St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-06-12

voiced woman, and then went whistling
away, thinking no more about it.
81 can even tell you the air | whistled.
1t was that of street song called The
King of the Cannibal Islands, which
was popular at the time, and l think
shared public favor with another lyric
known as Jim Crow
Il had not gone far, however, and
was thinking of investing in saveloy
and a loaf of bread, which would Jointly
cost my entire fortune of twopence ster-
ling, when crabbed-looking old man,
mutfied up in a cloak, thrust something
hurriedly into my right hand.
g 1t was piece of gold-a sovereign
and stood staring at it in state of
bewilderment
"'You have just done good action
growled the old man, harshly. L walked
beside you all the way from St. Georges
Hospital, and saw you help the child
with the truck SO saying, he twirled
suddenly about, and made off as though
impatient of thanks.
SO | did not do it for money, SIR |
suffered, unconsciously standing in
his way, and reddening to the tips of my
ears in surprise and excitement.
"'That is the very reason why you
are rewarded,' replied the old man,
with an impetuous snort, and, brushing
me out of his path, he trotted backwards
towards Piccadilly, as though he had
done nothing unusual. In truth, that
was the case My unknown benefactor
was Mr.. Simon Coldpepper, who went
about doing good and running away
from it. Twenty years after we became
intimate friends. He and built block
of almshouses together, and [ was sole
executor to his will.
"Well, that was my acorn. | bought
some decent clothes with part of it, and
got more for my messages, owing to
my improved appearance. Then l be-
gan to save money, and had the good
luck, together with the quickness OF eye
and hand required, to save Alderman
Dumping from being run over by fast
trotting butcher on a dividend day at
the bank. He only gave me half-a-
crown in money, but | got much more
in fact, for found that | had acquired
the passive goodwill of a man who
thong ht slowly, indeed, but to some
purpose.
"About six months after he engaged
me to sweep out his shop, and told me
to learn to read and write. When he
found | could do SO satisfactorily, he
made me his warehouse clerk; and at
the end of two years he said: Il have
been looking into your figures, John
Swinton, and find you have not made a
single mistake since you came into the
business. | want to send good man
out as our agent to Australia; would
YOU like to go9'
Il did like to 90, as you may sup
pose, and fell just into the cream of the
gold discoveries. put all the money
[ could rake together into land lots, and
| am afraid to tell you how much | made
by them. | became partner in the great
colonial firm of Dumping, Swinton,
Goldfeece & Co. You know the rest.
l am now the head of it, my worthy
chief having settled his last account all
quiet and correct before was forty"
''Are you coming to tea"' here in
quired a majestic voice. 1t was that of
Lady Marian Swinton, and before its
echoes had returned to silence, we were
invaded and utterly overwhelmed by
rosy, obstreperous rabble of boys and
girls, who startled me out of quiet
doze.-Wm. Conabe- Sanders, IN Boston
Traveller.