The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-14

there was some chance that he would not
devour Phyllis before her eyes.
NIcodemus, the hired man, manifested
great surprise when he was told that lie
was to drive Miss Eldridge and Miss
Phyllis t. Norwich, even while the church
bells were ringing. Such a Dissertation OF
the Sabbath had never been known before
IN his twenty years experience Of the
family.
Its long road to Norwich" said Mic
odemus, who was privileged to speak his
mind on all occasions; "but then, Parson
Godfrey's prayers are middlin' long, too"
and he heaved sigh that sounded like an
expression of relief, evidently concluding
that the length of road was the lesser evil
of the two.
Miss Eldridge looked severe di sapproba-
ton, but she said nothing. Nicodemus had
an eel-like slipperyness under rebuke, and
she had ceased to waste her efforts. But
reflections upon ministers were, to Miss
Eldridge, the most trying form which Mic
odemus' ungodliness took. She had a
special reverence and regard for ministers.
She had been betrothed TO one in her youth,
and had given him up to devote herself
and her worldly goods to her brother, after
he had squandered his own patrimony in
riotous living, and it had been lifelong
sorrow to her. She meant to guard Phyllis
from sorrows. 1t was the dearest wish of
lister. She was not conscious of any inten-
ton to attempt to interfere with the DEGREES
of Providence, but il a frivolous minded
young man should appear upon Phyllis
horiZon-aS, alas. was only too likely, for
was not Phyllis calculated to draw such,
as a candle draws a mOth?-she did mean
to use all her energy to put him to rout.
As Bucephalus trudged perseveringly
over the long road to Norwich, Nicodemus
IN frr
"That was powerful discourse that Par
son Godfrey give us last Sunday mornin',
about the man with the one talent. ha'n't
seemed to be able 10 get it out of mind
sence," said he, with deeply meditative
expression of couutenance.
''m very glad that it impressed you,
Nicodemus," said Miss Eldridge, with a
radiant face. Here was at last q hopeful
sign in Nicodemus!
"Been thinkin' of it ever sence," said
Nicodemus. ''Parson Godfrey, he made out
that every man has his talent, even if tits
q leetle mite of one, and | calkilate 'tis
so, only he don't allus seem to get the lay
of it exactly. Pve been runnin'o of an idea
that mine WANT diggin' the sile and doin'
chores. l wisht l hadn't never put my
hard airnin's into that tarnal rock-heapof
a farm over to Stony Crick. My tarlent is
for luck. There never was such Teller for
= x
If I'd a put my money into lottery tick
ets"-
80 Nicodemusn exclaimed Miss FL
bridge.
Her tone of horror did not seem to affect
Nicodemus in the least degree.
swell, now, Miss Eldridge, there's man
over here to Norwich has made his fortin'
out of lottery. Give ten dollars for a
ticket and drew fifteen thousand dollars in
cash. l tell you Norwich is lively over it I
Jim Shattuck did cobblin' by odd jobs.
Don't s'pose he's known half the time
where he was goin' to git the next meal of
victuals. He found somebody's purse and
got ten dollars reward for it. He hadn't
a suit of clothes to his back, but he bought
the lottery ticket; had sense enough to
know that his tarlent was luck, you see."
Miss Eldridge, actuated by a stern sense
of duty, delivered a long moral and relig-
ious discourse upon the sin of gambling,
to which Nicodemus listened with rapt at
tention, and remarked calmly, when she
had finished:
Eyes, there is them that thinks lotteries
is sinful, but it kind of seems to me that
when a mans got tarlent that way, it's
accordin' to scripter for him to use it."
Miss Eldridge sighed heavily, and aban-
doned her ATTEMPT. Clearly Nicodemus
had not ''tarlent" for morality.
By this time they had reached the one
hotel which Norwich boosted, ami Miss
had the landlord summoned to
the carriage.
"Have you a gentleman here who is very
i'll" she asked him.
1.-The Teller that got hurt is here" said
the landlord. "Got thrown off the train.
Caught his boot-heel somehow, and hit his
head on rock. He don't seem to know
much of ANYTHING yet, but the doctor saws
hos llyalu IN wall If ho hoe nj
nursing. 1 got old Mrs Plummer to take
care of him. She used to he a first rate
nurse, but she's gettin' old"
"Do you know what his name is?" asked
Miss Eldridge.
mo, we can't seem to find out. He don't
know enough to tell, and there was nothing
about him to give US any clew except the
initials j. l.. G. on his pocket-book."
81. L. C. 1t was probably John, ;" thought
Miss Eldridge. The telegram had said i'll,
and had not said anything about an acct
dent, but mess ages were arranged with a
view to employing the fewest words posi-
bic, and the man was certainly i'll at pres
emit.
"Is there any other man in Norwich
lying very ill.," said Miss Eldridge, who
liked to be sure.
mot that know of. Norwich is terri
bic healthy place. Nobody pindlin' here,
but the doctors, as general thing" said
the landlord, facetiously.
"Then l think this gentleman who has
been injured is a friend of my brother"
said Miss Eldridge; land we would like to
10 all that we can for him."
Ppm sure Pm glad, ma'am. He needs
friends" said the landlord, Frightening in
a manner that might have suggested to a
cynical mind relief concerning his pros
poets of having the strangers bill paid.
. Mr.. - What did you say his name was,
Miss Eldridge?"
81 didn't say" said Miss Eldridge, curt
". Then her gentle soul reproaching her,
she FASTENED to add, with rising color, II
really don't know anything but his first
name. My brother has not seen him-at
east, he thinks not-for long time"
1t was awkward and embarrassing even
where the landlord was concerned; what it
would be with the stranger himself Miss
Eldridge, with her small knowledge of the
world, trembled to think.
1.-THE doctor said he must be kept per-
iectly quiet, but he don't seem to notice
anything, anyway" said the landlord,
Miss Eldridge into the sick-room,
md entering after her, on tiptoe.
With her first glance at the figure on the
ped Miss Eldridge's doubts and embarrass-
nent all vanished. 1t looked so white and
rushed, so far removed from all petty jars
md discords, and, as she was afterward
heard to say, "The man had such a fine and
noble face, one was so moved to sympathy
me could think of nothing else" He was
young man, under thirty, and of a refined
Ind high-bred type.
Who and what could he be? Miss FL
fridge wished that her brother could have
Probably the son of one of
lis old friends. But that mattered little.
The thing to be done was TO save him. Only
enderest care and attention would do that.
Mss Eldridge had not been devoted to the
of Greenvale for twenty years not
@ be experienced in such signs of danger
Is were to be seen in this face. She was at
heart Sister Dora, and she felt deeply
grateful to the Providence that had brought
Ter to his bedside. From the moment when
he young man opened his eyes, and looked
1t her, without consciousness, but with-or