News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-06

and leave"
"My soul p The man shrank from
the indignation and disgust exasas5ss.al in.
bis asss,iSsdSsa U.s. 49,
'Come to think of ii, 1 haven't seen a
sign of him since yesterday. Like as
not he's gene Of his own accord, unless
-" The watchman's face became
suddenly grave.
'Well, unless what 2''
"He's lying down there all this time.
He was thin, weakish-looking fellow !;
the kind that go off quick, sometimes y
"What ghoul you are, Martin !"
Brewster laughed a short, nervous laugh.
Pleasant suggestion this, that on his
own land, not forty rods away, dead
man was lying, who had perhaps perished
from lack of proper food and care
Then a better sentiment stirred his
heart. He was a ow-souled man,
but not hard hearted,
''Take your lantern and come ahead,
Martin; no morgue on my premises, if l
can help it"
They stepped out into the chill and
darkness, carefully locking the door be-
hind them as precaution against lawless
intruders. AS they left behind them
the tall lumber piles with their sweet
scent of the woods, and approached the
border of Mission Creek, nialarial poisons
filled the air, and host of unsavory
odors assailed them. Reeking vapors
| seemed to arise from the putrid heaps
and clutch at their throats with phantom
fingers. Their feet slipped and sank
| into the masses of restoring decay. 1t
was Brewster's first visit to this choice
portion of his recently acquired posses
sions, and the thought came to his
mind that it was poor stick of a man
who would deny a fellow creature the
hospitality of such an accursed spot, on
any other grounds than that of its total
unitness for human occupancy. Sud
denly Martin brought up with short
step, swinging his lantern around to
illuminate the spot for his employers
inspection.
''Here we are, sir"
Brewster leaned forward and deserted
low, irregular structure, not four feet
above the ground at its highest point.
His preconceived notions of the style of
building operations pursued in these
primitive dwellings were completely
overturned. Instead of neat and shining
rows of tin cans, rising tier upon tier
into pretentious and fanciful structure,
he beheld q rude framework of refuse
boards, imperfectly covered with rusty
strips of tin, an humble defence against
wind and weather; the merest apology
for covering. He had time to take
but a cursory glance at these details
when a weak voice from the interior
hailed the visitors.
"Who's there %
Brewster hesitated an instant before
replying. He could not announce him
self as friend, for his mission was far
from friendly. He resolved to present
himself on strictly neutral grounds.
"Your landlord"
"Sorry not to give you more fitting
reception, mine host, but as I'm hardly
in shape to receive company-if you'll be
kind enough to slip your bill under the
door"
Brewster's dignity was offended. 1t
was all very we'll for him, the man of
property and position, to condescend to
address joke to the vagabond who
tresspassed on his domain; for the rascal
to presume to assume iocular tone to-
ward him, in turn, was intolerable!
He thought of the underwriters and the
increased premium, and interrupted the
fellow angrily.
"Come now, this won't dol Get out
of here, and away with youn
"Sorry to be unable to comply with
your polite request, sir, but l don't
think could walk very far tonight. +"
''Humbugl 1 want you to under
stand that you are on my ground, sir.
Every moment you stay endangers my
property. Out of this place in two min
utes, or Pll have you under arrest" |"
Brewster had worked himself into
fine rage, and felt that he was acquitting
himself with credit. His self-congrat-
ulatory meditations were interrupted by
movement within the tramps domicile.
The highest section of the roof was
pushed away by thin hand, and a tall
erect figure rose through the aperture
like jack-in- -the-box. Something more
than the unexpected nature of the ap-
partition caused Brewster to fall back
with start, as if he had seen a ghost,
He was not fanciful man, but the un-
canny locality, the noisome smells, the
curling wreaths of vapor, the moon
struggling to pierce the thick veil of
mist overhead, coupled, perhaps, with
the afternoons "reminiscences, carried
him back twenty years, and he was
again a prisoner of war, waking from
a troubled sleep to see the thin form of
Lenoir stealing to his side at midnight,
to thrust into the lads pocket a crust of
bread saved from his own scanty rations.
He put the recollection of that wretched
talx
it left its impression. Along with Wis
ionary plans of riotous feasts and glut-
tonous indulgence commonly planned
by hungry men in such extremities, to
be carried out in case of release, he had
taken one solemn oath. He had vowed
that if ever he escaped from that wretch
ed hole, 50 long as he lived and had it
In his power he would never fail to feed
a hungry human being. Through all
the fluctuations of his business career
and the manifold duties of his busy life
he had kept this pledge inviolate, as
many drunken loafer and disreputable
hummer in Steuart street could attest.
Resolve had grown into a principle of
action, and principle into habit. He
recalled this custom now.
'Here, sir; this will get you round
meal down yonder," nodding in the
direction of the cheap eating houses in
Fourth street, as he extended a quarter
he had extracted from his trousers
pocket, carefully weighing it in his hand
to make sure that he was in no danger
OF giving away gold-piece by mistake.
''Do you think that if wanted char
ity l would be occupying this palatial
mansion and fasting until refuge garbage
seems mess for King?"
Brewster recalled what Martin had
said, and drew back his well-meant
offering with sense of personal injury.
ooh, come now Be off, like good
fellow, and make no more trouble"
The lumberman was impatient to
bring the interview to close. He still
fingered the silver piece with an uneasy
sense that it would be better in the
possession of a vagabond. The man
raised his tattered hat, with a mocking
bow, and esssyed to step over the walls
of his abode; but his legs proved too un
steady for the successful accomplishment
of his purpose. He stumbled, reeled
and sat down on his own roof-top, which