Connecticut western news., 1877-05-04
VOL. VI.


 ing the crowds as they came and went, thinking some very bitter things, it may be. But at last I went in, know ing that they would soon close up for the night, and asked to speak with MT. Laclede.
 'He received me in his private office, where he was looking over the filing papers; and he left me standing near the door, and went on with his work, after looking up and saying, Good evening" There was something repul- sive about him, thought, and deter mined to try for the situation first, without saying anything about who was. So I stated my business very con- cisely. He raised his spectacles on his glistening forehead, referred from me to paper he held in his hand, and from the paper back to me, and then said:
 Young man, there is no vacancy, and even if there were, for the past two weeks there have been on an average twenty applications like this per diem. You had better apply somewhere else.' My hand was on the door-knob, but turned around and looked at him. Without knowing clearly how the words came, said slowly:
 
 helped you once, in the greatest ex- tremity of your life.'
 'tHis face flushed little, and he in corrupted testify: .... -.
 "Ah, certainly! But you see, MT. Kenneth Lane, can't make situations.
 ssI do not know what he was going to say. shut the door and passed out through the long rooms, past smiling clerks, who no doubt read my errand and it's failure in my face, and out into the street. I do not remember any thing else very distinctly, except that I seemed plunged suddenly into an alley and from that into all kinds of no thor oughfares - desperate places that I would have shrunk from at any other time. was conscious of rushing along at times and then blindly groping my way, dragging myself along slowly and painfully, was in one of those latter moods when I was seized and brought to halt by two ill-favored villains, who proceeded to go through my pock- cts in gallant style. Apparently dis gusted with the general emptiness of those receptacles they turned around to the light.
 Drunk" said one of them, Cor else fool, I don't know which,
 SOAC, Ay CONOJ3 SdAu "you air innocent, you air, and you'd better skin out O this afore you get a tap on the head.'
 ''It was gloomy enough, boys, I can tell you. The sense of failure is hor- rid thing, and it had full possession of me then. l was young, and had fitted myself for some of the higher, nobler work of life, just to be thrust back and told there were no vacancies. Right then and there felt that there were powers in my brain which could win me name and place among men if they were only given the opportunity.
 "Oh, boys, there was the bitterness of it? T might as we'll be highway robber r, said aloud, desparingly.
 ''That it is just what think 7 said voice close beside me, and when I started and turned, there was Steve Ranald, sitting there as coolly as if we had walked to the place arm in arm. I never had quite liked his cat-like way of watching and coming on me una wares, but it had never startled me be- fore as it did thens
 Why Steve!' I exclaimed, 'how came you here?''
 "Oh, I've kept you in sight all the evening, thought you did not seem 4 ish cool that on old Laclede, wasn't it? my grievances. It was terrible,' I said. My father started him in busi- ness when he had not friend or dol lar in the world. When I think of that l could almost swear vengeance on all mankind for that mans base ingrati- tude.'
 'Yes,' said Ranald, but remember your American proverb. The world owes you a living
 ssI'l1 never be able to collect the debt :! I returned bitterly.
 'But you wouldn't make good high way robber, you know,' said Ranald mutteringly, blowing up the earth with short stick. You haven't the right kind of pluck
 "What kind does it take?' I asked with short laugh .1.
 "Well, suppose a carriage comes along, your first job is to wing the driver, after which you can talk with the inside passengers at your leisure. In case it's rider or foot passenger, you can deal with him easily enough. But then you've got to have quick hand on the trigger, and you haven't got the pluck you know.'
 Haven't I?' I cried, with kind of reckless daring. If was armed I'd owe the world much gratitude, and I had as we'll do something desperate and get hanged, and done with it all.'
 oh, as for arms, could let you have mine.' said Ranald, not looking at me at all, but back towards the city. But I don't like much to do it. You'd never use them.'
 ''I need not go on to tell you, boys, how it all came about, but in less than half an hour Ranald was on his way back to the city, while l, with his pis- tols in my pocket, was striding along the green lanes that led farther and far ther out into the country. I was des- perate, of course, and a burning fever was bounding in my pulses, confusing all that did. It must certainly have been that, combined with Ranald's in fuence, that set me, Kenneth Lane, be- hind a hedge, with pistol in my hand and murderous intent in my heart :; while the moon shone whitely over the broad fields and the long ribbons of road that lay between them.
 "The first that passed was man whose face could not see. l had my finger on the trigger. I was just ready Co spIihS out upon HA1n, WHeu suuueHly well, Graham, he began whistling that same little foolish love tune you used to be always whistling, singing and playing at college. That made me grow very weak, and couldn't move. It brought back all you fellows so dis tinctly. By the way, wonder if he will ever know how near that little love tune saved his life? Talk about the value of little things, the stars might all have fallen from their spheres, and never have affected me as did the few simple bars whistled by the traveller along the moonlit road.
 q recovered myself after little-or rather lost myself again and began to wonder at my weakness and then, just | oe had ctroiOhtonad myself nm and