Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-01-29
IN HARD STRAITS.

Nine o'clock, sor, an the hot wather.
: an is it the rest of the bacon ye'd be
afther llivin' for breakfast?'
viii it not be TOO much, Bridget? P"
''Sorra a bit, sor-"
&c Very WE'LL"
And, with a half 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
relative some twenty doors off had
taken charge of shabbier garments one
by one. kinlly advancing sundry
moneys thereon.
Three of us were in the same plight
old school fellows and old chums, now
thrown together in manhood BY the
caprice of Dame Fortune, and fighting
shoalderto shoulder the great battle of
life in the great city.
AsI dressed, one of the trio, Hal Ire
vor, came bounding by three at a time
up the worm-eaten stairs. He was fresh
from morning lecture at the hcspital.
and hungry as a hunter, thought,
with a shudder. | heard his cheerful
greeting of Jack Hornsey, hard at work
since daylight on Coke on Littleton."
Swell, old pookworm, ready for
breakfast? Where is the captain?"
The captainr' how the old title, be
slowed still in honor of my three years.
seniority, set me dreaming / was
reused hy the dull thuds of poker
hammering violently at the intervening
wall.
"All right" l shouted, 9 ring for the
bacon"
In a minute there were three of us
gazing with rueful looks at the break
fast arran cement. A loaf of stale bread,
piece OF butter the size of a walnut,
and three tiny rashers, that either could
have put out of sight with ease.
Is that all, BridgetP"
Every line of the girls honest Irish
face was eloquent with sympathy.
Not bit more, sor."
Hal laughed.
Turn out your pockets, lads. There
is my last coin.n
Andshe produced an exceedingly shiny
sixpence.
Jack. after much rummaging, showed
quantity of fluff and brass button I
had threepence halfpenny in coppers.
"Odd man out for the bacon" quoth
Hal. e r
No; divide it between you,'' said /.
"a man has been rash enough to invite
me to dinner. Hand over tie loaf.n
Jack gave me one keen glance. think
he suspected the pious f;llsehood. Hal
bless the boy was quite unconscious.
as happy as though we had not care
The trugat meal had just been disposed
of, when we heard a great putting and
blowing on the third floor. That had
but one possible mcaning-a creditor.
Whose turn P" asked Jack, laconi-
cally. 1t was an ancient arrangement
4EaA H. i
one of us should receive him. the others
being in the city-that is, in the adjacent
bedroom.
"Your own," cried Hal, as we de-
camped, leaving the door ajar to watch
the course OF events, 6 wish you ioy,
Jack; it is old Blunderson, snorting like
grampus, as usual"
Old Blunderson was a general pro-
vision merchant, who had let himself
be beguiled into supplying miscellan-
eous goods until his bills really fright
ened me. He was the exception that
proved that old rule, s Laugh and grow
fat" as crusty, ill-conditioned wretch
as ever read one particular portion oi
the Lord 8 prayer backward. A modern
Falstaff. minus the wit, he always as
cended slowly. resting on each stair
We were safe. for about five minutes
JACK employed them IN preparing for
his reception, and we watched proceed.
ings with amused curiosity.
The first was to produce huge
tobacco pouch, taking from it about
half an ounce of tobacco. From this ht
filled a long clay pipe-Jack's meer
sehaum had preceded our clothes te
the pawnbroker' ker's-depositing the re
mainder carefully upon the table.
AN alarming sacrificed" murmure6
Jack, shaking his head over it with :
regretful sigh.
The next grasp was to grasp the fire
shovel and tongs
" Weapons of Defense" Whispered
Harry. He meditates assault and bat
terry"
Hal stopped abruptly in sheer amuse
ment. Jack was deliberately removin.
live Goals from the fire to the shovel
and upon these he swept his cherishe'
tobacco Then he placed the shove
upon. the bottom lodges of two chairs a
the further corner Of the room. threv
himself into the one nearest the fire
and con1placently lighted his long clay
or course the room filed fast will
smoke and a most pungent odor.