Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-25
"He's come back" she whispered, look.

never tnOQgnt OF W1thOuCsR DiNSn, was az
home again. Since he left Covington Il
two years before, no news had come back
of him; and the wretched mother felt,
with shudder, that the news of his
death would be almost the best she could
expect to receive of. him.
He entered the room,--a coarse, burly-
looking ruffian, with loud, overbearing
voice and manner.
"Hilloa, youngster, you here! Don't
seem over-glad to see your elder brother.
Blessed if you amt the same slip of boy,
without bit of muscle yet! So you're
playin' niger for old Erless, are you?
Catch me at that sort Of business I'll
be my own master long as live, and no
body's servant. Well, old woman, if I'm
the prodigal son, you amt treatin' me in a
Scripture-like manner. Blessed if you've
offered me bite or sup since / come
| in''
81 forgot that you must be hungry,
Dick" she said in Responding voice,
rising from her seat, and hurriedly set
ting the supper on the table.
"Ned noticed with a pang that the old
cowed, frightened look had come back
to her eyes. His mother had always
feared her bad son quite as much as she
had feared his bad father. There was no
conversation that night. Dick talked and
cursed awhile, and then went to bed;
and then his mother crept to her bed,
afraid to discuss his return within his
hearing. Poor Ned sat by the embers,
his face buried in his hands, and cruel
pressure on his heart.
Had Dick come back to disgrace them
again, to make them ashamed to lift up
their heads among their neighbours?
4 The shadow had crossed the threshold
once more, and were they
to sicken in it again9 But as he sat
there, other thoughts began to stregthen
him for the conflict he felt was impend-
ing.
II have my employers confidence" he
thought, land he will not turn me off
because Dick has come home, even if he
is bad. Ifpossible, I'll do my duty more
strictly" +.
Had his mother been stronger woman,
he knew that Dick would not have bean
allowed to bring the leprosy of his life
among them again She would have sent
him off; but, as / said, a long course of
bad treatment had broken the poor
woman's will; and beside, she feared her
son.
| $50 Wild Dicks got back said Mr..
Erless the next morning to Ned. Gre
formed, eh?-or has he come because he's
nowhere else to go?'
II don't know, sir'' he answered, frank.
I ly. eve asked him no questions last
night
"Bad thing for you and for your moth
er," said the merchant. ssBetter have
nothing to do with him. If your mother
knew her duty, she'd ship him to-day.
I've one warning to give you, Ned, and
you must heed it,-never speak Of the
business of the store before that man. 1
J trust you" looking keenly at Ned. .'and
you must show yourself worthy of my
, confidence"
"He distrusts me already" thought
poor Ned, with swelling heart, '.or he
, would not put my duty before me with
) that look on his face"
He went to his work with his usual
alacrity, but his step was heavier, and
, his face very grave.
4 But somehow, as the day passed away,
Dick Alvord seemed SO much ,quietcr than
! usual that Ned's forebodings were forgot
3 ten. Dick was still lazy and shiftless,-
, he. did not try to make a living, but spent
r most of his time at the grog- shops ;but he
g did not get as drunk as formerly, and was
g less quarrelsome and noisy. In fact, he
. seemed to have settled down into one OF
l those nuisances who loaf around bar
[ rooms to be treated by weak customers.
, and who die oftener in cutters than in jails.
q Yet he was seldom seen really intoxicated
!, and was no longer the brawler he had
I been.
One night two respectable looking
J, strangers stopped at the bar where he
Z, was drinking. There was no sign OF
|. greeting between the vagabond at the bal
d and the two well-dressed men. They
7, had entered to ask some question as to
It the locality of a certain boarding house
d in that street, but when Dick lounged
out they not only followed him down the
street, but out Of the town to a bridge in
d an unfrequented spot. There he stopped
l. and waited for them.
e sYou've kept me waitin' everlastin'ly,
t. he said, with an oath, sin this sleepy vii
it lage!"
a s'Had. to get up an outfit" laughed
one. "You see we're surveyors, come t.
< stake off a government claim, and we had
d to learn some of their lingo. What have
IS you got for us2 Of course you've beer
If prospecting while you've been waiting?'
.e "Two or three of the farmers here have
is got lots of money in their houses, ant
don't even lock their doors. I've man
/, aged to get plan of some Of EN-, ant
,e learned where the valuables are kept
II Then there's Erless's store; but I can &c
y the key of that, and we'll walk in quietl,
and help ourselves. You see my broth
1t er's clerking there and keeps the key.
"One of us, eh?" said the man.
n 'Not much! A good boy, and I'll hav
At to steal the key. We'd better put off tina
~ Job for the last, as it's the easiest"
h, After some more conversation the mel
as separated The two surveyors went qui
city to their work the next day. Before
is the end of the week two of the wealthies
IN men in the neighborhood were robbed Q
C, plate, jewelry, and large sums of money
1t. No suspicion rested upon either of tn
s. two quiet men, who seemed to work 8
ht steadily, or the bar room loafer, who's
er desires were bounded by a drink. Ned
however, watched his brother sharply
50 for he knew he had commenced to sta
r. out all night, and when he did come il
a he was not intoxicated.
to "Where is he, if he's not in the bal
in room2'' he thought. ''He certainly is nc
there, for when he goes there he ncve
n comes away wholly sober"
* Yet he. did not connect Dick with til
at robberies in the neighborhood.
y One evening, on closing the back shu