The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-10-28


Foul may grow fair,
Dangers may daunt you, but
"Never despair"
Verify, verify,
Judge as you may,
he who tolls merrily
Carries the day.
IN HARD STRAITS.
"Nine O'Clock, sor, an the hot wather,
an is it the rest of the bacon ye'd be
afther havin' for breaktast2"
"Wlll it not be too much, Bridget"
"Sorra bit, sor."
"Very well.''
And, with halt groan, I, Basil Hath
away, sprang out of bed, and proceeded
to array myself in unexceptional cos
tume-trowsers, vest and frock-coat. My
only ones, alas an accommodating rela-
tive some twenty doors Oft had taken
charge of shabbier garments one by one,
kindly advancing sundry moneys thereon.
Three of us we're in the same plight
old school fellows and old chums, now
thrown together IN manhood by the ca
price of Dame Fortune, and fighting
shoulder to shoulder the great battle Of
OF life IN the great city.
As I dressed, one of the trio, Hal Tre-
vor, came bounding by three at time up
the worm-eaten stairs. He was fresh
from morning lecture at the hospital, and
hungry as hunter, I thought, with q
shudder. heard his cheerful greeting
of Jack Hornsey, hard at work since day
light on "Coke on Littleton.
"Well, old bookworm, ready for break
fast2 Where is the captain2"
The captain!' how the old title, be-
slowed still in honor of my three years
seniority, set me dreaming. was reused
by the Gull thuds of poker hammering
violently at the intervening wall.
"All right,'' shouted, 'rlng Tor the
Bacon"
In a moment there were three of US
gazing with rueful looks at the breakfast
arrangement. A loaf of stale bread, q
piece of butter the size of walnut, and
three tiny rashers that either could have
put out of sight with ease.
us that all, Bridget1''
Every line of the girls honest Irish
face was eloquent with sympathy.
SHOT bit more, sir"
"Hal laughed.
Turn out your pockets, lads. There's
my last COIN"
And he produced an exceedingly shiny
sixpence.
Jack, after much rummaging, showed
quantity of fluff and brass button. I
had threepence half-penny in coppers.
"Odd man out for the bacon,'' quoth
Hal.
mo, 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. I
think he suspected the pious talsehood.
Hal-bless the boy was quite uncon-
scious, as happy as though we had not a
care. The frugal meal had just been dis
posed OF, when we heard great putting
and blowing on the third floor. That
had but one possible mcaning-a cred
itOr.
"Whose turn?" asked Jack, laconic-
ally. 1t was an ancient arrangement
now that on the advent of dun, only one
of us should receive him, the others be-
ing in the city-that is, in the adjacent
bedroom.
"Your own" cried Hal, as we decamp-
ed, leaving the door ajar to watch the
course of events. II wish you Joy, Jack
it is old Blunderson, snorting like a
grampus, as usual.''
Old Blunderson was general proyis-
ion merchant, who had let himself be be-
gulled into supplying miscellaneous
goods until his bills really frightened me.
He was the exception that proved that
old rule, "Laugh and grow fat" as crus-
ty, ill-condltioned a wretch as ever read
one particular portion of the Lords
prayer backward. A modern Falstaff.
minus the wit, he always assembled slow
~, resting on each stair.
We were safe for about five minutes.
Jack employed them in preparing for his
reception, and we watched procc edinps
with amused curiosity.
The first was to produce huge tobac-
co pouch, taking from it about half an
ounce of tobacco. From this he filed a
long clay pipe-Jack's meerschaum had
preceded our clothes to the pawnbroker's
--depositing the remainder carefully upon
the table.
IAN alarming sacri6ce!" murmered
Jack, shaking his head over it with a re-
gretful sigh.
The next grasp was to grasp the fire
shovel and tongs.
"Weapons of Defence" whispered Har-
~: He meditates assault and battery
Hal stopped abruptly in sheer amuse-
ment. Jack was deliberately removing
live Goals from the fire to the shovel, and
upon these he swept his cherished tobac-
co. Then he placed the shovel upon the
bottom lodges of two chai1s at the fur
ther corner Of the room, threw himself
into the one nearest the fire, and COM
placently lighted his long clay. Of
course the room filed fast with smoke
and a most pungcnt oder.
'Old Blunderson hates tobacco as Ger.
tain parsonage hates holy water!" grin
bad policy, though, to irritate him., -
grumbled I.
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 prodigate!''
Jack removed his pipe, nodded, then
qnietly resumed it.
"Where-are-the-Ot her-scamps2''
Zone gone for the doctor; the other"
and jerk of the speakers thumb toward
the door behind which we stood complet.
ca the sentence.
Old Blunderson made two unwieldine
cps toward us.
Better not" said Jack.
"Eh2'