That Green-eyed Jackson.

Te Aroha News, 26 November 1887, Page 8

That Green-eyed Jackson.

HATED Jackson from the first moment of our meeting, when I caught him staring at me with his malevolent green eyes, as if he would like to do me a mischief. Do you think J may have been prejudiced ? Perhaps I was. Other people liked him ', bul for my part) I shall always believe in first impressions. Yes, others liked him. Mrs Shillingsworth, the rich old lady who had the back parlour, spoke of him on that first day in these words :—: — 'Jackson is a great favourite. All the ladies fairly worship him ; and I don't think he knows which he loves best.' IDo the gentleman also adore Jackson ?' I asked. I am afraid there was a little sarcasm in my tone ; but Mrs Shillingsworth did not notice it. { Why, Mr Abbot, lam sure you could not expect that. They never do, 5 she answered. 'Never.' ' I know I shouldn't,' I said. Still 1 reflected that I need not have anything to do with Jackson ; and, as the house seemed pleasant, and the boardets generally very nice, people, I engaged the front room on the third floor, sent over my own easy-chair and desk, waste-paper basket, trunks, and became a boarder at Mrs Polo's. Mrs Polo had seen better days, and was apt to tell you so. She had had misfortunes and liked to talk about them. She had had boarders who cheated her, It was some consolation to her to give their names, and to say what perfect manners they had had, how well off they seemed to be, and how it had been impossible to doubt their honesty or h%h social position, and how, affer all, they went off without paying. In the case of one lady, a boarder's sealskin jacket went also ; but that was an unusual circumstance. But, on the whole, it was not unpleasant there, or would not have been but for Jackson. I hated him, from i his green eyes to his grey coat ; but it ! was not for his appearance, but for his manners. j No one could doubt that they were very bad indeed. You may be shocked i that such things could be allowed in any respectable boarding-house, but I assure you that in one week I saw him with his cheek against that of the fair pupil of Screecholini ; sitting on the sofa beside Miss Mack, with her hand on his head ; and with his head actually on the knee of Miss Smiles. They were all considered respeclable ladies, and I am sure if I had taken the least liberty with any of them I should have been obliged to leave the house at once ; but Jackson did as he pleased. They said he was so good. I know if I had stayed out all night as he did sometimes, never coming in until morning, and then plainly having been engaged in a fight, I shouldn't have been called good • but he was privileged. There was no doubt that he could do what no other boarder dared do. I might have been amusing to some people, but it was not to me. Moreover, I was sure he was not strictly honest. In fact, to use plain language, I knew he was a thief. I had seen him steal things. He was always being admired and caressed ; and while I might come and go with no I more than a civil word or a bow, ! there would be a chorus of • There ' comes Jackson ' from the ladies when i he sneaked into the room in that nasty, sly, noiseless way of his. I hated his voice, too. In fact, he was my pet detestation. I believe I should have left Mrs Polo's in a few months, comfortable as I was there otherwise, merely to be rid of Jackson, had not Rose May come there to board with her mother. She was a charming girl, and I fell in love with her at once. I had resolved to remain a bachelor, but she had not been seated opposite me at the table more than a dozen times before I changed my plans entirely. I resolved to marry if she would have me, and I set to work to make myself as agreeable to her as possible. I believed that I had succeeded. She seemed to like to talk to me. She shared ray tastes, and she pretended to

share my prejudices against Jackson. When she said, * I don't know what they see in the creature,' I felt that I adored her ; and when she added* that ( she should call him a hateful thing/ I admired her more than ever. I was quite sure she liked me, as I said, and I was ready to propose and to be accepted ; to buy the engagement ring, and follow it up by the plain* gold one which is put on on the wedding ' day, when a circumstance occurred of which I cannot even now think calmly. One night I had retired, but had not gone to bed, and was reading near an open window, when I heard a voice below softly whisper the word, ' Tackson.' Surely that was Rose May's voice. I extinguished my light and stuck my head out of the window. The May's window opened on to a balcony. Rose stood in it, leaning ; over, looking down into the garden, which was large for that of a tosvn house. She spoke again, • Jackson !' His hated voice answered her. I saw \ him moving stealthily over the path below, and I suppose I made some j motion. At least the whiter abed figure instantly re-entered the window, and Jackson vanished in the shadows. The next morning I was inclined to think it all a dream, but I deteymined to watch carefully, I did so. At the hour of eleven 1 heard the little creak o( a tread upon the balcony below, and warily peeped over the edge of my window sill. I saw Rose May on the balcony, and there was something grey in the garden. Jackson was bad enough for anything, I knew. I had caught him in my room that day, and I had been greatly tempted to kick him out. Of course, he may have been ' admiring. my goldfish,' but, as I told you, I: knew he was a thief; and now he had some reason for being out tHere in the darkness, 1 knew. And again, I beard 'Jackson!' uttered softly,, and this time he not only answered, but advanced. He was very active. In another moment he had scaled the balcony and stood beside Rose ; and, to my horror and disgust, I heard her call him sweet names and saw her fondle him. She had something to eat oul there, some dainty which she shared with him. I suppose Mrs May,,, her mother, was on the inside of the window, perhaps asleep in her bed. She may have known nothing about it, but I shall never be sure. If it had been any other woman in the house I should not have been surprised,, but Rose May — my rosebud, I had called her in my own mind. It was more than flesh and blood could stand. At that date I carried a pistol, which was always under my pillow at night. I consider it wrong to possess one now. It is so easy to shoot first and repent afterwards, Jackson remained in the balcony about haif-3n-hour. Then he descended and Rose closed her window. A little afterward a shot was fired ; a cry followed. Everybody heard it. No one thought anything of it ; but I crept to my bed with guilt upon my soul, and only slept to pass from one nightmare dream to another. In the morning I hardly dared to go downstairs. I should have settled my bill and left before breakfast, but that would have betra)ed me. I dressed and opened the door softly. A great commotion stirred the house below — cries of horror and pity. I advanced to the balcony and leaned over. Mrs Shillingsworth passed through the hall s with her handkerchief to her eyes. She saw me, and looked up. • Oh, Mr Abbot !' she cried, tragically ; * someone has shot Jackson,' 1 Is he much hurt ?' I asked. c He is killed,' she answered. I went downstairs and joined in the lamentations. No one ever suspected me, and Rose May never dreamed why I did not propose. In fact, I think I never confessed the deed before; but it is so long ago. Mrs Polo has married a rich Cuban and gone to Havana with him. The boarders are dispersed, but I met Mrs Shillingsworth the other day, and she asked me to call on her. I 1 did so, and the first object that I saw when I entered the room was Jackson. ! ' I had him stuffed,' said the dear old soul. c I was so fond of him,' The taxidermist had made a fine bit of work of it, but the big, green, glass eyes stared at me in a way that stirred my conscience, and I could not stay long. I was afraid Mrs Shillingsworth would see the truth in my face. Yes — oh, yes. Of course Jackson was a was a large pet cat. What did you think he was ? I couldn't have killed a dog that way. lam too fond of dogs myself.

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