The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-02

am IN point of fact the mans debtor: and if |
cannot pay, he has, / suppose, right to exer-
| clse the powers the law gives him. But when |
think OF you, Milly dear, / am unnamed"
Leonard, you're fool" said Grit, abruptly.
| hat you calls honor, | calls downright stoop-
idness. 1t amt o no use tryin' to be honorable,
| or honest, either with them as don't know what
| honor and honesty is. Candid, | wouldn't 90
| for to cheat any man, not eff he was all straight
! up and down right with me; but let him try the
| cunnin, and me coteh him at it, then l SAYS its
time TO come to close reck'n with him; and
| does 1t; yes sir; | goes slick into him, and
| does win, nineteen times out o twenty Now.
you wants to be honest with Mark and this yer
lawyer. But the more you tries to be, the more
they'll try to fix you. say you must leave OFF
| bein' stoopid honorable"
"There is some force in what YOU saw, Zach. y
responded Leonard and for once I'll own my
| self converted to your philosophy AS the
| world goes, | don't know but it is not the east
est to get along with, if it is not altogether the
best. Comet Tell me what am to do, and |
will do it."
| /" Wen, that's sensible" said Grit. "You
wont have to do much more than walk out of
the hotel. I've got to do what's got TO be done.
bot I'll do it. That bread and cheese customer
must be circumwented, and got out of the way.
I'm agoing to sawft sawder him, presently
Now, you and Milly stop herga and watch us,
and as soon as he's off his guard, you slip out,
| and don't you come back here no more. I'll
| settle the BILL"
| 8 But where shall we go to?r asked Leon
ard
:" I've thought of that, Leonard, and eff what
| hearn you says true, why nows the time for
him to prove he's your friend He's the only
man can help you-besides me-
+" He? To whom do you alude, Grit? know
of no one in this great city that can apply to
Tor assistance III my present strait"
Iou aren't so smart, Leonard as TUX YOU
| to be, by long chalk" rejoined Zach.
He went up to Leonard, and whispered IN his
ear; not in so low voice, however, as to pre-
vent Mildred from hearing distinctly what he
| said. 1t produced an instantaneous effect upon
both, Frightening their countenances with a
| smile of JOY, not unmingled with surprise.
:" think it is feasible Zach" exclaimed
Leonard. :" AT any rate, it must be tried. But
should he refuse, we shall not be better off than
we are now"
"Leonard, dear, he will not refuse" inter
posed Mildred, sudden flush crimsoning her
cheek" 8 Let us not lose any more time, | be-
seech YOU"
" 1T is Zach you must press, not me- replied
Leonard " we are now under his orders"
"'Taint that you couldn't go quite straight off
thar" remarked Grit, without my getting this
var hound out Of the way but it wouldn't be
pleasant to have him squintin' round the cor
ncrs, and asking questions of the lackies Be-
sides, when you're made up your mind to cir
cumwent ole weaze it's best to try and cotoh
him asleep. Now, if he don't know whar YOU re
gone tn, he won't find it easy to follcr your
track. Then, agen, you gets time, and if YOU
on'y knows how to make use on it, whv, you
ought to get clar out o this scrape. But Tsay,
Leonard eff you do-ef you du, mind, never YOU
trust sleek, ily-tongued lawyer agn."
Zach having duly instructed Leonard and his
sister to watch his movements from the win
dow, and prescribed their subsequent course,
nodded Familiarity to them as he Withdrew, and
they presently heard him descend the stairs,
| whistling his tavorite melody.
| The street was not many PAGES wide, so they
| soon had the satisfaction of seeing him on the
| opposite side. He walked straight into the
wine-shop, and, going up TO the counter, was
| presently served with tumbler of wine, which
| the host poured out from huge wooden pitcher.
| Apparently it did not suit his palate, for he
made hideous grimace, and shook his head.
The vintner shrugged his shoulders, bowed, and
poured out another tumblcr from bottle The
| second experiment did not seem much more
satisfactory than the first and after series of
signals, the landlord disappeared, presently re-
turning with bottle fresh from the cellar which
he proceeded TO uncork He then handed the
bottle to Grit, who helped himself in a clean
tumbler
lie likes that observed Leonard, laugh
ing " he has tipped it Off"
| The man is looking at him, remarked Mil
drcd :" and see, Zach mods to him. Now he is
| filling up another tumbler."
| And he has called for another clean glass, :"
added Leonard how politely he offers it to the
| spy" said Mildred " he laughs and mods at
| Zach Why, they are actually hob-nobbing."
| They watched the pair empty their glasses
after which, Zach, as it appeared to them,
seemed laboring hard to convey to bis new ac-
| quaintance some sentiment whose purport they
| we're puzzled to comprehend. This he did
| chiefly by signs of a somewhat elaborate char
| acter, but which ultimately answered their end
| for the party to whom, or rather at whom, they
were directed condescended to help Zach to
empty the bottle.
| Leonard and Mildred wondered what would
| follow. They saw Zach presently pull out n
small book, which Leonard recognised to be a
pocket dictionary. This proved of marvellous
| service With its observation-disclosures the fire.
quency of the references to il must have some
what interfered with the con.ecutiveness of the
|
| acquaintance into high state of enjoyment,
which presently contaminated even the host
| himself. Not to be behind Grit in generosity,
! tic spy ordered two drains of brandy, which
were speedily disposed of But Zach seemed
| determined not to be outdonc and Immediately
| asked for two others. Leonard, however, no.
| ticed, that although the spy gave himself fully
up to the enjoyment of the moment he never
once averted his eve from the doorway of the
hotel for sufficient space of time to allow any
one to pass out without his seeing them. He
remarked upon this to Mildred, but there was
no remedy, save to abide the event patiently.
| There was small parlor on the righthand
| side of the winners store, the window OF which
faced the street. After exchanging some words
and many more signs with the landlord and the
strange man, and after sundry refusals on the
part of the latter, he was induced to accompa-
ny Grit in, and they were presently seated at.
small table close to the window.
"Why. Zach has asked him to breakfast,
do believe" exclaimed Mildred, laughing But
see that the man keeps sharp lookout this
way"
dyes" reioined Leonard There goes the
landlord he is laying the cloth"
In due course. a dish Of something hot was
served up, to which the spy did full justice.
The preparation, whatever its nature, was wash
ed down with copious draughts OF wine, and
was followed by cheese and fruit. After the
repast had been iseosed of the landlord was
summoned, and the pocket dictionary having
again come into active requisition, he withdrew,
returning presently with a halfpint decanter,
containing brandy, and box of dominoes,
which he spread out upon the table.
each is looking this way" said Leonard
" we mDt be prepared"
~ am qnite ready responded Mildred, ad.
iusting her shawl. The game commenced, and
the two friends were soon deeply engaged in it.