Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-10-02
A BANK-NOTE IN TWO HALVES.


to eleven, just after the night mail has
flashed through without stopping
bound for Liverpool and the north. The
railway officials, pointsmen, signalmen,
porters, plate-layers, are collecting pre-
paratory to going off duty for the night
where's DAMP" asked one of the
crowd upon the platform.
II saw him in the hut Just after the
quarter to eleven went through. Can't
have come to any harm, surely"
mo; he said he'd seen something
drop from the train, and he went down
the line to pick it up"
And Dan had picked up something.
It was q basket, common white wick
err basket, with a lid fastened down by
q string. What did it contain? Re
freshments? Dirty clothes? What?
A baby-a child half a dozen weeks
old, no more. A pink and white piece
ofhuman china, as fragile as Dresden,
and as delicately fashioned and tinted
as biscuit or Rose Pompadour.
"Where did you come across it?" ask
ed one.
Lying on the line just where it fell
Perhaps it didn't fall, perhaps it was
chucked out. What matter? I've got
it, and got to look after it, that's enough
for me. Some day maybe I'll come
across them as owns it, and then they
shall pay me and take it back"
is there nothing about him? Turn
him over"
The little mites linen was white and
of fine material, but he lay upon an old
shawl and a few bits of dirty flannel
Ali they found was a dilapidated purse,
common snap-lock bag purse of faded
brown leather. Inside was a brass
thimble, pawn ticket, and the half of
Bank of England note for 500.
What goods half bank note to
you"
Hall loaFs better than no bread"
eyes, but you can eat enc, but you
can't pass the other. Won't you catch
it from your wife? How'll you face her,
Dan? What'll she say?"
She'll say | done quite right" re-
piled Dan, stoutly. "She's a good sort,
God bless her."
so are you, Dan, that's fact. God
bless you, too" said more than one
rough voice In softened accents. "Per-
haps the brat'll bring you luck after
ALL"
Winter-tide again six years later, but
this season is wet and slushy. Once
more we are at Burlington, a long
struggling village, which might have
slumbered on in Obscurity forever, had
not the Northwestern line been carried
close by it, to give it place in Brad
shaw and certain importance as a
junction and center for goods traffic.
But the activity was all about the sta
ton. All the permanent officials had
houses and cottages there; in the village
lived only the field labOrers who wOrke ed
ut the neighboring estate, or sometimes
lent their hand for Job of navying on
the line. The poor folk had a grue-
some life Oft, hand-to-mouth struggle
for bare existence against perpetual
privaticn, accompanied by unremitting
toll
A new parson Traffry-had
come lately to kIrkingtone He was an
earnest, energetic young man, who had
won his spurs in an East Fad parish,
and had now excepted this country
living because it seemed to open up q
plunged bravelv into the midst of his
work; he was forever going up and
down among his parishioners, solacing
and comforting, preaching manful en-
durance and truthfulness to all.
He was now paying q round Of
parochial visits, accompanied by an old
college chum, who is spending Chritmas
with him.
Wonder" said Treffry, pointing to a
thin thread of smoke which rose from
some gaunt trees into the sullen, wintry
air, "yOnder is the house if, indeed, it
deserves so grand a name-the howell,
rather, of one whose case is the hardest
of all the hard ones in my unhappy
cure. This man is q mere hedger and
ditcher, one who works for any master,
most often for the railway, but who is
never certain of a job all the year
round. He has a swarm of young
children, and has just lost his wife. He
is absolutely prostrated-aghast prob
ably at the future before him, and his
utter incapacity to do his duty by his
motherless little ones. JackW said the
parson, stopping short suddenly, and
looking staight into his companions
face, Il wonder whether you could not
rouse him? If you could only get him
to make a sign; to cry or laugh, or take
the smallest interest in common affairs.
Jack, l believe you're the very man.
You might get at him through the
children-that marvellous hanky-panky
of yours-those surprising tricks-a
child takes to you naturally at once.
Try ana make friends with these. Per-
maps when the father sees them in
terested and amused he may warm a
little, speak perhaps, approve. perhaps
smile, and IN the end givein. Jack, will
you try?
Jack Newbiggin was by profession a
GOnveyancer, but nature had intended
him for new Houdin or a Wizard OF
the North. He was more than half a
professional by the time he was full
grown. In addition to the quick eye
and the facile wrist, he had the rarer
gifts of the suave manner and the face
of brass. He had even studied mes
merism and clairvoyance. and could
upon occasion surprise his audience
considerably by his power. They en-
tered the miserable dwelling together.
The children-eight of them-were
skirmishing all over the floor. They
were unmanageable, and beyond the
control of the eldest sister, who was
busted in setting out the table for the
midday meal; one other child of six OF
seven, a bright eyed, exceedingly,