Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-05-24

nothing left from breakfast. Two lies. You
knew the cook was behind the door, and
plenty OF provisions behind her."
This astonishing accuracy silenced me;
and it filed me with wondering speculations,
too, as to how this cub could have got his
information. OF course he could have culled
the conversation from the tramp, but by what
sort of magic had he contrived to find out
about the concealed cook! Now the dwarf
spoke again:
1t was rather pitiful rather small, in you
to refuse to read that poor young woman's
manuscript the other day, and give ner an
opinion as to its literary value; and she had
come so far, too, and 80 hopefully. Now
nno,t itw
felt like curl And had felt so every
time the thing had required TO my mind,
may as well confess. ! flushed holly and
said:
"Look here, have you nothing better to
do than prowl around prying into other
peoples business? Did that girl tell you
that"
"Never mind whether she did or not The
main thing is, you did that contemplate
thing. And you felt ashamed OF it afterward.
Aha! you feel ashamed Of it now!'
This with a sort of malicious glee With
fiery earnestness | responded:
:" told that girl, in the kindest, gentlest
way, that | could not consent to deliver
judgment upon any ones manuscript, be-
cause an individuals verdict was worthless
1t might under-rate work of high merit and
lose il to the world, or it might ever-rate a
trashy production and 80 open the way for its
inhiction upon the world | said that the
great public was the only tribunal competent
TO sit in judgment upon a literary effort, and
therefore it must be best to lay 1t before that
tribunal In the outset, since, In the end it
must stand or fall by that mighty courts
decision anyway"
Yes, you said all that. so you did, you
juggling, small-souled sbufiier! And yet,
when the happy hopefulness faded out Of
lively slip beneath her shawl the scroll she
had so patiently and honestly scrubbed at
SO ashamed of her darling now, 80 proud Of
1t before-when you saw the gadness go out
OF her eyes and the tears come there, when
she crept away so humbly who had come
So"
"Ob, peacel peace! peace! Blister your
merciless tongue, haven't all these thoughts
tortured me enough, without your coming
here to fetch them back again?"
Remorse! remorse II seemed to me that
II would eat the very heart out OF me! And
yet that small tend only sat there lccrng at
me with JOY and contempt, and placidly
chuckling Presently he began to speak
agsn. Every sentence was an accusation,
and every accusation truth. Every clause
was freighted with sarcasm and derison,
every slow dropping word burned like yitriol
The dwarf reminded me of times when had
flown at my children in anger and punished
them for faults which little inquiry would
have taught me that others, aud not they had
committed. He reminded me Of how had
dsloyally allowed old friends to be traduced
in my hearing, and been too craven
20 utter a word in their defense
He reminded me Of many dishonest
things which / had done. Of many which
] had procured to be done by children and
other irresponsible persons; of some which
had planned, thought upon and longed to
DO. and been kept from the performance by
fear OF consequences only. With exquisite
cruelty he recalled TO my mind, item by item,
wrongs and unkindnesses had inflicted and
humiliations had put upon friends since
dead, "who died thinking of those injuries,
maybe, and grieving over them,n he added by
way Of poison to the stab.
For instance" said he, take the case Of
your younger brother, when you two were
boys together, many "A long year ago. He al
ways lovingly trusted in you with a fidelity
that your manifold treach eres were not able
10 shake. He followed you about like dog,
content to suffer wrong and abuse If he
might only be with you; patient under these
injuries so long as 1t was your hand that in.
him in health and strength must be such
comfort to you. You pledged you,
honor that If he would let you blindfold
him no harm should come TO him; end then,
giggling and choking over the rare fun OF the
Joke, yon led him to a brook thinly glazed
with Ice, and pushed him in, and how you
did laugh Man, you VIII nevcr forget the
gentle, reproachful look be gave as he strug
gled shiyeying out, IL You live u thousand
Xpursf (Dhn' II IL ~
Beast, have seen 1t mtlion times and
shall see ii a million morcl aud may YOU rot
away pie ;e@eal, and suffer till doomsday
what suiler nov, for bringing ii back to me
again."
The dwarf ehucked contentsdly, aud went
on with his accusing history of my career |
dropped into moody, yenessu state, and
suffered in silenee under the merciiess lash.
AT last this remark of his gaSe me sudden
rouse:
Two months ego, on a Tuesday, YOU
woke up, away in the night and lell to think.
ing, with shame, about a peculiarly me an and
piuful act OF yours toward a poor, ignorant
Indian in the ~ids of the Rocky Mountains
in the winter os eighteen hundred and
step moment, devll Stop Do you
mean to tell me that even my VERY thoughts
are not hidden from youY
at seems 10 look like that nidu't you
think the thoughts have just mentioned ~
ali didn't, | wish may never breathe
agaiul Look here, triend-loos me in the
eye. Who are you"
well, who do you think
" j think YOU are Satan himself think
YOU are the devil"
mo
mo? Then who can you ber'
Would You really like TO know"
Iadeed | would"
We'd, am your Conscience ,"
In an instant was in q blaze Of jay
aud eNultatiou. | spraug at tle creature,
roaring
curse You, have wished hundred mill.
ion times thai you were tangible, and that
could get my hauds9 ou your throat oncvi
on
Follyl Lightning does not move more
quickly than my Conscience did, He darted
MIMI - snNAtnlN that in TIM lnnnrnt my