Connecticut western news., 1880-12-15

| upon these he swept hls cherished to- bacco. Then he placed the shovel upon the bottom lodges of two chairs at the further end of the room, threw himself into the one nearest the fire, and com placently lighted his long clay.
 Of course, the room soon filled with smoke and most pungent odor. Old Blunderson hates tobacco as a certain parsonage hates holy water p grinned Hal
 Bad policy, though, to irritate him, D grumbled T. ... By this time our enemy was in the doorway, gasping for breath and shaking great hairy fist at Jack by way of fill ing the interval till speech returned.
 "You abandoned young profigate P Jack removed his pipe, nodded, and | quietly resumed it.
 "Where are the other scamps ?" cone gone for the doctor the oth- err" and jerk of the speakers thumb towards the door behind which we stood completed the sentence. Old Blunderson made two unwieldly steps towards us.
 "Better not" said Jack.
 '"Eh ?"
 Typhoid fever-bad-case-conta- gious," fibbed Jack between his pufs. We saw old Blunderson's face turn a ghastly green with fear. Still he looked incredulous we had played so many | tricks before.
 "Gammon p he gasped at length.
 Jack rose slowly, walked to the corner and produced the shovel.
 "Fumigating the room," said he. Better have pipe"
 And old Blunderson fairly turned and fled with such celerity that he gained the next floor in seconds instead of mm- I utes. s-.. We were laughing oyer his discom- fiture, when Bridget's head appeared at the door.
 "I thought I'd tell ye, gentlemen, the mistress is just comin'. The saints pur- tect ye, for she has been rampagin' like a haythen all this blessed mornir' P Our faces fell. Mrs. Callaghan, our worthy landlady, was not foe so readily dislodged, and her powers of invective were simply unrivalled. Hal was the only one who could soothe her, and he came to the rescue.
 ''My turn," he said, with look o1 disgust. "You fellows get into my room and clear out of the house as soon as she is seated"
 As we did, seeing Hal hand chai1 Gas we gIided by) with the deepest oi mock reyerences and an expression oi extreme devotion on his handsome fea- lures. t' Making violent love to the old beast p as he would have elegantly ex. pressed it.
 It was the evening of the same day a dull Christmas e1ening, much in har mony with my thoughts, as I leaned against the doorpost of our house anc recalled the good old times when life was merry farce for us all. | had no heart to work. All that day I had hawked my manuscripts from ons publisher to another, vainly hoping te get 8 loan upon them. My three pence half-penny had been carefully invested at g dirty cook shop, and I was glad tt think there must have been just enougl cold meat to satisfy the boys at dime and tea.
 | Presently would go in and hunt fo any fragment that remained, for wa desperately hungry.
 Through the fog came a slender fe male figure disguised in waterproof She did not notice me until quite abreast when the light fell upon her face. Thel she gave frightened glance. saw tw' things, how pale and beautiful it was and what depth of misery lay in tn startled eyes.
 It was low neighborhood in whic] | we lived, though separated by but a lon| alley from fashionable west end street a dangerous locality for young girl a that hour. I crossed the road in orde to accompany her unobserved, and ha, hardly done so ere saw her brought III by some man, looming unsteadily in tn mist.
 "Come here, my pretty dear p saidhe ] She gave faint scream and tried t slip by him, but the drunken wretcl
 caught her by the loose waterproof. Il another second he measured his lengtl
 on the pavement; but, strange to say , the girl sank down also, insensible, drop f ping something that looked like iewe F case.
 My prostrate friend was relieving hi feelings by a round volley of abuse Not daring to await the arrival of l policeman, I caught up his victim an her case, and made 8 nasty retreat. A ' the foot of the dilapidated stairs I hesi
 tated. Should I carry my fair burde into Mrs. Callaghan slittle parlor? Tn f sight of Bridget, in full flight, pursue 5 by shrill invective, decided the point. Bridget" said "this lady Ina l tainted. Come and help me- "Ah, sure, sor, poor dear!' 5 We carried the stranger to the con 3 mon sitting room, and essayed to brin her round. Presently she opened he : eyes, and began to speak incoherently
 Delirious," said I. It was a grea relief to hear Halls springing step. H 5 gave low whistle of astonishment a 5 he entered, and felt the patients pulse
 while I gave brief explanation. : "Feverish She must be pu f to bed at once. Where does she live? 8 "I have no idea. Search her pocl