Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-05-13


| I.ag.sing his pipe at the candle With a
s1etscn t1ss drez the whole flame into
| the hozi. he rsse.sisd kirnseif in sne
corner and ben. has books upon The fai-i
s,eem from his damp is2s. - If he de-
sired 20 say no more.
| ne.nwhiIs the general body Of 2-1sets
| bad leea taking Iit.ie Botics Of stis VS.
| ifor by reason Of an absorbing Discus
sioa il which they ssre enxsgsd With
| tue band s.,yns time for the rexs dance.
| Tbe n.tter being ss..lsd. they we're atU1t
20 stand up when an interruption came
in the shape Of another knock n: the
door Al this sound tie rnan IN tbs
| chimney corner took up the poker and
began s.irring the IRE az II doing II thor
o1ghly we're the one aim OF hIs exist
sncs: and a second tune the skspner2
aid Walk in" In a nlorDslls another
man stood upon tbs strsS woven door
mat. He. too. Vas a stranger.
A few rumblossozss marked this fs.an =
nose. He drng back Lis long drab great
coat, revealing beneath i {. suit vi en-
der gray shade throughout, large. heavy
seals, Of some metal or other that would
take a polish, dangling from his fob as
his only personal ornament. Shaking
the water drops from his !ow-crovped.
glazed hat, be- said;
50 / must AK for few minutes shelter,
comrades, OF / shall be vet 70 my skin
before 1 get 70 Csstsrbridge."
Make yerssif at home, master said
the sheph 1rd. perhaps tribe less heart
liz than on the frs: OCCASION. Not that
Fcnnel had the least tInge Of Di2gardii-
meas ia bis composition; bat the room
Vas fer from large, spare chairs were
not nomefous. and damp companions
were not altoeett.r comfortable a. close
quarters for the women and girls IN their
bfight-coiofed gowns
Tas strangers nodded to each other
by way Of breaking the ice Of acqusint-
ance, and the first stranger banded his
neighbor the large mug. huge vessel OF
broxn ware, having i.s upper edge worn
away like threshold by the rub Ut whole
eeneslo0ies Of thirsty lips that had gone
the way Of all flesh. and bearing the FOL
lowing inscription burnt on its rotuEd
side IN yellow letters:
TuzEE il no YUs
UNTIL ! CUM.
The other man, nothing 10Th. raised the
mug to his lips and drank ON. and on,
and on, uatIl curious blueness over
spread the coontenance Of the suep-
herds wife. who had regarded with no
little surpriss the first strangers free
offer 70 the second of what did not be-
long to him 10 dispense.
4" know Il" said the topper 10 the shep-
herd. With much Satisfaction. When
I walked up your garden, sfose coming
In. and saw the hives all OF q row. l said
to myself, Where there's bees there's
honey. and where there's honey there's
mead Bu. saead Of s1ch truly con-
Portable sort a. this really didn't ex-
pact ~ meet in my older days" He took
yet another pull at the mug. till It as
surned an ominouS Individuality.
Glad you enjoy it,' said tho shep-
herd warmly.
"It is q eoodish mead s.ssented Mrs.
Fsunel With an absence Of enthusiasm
which seemed To say that u Was possible
70 boy praise for ones CELLAR xt too heavy
a prizes. 1T il trouble enough 70 make.
and really hardly think we shall make
any more; for honey sells we'll, and We
can make shift with dr0pO o small mead
and metbseiin for coslinou use from the
cos,b- vashings-"
"Oh, bat you'll never have thu heart"
reproachfully said the stranger in cinder
gray, after taking mp the mug third
time and setting Is down empty. IL
love mead, when tits old like this. al
love 10 20 70 church o Sundays, or to re-
lisye this needy any day OF the week"
Ha, ha, haw laughed the man in the
chimney corner, VIII, in spite Of tue
ticiturnity induced by the pipe Of to-
bacco, could not or would not refrain
from this slight testimony 70 his CON-
rade's humor
"Weli, will. M say" no resumed,
am going - Casterbr,dge. and to Cas-
terbridge must 20. ishould have been
almost there by this time. but the rain
drove ms into ye. and I'm not sorry for
it,
"You DON. live in Castssbrid2e?" said
the shepherd.
MOT As yet. though l shortly mean TO
move there"
"Goine 10 10, mp in trade perhapsY'
mo, no." said the shepherd's wife.
1T IL easy 10 soc that the gentleman Is
rich, and don't want to work at any
thing"
The cindsr gray stranger paused IA If
10 consider whether he would accept that
definition VI himself. He presently re-
jccsed 1t by answering:
Rich il not quite the sord for me,
dame. lido work and must work: and
even IL I only get 10 Casterbrid2e by
midnight l must begin work there Al
eigh. tomorrow morning. Yea. het or
wst. low or SHOW, famine or sword. iny
days work tomorrow must be- done"
Poor man. Then. ia spite u scsm-
ing. you DO worse oil than we." said the
s1epherd's wife. Il
.''lis she nature Of my trade. men and
maidens. IT'S shc nature Of my trade
mere than ruy poverty. But really and
truly ] must up and oil. or l shsn't get
u lodging In the town However. the
speaker did not move. and soon added:
" There's time for one more draughs Of
friendship before go. aud ~ perform
IL at oncs 4 the mug were not dry"
Here's a mug . small" said Mrs.
F~nnei. "smsli VIC call II. though TO
DO snre lis only the FIRST wish o the
% nbs."
mo-" said tho stranger disdainfulIy;
/" I won spoil your first kindness by par
taking OF your second
Certainly no ;" said Fennel. I'VE
don't increase and multiply every day,
and I'll all the mug again."
Hs went 70 the dark place under the
stairs whore tho barrel stOod. Tho shep-
hsrdssss followed him.
"why should you do this?" she said
reproachfully. A. soon a. they were
alone. Hes empsied 10 once, though
IL hsld enough for :sn people; and now
he's not contented vi tho small, but
must needs call for more o. the strong.
And q stranger unbeknown TO any Of as.
For my part don's like the look o. the
man at all"
"bus he's in the house, my honey. and
'tis 4 wet night and n christening. Daxe
IL, what's u cup OF mcsd more or less?
Thersu be plenty more next bee-burn-
ing"
Very Wall. this time, then,- she an
svered. looking vtasfully as she barrel.
" Bus what IL the mans calling, and how
10 be one Of N. that he should come in
aud Join rs like thisgs
Al don't know; I'll ask him again."
The catastrophe Of having the mug
drained dry At one pull by she stranger
in cinder gray was edcctually guarded
against thia time by Mrs Ecnnel. She
poured ous his allowance In small cup,
keeping the sarec one ~ a discreet dis
lance from him. when be had tossed
of his portion. the shepherd renewed
his inGairy about the strangers coca
patton.