The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-20 00:00:00

JEM STATMAN AT HOME.

That &irksome cave they enter, where they find
That cursed man, low sitting on the ground,
Musing sadly in his sullen mind.—SPENCER.
JEM STATMAN was found and returned from Birming-
ham, looking none the more healthy or reputable for
his carouse, to take up his place by the bedside of the
still insensible Jack Blogg, and doggedly refuse all
offers of assistance in his task.
"Will he live ?" he asked the doctor, almost
fiercely.
"I'm afraid not," that gentleman replied. "If
ever he wakes to consciousness at all—which is more
than doubtful—it will only be at the end."
"So that he can speak half a dozen words to me it
will be sufficient. I ask no more," said Jem, in a low,
concentrated tone.
And to make sure, in such a contingency, that he
should not lose the chance of hearing such words, if
they were spoken, Jem Statman never left the house
for a moment. The detective paid him a visit, but
departed as much in the dark as he lAA been before
Jo n either could not—or would not—tell him any
thing that was of the least service.
Several days passed, and still the boy lingered on in
his death-like insensibility to all that was pass'ng
around him. From the Grange came doun ctstly
hampers of delicate food and wines, which wrTe sent
by Beryl with many anxious enquiries as to Jack
Blogg's state, all of which were re,reived by the surly
denizen of the Rookery with scant thanks.
The doctor was the only person admitted to the
cottage, and he remonstrated with Statman.
" 'rhey are all very kind to y3u," he said, "and
deserve a little more civility at your hands, I think."

"Do you?" returned Jem-Rat-man, with a strange,
fierce light in his eyes. "Maybe so— at any rate,
don't be afraid but I shall pay all my debts in full."
"At any rate," said the doctor, not quite under-
standing this speech—" I think that you are bound
to let Mr. Atherstone in. You may not pay much
heed to religion yourself, but think what that poor
lad might crave after, if he was sensible."
'Oh, if that's all, I'm no ways particular," was
the surly reBpons3. "Let the parson come and talk
religion over him if he pleases. fwou't do Jack
much harm nor much good neither, jilt comes to that,
seeing as how he.can't hear it, let alone underst Ind."
"Miss Atherstone has been very kind in sending all
these little luxuries," the doctor went on. " I sup-
pose I had better te'l her how grateful you are for
them."

Oh, ay! Tell her that, if you like," responded
Jem, with a short, disagreeable laugh. "Give her my
humble dooty, and all the rest of it. Cf course, I'in
much beholden to her—and so is Jak, thero—though
it's all one to him now whether there's lots to eat aid
drink, or nothing. You may tell her, too," lie con-
tinued, after they got outside the door—for in the
cottage they had been speaking only in subdued
whispers. "You may tell her this trona me—Jem
Statman—that I am as sure as that there is a sun in
th,?, sky yonder of one thing."
" And Lkat is
"As my boy—leastways, the boy ai is all the same
to me as my own—isn't a-going to leave the world
SO quiet as everybody seems to think. I don't want
to inut you, sir; you've been very kind to—to him
—and God bless you for it! if I may pray so; but
you don't feel as I do."
"And you think that he will recover?'
"I think as how he'll wake up for long enough to
tell me all I want to know," was the dogged answer.
"And that's who has sent him to hia death."
"I hope you may be right, my friend. But I very
much doubt it."

olt'd b 3 so, for all that," persisted Jem, in a tone
of settled conviction that the doctor thought it would
be hopeless to attempt to combat. "He loved me, you
see, for all my rough ways, and I loved him th: same,
after my fashion. And though we never went to church
o' Sunday, or said our prayers, as other folks do--I
bel'eve enough in the mercy of heaven as to think
we'll have that little favour shown us as he shan't go
out of the world without knowing that I am by his
side. You can tell Miss Atherstone this, air, and say
_ _