The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-05-19
Bring me lemon, some sugar and a

The Kettle was placed on tue nre.
The stranger filed it with brandy, adj
ding lemon to suit his taste. AS the
liquor boiled over it caught FIRE, set.
ting the whoH thing in blaze. Rich
ard jumped up to take it off; the
stranger caught his arm, and flung
him back as if he had been a child,
instead of a substantial citizen of four
teen stone,
"What are you about ?" he exclaim-
ed. "The punch is doing we'll enough"
81 was only afraid the house might
be burned"
"Bother the house," replied the lit
tie man "there's no danger"
"Your health, DickW at length be
said, and raising the kettle, all blaz-
ing, to his mouth he drank like a
dromedary.
"And now, Dick, it's your turn" he
said, after long breath. "You must
drink my health now"
Richard drew back.
"Drink !" shouted the stranger, hold
ing out the vessel
Poor Dick took single gulp. He
left the skin of his mouth on the brim
of the kettle, his throat was scorched
as with liquid fire, and his hair was
singed by the blaze.
"And now to business" said the
stranger, resuming his seat, and leav-
ing Dick to sit or stand as he chose.
"You know John Walter, | believe"
"Yes-yes," stammered Richard, 81
once knew a person of that name"
eyes. you and he went to California
together"
Richard acknowledged the fact.
"You made money, and he didn't"
81 believe l was the more fortunate
of the two."
"You and he started to return to.
gether, and he died in San Francisco"
Richard bowed.
"His wife and child are now desti-
tute," the stranger persisted.
81 can't help that"
"Of course not 1t was his boy you
gave the good advice to to-day hope
the young scamp will profit by it."
The scene with the little beggar,
Richard was sure, had been witnessed
by no one. How the stranger had
found it out was past his comprehen-
sion.
You're quite sure John Walter
died poor?" TIE stranger went on.
.'Oh, quite" said Richard; II paid
his funeral expenses myself"
"That's lie," retorted the little
man; "they were paid by the public.
It's another lie that he died poor. He
had twenty thousand dollars with him
which you stole"
"l deny itT" Richard fairly scream
ed; "and defy you to prove it,"
"Prove it! What etfrontry! Why,
| saw you do it,
1T is false. There was nobody
present"
"Be careful, Dick, or you will COM
NIT yourself. 1 saw you do another
thing"
Richard shrank shivering into a
chair, but SAID nothing.
"Joh Walter would have survived
his illness. but you put poison in his
medicine"
A sudden fury took possession OF
Richard Whinstone, when he saw the
secret of his life in another's keeping.
The carving knife lay within his
reach. He seized it, and springing on
the stranger, sought to bury the blade
in his heart, but it glanced as from
plate armor, and in an instant the lit
tie man was on his feet.
"Oh, oh that's you little game, is
it?"
And with trip that sent his heels
spinning in the air, Richard thrown was
headlong with force that shook the
house to its foundation. The club
foot was planted on his stomach, and
what horrible ugly foot it was 1t
was cleft like the foot of an OK, and
seemed to weigh ton.
"Then you are the"
"Pray, keep civil tongue in your
head, and come along" said the little
man. Richard had tainted.
When he came to himself, day was
breaking. The old housekeeper, who
had found him groaning and sprawl
ing on the floor, had, with much diff
Guilty shaken him into consciousness.
pShe assisted him to bed but Richard
never was himself again. The surfeit
of pig had brought on fever, OF
which he died in eight days. His last
rational act was the execution Of a
will by which he left the bulk of his
furtune to John Walters widow and
child; which, after all, was a simple
act of justice, for the Demon of night