The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-02-19

drawing away her finger.
Be kind to him, poor little duck, 4"
she said to the old dame, hell soon
get used to it; but he is but a baby,
aud it's ha d for him to be taken from
his mother, and In an unusually sub
dued mood Mrs. Timmins descended
the stairs to join her husband below.
Mr.. Timmins meanwhile had been
sitting on a bench In the sun with an
old pauper whom he had known in
better days; thin, chatty old fellow,
with small, crafty eyes, and long, bony
hands.
Got such a thing as a pinch of
snuff about ye, Mr.. Timmins?" he
asked, peering hungriIy into the in
spector's face
Why, yes, replied that gentle
man, | thought may be you'd like
some, so | filed MY box before I
started. Have a pinch?" He put
his hand in his coat-poeket, and drew
thence gold Louis quatorze snuff
box, from the lid of which beamed
lovely enamelled face, set round with
large diamonds. Mr.. Timmins's eyes
opened to that extent that there was
reason to apprehend that he would
never be able to close them again;
his companions glittered like an old
ravens; the iewelled toy lay shining
on the big palm.
WelI-h at last said Mr. Tim
minis, drawing a long breath. A mo-
ment after, Bless my soull" he ex-
claimed, T" I've hit It'll 1t must have
been put in my pocket by that ere
woman we met, with the police close
at her heels. Serve her right If she
Gid get caught" added Mr.. Timmins,
Indignantly, " the jade! putting such
things in an honest mans pocket.
But what a beauty it is, to be
sureF He examined the box
more closely. opened it, and
found engraved on the inside, Ell.
Stevens, 8 Princess Gardens. He
pointed it out to the old man, whose
crooked fingers were already hover
ing about the box as if they lOnged to
clutch anything so precious.
Look here, the hinge is a little
broken; that's why it was sent to the
jewellers most likely. wish I knew
the shop. 1t must be nearer my place
than Princess Gardens
Why, you'd never, never"-the
old mans eagerness almost choked
him" neUer give prize like this
back, and get nothing but thank
you for your troubled No. no: I'm
an old man; Ill tell you what to do.
Wait a day or two; it'll be advertised
in the papers with fine reward; take
it back then, and you'll get twenty
pounds, and then you won't forget
poor old Tomkins, will you?" and the
old man subsidized into a whine.
Mr.. Timmins drew himself up.
p" Nonsense, man; | can't keep it a
day with the name inside. | shall
walk over with it this evening. "
At this juncture appeared Mrs.
Timmins, with rather flushed cheeks,
and rather red eyes which opened
almost to the dimensions of her nus.
bands whenathey fell upon the snuff
box.
Mercy on. u.s. T. ~ she cried, when
she had heard the story. Il declare
it's given me quite a turn, and turns
enough I've had up stairs with that
there blessed babe a-cliDging to me
as if he was my own, and that there
beast of a nurse" Mrs. Timmns was
considerably excited.
Ali" said the old man, laying one
of his yellow fingers on her sleeve;
it's advertised; he'll listen to you.
Twenty pounds he might gain by it
twenty pounds" and the old eyes
glittered as if they saw the coins.
Women's honesty is more assailable
than mems.
Why certainly" said Mrs. Tim
Minis, without hesitation, as soon as
she understood, Tomkins is quite
right. OF course you're not bound
to go trapesing all over the town,
without even knowing whether you'll
get paid for the loss of time. And if
twenty pound IS offered, I'll be bound
1t wouldn't be missed out of gentle
mans pocket, and it would do US
power of good, and honestly come by,
too, she added, decisively.
TimmIus wavered. Before him, too,
had arisen a golden vision of the
comforts and Injuries those twenty
pounds might bring to his poor house
hold. He felt unusually inclined to
defer to his wife judgment
" Well, [ don't know that it would
be dishonest" he began but" 4
$ Yes. yes, you tell him; he'll do it
for you, crooned the old man..
All at once Mrs. Timmins's bright
eyes softened.
20, TimminsT she exclaimed;
only think IF we had twenty
pounds, we could take that poor baby
as it s heartbreaking to see up stairs.
It I'D keep him long time, and wei
take our chance Of his not being J
claimed Upon my word, Timmins,"
she concluded. warming with her
subject, think it is your duty,