The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-05-07

stopped figure was still in sight, re
long white hair hanging over the
tattered clothes.
"My fathers hair was like that"
thought John, who had been most
loving son.
"Stop, Symes," he said ." l can't
stand this any longer. Take the old
man in. l will pay for him."
"Just as you please, sir; and
again Symes gave the significant
chuckle.
Poger climbed into the wagon,
thanking John, but giving him, at
the same time, queer, quizzing
glance. 1t occurred to the young
man that Poger and Symes thought
he was a fool.
mo matter; l did what was
right" he thought, his tace growing
red,
They drove on. Poger talked in
cessantly OF his terrible poverty and
his diseases, pushing closer to John
as he did so. No doubt he was an
exceedingly dirty, disagreeable old
man. The smell of his breath and
clothes fairly sickened Webb. who
was particularly dainty in his habits.
But the sight of the white hair and
palsied hand checked every sign of
Impotence. He listened patiently
and answered kindly.
1t grew bitter cold. The wind
blew into the wagon until John shiv-
cred in his warm overcoat. AS for
Poger, his teeth ratified and his
limbs shook. He grew silent and
shut his eyes, drawing the thin rag
of coat across his breast. John,
glancing at him, saw, to his horror,
beneath the coat, the bare skin.
You must be freezing, man he
said.
al am very cold, sir" he muttered.
Pm very poor man. l havn't
penny in the world"
His lips were ashen, his pale eyes
fixed on John with a. strange glare.
The young man began to pull off
his coat and then hesitated. II
never can wear it again. he thought,
with a shudder Of disgust, " and
cannot buy another
But the next moment he dragged
it off and wrapped it about the old
man, who soon fell asleep, and grunt.
ed and snored all the rest of the
| 'aE4 ~ was lare at night when Symes
stopped near a wretched hut.
"Here's your dug-out, Poger," he
said. CLEAR yourself, nowl"
Show can you speak to an old
man SO rudely ?" said John sternly.
Symes laughed, and Poger, rous-
ing himself, eyed John keenly.
Here's your coat. Much obleeged."
"No, said John, hesitatingly. "I
do not want it again." A nausea,
which he could not conquer, over
came him.
II s'pose you're rich, eh ?"
"No; nearly as poor as yourself"
"You've likely hearn of Matthew
Poger before ?"
"Never. Drive on, Symes."
/ GOOD night good night "
called Poger, standing in the door of
his cabin, wheeling and looking after
them.
II reckon old Poger hasn't been
treated like a human bein' before for
twenty year," grumbled Symes, as he
whipped the mules.
"Why not ?"
because he amt human, that's
why" doggedly answered the driver.
John had too much to think of to
argue the point. In few minutes
they reached the low house which
served as a hotel for sportsmen in
Summer He wrote to his wife that
night, but he said nothing about the
two dollars or the overcoat. He
knew how the dear, patient little
woman would look when he went
about shivering for the rest of the
Winter. Suppose he did not get the
situation :? He had but one dollar
left.
II did what thought was right, "
he said, trying to shake off the
gloom that weighed him down.
But he was not yet done with old
Poger. Before daylight he was
wakened by the landlord.
"There's a miserable old scamp
that lives in the pines has sent tor
you, sir He says he's dying, and
that nobody ever was as kind to him
as you were to day"
lis there nobody else to go?"
muttered John pulling on his clothes.