Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-06-14

q. j;i.ils. III =
He laughed. "You haven't stolen it2 l
cannot take of one criminal todeliver to anoth-
er you know" ~
"No. have the power to give it away.
Good-by." And hurried of. Then / has.
tened back to him.
"Kindly, on no account mention my name"
"No, as you wish it; but you should know
the objects of your bounty" And he told
me. Then we parted. had gone only a
dozen yards when there passed me young
man, with flushed face and q frightened,
anxious look in his eyes. He caught up to
nv friend and spoke to him.
"That is the man." said to myself, "whose
proceedings have been dubious, and who will
I trust, be rescued by Stainings twenty
pounds Now it was wrong in Staining to
bet, and fear it was wrong in me to receive.
Two wrongs. But it was right in the minis.
ter to be touched by the troubles Of these poor
people, and it was right in me to give the
money. A balance Well, if the wheel
should turn, and this man should ever be in a
position to deliver fellow.creature from such
trouble as be himself is now in, by the sur,
render of twenty pounds, wonder whether
he'll do it? Smith, you surely know human
nature we'll enough to answer your own ques-
tion. Not he-not bit of it"
This little incident, with plenty of other
things besides. was soon swept from my mem.
ory by sudden call to 60 abroad, even to
the place where Maxwell did not go-to Bra
iii. Nothing hampered me then l was q
young bachelor, and could start for the Anti
podes at two days notice. When | take my
wife and children-I forget the exact num-
ber-for our autumc,l trip, in these later
years of nay life, / require weeks preparation.
Alas! the change.
Away then to Brazil; away to q new life,
new scenes, new companions, new hopes and
fears; away to fortune and the yellow fever
Here occurs in my tale grand interval Of
twenty years (my story deals in twenties.)
All that time-barring three months occupied
in going and returning-I was busy money
making. succeeded. I was knocked over
sundry times, but arose, and made more
money. Fever prostrated me, but was up
again and increasing my store. | was bitten
by snakes, but not killed, for enlarged my
business. 1 was poignarded by bankrupt
competitor, but my rival was executed, and l
grew richer than ever. l doubt whether I
should have come back, had not young
English lady one night sung in my hearing
an old home ballad, so we'll remembered in
connection with some loved ones who in this
world will sing no more, that the well.known
craving for the native land mastered me at
once, and within very short time was on
my voyage to England.
On the way, | had one night frightful
dream. I fancied terrible enemy had me
on my back, and was clutching my throat.
Tighter grew his grasp, and fainter my breath.
My starting eyes scanned every feature Of my
murderer. Slowly and painfully-as / was
held in this way, for some time as it appear
ed-did call to my mind the face before me.
1t was Staining, but Staining reckless, desper-
ate. I gasped an entreaty for mercy.
"Give it me; I want it, must have it, in.
stantly-instantlyP was the hoarse reply.
"What-what can you mean r
"What~ he sbrieked, in maniacal frenzy.
"Wretch, my twenty poundsp
/ had quite forgotten about this bet and the
twenty pounds; but the dream set me think
ing of what rumors I had heard occasionally
respecting Staining since I left England, that
his money had wasted, that he had fallen
considerably in position, and even into power
ty. had written to him several times but
Of late years he had not replied.
"Poor fellow" now thought, "there may
really be something in that dream. If his
pride will accept it, he shall have the money
back, and very glad I shall be to restore it"
Back in England. Settled down again in
the old country. Main matters disposed of, |
began to think of minor ones, and amongst
the latter the discovery Of Staining. He was
not in his former haunts, and l failed go long
to find him that was beginning to despair,
when one night met him in the street.
The brilliant artificial light of the ball
room may increase the lustre of woman's
bright eyes, and of her sparkling jewels; but
if you want to see poor, broken.down man,
decayed and dismal, in his worst aspect, sur
vey him standing disconsolately under street
lamp, drizzling rain descending upon him,
and he, with folded arms, presenting picture
of mute despair. So did behold Staining.
l put my hand on his shoulder. He spraDg
from me as though were wild beast.
II did not want to run away" he said,
boarsely, "they knew that. i'll face it'll
face it" be added, tremulously. go on, I'll
walk quietly enough. Why-what-eh-
surely, can it be-can-"
eyes, it is Smith, your old companion.
Pray be composed. Staining, my friend,
what is all this? Come away, and con6de in
me. You know you can trust me. If you
are in trouble, and money can help you, you
shall not want" And took bis arm and
we went together.
And then I heard poor Staining's confes.
sion, and it amounted to this When he had
wasted his money, he obtained situation in
a merchants Office. The pay, poor enough,
was sufficient to keep him; but even now
nothing could restrain him from gambling on
q small scale on horse-racing. As conse-
quence he was soon penniless, and worse-dis-
honest. He had paid a betting debt out of q
twenty pound note, which, the day before l
met him, had been entrusted to him. Dis
covery had ensued almost instantaneously,
and though the luckless man explained that
it was only through the failure of another
member of the virtuous fraternity be could
not at once replace the money, he had been
discharged, and had reason to suppose he
would be prosecuted.
I could not help thinking, as I heard this
painful story, that if there had been society
for the suppression of betting, what splen.
did illustration here presented itself for their
use However, it was no time for moral
izing.
"Many, many thanks" replied the poor
fellow, to the offer I directly made him.
"You can see the firm in the morning; but,
though they have allowed day to pass, !
doubt whether they will take the money. I