Out of a Labyrinth

er'n I'll live in it any more, I calklate; green, oh, dretful green, when I come here; in fact mem'ry hadn't de-welluped; wasn't peart then like I am now. But I ai

wered one leg hastily off the fence, where h

rode with a free rein, and sat as if born to the saddle. She favored Jim with a friendly nod as

uld scarcely be heard on the hard dry road, Jim drew up his leg, r

Kurnel Broo

ng the fence a shake that nearly unseated our juggler. "Who's the

ckward, and affecting great timidity in so doing, "ye shouldn't shake a cha

stulated Jim, "ye shouldn't sh

ma before he relinquished his hold upon the top rail of the fence.

u askin' s

ried Carnes, as if his fate hung upon the

Jim Long was one of our first acquaintances. Carnes had picked him up s

re, and a species of blundering waggishness; but as I grew to know him better, I learned to respect the irony under his innocent looks and boorish speeches, and I soon found that he p

as said that he could always be trusted with a horse, if he could be induced to look at one. But he had his likes and disl

n of Trafton. It was only necessary to set him going; and

nd hunting; indeed, he was usually to be foun

up many small items while, in the society of Long Jim, we scrambled through copses, gun in hand, or whi

unding discussions between himself and Carnes. Sometimes he was full of theology, and then his discourse would have enraptured Swing, a

more than a mile from town. He had a small piece of ground which he call

here, had introduced himself to the Traftonites as Barney Cooley. "Bedad,

ves in the house that's just a notch bigger'n Kurnel Brookhouse's; and her father was Captain Manvers, as went down in the

had better call him, "was it a threasure-ship yee's wur hatch

at's all. If yer wan't ter kick over one uv

ing at full length upon the ground fei

! threasu

this Miss Manvers, sanction the story of a treas

t agoin' to be oudacious enough ter say there ain't a big treasure-ship backin' up the whole business. Now, I ain't never seen 'em, an' I ain't never seen anyone as has, not bein' much of a society man; but folks say as Miss Manvers has got the most wonderfullest things dug out o' that ship; old coins, heaps of 'em; jewels an' aunteeks, as they call 'em, that don't hardly ever see daylight. One thing's certain: old Manvers come here most six years ago; he dressed, looked, and talked like a sail

nging up with alacrity. "An' thank ye kindly for min

out afresh between the two, and partly through interest in the

rget for fortune-hunters, Long;

ng Mr. Brookhouse; now, his pa's rich enough; he ain't no call to go fortin huntin'. There's a lawyer from G--, too, and a young 'Piscopal parson; then there's our new young doctor. I ain't h

carelessly; "he di

e in that little smit on a cottage acros

doe

s any, when you come ter look. Trafton ain't got any heart, like most towns;

ncerning the reputation of Trafton, I

Trafton, I th

gs, we don't; have to learn 'em afore we like '

on't you lik

uz speakin' as a good citizen, ye see; kind o' identifyin'

," I responde

ngue all too long for his own comfort. "He's runnin' f

monition, "we're talkin' sense, wot nobody expe

d into silence, and Jim, who wa

ctor's a leetle too good lo

it's in a massive way; he is not ef

nin' little moustachys, little hands and feet, and slim waists. Our style is more ruffles to

er, hear him!" groaned

v wastin' politeness on. He goes along head up, independenter nor Fouth o' July. He don't make no distincshun between folks an' folks, like a man orter. I've seen him bow jist the same bow to

groan fro

f his would-be tormentor. "Somehow he manages to cure folks as some of our old doc

with an insinuating glance in the d

his cuffs with great care and glancing

e may we find your model Traftonite, your hero of the curls, moustach

mean anythin' personal by my remarks? I'd sworn it were all that way when you come ter

rnes that nothing more in the way of information need be expected from him. He had said enough, or too much, or something he had not intend

g the 'Average Traftonite,' old man,"

g a huge black pipe and gazi

ade to rob Miss Manvers of those tr

mp

rses. Carnes, what's

pon me two serious eyes. When I saw the expressi

eried, without a trac

r bri

e and puffing out a black

ad

a fr

ho

sometimes believes himself one. Did you no

, rat

ftonite,' at least. That man has not always been at odds wit

erly, "that we shall find i

cres, and we now struck into a path leading down to the highway, th

ate in conversation with a gentleman seated in a li

e handsome young gallant who had attended the friend of Miss Grace Ballou, on the occasion of that friend's visit to t

ate, and as I drew near, the young man gathered u

ities at our hotel, and I addressed him i

tor," nodding after the receding t

ookhouse, or rather one of them. There are t

and as the doctor swung open the gate and strode beside me toward the hotel, Carnes

sired that she would notify me several days in advance of her proposed visit to the city, as I