Litchfield enquirer., 1868-02-13

l.. Mefcy on us, Y. !' she cried, when sh t had heard the story. ss declare it's givel me quite turn, and turns enough I've ha ], up stairs with that there blessed babe a chng1ng to me as if he was my own, an' l that there beast of q nurse. ''sa Mrs. Tim 3 mins was considerably excited. sf*te "Ah v said the old man, laying one his bent yellow fingers on her sleeve: "yol tell him to keep it till advertised; he l llsten to you. Twenty pounds he nigh gam by lt,--twen-ty pounds" and the oll eyes gllttered as If they saw the coins. Womens honesty is more assailsble thar mems. Why certainly" said Mrs. Tim mlns, without hesitation, as soon as sht understood, "Tomkins is quite right. O course you're not bound to go trapesing al over the town, without even knowins whether you'll get paid for the loss of time , And If twenty pound is offered, I'll be bound 1t would n't be missed out of a gen. tleman's pocket, and it would do us pow. CT of good, and honestly come by, too, she added, decisively
 Tlmmins wavered. Before him, too, had arisen a golden vision of the comforts and luxurles those twenty pounds might bring to his poor household. He felt unusually inclined to defer to his wife's judgment
 ''Well, don't know that it would be
 
 ''Yes, yes, you tell him; he'll do it for you" crooned the old man.
 All at once Mrs. Timmins's bright eyes softened.
 70. Timmins" she exclaimed; s'only think! If we had twenty pounds, we could take that poor baby as it's heartbreakine to see up stairs. It 'ud keep him long time, and we'd take our chance of his not belng claimed. Upon my word, Timmins, D she concluded, warming with her subject, Il think 1t your duty, when God has sent you the means by the hands of that wretch ed creature, to use them for the child s good"
 Poor Timmins; his defences were weak The twenty pounds had already assumed the form of possession of his own which it would be stretch of honesty to forego. Was he in position to be so extra scrupu- lous? And what was he asked to do? Mere ly keep the box for 8 day or two Why he must do that, at any rate; he could not spare time from his work within that time. Besides, in his heart he did long to be able to keep the boy. The angel of honesty spread his wings, and took flight. and Tim mins and his wife walked home on excel lent terms with each other
 A day or two later the advertisement ap- ! ty pounds was offered for the box. Tim mins's conscience was quite at rest by this time, and he settled with his wife that she should go to the workhouse, claim little Johnny, and meet her lord afterwards at the jewellers shop. She, good, motherly soul, was brimming over with kindly de- i light in her errand. She carried large basket filled with cakes and apples as Christmas box to the other small work house children, and the rosy glow on her sunny face riyalled the fruit in color. Tim a large magnificent shop Tn a Dronn- oughfare. When he reached it, he stared through the piate-glass window in admira- tion. It was already dusk, and the bril- liant jets of gas, sparkling upon the gems, l seemed to extract from them tiny streams of light, while within could be seen sort of dazzling vista of gold and silver. Finn mins stood gazing for minute or two, and then walked in in the best possible spirits, and advanced towards the counter. ] ''I called about this advertisement" said l he, showing one that he had cut out of the paper; "the box has come into my posses sion."
 70, indeed" replied the young man whom he addressed, with an unmistakable sheer; 70, indeed!'
 s'It happened very curiously," Timmins went on glibly. 'I and my wife were walk ing"
 Don't tell your story to me, if you please interrupted the shopman, rudely," 'I'll mention your errand to my master. Here, Johnson, two upon ten"
 The shopman disappeared down an inner passage, and Johnson advanced from the other side of the shop and kept very close to Mir. Timmins in manner which he could not but think offensive, especially as man of far less respectable appearance was left standing unwatched at the opposite coun- ter. Worse than this, the meaning of the mysterious order 1.-two upon ten'' soon be- came obvious in the gluing of MT. John sons two eyes upon the ten fingers, five of which were resting innocently upon the counter. Mir. Timmins began to grow ve- " uncomfortable. When finally the first shopman returned and preceded him into private room, and Johnson, calling anoth- CT man to attend to the shop, joined quiet ly in behind, Timmins felt that all his good spirits had unaccountably left him, and was conscious of wearing hang-dog look, and of being treated surprisingly like a criminal
 Mrs. Timmins, with little Johnny in her hand, hoyered about the door of the jewell lers shop for good quarter of an hour be- fore her lord made his appearance. When at length he did so, she fell back with 8 start, and looked with terrified eyes into his face; the gas-light showed it to be of a deadly white.
 ''Heaven save us, T. what's the matter? You look like ghostr'
 ''Stuff and nonsense" he said, trying to speak angrily, but the words came thick and faint out of his throat. What! you'v we got that brat have you?'
 ''Yes, T. Poor little man he was So pleased,' and the wife crept timidly nearer to her husband. eve shall never repent it anyway, I'm sure. I couldn't have eaten my christmas dinner comfortable, if we hadn't done it, but haven't you,-haven't l you got the money2"
 sYes, I've got the money" he growled between his set teeth. Mrs. Timmins felt such lump rise 1T t r. her throat that she spoke no more till they D were at home and in their own room l There she could no longer restrain he = tears; they streamed down unnoticed ove t the new Christmas bonnet-strings that sh, had tied with such pride an hour before t %, Timmins! she pleaded, T can't bea - this. Only tell me what it means e Means! he exclaimed at last, turnins