Newspaper Page Text
t VOL. xvm.
ATLANTA, GA-, TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 2, 1886.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
i’
The Demon Plaque.
n —
AStoryinTwo Parts.
J ' vo no jubi BB reauy w givo b wh into this some if hat darkened parlor I had- no*
. wordsofadvlcolnacaaeof AAkludaxadoc- Aat Arroseemea to boaspporatranilaace
vsSErQaaSB&Bs
of whloh tu tied’n
By Frank R. Stockton,
[Copyilphted, 1896, by 8. 8. McClure. All rights
reserved.]
PABT X.
HELD In my hand a
letter which had
lust boon given me
by Hr. Carper,a gen
tleman who was gen
erally considered by
my law partner, nl-
thnngh oar Joint
occapation of asot of
i officers was the only
1 business connection
3between ns. The
j letter was written,
for rather printed,
If with n typewriter,
'was signed Janet
Floyd, and was ad
dressed to Ur. Car
per. It ran thus:
"J will say at onoe
that the name at the
bottom of this note la an assumed one, and
that tbla is written at the' house of a friend
Who will address the envelope. I have taken
these precautions because I do not wish you
at present to know who lam. lly persouaU-
? 'is, however, of no importance whatever, as
merely with to direct your attention to a
Guo where a fow words from yon may save a
Very deserving woman, who Is not able to
employ legal advice, from mueh
trouble and lass. I feel sure
that yon will be glad of the oppor
tunity or doing this worthy person a kindness,
especially as It will take very little of yonr
time. I will not state her case, because I do
net clearly understand It, but, of coarse, it
Will be plain enough to yon. The old lady's
Dime la Mr*. Grome, and she lives on a very
little Arm, whloh she owns, at the end of the
second lano from the river, on the road to
Ormaby park. I know that yon drlvo ont there
very often, and it would probably dotain you
bnt a short time to torn iuto tho lane and set
this good woman’s mind straight about her
affaire. I promised Mrs. Grome that I would
Bend her a good adviser, and I fool sure you
will not disregard this appeal to yonrklndlr
feeling and benevolence.
“Well," said I, as I returned tho • letter to
Mr. Curner, “Janet Floyd, whoever she Is,
Eeems to have a very high idea ot your kindly
fooling and benevolence.”
“Not any higher than she ought to have, if
sho knows me,” ho answered, “and I anppose
aho dors know me or she would not have taken
no much pains to conceal her Identity. But)
* although I am perfectly willing to do a kind
net whenever called npon, and I think a law
yer ought to be jnst as ready to give a few
thing toduy or tomorrow. I want to get ont of
town .lad us soon ts I can, and I have a lot of
work to do before I go. I thought perhaps
that you would bo riding out that way, aad
wouldn't mind stepping In and twisting this
worthy person around so that sho can see
Where she standi.”
I -Ss
I HECEIVED inn ANONYMOUS LETTED.
“That Is the way yon support yonr charac
ter for benevolence, is it?” said I, ‘‘but as I in
tended to go ont to Ormsby park this after
noon, I am very willing to too this person,
and do what I can for her.”
Tho summer eras getting well on, the city
Was hot, and I was just as anxious as Curporto
get out of town, but was detained by an im
portant case which eras to oom* on in a fow
days I waa fund of horsebaok exercise, and
a ride out to Ormaby park, a few miles
from the city, was my favortto way of aolaolng
myself after a hot day in court, or In
my office.
It was about five o'clock in the afternoon
When I rode op to the gate of Mrs. Qrome’s
front yard and, having tied my horse to that
part of the fence which zoomed the strongest, I
stepped upon the low porch and knocked at
tho door. It was a queer little house, very
old and very gray, and there was about it an
apparent disposition to spread which gave me
the Idea, when I first looked at it, that If tbe
grape vines and honeysuckle vines end tho
wisteria vines, tho Virginia creeper and the
Other vines which encircle It eboat should bn
remored, It would fell opart like a wooden
pall deprived of Its hoops. The door was
opened by an old woman in a short gown and
petticoat and wearing ablue muslin apron and
a blue muslinsnnbonnek
“Good day, sir,” she said, with a little curtsy.
“Walk In, sir. I snppose you’re a lawyer. The
you;.. lady said sha d send mo one, and I've
been a lookin’ fhr yon ever senoa she was
here." .
I replied that I waa a lawyer, mid would be
clad to know what I could do for her.
“Take a scat, sir, in this big chair and I 11
fell yoa Jut how old Billy HaakaU U tryin’ to
cheat me ont of tho Tory bread I eat an tho
bed I sleep on.” And setting herself near ms,
cna still-backed, rash-bottomed chair, she
ciened her hands on her knees, directed the
was a neighbor of mine, Hirem Burns by
name, who had a wife an' six children, all
girls but the baby, an’ a horse, an' for thirteen
years he has worxed my farm on sheen, an'
he'd a been doin’ It now, him an 1 his horse, If
he hadn’t died—I mean Hirem, of coarse—an’
his death is a great lots to me, as it wae also,”
tbe quick[v added, ea If she hsd forgotten
something, “to his wife and family. Bnt that
la neither here nor there. I had nobody to
work my farm; I couldn’t do it myself, an al
together It was pretty herd on me, Hiram
Burns dyin’ jest when he did. The neigh-
bora all knowed it an’ talked about it, an’ Billy
Haskell, an oldith man that llvoa about a mite
from here, he come over an’
offered to work the farm on
sheer an’ ftimfah e boss jest as Hiram did.
Now Billy didn’t begin to bo aegood a worker
as Hiram was, but thsre wssn’t nothin’ better
to be done, as fir as I could see, an’ so I agreed
that he should como an* work the Arm an’
furnish * hose, an’ have half the crap. Well,
tbe lonp an’ the short of the sturyisthat Billy
came and worked, bnt he didn’t fnrniah no
hose, an’ I had to hlro tho Widdor Burnses
hoes, which she was mighty glad to lot, every
time there was any hose work to do, which
seemed to me to bo pretty much the whole
time. An’ now, Billy, ho up an’ says, an’ ha
sticks to It, too, that he’s to have half the orap.
An’, sir, Metre it to yon, A there anybody in
this world, excent Billy Haskell, that ’ad call
that fair?”
“Certainly not,” said 1, "it your neighbor
did not famish a horse, and thns fully perform
his contract he is not entitled to hit fall half
share of tho crop.”
- ‘That’s jnst what the young lady Midi”
exclaimed Mrs. Grome, with much animation,
evidently delighted to have me on her tide,
“an’ the said, says the, that if a reg’Iar lawyer
could he got to go an’ tell that old Billy, It ’ud
settle him, an’ he’d knowjthete’d be no use of
suin’me. which ho keeps on throat’nln’ to do,
'specially senes this year’s crap ’ll toon be corn
in’In, which it,hae nearly rained me to hire
tho work bein’ done for, an’ if old BUly wu to
soe me botidrt I might jest at well have agon-
’rel vandoo, an* go to tho poorhouse.”
“Bnt If ho has no case be can’t hnrtyou.”
I raid. “I suppose yon ire willing to give him
whet A Airly dne him?”
“fisrtslnly,” said she, “I’ve offered to pry
him wages for every dsy he worked, bnt he
won’t take ’em. What be wauts is half of last
year’s trap. Ifa no nso my talkin’ to him',
which I’ve done over «n' over. An’ the young
lady, ahe.went an’ talked to him, but he tliinka
women don’t know nothin’, an’ he stuck it out
jest the rsme, that ho ought to have half tho
crap. There never was a lady like that yonng
lady. If she'd a been my own dsrtor and had
been away from me fur a long time, an’ jest
come back, sho couldn't a-been kinder, nor
more willin’ to do fur me.” And then tho old
woman went off Into a eulogy of this lady, to
which I did not pay atrlct attention, for my
mind waa beginning to he Interested in my
surroundings.
When I came from the bright light outside
iuto this somewhat darkened parlor I had- no-
Heed that there seemed to boaTraporabnmla-ico
here to see these things as was brought from
Chlny, She ain’t the fast one that’s done
that nether, fur the city’s a good deal nearer
than it used to he, an’ people’s, hoerd about
’em, and a good many folks hascoraoto look at
’em,mostly pretendin’ that they just stopped
to git a drink of cool water from the well,
which they couldn't are from tho road, an 1
why three rich peoplo In carriages should have
to drivo up this lane to git a drink ot Water'
more'n I kin tell, and none of 'tu
E ot nnthln’ for tholr pains uuthcr, fori
even’t como to soilin’ tho things I was raised
among ylt. But thA young lady, an’ I
wish I'd thought to ssk her name, sho’s above
all alch sneakin' dodges as that. She jeet come
wanted to look at ’em. jost as n good C
yonng woman onghtor do, though in finor
clothes an’ rather more flowers an’ Uoe oil her
hat than would have been thought not elnful
in my day; bnt people 1s changed. An’ I
showed her my things, en’ while she waa
lookin’at’em I told her how It was likely
they’d be sold, an’the very houos over my
heed, If old Billy Haskell como to hove
his stay, an’ as I said before, sho ltstenod
jest ss if she'd been e relation, an' asld
she'd, send somebody that nd go an’ see old
Billy, an' set everythin' ell right, an’ that if I
ever sold that dish I most lot her have it, an'
she’d pay mo a good price. I said I couldn't
Bake up my mind to that all ol a sadden, but
I’d think about it, to which sho told me that
the was going array the next day to the sea
shore, an' when she got hook see was coinin'
out here, an’ hoped I'd let hor hare It. which
I’vo made up my mind to do. An’ then she
went over to teo Billy, as I tolled you, an'
come beck to let me know it wasn't no good
an' said she’d toad e lawyer
that the knew, tomako It all straight to him.
Afore the went away the took the oorner ot
hor hsndkorchlef an’ Tabbed some of thorn
brass lines on the pAto that goes aronnd tha
flowers on' the outlandish Aggers, an’ said the
believes they arts pure gold, an’ that the thing
had been stole from tome heathen palace, which
wasn't a very smart thing In her to say when
wantin’ to bay, but I (han’t charge hor much
more on account of their twin’ a chance that
they may ho gold,”
“I think yon ought to let her have It very
cheep,” said I, “considering the ttonblo she
bat taken on your account, and if I should
succeed In making yonr neighbor oomo to sat
isfactory terms, I’m not •nrebut that yoa ought
THE OLD LACY TELLS
tnnzzle of her sun bonnet All upon me and
began her story. “You see,” raid she, “that
I’ve got a little Arm here, and tone# my hoe-
bund died I ain’t got no men Aiks to work U,
Her folks of no kind, for that nntter. Bat I
got along well enough till last year- Thera
piece
with otyecA, over each
piece of pink gauze, to koep the fliee off, while
on tbo’wnlls were a number of email pictures,
protected in the same manuer. In Act, the
room presented the appearanco of a patient In
the early stages of a pink fever. But, on
the well, and in a position whore the light of
tho open door fell All npon it, wu an object
which was not oovered with gauze. This
was a risque, of some sort of earthen ware,
which appeared A bo of a very enrloua design.
I haves great fancy for ceramics, and, like
many other people, I affect thou things which
are odd and unlqno more than thou whloh are
bcautlAl-snd unique, I waFsomuch Interested
In tbA planne that I arose and approuhed It
while the old woman was still praAlng her
benefactress. It whs, indeed, a very curious
object, the like of which I had never aeon be
fore. It wu a round plate aboat a foot In
dAmater, add quite deep, ao aa to be almost
basin-llke In form. Tho bodyot tho plaque
was of a rich, red oolor, bnt It wu nearly
covered with oriental designs of various hues,
the forms of which wore outlined with what
appeared to bo threads of bnua, which ware
evidently merely sunk into tho clay, and not
fastened upon a copper basis, aa in Clolsonna
ware. But the moot ^remarkable feature of
thA plaque was tho body of a llttlo demon, Jet
black In color, and about foar Inches In length,
which leaned over the edge of the plate, hla
legs and feet being underneath It. Directly
opposite to him, leaning Ar backwards over
the edge of the pAte, wu a bright,
green Chinaman, with hA legs ana
feet also underneath. One ontitreteked arm
of the Meek demon clutched the end of tho
qnene of tho green Chinaman, tho combination
of queue and arm forming a handle to tho
date, though apparently too slight for m in
bat way. Tho wide-spread foot of tha China
man, and those of the ao'vil, under the plaque,
served ss supports to it whether sot npon the
table or hnug npon thd wall. There was an
nraount of wild, idiotic ’glee on the face of the
demon, and of untrammelcd terror on that of
tho Cbiuaman,which gave a delightful life and
vigor to the lltuation.
"May I aak where you got thA?” I nil to
Mrs. Grome, who now stood by me.
“That's jest what the yonng lady wanted to
know,” the answered, “She said she conldn’t
tell whether the Chinee wne meet afesred of
l avin’ bis pig tail polled ont, or gitttn’ketebed
by the devil, an* it looksra if one’s got to hap
pen, sure. Well, yon see the way I gat tbA,
an’ a good many other things about tho room,
was through en ancle of mine, who wumate
on a ship that went to Chlny an’ them parte
more’n fifty years ago. He brought back these
things in' give 'em to my mother, though If
people bad thought ss much about 'em then u
they do now, I reckon they'd a been sold en'
something nseAt bought with the money. The
yonng lady I wu tollin’ yon of, she did admire
that devil dish, though she eeid I oughtn’t to
cell It by that name, en’ she wanted to buy
It, but I don't know about
that These things has been changin'here
ever sencc I Was n gal, an' the Ait lesions my
mother give me In kaertol dustin' was on
three caps ail’ raaeen en’chlny Aggers, en'
I've dusted ’em reg’Iar ever eenee. If I was to
come down In the mornin' en' find any of’em
gone, tt ud seem to me os if It was the begin-
nin’ of the breakup. But if I eVer do aell any
thing It'll be that dish, Arifs the ugliest
piece of goods I’ve got an’ the young lady did
so admire It that I took the klver off it so she
could look >t it better, an’ wuilo it was off I
thought I might as well wash it, an' I ain't put
It on agin.”
“If you shouldn’t sell It to that lady,’’said
I, “I should like very much to bay it my-
K '“6b, no, no, no!” cried Mrs. Grome. “If
inybodv hays that dish, an’ I ain’t sore I’ll sell
It at all, It’ll he that young erector, who’s jest
as rrettv as that chlny thing Is ugly, though,
of course, I wouldn't sell it to her, Ar that, but
she wu ao kind an’ good listenin' to all my
troubles, an' A goin’ over to see old Billy Has
kell aif in send In? yon here, that I’d do Ar
her what I wouldn't do Arnobody eAe.”
“How did you come to know thA lady?” I
raked, begthnlng to take eoaw Interest to tbs
object of Mrs, GromeJ admiration aad gntl-
1 “Well,” said tbe old woman, "she essas
to give it to her.
“Oh, my,” cried Mrs. Grome, “I conkin'
afford to do that! But I'll lot her bare It lust
as low u I kin.”
Having obtained directions from the old
women,1 redo over to the abode of Mf Billy Hu
hell, hut that gentlemen wu not at home,and
as 1 had now no time to welt Ar him, 1 re
turned to the city.
The next morning I told Mr. Carper what I
had hoard of Mrs. Grume's ease, and he agreed
with mo that of cunne tho old man had not
n leg to stand upon, and that if he had not
furnlahcdahorao,uhoagreed, ho ought not
to have half of tbo crop.
aafr»’$iff£j‘Arii qjM&rlde
afternoon, aim n3 flu; a!ratr has boon taken In
hand I supposo it ought to bo attendod to at
once.”
‘•All right,’ oaid Curpor, “I really ought to
knock ou Ar a couple of hours thA afternoon,
and u it won’t be necessary lor me to see the
old women, I’ll take a spin ont there and set
tle Mr. Billy What-yon-oall-hlm, if you will
tell mo where to find him.”
“Hello,” said Mr. Curpor tho next morning,
when we met at tho office, “yon have got that
aflhlr all wrong. Your old woman didn’t half
state the case. It'sppears that the agreement
was that lleskell wu to ArnAh the hone, bat
she was to feed him. This she did net do, and
the hoi so starved to death at the very begin
ning of their partnership. Htskell took him
over there on a Friday; Saturday was Decora
tion Day, and the old woman went to
town; and on Uonnay it rained, and nc- plough
ing could he done; and whon ho wont over on
Tuesday tho borso wu dead; and It was found
that he had died from starvation. Tbe old
woman refuses to pay for the hone, nor will
sho adhere to tho original bargain, although
Haskell has done all that he promise dto do.
Now, If hA statement A correct, and I sup
pose there will bo no trouble in getting at the
facts, the old man ought to have tbe value of
half the crop, whloh, u I understand (t, wu a
vi ry small one, and would scaroolv pay him
for tbe loss of hA horse, and for hA labor.”
“I hsd an idea,” said I. “when I wu talk
ing to Hra. Grome, that she wu a grasping old
creature, end that her gratitude to the yonng
lady who befriended her wu more talk than
stiything else.”
"Ab," said Curpor, closing tbe law book ho
had jest opened, “that yonnglidj, to be anro,
who Ir, of course,-the Janet Floyd of my lot-
ter. 1 forgot to say how eloquent tbe old nun
was about this young person, for whom ho
l as evidently conceived a great admlratlon.-
It was qnlte plain that he wu disappointed
that ahe didn’t come to see him instead of
sending me. From hA account she must be a
flnegirl, dressed tip-top and very pretty. I
put him through a regular cross-examination
alouther, fori want to find ont what HAs
Janet looks like, and who aho Is, but so far I
can’t place her. Butlll do it yet. I’m bound
to Ana out who she Is."
Upon thA I remarked that it seemed to me
that if tbe lady desired to remain unknown
her wAbes ought to he reepectod, and that by
undertaking the affair aho proposed to him,
he bed, in e manner, entered Into a contract
with her not to endeavor to And ont who aho
was.
“That's drawing It too line," said Mr. Car
per, “entirely too fine. There esn be no urth-
[y reason why this young lady should object
to my knowing who she A, except that the
doesn’t want to he under obligations to me,
end, If that’s tho ease, I feel that I am justi
fied In finding ont who I am working for.
protect tlio unknown young lady from Mr.
Cur; er’e ob'.mivo curiosity, and I kmuv very
will that if Mrs. Grotuo talked to him about
her, Ms zeal in pursuit of hor Identity would
bo greatly increased. Of course, my feelings
ir, tbo matter wore entirely disinterested; but
if this .Timet Floyd was tho kind and gettor-
oua girl there was every reason to suppose hor
tu lie, end wu, moreover, a person of culture
and taste, as was indicated by her praforonco
for tbo demon plaque wlrctt there were to
many pretty things among Mrs. Gromo’a
treasures; and if. too, shoharlthat frank and
hone st spirit which was shown la her letter to
Cur per, ami in her abandonment of all pre
tense in coming to eeo Mrs. Grome; I felt that
rr.yoflico associate W.U3 trot tires man who
should l-o hunting herup. There waa nothing
positively Intel about Curpor, and I should ho
looth lossy anything that would injure his
character; but ho was a yorttrg man who paid
rather too mueh attention to hla dress, who
was rather too much of a club man, who was
rather loo fond of being; considered a man
about town; who was ratlrer too much givon
to expensive cigars and other extravagancies,
and who, iufact, lmel so good an opinion of
himself that bo naturally aroused a spirit of
oppesitlcn cm the subject in fltoso with whom
bo associated. There was a rrcucml air about
him which Indicated that ho was all right attd
what lie did was all right, and if other people
did not rgreo with him it was a matter of very
little importance to Mr. Corner. I hsd tto
right to take any actlvo stops to prevent him
front discovering tho unknown lady,
but I certainly did not Intend to
help blur to do so, and If in any Indirect way
coubl acsiat Mia Janet Floyd In preserving
lrcr incognito I would do it. As I hsd been
arked to engage in tho affair, I considered tint
this attention to her wishes was as much a
duty cs anything else. I bad nothing what
ever to gain liy this eonrse, hut I am a man of
ptlnclple, raid I murt also admit that Carper's
manner was rrrch as to arouse In me, lira mod
erate degree, that spirit of opposition to which
I havo alluded. For these reasons I was very
sw 111 it g to visit Mrs. Gromoagalu; and,besides,
I bad r.o objections to havo another look ot tho
demon plaque, of which I determined to obtain
tho iifuinl, In case tho young lady did not buy
When I saw Sirs. Grome that afternoon and
told her whst I bad heard of tho farts In hur
dispute with Mr. Haskell, she lifted up hor
hands, openod whlo hor era and mouth, and
tillered sn exclamation of enraged amazement.
“Did old Billy tell you that,” oho e-rlcd.
*‘No, said I; “I did not seo him when
Hwenl over there, but another gentleman, a
him so yonx* lax,ye*n eahtd.uprn him and ho told me -haerfi axnd 1 w-es very«
out there Wlr tho matter ;
^Cr'pft’toldl,
she wished to rerosin nnknown at present, and
Art clearly indicated that at some fotare
time the intended to make herself known to
5 "“That won't do,” raid Mr. Carper as he
lighted hla cigar and seated himself at his
momfng’a work; “when I give my services for
nothing, I, at least, want to know who I am
working tor, especially when I have reason to
believe that parson A a yonng and uncommon-
and turned toward! my
“By the way," cried Carper. “I suppose the
business pert of thA thing ni ght ns well be
finished up at once, end It will be impossible
for me to do anything more now If I nm going
ont of town thA summer. Couldn’t yon drop
in on your client?”
“My client!” IcxcAimed.
“Yea, the old women,” raid Carper. “As It
hen tamed ont she’s yonr client, and-the old
man A mine. Just let her know that the sooner
•he does the square thing tbe bettor it will bo
forill parties. And If she doesn’t agraeto that,
Htskell will have to soe, that's all there A
about it.”
“That’s tha way yon gin your service/, A
K?” I takl. “You look after the pretty girl In
tha business, and utk other people to do thq
ork."
“Not at all,'’ said Carper, In a tone that Mi
nted that hA feelings had boon hurt. “You
know very well that I weald have attended to
this whole thing if I bail time; bat If yoa
eltoors to drop it I may go and see the old
woman next week.”
While he had been talking I hsd been think
ing.
"No,” raid I, “I can see her AA afternoon,”
and I walked Into my private room.
For some reason, which I could not well ex
plain to mytelf, I folt that I would liko
‘ ‘ “ mknown
"OLD PIKE,"
bY william wibt.
“A prejiy gentloman, ho must bo,” ex
claimed Mrs. Grome, "to bellovo such stuff as
thstl—thet I’d go and atarvo a boss that f ex
pected to work my farm. Tho truth is, tho
wretched beast died bccauto he was too old to
eat."
"Too old to cal!” I exclaimed.
‘That’s just how ’twaa,” said she. “Billy
BILLY BBIKGS THE HOUSE,
brought tho creator over on Friday, to’s to
bare him nil ready for work tbe next day,
though he didn't ray nothin' about hA Intend
in’ to keep that a holiday, an' I airs him hay
an' raU an’ corn, all of which I had bought
ready Ar him, hut be eouldn’t eat nothin', an’
when Billy come Tuesday tbe hosswu as dead
as a nil, an’ I had to pay Ar havin’ him
healed away. Tha neighbors, they said tha
hers ws.i "so old when Billy bought him that
most likely he'd given up citin’ uforo he wu
brought here. An’ to think of Billy Haskell
askin' for half the crap after that way offur-
uAilin'n horn!"
“And did not (he old men coma to see about
the animal during those three days?”
“Not a bit of II,” ahe said, “end I hadn’t no*
bet y to send artcr him nuther,”
“Thin it ls qnlte evident,” raid I, “that he
plsyrd a Irlck on you, and expected hA aged
beset to dlo on yonr hands,' I'll ride over and
see him.”
“I ulsh you would,’’said Mrs. Groms, ”an’
yen ran )cst tell him that If he’ll tako wages
fir tho time he worked an’ any no more about
his bon an’ half n crap, wall settle np the
whole Imelnew an’ be friendly an’ sociable aa
t waa 1 eAre.”
Having gene into the bourn to take nnothor
In k at the demon pAque, and having, been
promised by Mia. Grome that If her yonng
iiuiy did not buy it whenshe came back from
the tea (bore that I should be allowed to be-
umt its purchaser, I rode over to see Billy
Haskell.
(Concluded Next Week.)
THE MORMONS BBH-fOgRENT.
Salt Lake City,February BS.--ThU evening
as the United gtetee District Attorney Dlekson was
leaving the dining room at the Continental hotel,
where ha boards with his family, three men
asked to see him at the outer door
He went to the door, wnen one of tbe men struck
him In the Ace, It A supposed with a stone, tu
other two elding In the aaaanIL Judge Powers,
who was in the hotel, thinking the action of the men
peculiar, and Major Klry, landlord of tbo hotel
tolioacd, and got to the door just after Dickson bad
been struck. Frank J. Cannon, son of George Q.
Cannon, and Argus Cannon were two
of the avail ant*. ana tbe third
who Bed A nnknown. Judge Powers
put tbo Cannons tmder arrest. IPoUcemtn Smith
subsequently tenk Freak J. Cannon away, contra
ry to direction from Judge Bowen. United Mates
Marshal Ireland soon arrived and took charge or
Angus Cannon who., when searched, was
found to hares self cocking pistol with
a’l tbe chambers loaded on hu perron. A great
crowd collected, among them a number of women,
sKfrtSB sotSiM mess
not serious,yhurt. Tb^ratd^S^euif
meat end farther troubA to net improbable. When
Frank 1>. Cawnon waa (mated tinned ritetsv cow.-
mbsloner Paddock beard hint lay, "D-.—, g
will kill blByet-”'
(Copyrighted 1880 by 8. 8. McClure.)
“Old 1’iita had somehow drifted to tho pro
vincial town of Bristol. “Dan” said ho “oomo
down from ont of the mountains somowbar,”
and I guess that A where be ls from. When I
first knew him ho lived—or rather existed—
on tho ragged odge of the poverty-stricken
district. Ho used to cut wood and work the
garden for me, not as lending min, but as t
kind of assistant to “Dan.” “Din” was poor
and wretched enough looking, God knows how
he would alwsys share his labor with “Old
Pike,” 1 think to encourage and help him
along a little. Dan had n groat, big, full-grown
■oul, though his llttlo diseased body was
wrinkled aud shriveled like a lost year's popper
pod. Ho was sympsthetlc too in It Aerude way.
But It was about “Old Pike” I wanted to toll-
I don’t know why he wu called “Old”Plko.
Any other man at hA ago would have been
A the prims of life; hat some measure ago by
sorrow. I think It was so with “Old Pike.”
I remember tho first work ho did for mo,
Itwasin early spring, and the March winds
wen sharper than a two-edged sword—hA faoo
was thin and palm except whore tho sharp
winds had bitten tneend of bA aquiline nose,
and tho tender and wlnkerlen rims of his
drawn eyelids red—hA watery bine eyos had n
sorrowful look—there was no glow of health
or vesrige of color on hA sallow cheeks; lio
had what tho world calls a “hang-dog” tonic,
but with a woman's Intnltlvoneas, I thought 1
could soe behind that hopoleu exterior n great
sorrow—liA very prooenca was like an affile-
tbm, and I could never entirely forget him
alter ha had worked all day In my sight. On
this particular March day he was the embodl-
with Dan all day, and Dan proposed
equally hla pay, which wu one dolAr. (I re
member now, rather sorrowfully, how “Old
Pike” told me “ha never worked by the day,”
and he preferred my saying what hA Jobs
WHO worth.) I thought It good in Dan, such
generosity, end paid them sixty conti apiece,
Instead of fifty. Whon they were nearly out
of sight I rantoglvo “Old Pika” more, hoping
to kill tho sorrow out of hA Ace, for It was of
(list woAl character that haantod me and
made mo feel, whon paying him, that I ought
to empty tho contents of my portomonalo In
his rough, scarred hand without n scruple.
Tlmt was tho Impression ha mads on mo; and
spring melted Into rammer and rammer molt
ed iuto All, hnd still I neglected to look into
the homo and Ufa of “Old Pike,” us I had
promised myself a hundred tlmos
to do, until winter cftmo again—tho
coldest winter this country , evor
knew, I had uqt laid eyes on Dan tec tings,
str.t!. 1 w/s very »n re that he aud "•hr Dikes’'
with their rcspcclivi, fun,lllces wero „.ill«ini
with cold andnnnger. With theso thoughts 1
waa sitting in my own sunny llttlo room, fool
ing tony for tho poor, and beside that doing
vuy little, when Dan tnodo hA appoaranoe. 1
knew the cold had kopt him away. I was
gAd to see him out.
“Wall, Dan,” I said, “you are not frozen out
tbA wcatlior.”
“Ah I Missus,” ho replied (he li a poor, hum
ble; servile creature, and always celA ms MIs
ms), “Ah I Missus, wo aro livin’, but wo has
raftered mightily, I tell you, I was bora anti
raised In this country,” bo contlnuod, “and I
baln’t never seen no sick weather as this, and
tho oldest man In these parts bsln’t never
seen none like It.”
1 found It difficult to koep wtnn with n
glowing fire night and day. Ibid positively
suffered from cold nmld all thoso comforts.
How bad It been with Dan, poor “Old Pike,”
and dozens of otbors? Truo wo wore poor, but
su rich compared with these. My heart oeat
—, ti Ally os I looked at fail
v, anil thinly clsd body.
I hope you haven’t had to go out In tho
wbathar much,” I raid, “I atu afraid your
clothes aro not wsrm.”
“Oh! yes!” he replied, his fiteo boimlng
with a wonderful gratitude for hA small Hon
ings. “My clothes ain’t what you msy coll
warm, bnt I hain’t norcr boon so bad off as
poor ’Uhl Pike.’ I toll yon. Missus, If tho poo-
plo hadn’t erbeen so good to him and hls’n,
1 dnnno what he’d a done. Lord!” he contin
ued, in a rambling way, “that man has soon
sights, sights o’ trpuble. Nobody dnnno what
that nm has scon.”
I had often wondered what ho hail soon, and
was only too ready to bellovo that It was
“sights,” and rach slghA as hsd loft n sorrow
ful impress, but I waa so often laughed at for
my interest In the old man. “Why that
trifling old Allow,” they would say, "bo’s no
account; won’t work; too lasy to work by tha
day. There’s no good In him,” and rach like
ipecchra tllat my interest, tho 1 undying, hail
somewhat Anguished, Dan had alwsys been
reticent on tbs rahject, bnt this morning ha
seemed ready and willing onongb to talk; ha
was filled with gratitude and sympathy and
they warmed him u no fire could do. ‘Tee,"
be continued, looking down, and talking more
as n natural impulse than Imparting informa
tion, more to himself than to me, Yes, he’s
seen sights. Old Pike has. Pika's a man,
Pike A; bnt he has seen sights; b A wife died,
poor critter; 'tans tha spring be worked for
f ou. Bhs'd bean ailing n yennor more. I mind
took him along that day to kind o’ rallars
bis feelings, Ar no was nnoommon troubled;
wbst with n danghter lying bedflut with con
sumption and n lama son nigh about blind, hs
bad enough to troubA him. Twos nigh about
two months after that hA oldest gal got burnt
tn death. ’Peered llko that woald aiiout fin
ish him np, bat tbe old man didn’t havo no
time to grieve. You see, poor folks never hu.
They work bard,(and kindo'forgit In the day,
but Lord! they think like other folks at night,
sihenthey have Urns to think at all. No, he
didn’t have no time to grAva, for there wis
tha sick one/and tha lama one and tiro other
little ones, and it took ill ha could make to
feed ’em and keap a fewelotheaon ’em.” Stop
ping suddenly ha bravhed n tear from the end
of his non with the assert An that It was so
cold a fellow’s eyes wonld ran wster oven In
tha bouse.*'Ab, missus,” bo continnad while
the obstinate tears continued to trickle down
bAfsca. “It’sspItlAl sight to sec that obi
man—and ha ain’t old, nntber, ’ceptln' It's
trouble makes him look old—It's pitiful to seo
him cook, and clean the house, and waih and
dr era them sick and lama nna, and wash and
Iren tbeA clothes, and nu> 'am—gratia and
kind m a woman—It'a mighty little time the
old man has to work outside, and bo ain't
never begged, nether. One time, when he
was oct al) day lookin' for work, and there
wo’nt nothin’in tho house to ant, tha little
K 1 begged ramtbln’ for tho coo sampled one
base the wiaweak and faint like; but aha
don’t hare tt> do that no more now, for tha
lord took the stele one on Bunds/, and I wu
all day X Monday tnrtn’ to get her grave dug.
I conku n’t get no help, and it’pesred like tho
(fiind was frozen plum to tha bottom.”
“Oh!” I sold, llmdilcringlnwardly;‘Tt Aaw-
At weather to dig y grave.”
I canid see from my window tha graveyard
in bold outline agalnzt a coM, gray sky—tho
snow bad been falling for two days, and tho
Whole face of tbo earth wis shrouded—tha
winds kept the air thick with drifting snowand
the mercury stood twonty degrees below zero.
1 was not thinking of Dan. standing boforo mo, .
but of Dsn, fklthAl soul, all alono ou that
wintry kill, lu tho driving bAit.wltlinut graat
cost or gloves or any comfort, digging tho grave
of “Old I’iku's” dead child—blowing his breath
In hU stiff hands to wsrm thorn, tugging
forlifo at As frozen clods, Working for
what! There was no remaneratlon in “lunl
cash," nor yet In greenbacks—bat tburowsv
nay In the tears of gratitude that All on his
boruoy bands from “Old Pike’s” eyes, as ha
said: "God bless yon, Dan! God blcuyonl”
I conldd ire “Old Pike," tho ouo lonely
mcniner, with hid pale, narrow, hopeless fare
lit np Ar n’srcond with gratitude then sink
back to 1A mournful shadows, and drawing n
long sigh, I repeated Ao ono word, -’awful.’’
“Yea, It was awful," bo said, "but it wa’at
os bod as settln’ thar and hearin’ the old msn
moan for tbo child be bad done so much for;
and, uow Ao wu dead. It 'pcared like ao llttlo
—It ’pcared to him like ho, mcbho, could V
dono more, But, missus,” ho conntlnuod,wltli
a solemn tbaka of bis head, “I don’t think
there wu nnthln’ left undone that bo could V
done.
“All lndurtn’ tbe cold tlayi. be used to taks
ber up, tender M a baby, and boldln’her boforo
the fire, mb her thin whllahandi—too whito
for live poor folks—with bA groat, rough ones,
till they wu warm. Folks said Aa froza to
death, and some said aha starved, but I’tn
’bloegcd to correct them Alas. She nsvor suf
fered from cold. I don’t say u tbo balanco
didn’t, nor I don’t say M the others didn’t
want for somethin’ to eat, but I know they
done all they could for her, I reck
on sho longcu (omctlmcs for somethin’ deli
cate, llko tho rich folks hu—they say all
sick, cousumptcd folks do—but she never
told tbo old man, Ar sho knowed bo
wu doin’,bis hut. Yoa,” bo uid, after n
moment’s pause, “dlggln’a grave sick woathcr
Is awful—but there’s a sight o’things hardor
than Ast. It’s n heap balder thlugtosoo that
boy o’ hlsscu settln' there In darkmtu, for tho
day and Ao night la nigh shout tho tamo to
him—a settln’ there u patient—of he's got
sonoAIn' to eat it’s all right, of ho’a nungry
It’s sll right, he don’t nevor compUln; ’pears
like God O’mtgbty don't put tho urao kind o’
spirits In afflicted folks us iu them us cau sou
and hear and get shout; ’pears like that hoy’s
gntrAUer for nothin’, its yon may aay, than
Aa Aiks u hu everything.”
1 looked at Da; bis well-worn hat wu rent
and haltered, and sewed with eoarae, whito
Arced. BciunsuA of bA Arokd-hsre dost
dangled llko wlthorcd leaves around bis hara
bauds. Ths covering for his leas scarcely de
served tbo muuo of ahues, aud his well pul-
Abed pants cluug to bA meager legs, around
which I wu sure wero no warm m;!!u-r gar
ments. But there ho was—so syuipaAotlc, so
grateful, so unconscious of tho fact that hla
only legacy ivos an Incurablo dlsu o, it sorofu-
lousdAfigitrcmcnt of eyes and foot that ma le
IiMBolmcst hideous to lookopou. Nature hid
iudiulbttll cl.cry of li-r gil'H tuliru.lclt
God Lad put a great, honest soil Iu that do-
ncpld llttlo body that wu beautiful to think
npon,
“1 haln’t never hod to uk r no charity," ho
presently said, looking ap cheerfully. ‘T’vo
always bu-u able to go out and get work
when Aero wu work to do, bnt ’Old PihoV
pitiful; folks may think be’a triflin’, and I
don't say but as somo of ’em do, but It’s onlust,
missus, sburo’t you're burn—It's onjuit.
Trouble aud;-overly bos took tboaplrlt outon
or liim—just tbo same as you waih tha color
outen cr ploco o' calico. 1 rays to him aoma-
times, 'Keep up, obi Allow,'
to kinder oucouroge him, but hu
S ain’t nothin’ to koep up on; It’s
kou man as has lost his way and night
comes on;'pears like he's down In tho dark
now and Aero bain't nothin’ Jcfs to heft' hlut
up. Team like bo’ll norcr find his way rloar
no more, for’gin bo gits uso to doin’ without
tho gsl tho boy’ll go, for bA gravo don’t ’pear
to me to he far off somehow. Mokks bo’ll Iln-
{ cr on till spring, but It dun’t soom accordin’
o imlcr for Mm to huld out”
Ho look- d Into tho flro thoughtfully o few
seconds,
PWtapk he was waiting for me to say some
thing, hut my heart tins too full of tho sod
picture to odor n comment.
Gathering up hU bat ho contiouoJ, as ho
norcAo go:
"God Oinlghty knows, ’Old I’iko’ has sconn
light o’trouble. Three of’em alayln’np Aore
on tbo hill, and tin balanco has got tho look o’
death In thur eyes, thar ain’t no inAtako about
that; ho hain’t nothin’ to make him choorful—
nothin’ In thA world."
With n few llttlo comforts for hA wife and
children I bade him good-byo and sat down to
think upon the truths hs had unwittingly
told mo. t
“Old Pike," I said, “A only one of a hun
dred.” Truly, tha harvest ls ripe, but where
arc tbo Aborcis? It waa as "Dan” had said.
“There wsA’t nothin’ on earth to mike Old.
I’iko cheerful," but thsre wore hundreds who
woald Ake heart and bo glad out m, con
torts wc dole out In ernmfis Instead of loavos.
Den, poor, ignorant Dsn—bad taught me a
lesson, and fur Aa good of my readers, let me
ay tho wor|d le All of ’-Ohl pikes."
A Viranger-e First Sleeper.
From tho Ytulb’a Champion,
A alceplng car portor baa m»ny rich experi
ences while on the run. Faya an old campaigner:
• People oiler: come In here who havo never bean
liulde ofa sleeping car before. We had such a i-i-o
Ail week. An old man and h A wife name In whllu
we wen at Missouri Valley Junction, lio was
dr erred In a Miff black suit, and his wife carried n
brand new, big black vallee, shining with varnlih.
•• •Wbera’smybouk? 1 want to see my bunk,’
raid tbe old fellow.
“1 looked at bA ticket, and then pointed out his
berth section, which was No. A
" ’Well, but I want to sea ray bunk !"
” ‘Do you want to go to bod now?' I asked,
“'aotobed! Well,Igneranot! tafikrtntCyruil
Wbst I want to sea A my bunk! Where Is It:'
“l explained to him that the- berths we-ro
msoe up after dork, ud ho coubl sec m» 'bulk.'
'ifO#
” 'Well, Martby, wa might cz well rami) right
clown hero cn' wait for tho thing to bo mado up.’
"I didn't have tlmo to explain then, but carl/ In
the evening I him If ho would llko to havo
bisbarthmadaup.
*' 'Well, jet; don't keer of I do. I glue rally go to
tod txmt thta tlm^to bon**' ' * * ~ •* f
•He Ktmcd to expect mo to go into the baggago
oar or iomewhere and bring in n btditaad or n.>ine-
tbing of that rdrt: to I thought I would show him
bow the bed* wait made up."
"*Yoni«c thta little handle up here, over tho
ai*l*f Mid I. ‘Well, I Ju*t puli this, and tho uppet
Urth cornea down *0.’
"Ailpulled It down the obi man lumped np*
bumped his head against the demanding berth*
seized his wife And exclaimed:
" 'Let’s get out or this, Martby. The hull thing’*
cornin' down.’
"When the old gentleman had recovered fc-Mn
kUfright, and tbeperaemters hA ceased Uugl.lngt
l made np the t arths and lha old teal < .nap.
ad Into tbe upper one, highly pleasad with MB
’bunk,’ which, raid he, ‘boats my upstairs bedroom
at home!’
“And,” continued the potter, “before wc gol to
Chicago he bad teamed the wqyof lha 'h-epem *•
wen that he gave mo hal(( dollar for Ma king hli
:. t