Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-05-28

quite rlcn.
"Ah!" said he, every likely"
Chow strangely you speak" she
said. "You have caught dreadful
cold. Come to the cottage"
"No," he said. 81 can't come in to-
night"
Deadlock again in John Jones's
affairs. Was there no way of banishing
John Jones altogether
"Why not ?" she asked him.
"I've walked from Liverpool" he
said. Sim shocking spectacle"
Nonsense" urged Nell. "Mrs.
Norton will let you wash and brush
your hair, and you will be presentable
enough. She will be glad to see you.
Oh she is such a dear old woman"
eyes, / dare say"
"How oddly you talk tonight. :"
She seized his arm in girlish, imperi-
Gus, loving way. ''Come with me.
Why, Walter, what is this?'
He felt like roughcast wall. She
ran her hands about his sleeves and
shoulders, and felt his iuttering rags.
"Walter, what is it?''
"Mud," he said stolidly. "Mud and
rags" Then he added, as though that
explained it all, "I've walked from
Liverpool"
She began to realize the situation.
"You had no money!"
Haven't seen a cent this five days, !"
said he doggedly.
"Then you have been hungry? You
have walked to find me, starving all the
way, to bring that wretched unlucky
parcel. Oh you poor, brave, suffering
dear"
"Don't cry, my darling" he said,
tenderly. "It's all over, and it wasn't
much for a man. It sounds bad for a
girl to think of, but, bless you, lots of
men do it every year."
You are hungry now," she said re-
proachfully. 81 know you are. And,
you cruel boy, you never said a word to
me about it.
"Had other things to talk about"
said John Jones defensively.
"Take my purse, she said imperiously
thrusting it into his hand, "and go away
and make yourself decent, and eat some
thing"
every well," said John Jones, ac-
cepting the situation. He had given her
all he had, and he loved her too well to
have any qualms about taking help from
her. "My uncle has all my things"
"Where is hep" asked Nell inno-
Gently.
He resides in London, my dear, 1"
said John Jones gravely. "In Hol-
born"
"Then you had 4,etter go to London, :"
she answered simply, ''and get your
things from him. You can go to- might.
Get something to eat before you start. P"
"No," he said, 81 can't show up any
where. I should disgrace you. It's only
an hour by train. It's about time the
train went, I think, isn't it ?"
"That's the signal" she cried. $50
at once. Good-by."
The red lamp cleaned high in air two
hundred yards away. John Jones kissed
Walter Mackenzie's sweetheart and ran
to the station. He slouched the shock
ing bad hat and demanded third class
ticket for London. Then he saw that
the purse held several sovereigns and a
bank note or two neatly folded. He
reached Fusion and made for the Tot
tenham Court Road, where many of the
shops were still ablaze with gas.
Straight into the shop of tailor who
sold ready made clothing plunged John
Jones, demanding to beYolothed. The
shopmen were at first for ejecting him,
but became civil at the sight of his
purse. A neighboring bootmaker being
summoned, brought many pairs of boots
in blue bag. New underclothing, a
new shirt, new suit of clothes, new
boots and new hat being set with John
Jones in private room, there ensued a
rapid transformation scene. Walter
Mackenzie, barrister at law, emerged
from the apartment John Jones had en-
tered, and John Jones of the Seven Dials
went out of being for ever.
From that time forth Walter Macken-
zie's luck underwent a favorable change.
An uncle of his--not the one in Holborn
died and left him money. He pros
pered at the bar, and he married and
had children, and lived reputably and
honorably. The dead hand enriched his
wife with two more oddly rendered be-
quests. Nell used sometimes to excuse
a little extra expenditure on the pre-
tended supposition that John Launceston
Barclays funds were not yet all paid in,
but years went by, and the last of the
old man seemed long since to have been
heard.
The old house at Ashford Warren had
been put into the market, but nobody
would buy it, so it dropped out of the
market again and was forgotten. But as
time went on new railway happened
to be started in that district, and the
house had to come down. Walter Mac
kenzie on a spare day went to meet the
company's lawyer-an old acquaintance
and discuss compensation. He would
have left the mere business to an agent,
but he had whim about the matter.
"You won't want much for this tum-
ble- down old she'd" SAID the lawyer.
81 don't know, Wrestall," said the
barrister. 81 don't know. I valued
the old place highly once"
"Oh! All, yes !" said Wrestall.
Gloves young dream. Mrs. Macken-
zie lived here. / remember"
''They used that place for stable,
said Walter, laughing. cit was intend
ed for O washhouse, believe, but the
old man bought donkey for Nell when
she was quite baby. / broke the
brute in, l remember"
He laughed and sighed at that roman
tic reminiscence, and setting foot on
the PROSTATE door, he entered the stable.
The wood fled into tinder at his step
and let him through to the brick floor
wac co olI apI r.ofkaY1