Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-06

fellow in CONVERSATION, without naming hts pc
culiar profession or business wniie any soof1ety
Remained In his yictim-then substituted wire
when he found ale too slow and doubtful IA
bringing him 10 the proper state OF unconscious
ness, adding secretly few drops Of e well
IRENE cases Now the deed was accomplished:
ais Majesty had another servant, sure and GER
tain, for he had extracted enough drunken
words from Dick to be able to swear to his VIII
ling acceptance OF what he had, at the last mo
ment, adroitly dropped into the gaping pocket of
his velveteen trousers-the Kings Shilling"
When he had seps an and
ored ribbons, like that he himself wore
to the hat Of the young fellow, tas the French
calves and bullocks for slaughter), then egged
him on his feet, took him, half-dead and en-
tirely stupehed as he was, to the sleeping room
already engaged, and passed the night with his
prize so fastened to him that escape was impos
sible.
A little alarmed by the words which Dick had
spoken when leaving her, the widow HarlOwe
became much more so as hour after hour went
by and she did not hear his returning step. The
night wore on, and there was no return, and
consequently no sleep for the anxious mother.
What Is it that induces mothers to place espe-
ctal dependence upon the wives or tdncees OF
their sons. and to believe that those people ex-
erctse some influence beyond theirs-remains
question to be hereafter solved: enough to know
that some such impression prevails. With the
first rays OF daylight the widow was stirring;
and before the sun had risen she presented her
self at the still smaller matched cottage of her
neghbor widow Ackley, tapping at Susan's
window. The young girl sprang up, en- desh-
GbtUe and alarmed-then Redeemed with shame
to see that the early visitor was the mother Of
the young man whom dn spite of occasional
quarrels) she loved so dearly. She presented q
very pretty picture, at that moment, with her
sweet girlish face, Saxon-blue eyes and blonde
which had never {of co9rse) bl blessed Dick liar,
loves eyes to any such extent as 1t radiated
upon his mothers.
Have anything happened toto Dick?" was the
natural though ShamefaCed enquiry of the
young girl as she threw up the window.
"Oh, lass. do not know" sighed the widow.
'Dtck have been gone all night; and he did say
such wild words, before he went away, about
being off with thee, and about never coming
"Hush do not let my mother hear you, dame!
Wait only moment till slip on my clothes,
ana then we will 60 over the wide world after
him, If need be! Poor Dick! poor Dick ~ the
toilet, "did he take my words so badly to heart
That he could talk of leaving mother and me !?
What bad girl must be, to be sure! And If l
nave driven him away, why then must bring
do that, you known"
Certainly, Susan-always do duty" but duty
Is much pleasanter when there is a little love
mixed with 1t, as more than one Of us have had
occasion to ascertain!
Less than flve minutes, dame Harlowe walt
ing at the window, and her neighbor widow I'M
disturbed, brought Susan without, bright-eyed
even in the midst of her anxiety, short-skirted,
neatancled. unbOnneted.
"What can have happened to Dick? When
DID you see him last, dame9" asked the young
girl eagerly.
"He went away from the cottage last night at
dusk, and he never stays out of a night-never!
What has happened between you, lass, to make
my boy speak and act sou
tOh nothing hut a little tiff dame renlted
Susan. Nothing that remembered for an
hour afterwards. on with me, is he-the silly,
handsome fellow! will teach him better things
than that, once we find him!"
'Ay, lass-once we find him! " said the widow,
In tone of Encouragement. "But what II we
should not find him--if he has gone away and
left my poor old heart to break, and you"
"Me to wear the Willow" broke In Susan,
energetically. mo, dame, nought of the sort,
be sure of that! But, tell me-had he any
money, do you think ?"
ed the mother. "For remember that he said
how little there was to put into his pockets,
when"
"Don't you see then dame, that he cannot
tuting another interruption. "Dick may be a
trifle silly, when he Is In bis humors; but he is
not silly enough for that-to go away with
out any money and without seeing me. And
which way did he go when he left the cot
tage?"
It will be observed that this young female
nate lawyer, and that she had at least the legal
propensity for beginning at beginnings and
tracing out things to their ends.
g He struck across field, towards the ale house,
OF late" was the reply of the widow. "But what
then, lass? Surely he has not staid there until
this time o. the morning."
.'Humph, l do not know that, one way or the
other" said Susan. cat all events we will go
first to the ale-houSe, see whether he was there
at all last night, and then"
:. You go to the ale-house, Susan Hooking
quired dame IIarlowe, in mixture OF surprise
and helplessneSs.
"Yes!-why not. dame!" was the response,
that she did not at all admit the force of the
objection, even If she recognized 1t. "Why not,
l say? oh, because people will say that am
girl, and after him! Bah who cares for what
tsed to Dick, for his wtfe-or they ought to
know; and why shouldn't look for him as l
might for my husbond, that he is to be some
day? Answer me that dame"
:. He ought to be your husband, lass, and
better man than he is, to be worthy of you; for
you are brave and steady onev' exclaimed the
face and plump form with sort of dim idea
that If she had been man it would have been
no light temptation that drew her away from
such prize.
Come, then-eome, dame; let as go after our
ale. to the Nine Chickens ="
Dame Harlowe obeyed in more than one
sense carried away by the enthusiasm OF the
young girl; and the walk was brief one, the
younger legs hurrying along the elder to the
null measure OF their capacity. Not five min
utes had elapsed, when they reached the host
erly and found themselves In the midst of a
most singular scene occurring In and at the
door OF the tap-room, with supplementary por-
lions without and extending Quite across the
green lane fronting the old inn.
AT the door and near 1t, were gathered not less
than fifty or sixty of the village clodpoles and
farmersmen from the fields close about, with