The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-06-01
In Hard Straits.

sNine o'clock, sor, an the hot wather,
an is it the rest of the bacon ye'd bc after
havin' for breakfast"
"Will it not be too much, Bridgct?"
''Sorra bit, sor."
Every well.'
And with half groan, I, Basil EIatha-
way, sprang out Of bed, and proceeded to
array myself in unexceptional costume
trowsers, vest and frocl- coat. My only
ones, alas an accommodating relative
some twenty doors OFF had taken charge of
shabber garments, one by one, kindly ad-
vancing sundry moneys thereon.
Three Of us were in the same plight-and
school fellows and old chums, now thrown
together IN manhood by the caprice of
Dame Fortune, and fighting shoulder to
shoulder the great battle of life in the great
city.
AS dressed, one of the trio, Hal Trevour,
came bounding by three at q time up the
worm eaten stairs.
He was fresh from morning lecture at
the hospital, aud hungry as hunter, l
thought with shuddcr heard his cheer
ful greeting of Jack Hornsey, hard at
work since daylight OH "Coke On Little
ton."
well, old bookworm, ready for break
fastI Where is the captain?"
"The captain!" How the old title, be-
slowed, set me dreaming. l was reused
by the dull thuds of poker hammering
violently at the intervening wall.
"All right" shouted. Ring for the
bacon"
In minute there were three of us gaz-
ing with rueful looks at the breakfast ar-
rangement. A loaf of stale bread piece
of butter about the size of a walnut, and
three tiny rashers, that either could have
put out of sight with ease.
''Is that all, Bridget?"
Every line of the girls honest IRISH face
was eloquent with sympathy.
mot bit more, sor."
Hal laughed. ..
''rurn out your pockets, lads. There is
my last CON-.
And he produced an exceedingly shiny
sixpence.
quantity of fluff and brace button. I had
three pence haIf-pcnny in coppcrs.
"Odd man out for the bacon" quoth
Hal.
''No, divide it between you" said l. "a
man has been rash enough to invite me to
dinner. Hand over the loaf"
Jack gave me one keen glance. think
he suspected the piols falsehood. Hal
bless the boy-was quite unconscious, as
happy rs though he had not care. The
frugal meal had just been disposed of when
we heard great putting and blowing on
the third floor. That had but one possible
mcaning-a creditor.
"Whose tmn2" asked Jack. laconicuily.
1t was an ancient arrangement now that
on the advent Of a dun only one of us
should receive him, the others being in tho
city-that is, in the adjacent bedroom.
'Your own," cried Hal, as we dccamped
leaving the door ajar to watch the course
of events. 81 wish you joy, Jack; it is
old Blnndcrson, snorting like grampus, ,as
usual"
Old Blundcrson was general provision
merchant, who had let himself be beguilcd
into supplying miscellaneous goods until
his bills really frightened me. lie was the
exception that proved that old rule, "Laugh
and grow iat;" as crusty, ill-comlitiohcd a
wretch rs ever read one particular portion
ton OF the Lords Prayer backward. A
modern Fallstaff, minus the wit, he always
assembled slowly. resting on each stair. .
We were safe for about five minutes,
Jack employed them in preparing for his
reception, and we watched the proceedings
with amused curiosity.
The first was to produce huge tobacco
pouch, taking from 1t about half an ounce
OF tobacco. From this he filled long clay
pipe--Jack's merschaum had preceded our
clothes to the pawnbroker's-dcpo
the remainder carefully on the table.
"An alarming sacrifice I" m,rmurcd
Jack shaking his head over it with Il re-
gretful sigh
The next move was to grasp the fire
shovel and tongs.
weapons OF offense," whispered Harry.
''fIe meditates assault and battery"
Hal stopped abruptly In sheer amaze
ment., Jack was deliberately removing
live GOALS from the fire to the shovel, and
upon these hc swept his cherished tobacco.
Then he placed the shovel upon the bot
tom ledges of two chairs at the further
corner Of the room, threw himself into the
one nearest the fire, and conplacently
lighted his long clay.
OF course the room filed fast with smoke
and most pungent odor.
sS "Old Blnnderson hates tobacco as Ger.
tain parsonage hates holy watcrl" grlnaed
Hal. A@. tt# l..
"Bad policy, though, to lrrltate him, J"
grumbled I.