Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-25
"'You seem to like it, said the

"The woodman obeyed to the let
ter, aud putting the bottle to his lips,
swigged at it with great earnestness.
He might have continued to drink on,
but bis attention was called to the
stranger. who was at that moment
roaring with laughter. The wood
man put the bottle from his lips to
ask what he was laughing at, when,
to his intense surprise, he found the
demon kordicus seated ou the log Of
wood instead Of the stranger, who was
nowhere to be seen.
on see, my dear fellow said
kordicus, as soon as. he had stopped
laughing, you can't help pledging
me, aud you know you're very fond
fine. Now, good-by, we shall meet
again very soon, Tm sure.' So say
ing, the demon vanished, leaving the
bottle behind him.
"The woodman did not feel half as
much annoyed at the appsrition Of
Kordicus as he had done ON other oc-
csslons he had appeared to him since
he left prison. He now proceeded
homeward, when lie remembered the
bottle was still in his hand, aud fnd.
ing some fluid in it, he thought as tho
stranger (who was evidently no 9TH
Ser' than Kordicus himself) had given
it to him, lie might a. we'll finish 1t.
He then drank off the whole of the
contents, aud throwing the bottle
away, continued on his road.
"Wheu tho woodman entered tho
with Joy to 0meet him. Their pleas
ure, however. was BY no means re-
ciprocated; the man, whose counte-
nance was flushed far more than his
walk could have Occasioned, received
them with considerable GOODNESS in
fact, he seemed somewhat impatient
with the heightened embraces they
bestowed upon him.
There. that will do.' he said.
Enough of that Pm hungry. and
want my supper. Why, wife, be
continued, what's the reason it's not
ready? You ought to have knownl
should arrive about this time.'
8, My DEAR she replied. pve been
very i'll all the afternoon. Ny shout
der's been paining me dreadfully all
the day, aud Pve not been able to At
tend to anything; but Rachel aud
Isaac shall have it ready for you in .
few moments.'
"'Oh, your shoulder hurts. docs itS
he said sulkily seating himself by the
fire. 4 suppose shall have that
shoulder of yours thrown into my
teeth on al. occaslons.'
"The wife, seeing her husband in
this ill-humor, said nothing, but re.
mainsd seated on the bed, while the
Two elder children, assisted by Saba,
prepared the supper. When the meal
was ready, the wife excused herself
from coming to the table, saying she
had lost al appetite, aud the others
commenced without her. The wood
man, Notwithstanding his statement
that he was eager for his supper, ate
but little, but took . heightened
draught Of water, al if suffering from
thirst.
How bad that water tastes hs
said, putting down the mug; you
ought to have provided me some
fresher than that
My DEAR said his wife, Saba
go. that from toe well about half an
hour before you came in
"The woodmsn shrugged his shoul-
ders. aud made no reply; but, after
eating little time longer. he said to
Rachel
Haven't you got something else
: for me to drink than that wat.r2'
"tOh. yes, father; we've some
beautiful milk
''Saba here filled her fathers mug
from the pitcher, aud the man drank
fleet whether he liked it; but before
he was decided on the point, he no.
ticed in the obscurity Of . coruer OF
the room tho figure of Kordicus.
wearing his jolly y,good-nstured coun-
tenance, though at the same time
there was considerable shrewdness in
! 1T, as if reading the woOdman'a
I thoughts. He seemed to wink at him,
and say, 'Ah, my good fellow, that
draught you've just taken doesn't
: suit your taste as we'll as one out OF
my bottle; that you know, and you
: can't deny it,
"The woodman understood the
demons meaning aud smiled. His
l wife asked what he smiled 1t, but he
gave her rude answer, and as K0r-
dicus then vanished the smile left
his counteuance, and with q serious
expression the man went on with his
: supper. Presently he said to Rachel
"I don't see the purse with the
money on the table this evening.
$ What's been done with it?'
> "sOb, it's quite safe, father 7 said
/, little Saba. Mothers taken charge
!. Of it, and has put it under her pill
low .'i71
: ".Oh, indeed said the woodman,
! ling ut his wife. Well, take care
' of it, that's all. 1t will be . long
time before we get gift of the kind
: again
] "Supper now being over, prepare.
tions for the night were made. Th>
woodman, wrapping himself up III
his rough coat, and placing smsl
= faggot near the fire for his pillow ,laid
o his head on it, and was soon fast
asleep. Isaac had bed made up fol
e him in q small room outside Sabs
l. and the younger children lay dOwi
= in corner OF the room, aud Rache
;, by her mother. The light was the,
extinguished, aud all were soon sounc
u asleep. .......
70 "In the middle Of the night Rache
r, was awoke by something moving un
). - der her pillow. Somewhat startled
:, she asked who it was, but, receiving
= no answer, imagined possibly i
,e might be her brother, who. as it wa
dark, could not hear her. Still.Wha
% could his hand be doing there? Be
fore she could answer her own ques
&c close, and she then called to her faith
- er. Receiving no answer, and think
=, ing that he was asleep, both she anC
W W her mother called to him sgain-stil
~ no reply. RAchel now left her bed
=, =, aud felt her way to the fireplace, bu
:. found that he was not there. Sh,
- was then proceeding to wake he
'u brother, WI hen her foot struck a2alns
=. something on the ground which mad
~ -, ringing noise. She immediatei,
% stopped down, and, with the eye il
~ the tip of her forefuger, perceived
:, gold coin, and seeking further fouu.
- - another, A horrible suspicion nov
=; flashed across her miad as to the wa
<. in which the gold pieces had come o.
y the floor.
:. "'And now," said Hassan, "m
~ time has expired. Ishould much lik,
>. to conclude the adventures Of tn
a' woodman and kordicus, but 1T woul,
>. occupy too much time this evening
Is - Tomorrow hope, with the bless
- ing OF the Prophet, to meet you al
= q again, and not only finish my stor,
u. about the woodnan, but commenc
=, another which, i'll point of wonder
~ no for o~cooI onvfhinkr 7 hov .,.,