Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-05-03

| omnibus. Among them was widow
lady IN deep black, and with her was our
sallow-faced friend. 1t was dusk and
! couldn't see the faces inside, but as light
ca my lamp anu the CLEAN shonc into the
BUS started back and turned my head
away from the door. The widow lady
was my sister Carry. After that first touch
OF shame, however, | didn't care any
more You get hardened to such things
when you come TO downright want. |
TOOK no more notice of her, and whether
she'd recognized me did not know. She
dld sure enough when she got out at the
Shlpton; she in her black silk and hand.
some grapes, all rustling and cracking,
with sealskin purse in her hand almost
bursting out with gold and bank notes,
and me with my tat,ered, greasy coat,
patched trousers and broken boots. She
flushed up to her eyes, and think she'd
have spoken to me, but turned my back
upon her, and the sallow man hurried her
away.
AS my old chum got off the box l told
him about my getting the sack, and he
said it was a bad job, but there was no
use fretling, and he proposed to go into
the bar and have drink. As we were
standing there taking our whisky young
woman popped her head in quite shame
faced Can you tell me- she said,
whether Mr. Maylam, a bus conduc.
tor, comes heres" "I'm he, miss"
said and then recollected that She was
the girl who had lost her purse. "Oh,
I've brought you the money for the fare"
she said. MIR, Maylam, and if YOU
wouldn't mind accepting shilling -"
No pnly L "a A ,.l
then we began talking; but she said that
she couldn't stop, because her mistress
didn't know she had run out "And
what do you thinkW she said "That
was my new master who came up in the
bus with me, that sodden- com plexioned
gent" "And what's his nameyn | asked.
why, Baker, she said. Then l saw
who he must be. He must be Bakers
eldest son by his first wife--the one | had
thrashed so badly good many years ago.
Well, l thought it all over and over
again that night as | lay awake, and
couldn't help iancying that these Bakers,
who had been the ruin of me all along,
had some hand in this last misfortune
They hated me badly enough to do any
thing to bring me to destruction, although
one would have thought being an omni-
bus conductor was low enough for them
Then | seemed to recollect that every
time ! had been short OF cash young
Baker had taken the journey with me.
Still | didn't see how he could have
robbed me, and even if he had it would
never be found out now. was done for,
and that was an end OF it.
Next day Baker travelled back with us,
getting in at Oxford street. 1t was early,
about four O'Clock in the afternoon, be-
fore the regular stream of business men
set in; consequently, after we passed the
Redcap, there was no one else inside. 1t
had often happened SO before. He always
came home early, not having much to do,
| daresay, living comfortable, no doubt, on
my mothers money.
"Well, we crossed the canal bridge and
passed under the railway arch, and just
beyond we pulled up, of course, to change
horses ] always made practice of CIV
ing helping hand during this operation
and | was going to jump off my perch as
usual to go and help, when | saw sort
Of wicked sparkle in Mr.. Bakers eye that
put me on my guard.
Jack" | whispered to the driver,
running to the front, "just look over the
side and see what the man inside is do
ing"
> Well, Jack looked over for second,
and then he jumped of his perch and ran
behind. | ran too, and we got there just
in time to see our looking friend
with pencil in his hand, .jotting down a
few extra figures on the way-bll.
Well, he went home to his friends after
wards, looking deal more disreputable
than me, and don't think he'll very soon
forget his trip that day. He had To give
me $50, 100, 10 hush the matter up,
and that will pay my passage over to Mel.
bourne, and leave me with a few pounds
in pocket. So fancy, although the com
pany are quite willing to keep me on,
that you won't hear any more from me as
an ill-conducted conductor.
p. ST. think it highly probable that
nice fresh-looking young woman will join
the expedition. Belgraria.
A Rhode Island Clam.