The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-08-02

| Central Illinois all her life.
The thought lent cheerful energy to
his voice as he entered the yard and
gave some directions to Maxon, his
hard-worked book-keeper and general
| factotum. Proctor was deeply en-
crossed in making out an order for sew
eral carloads of finishing lumber, when
shadow darkened the door, and the
tramp stood before him. He could not
repress an exclamation of surprise.
| The vagabond observed and his face
lowered as he asserted himself de-
| family.
Yes, I've come" he said. What
are you going to give me to do?"
John Proctor put on his hat and went
with him into the yard, where an empty
car was waiting to be filled on an order
| from a neighbOring town. He showed
the man small slip of paper tackled
| upon the end, and was about to explain
where he could find the material desig-
mated, when the fellow threw OFF his
coat and deity attacked pile of scant-
| ling which CHANGED to be the first item
on the list
"Hulloa" said Proctor. gazing in
| SUI JIlSC. Oll SCtll W huOW oOlut-
thing about this business"
"a little" returned the man,
shortly.
The young lumberman took his way
to the Office A little later the rudy
visage of Maxon looked in at the door
as he returned from dinner.
80, by the way, MaXon, | have q
new man at work out in the yard. You
might keep an eye on him."
"Now, Mr.. Proctor!' exclaimed
Maxon, in hopeless protest. lis it
another Of them fellows?"
"Well, you see, he declared he was
willing to work, and it seems only fair
to give man chance"
The broad-shouldered young propri-
etor was avowedly on the defensive.
$50 far as I'm concerned, of course
its nothing to me-" observed Maxon,
dejectedly. "But it puts me out to
have you made a laughing stock all
over town. It's shame-well, it's no
use talking. Yes, you may depend
upon me to keep an eye on him, sir Those
fellows will bear watching. [ say,
though, Mr.. Proctor, haven't you got
mighty close up to that hundred?"
Half an hour later Maxon looked in
again, his face lit up with a mischiev-
Gus smile.
Don't you want to take a look at
your new hand now, Mr.. Proctor?
He's Just like the rest of them; sitting
on lumber pile all doubled up with a
pain in"
A flying Spanish conversation book
checked further intelligence and Maxon
lodged around the corner to escape
other missiles. At six o'clock, when
the hands came up to receive pay for
their days labor, John Proctor saw his
protege standing off at little distance
The man made no demand for wages,
and his employer took no notice of
MIN. As the men filed out the express
agent of the Plumbago City train, a
personal friend of Proctor's, came run
ming into the office with a package in
his hand.
"Here, Proctor, run them over
quickly and sign this receipt. It's the
five thousand from Juarez q Signor. l
haven't moment to spare"
The lumbernan hastily counted the
notes, signed his name to the receipt in
bold, dashing hand, and the agent
hurried off. Left alone, Proctor drew
from his pocket long, Russian-leather
pocket-book and laid the notes care
fully inside. As he thrust this into his
breast pocket. he CHANGED to glance to-
ward the window, and encountered the
hungry eyes of the tramp, sharply fol-
lowing his movements from without.
AS the man saw that he was detected,
he paused, seemed about to speak,
then changed his mind and sauntered
carelessly away. A vague anxiety
assailed John Proctor, 1t was long
after banking hours; there was no help
for it, he must be custodian of his treas
ure until morning.
He sat up late that night The pay
ment of this sum was all that was neces-
sary to make the Eastern trip definite
and tangible matter. There was a pile
of correspondence to be turned off and
letter to be dispatched to that little
woman in Illinois, telling her to dis
charge her music pupils and make
ready for his coming. When he had
finished his letters he sat quietly for
awhile in his big arm chair. 1t was
very late when he rose and, locking
doors and windows, proceeded to the
little inner room where he slept. He
drew off his coat, and, folding it care
fully, placed it beneath his pillow.
Then he examined the barrels of an
English bulldog pistol, which hung
upon hook beside his bed. Reassured
by this precaution he sank into a heavy
sleep.
Several hours before, a man had
crawled upon u low pile of planks,
thanked by two others of towerin o
height. AS he stretched himself at
length, with a bundle of shakes for a
pillow, he philosophically reflected that
such bed was not to be despised. He
was not Unqualified to Judge, for his
experience had been wide and diversi-
fed, and he had learned to weigh the
most delicate points of variance with
the fine discrimination of connoisseur.
He had travelled half way across the
Continent without once knowing the
shelter of a civilized roof. He had
tented beneath the fragrant shade of
orange groves in Southern California,
and in waving fields of golden grain,
passed some terrible July nights on the
Colorado Desert, where the mercury
marks ITO DEGREES at midnipht march,