The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-01-07

/ l was met iull tilt by clergy man,
whom | very well knew.
"HullOe z" he cried. "Mr Smith,
both you and seem 10 have our
minds so much occupied to-day that
we cannot take care of our bodies
| apologizsd, "No grave matter of
mine,n | said; "but you look sad
Nothing wrong with you or yours z"
mo, thanks: but | have just left a
depressing scene. A young couple
married 10 hot haste. have gradually
come to grief The wife aud child
are i'll. Relatives and friends have
receded 10 the remote back ground
And worse than oil, the husband"
Become Incorporate or has gone
mad ?"
"Neilher one nor the other"
Something worse z"
"Yes; for TO be disbones, is worse
than going mad And it is such a
mere triae that is needed, apparently.
TO put all straight that | groan at my
Inability ct the moment to ind it,"
Whats wanted 2"
"Well, it is only twenty pounds, "
There's the money you require
Haste away and do all the good you
can with IT,"
Ny friend looked astonished. lie
even hesitated
Ills very good Of you, be said,
"but, really"
Il have the power to give it away.
Good-by" And hurried of Then
FASTENED back to him.
kindly, CO no account mention
my name
NO. ss you wish but you should
know tbs. Of the objects Of your
boaaty Aad be told me. Then
we parted / had gone only a dozen
yards when there passed me a young
man, .gith a flushed face and q fright
ened, anxious look 10 MS eyes He
caught up to my frieud and spoke to
him
That is the man." said 70 my
self. "whose proceedings have been
dubious, and who will, | trust, be
rescued by Staining's twenty pounds
Well, If the wheel should tnra, and
if this poor man should ever be in q
position to deliver a fello w-creature
from such trouble as be himself is
now in, by the surrender of twenty
pounds, | wonder whether he'll do
1t? Smith you surely know human
nature well enough to answer your
own question. Not he-not Bit of
it,"
This little incident with plenty of
other things was soon swept away
from nv memory by sudden call to
go abroad, even to the place where
Maxwell did not go-Brazi!. Moth
ing hampered me then; was q
young bachelor, and could start for
the antipodes at two days notice.
When | take my wife and children
| forget the number-for our autum-
nal trip, in these latter days Of my life,
l required weeks preparation. Alas
the change
Away then to Brazil away to new
life, new scenes, new companions,
new hopes and fears away to for
tune and the yellow fever! Here &C.
ours in my tale grand interval of
twenty years (my story deals in
twenties , | dJubt whether | should
have come had not & young English
lady one night sung in my hearing 40
old home ballad, 50 well remembered
in connection with some loved ones
who in this world will sing no more,
that the well known craving for
native land mastered me at once, and
within very short time | was on nv
voyage to England
On the way, / had one night
frightful dream fancied terrible
enemy had ne on my back, aud was
clutching ct my lhrost Tighter
grew his grasp, and fainter my breath,
My starting eyes scanned every feat
ure Of my murderer. Slowly and
painfuily--as was held this way,
for some time it itappeared did call
to mind the face before me. 1t was
Staining-but Staining reckless, des-
perate. | gasped an entreaty for
mercy.
"Give it to me !; | want it; | must
have it misunderstanding ~ was
the hoarse reply.
"What-what can be neal ~
WHAT? ?'' be shrieksd in manical
frenzy. Wretch, my twenty pounds!n
| had quite forgotten about this
bet and the twenty pounds, but the
dream set me thiking of what ru.
mors | had heard occasionally re-
speciing Staining since | left Eng
land, that his money had wasted,
that be had fallen considerably in
position and even into poverty. 1 had
written 10 him several times, but of
late years ne had not replied
Poor fellow" / now thought,
"tbere may really be something in
that dream. II bis pride will accept
it. be shall have the money back,
and very glad | shall be to restore it. I"
Back to England. Settle down
again in the old country. Main mat
ters disposed of, l began to think Of
minor ones, and among the latter the
discovery Of Staining; be was not
in his former hounts, aud | failed 80
long to find him that | was begin
ming TO despair, when one night l
met him on the street.
The brilliant artificial light of ball
room may increase the luster of
woman's bright eyes and her spark
ling jewels, but if you want to see
poor broken down man, decayed and
dismal, in his worst aspect, survey
him standing under a street lamp.