The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-12-18
THE BROTHER ~tM~LAW.
ICONTINUED,I I


"Cursedly unlucky, - said Maurice,
after some unimportant conversation,
"my sister being laid up, L shan't be
able to see her for week, at least"
"Aye," answered Cough; sand
when you do, do you think she will
side with her brother against her
husband? So you mean to lie here,
like dying rat in a hole, until your
sweet sister persuades her terrible
husband to pardon his humble slave.
"Slave! What do you mean, Mr..
Gough?" shouted Maurice, fiercely.
'Hush!" answered Cough. "Youll
waken Rover, whom I passed just
now, sleeping the sleep Of the just,
I suppose, to all the good things she
has eaten after the sale dinner.
"But what can do?" remonstrat-
ed Maurice. sD'ye think I'd stop
here to be baited like badgerp No,
I'd be off to America in q jiffey; but
I haven't q shilling in the world"
"Heyworth has good many shil-
lings in the house." said Cough, in q
strange, low, distinct tone.
Would We have me rob the manp"
"Who speaks of robbery? No.
borrow. Your sister would lend you
the money if she were we'll enough.
Take what you want, and pay him
again when you get to New York"
"Heyworth keeps the key of his
cash-box in the left hand top drawer
of that room," said Maurice, az if IL
soliloquy; "but I dare not. The
risk is fearful"
''The risk is nothing" answered
the other. ''Look at the state of the
case. Heyworth sleeps in another
room, of course, with his wife in this
way-sound enough, warrant, after
the worry of to-day"
'iBut the nurse?'
"Nurses always sleep heavily to-
wards the small hours"
But Kate herself?"
"Should she wake, lay your finger
on your lips, whisper a word, and
she will understand your motive.
AS for the window, there are no shut
ters; pocket knife will open the
hasp."
Maurice covered his face with his
hands. After some moments, he
raised nlmSel1, ana said:
''I dare nct do it."
'Humph! thought rs much.
Well, Kieman, I can do no more for
you; so goodbye, said Cough, rising
as if to go.
Cough! for heavens sake! don't
leave. Help me 20 get away. Lend
me five pounds" exclaimed Maurice,
imploringly.
Cough, suddenly wheeling round,
and bringing his sinister features
close to Maurice's face.
Kieman spoke not, but bowed his
head in assent.
Cough remained some minutes in
making various preparations for his
perilous undertaking. AS he was
about to descend the ladder, Maurice
clutched his hand.
"Gough, for heavens sake, you
know that mean no violence?"
''Bahl" said the other. "Do yon
think me such a bungler as that? If
the key is only where you say it is,
in half an hour I shall bs back with
the money, and not hair Of any
body's head touched"
"What with funk, and brandy, and
natural stupidity" muttered Cough,
as he softly closed the stable door,
having first taken off his shoes, "that
poor fool is on the high road to
idiocy!"
Coughs first business was to creep
to the window and reconnoitre the
situation. The force of the- wind
penetrating through numerous chinks
in the well-worn window-frame lifted
the blind at intervals, and permitted
him by degrees to take survey of
the interior. Instead Of the two
bright candles, ush-light, placed
in q basin upon the floor, shed its
feeble reys over the room. Kate
Howard lay motionless on the bed.
on one side of which reposed the
baby in cradle, while on the other,
in an old-fashioned, high-backed
chair, sat the nurse-stout, plethoric,
and unwieldy, whose head sunk into
her bosom, and deep, trumpet like