Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-08-22

meal down yonder," nodding in the
direction OF the cheap eatinG-hOuses in
Fourth-st.. rs he extended q 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 q gold piece by
mistake.
"Do Won think that ifIwanted chari-
ty would be occupying this palatial
mansion and fasting until refuse gar
blge seems Il mess for king?"
BrrStcr recalled what Martin had
said. and drew back his well-meant Of
i.lins with Il sense Of personal injury.
"Oi. come now, BE of, like a good
fellow. aud max" no more trouble"
The lumhtrman was impatient to
bring the interview to close. Hestill
fingered the silver-piecewith an uneasy
sense that it would be better in the
no~ .c son oi = vagabond. The man
raised Iii, Jattered hat, with a mock
.ig bow. and essayed TO step over the
walls of his abode; but his legs proved
90 unsteady for the successful aC-
rompli~hment OF his purpose. He
stumbled. rcelei and sat down on his
OWN rooi-top, which rasped and clash
ell i'll dismal chorus.
Brewster knew the meaning OF the
action. How many times had he seen
sonc poor fellow, reduced to the last
limits OF inanition, fater and fall by
he way on Il forced march. His re-
igc>irns exploded in two words, each
possessed OF three syllables, and fol-
lowed by an explanation point. The
first was starvation; the second diff
ferred only i'll the first syllable, and re-
presented a very essential article OF
Faith in the orthodox creed. He sup
plcmented the remarks with an i'm
perative order to the watchman, who
forthwith seized one of the vagrant's
arms. Hall ledling, half supporting
him, ignoring his faint protests, they
took him up the path to the office,
and placed him on a chair before the
fire.
As they progressed on their Shiny
path, Brewster inconsequently re-
called the battle of Shiloh, when Le-
noir. badly wounded and thrown from
the saddle Of u dying horse, had been
led To The rear, protesting and fighting
every step OF the way. As he came in
to the light of the office windows, he
accounted forthe sensation by the dis
cOvery that the man wore q cheap
overcoat OF military cloth and cut, of
the stamp usually affected by the
"hay-bunkers."
They placed him in a chair before
the fire and he sat there q mutinous
captive. his felt hat with its battered
brim drawn down over his eyes and
partially shading his face. The first
glance at the stranger in the honest
light of the Office lamp had in O. meas
urc reassured Brewster and put to
| flight his absurd fancies. There was
nothing striking or uncommon in the
| spare figure, or the old face with its
lines Of care and pain. 1t was very
ordinary face. an eminently prosaic
face. he assured himself OF the same
tvpe as ten thousand others in the
| city, but he could not resist a crazy
| desire to see the forehead barred, to
| look at the LETT temple and
Bah, Back to those old memories
of the war again, So much for the
| pernicious effect of the afternoons as
| sociations. Well, what was it, after
ais Only Il young fellow, his blue suit
| in tatters CraZed with fever, crawling
past the dead line, strong hand
stretched out to savehim adult report,
a bullet leaving bloody track across
the temple and along the scalp OF the
rescuer.
| And whv had he lost sight of the
| Gallant old soul all these years? Con-
found it, Lenoir was inst the one to
sneak off from his friends if the world
used him i'll. to live in q dugout and
dine on scraps rather than ask charity
Yes. and to lest AMI flash out with g
dauntless spirit i'll a moment OF hu
initiation and shame that held worse
terror to Il proud soul than th'
braveSt soldier ever faced on the bat
tle-field. Could poverty, and despair
and ill-health reduce the high-soulet
gentleman and soldier to the likenes:
OF that old scarecrow? Brewster step
ped impulsivly forward, reaching owe
for a chunk of iirewOod, awkwardly
brushing the stranger 5 head with hi
arm and knocking off the slouch hat.
lie hesitated Just long enough to OBJ
serve Il white track across the tempi
and through thesparse gray hair, then
with his brain in a whirl, secured tn
stick of wood, laid it carefully upol
the blaze, took out pencil and note
book and scrubbed a few lines to hi
wife. A close carriage, n fire in the bes
room, warm dinner; his pencil check
ed off the items at lightning speed. II
called the watchman and dispatches
him with the note, meeting the man
wondering look with one of stern dc
cision. As the door closed behind tn
messenger, and his departingfootstep
, echoed fainter and fainter in the dis
tance. he turned to find his compulsor
giest arising from his chair and col
fronting him with white face.
"The almshouse? I'll die firstl"
"Never while live, Colonel Lenoir.
Hay.ng uttered this blunt assurance
Brewster sat staring at his old frien
through a mist of tears. The old ma
answered with startled look. II
drew the slouch hat lower over hi
eyes. His chin worked convulsively.
Old and thin and gray, overtaken b
reverses, crushed by misfortune, til
! Colonel was found.-San Francisc
r Ingleside.