Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-10

for she WAS snylng DaCk III the ltDc, 10u UcuaN-
ing in every way Ike a lunstic. gave her such
! a,cut as she had not felt since she was broken
| in; and then, without word Of warning, che
| reared entirely upright; took me at a dissdvan-
| tage, and sent me sprawling into the dftch then
turned and galloped back toward Biagly Win
/ out me.
/ a little, and astonished great deal - picked
M hIst myself, and then my hat, and stu IN oled
| on to ind the heath gate. i had my hand upon
/ it, when the moon came smilingly along from
n1der a cloud, and the whole level waste OF
/ he ath was made visible in a moment. But the
I sight of the heath, in all Its barren ugnness
( wss not what struck me with such chill, and
made nv eyes prick and my throat grow apo
/ plectic never gave a second glance in that
/ direction, TOT there, close TO me, ON tue oppo-
\ ste side OF the closed gate, stood my brother
Solomon. I could not have mistaken him If
there had been only the very faintest glim mer
! of light There he was, In hts long coat and his
IIght hat with his arms folded on the top bar of
! the gate, the brown book under one of them as
usual, and his eyes fixed steadily on me.
Solomon" 1 said, growing very cold and
uncomfortable under his gaze, Its getting
chilly tor you to be out"
lie did not answer that. and so presently I
went cbeeItnlly on: i've been-you remember
where I said was goiug-l stopped again here
I did not want TO confess where had been II he
did not know, and did not want to tell another
fal-ehood II he did know. So put it to him in
that way intending TO be guided by his answer.
1t was so long in coming that took heart OF
grace to try another tack. where have you
been, SOi.''
AubiutI IduSCs anu lAth NC dhchtECu III HIS
I've been at home expecting you, Jacob;
waiting for you until could wait no longer"
s'I'm sorry for that" L said, feeling a little
cheerier TO hear him speak. al wUuid not
have been so late only had to go round by Blag-
" on business. / daresay you notice I'm COM
ing from there now. only went on business
Hemade another pause before he ans wered,
and though IL was a trick of SOlomOns and al
WAYS had been. felt myself growing uncom-
tuhI Why ghOuid ha mn hav a 81 vad
at home, as parsons should on Sunday nights?
But the icy chill turned all at ohee to a clam
my heat when solomon asked me quietly, and
without turning turning his steady gave from
my face, "HOw much OF that filthy lucre have
you won, jacob"
.sWh-what?" 1 stammered-and then you
might have knocked me down with the very
smallest of the feathers in JOS winning bird
''wh-what, solomon"
He repeated the query slowly and steadily.
''How much OF that filthy lucre have you won,
Jacob"
thinking his long fingers, which had been
clasped together on the gate, he stretched one
hand toward me. give notes, he said, still
with the unmoved gaze. give worthless, i'll
clssped nv breast pocket anxiously, 81
have a little money here, Sol, >" said as airily as
/ could, "a few pounds, more or less; and
want to buyfyou new umbrella, yours Is getting
shabby. III 90 into town tomorrow and choose
one"
tried tc get up little cheerfulness over it,
but Solomon's gaze dsmpenedit all out OF me;
and besides he had not taken back his long,
hungry, outstretched hand.
''Five notes" he said again; Give worthless,
ill-won notes, Jacob"
Gwen if had the notes, SOL" began trem-
bling like leaf in a storm, ''even if had
them-ha, ha' what an absurd idea.-what
should Won want with them? And-and,' |
added, elutching desperately at straw of cour-
age, what ght have you to themY'
fsThere Is no right in the question said : DO
mon, and his face grew longer and longer. at
is sH wrong
hTavely, though | was trembling like any nu N
Der of aspens, "but, OF course, you're joking
and it's rather late for joke, isn't It2 Come
along home with me-"
- am not going your way now, :" he answered
"Shall YOU be home tonight l asked trying
10 finish up the scene OF my natural tones.
$40 nj ht? IL is midnight now"
s'God bless my soul, is it really?' eNclaim-
ed. not so much surprised as ridcuOusly fiuI-
rieJ and nervous under brothers intent gaze.
Solomon had shiyered as the words passed my
lips, and for the first time looked away.
Good night he said, In his slow, absent
way; and then | think he added three other
words, which be often did add to his goo1-bses:
but he spoke so low that scarcely heard, and
felt so angry with him, too, that didn't even
try to hear.
j walked on moodiy scrsss the heath. Az
the benign effect of JOS punch had eyoparated;
all the pleasure Of the sport had been swept
away in one chill blast; the only definite idea
that IOssessed me was the determination not to
4 always carried my own key, and forbade
the servants to cit up for me, so you may guess
I was surprised to lind my groom watching for
me at the gate.
sswaIking, sir?'' he exclaimed meeting me
with a hurried step and worried face. IL hoped
you'd ride home that you might be the quicker
at the parsonage. They've sent for you twenty
times at lt ast, Sir. Mr. Solomon
81 know" / interrupted; "Mr. solomon is
missing. I've just met bin. III 90 and tell
them 30, for I'll be bound tbs parish is all up n
/ arms"
All the parish was up in arms, and had all
gathered atthe parsonage, as il seemed to me;
but-straBgest Of ais Jlomon was there too,
lying on his narrow led opposite the open win
dow, with the square of moonlit sky before his
closed eyes.
They tell me something about swoon or some
such womanish trick; and il may be true and il
may not. At any rate 1 remember nothing after
the first few sentences they uttered. solomon
had been ailng for some time-so the words
went-and had felt worse than usual that day
and lonely and restless Still he had insisted on
preaching in the evening, and afterwards had
toiled up to my house TO see II was At home
and then toiled back again. All night he had
been expecting me, and had kept listening for
my step again and again to see if had return
ed just once he had risen excitedly in bed ,
then his strength had failed; and those who
were listening heard him bid his brother good
you" Then he had lain quietly back with his
fading eyes upon that glimpse of heaven beyond
the lattice window, and had died quietly at mid
night.
Another cock-fght? No, never saw another
cock -fght Don't ask me any more. It's i've
and thirty years ago-let it rest.
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