiously staring over the young man S
| head. Presently his gaze wandered from
the ceiling down the smoke stained walls
across the hemp carpeted floor to Lee