The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-16

that: button the coat weil over your
shirt; there-you'4 pass for a lawyers
clerk or anything you please. Or You can
be Mr.. Harlows clerk from MIllport-
I'll get home as / am; I'm often at
work in my shirt-slceves, so it won't
matter if I'm seen going indoors. I'll
dress and come to yon at the Half
Moon; and then we'll see what's TO be
done You can put up there for to-
night; and you shall be my clerk in
earnest if you'll give yourself just one
more chance of being a-man."
"A man, 1t was singular to see the
change that came over Dick Black
thorn's face with the change of clothes
which, by exceptional good fortune,
fitted him as though they had been
made for him. He no longer veered be-
tween SLOUGH and swagger; he even
laughed lightly, as he peered over the
bank to catch glimpse of his reflection
in the pool "A man. repeated he.
why, I'm half that already, Harlow;
it's the first time I've known the feel OF
decent broadcloth for couple of years.
The gypsies, indeed-no gypsies for me,
if YOU please. The truth is, Harlow,
I've been thinking seriously of late;
and I've come to the conclusion that,
after ais said and done. responsibility
the thing Who'd ever have thought,
old cock, to look ut me and you now,
that you re the right side of the hedge
and I'm the wrong? What do girls and
horses count, so long as there's tailor
to get one straight again? | should like
sight of Patience again, poor lass; I've
half a mind to drop in on her and make
her scrt am, for fun, on my way to the
Half Moon. No-all right, old chap;
You needn't look so queer. A bargain s
bargain, and nobody burst say Dick
Biacktlorn isn't a man of his word.
Down to-day and up tO-morrow-that's
the game. Hey for the Half Moon and
fig for King George! Ay, come over
to the Half Moon; many's the jorum
I've had there in the old days, and
We'll have another tonight, you and L.
I'll stand treat if you'll lend me the
price of bowl till pay you again.
Oh, I'll be man! III 90 ahead and
redeem the past, and eat the fatted calf,
and be gocd--so good that the old
mans hairs shall turn brown again for
fun"
Whether Dicks sullen desperation or
his sudden burst ;nto high spirits was
the worse to behold, Stephen could not
tell 1t was plain the fellow had no
more ballast in him than feather in
the wind; and that, whether up or
down. his good and bad spirits were
equally capriciOus ana van. A mo-
ment ago he was hunted brute; Row
he was whit a fairly good coat had
made him. Stephen saw work before
him to which the restoration of Legs
Croft was mere child play. However,
it had got to be done.
Now be off with YOU said he.
Mind, I'm trusting you; if don't find
YOU at the Half Moon by the TINE l get
there. I wash my hands of you. If
do, I'll see to it that if you break down
in life again it shall be the fault of
neither horse nor girl, but yout very
own"
"Oh. that's all right" said Dick.
1--WE half good mind to go back
through Manchester and meet the red
coats-that would be fun, too. won't
though. I'm going to turn over new
leaf. and be good boy for the rest of
my days. Once out of this scrape.
never VIII get into another, so sure as
my names Dick Blackthorn. I'll go to
the Halt Moon as straight as n crow,
and wait as long as you please.
And perhaps by that time thought
Stephen, = little savagely, lit will strike
him that it might be cecent to ask after
his father anu his sister. and that it 5
hardly good manners to take all fel-
lows got 20 give him without so much
As Il Thank YOU Well. I'm not going
to help him through for thanks sake,
so l mustn complain. | must get his
father to forgive him; ard | must get
him to Millport, and put him 10 work
under ms own eye. I'LL be stiff job;
but, hang it, what a beast | am 10
Crumble about doing for Patience and
her father the first thing that's like to
come hard. The harder the better,
whatever it is; they've done ten thoI-
sand times more for me. Poor Dick
can't think he's bad fellow at bottom.
It's not in the Blackthorn breed.
Perhaps the only impossible thing in
the word is TO be set on helping man
and at the same time to think of him
/
hopeless case, but then Stephen was in
the humor tor unlimited hoping. He
waited minutes eaough for the coast to
be clear, and then scrambled back out
of the copse in decidedly less repu-
table plight than he had entered. Not
thai there would be anything particu-
larly out Of the way in his crossing tn
few remaining fields hatless and coat
less; for, Is he had said, good deal OF
his recent work hal been done in his
shirt-sleeveS rs well as in his brain.
Moreover. the mud and moisture he
had gathered in the copse would only
look as if his out-of-door work had been
anything but a sham.
Of course he gave up his idea of going
round BY way of the church; nor wal
he part.cually anxious. for once, to
meet Patience herself all at once; h.
had dreamed that he should never have
, Il secret from her, and the discovery
that one was inevitable, though he
hoped but for Jew hours, was not
agreeable. though it was for the goo,
J of all. At the price of a secret, even
from Patience, he.: brother $50 at least
, he thought) must be kept clear of Leyi
Croft till all risk was past, and til
Dick could come home, not to be hid.
, den as q deserter from his colors, bul
) as clerk in the firm of Prestons d
. Harlow. For, at any. cost, Patience j
faith in her brother must be kept whola
and pure; forever, if it might be-aI
any rate, until the last chance of keep.
! ipCr roma