The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1885-05-08

the chance to. Not the man he was |!
| It's pot and kettle there. No more am
| l." He stuck his fists into his pockets,
tried to look defiant, and failed.
Come, Dick" said Stephen, little
disguised and contemptuous, but, for
Patience's sake, not unkindly; this
won't do at all. l see you're in
trouble; and if it's only for your father 5
| sake, must do my best to pull you out
again. I'm not the man to preach
never fear. Here's my hand. Make
a clean breast of things; clutch hold,
and I'll pull"
Il know you're not a bad sort, Har-
low, for all you look so contounded
flourishing. IT'S enough to make
trooper swear like an angel to see you
and to see me; and it was always had
the headpiece, not YOU. Well, tbs q
| mighty queer world. Sometimes l
think I'll hang myself; and l would
too. if / wasn't sure somebody would
come by and cut me down. Somebody
always Spoils whatever / want to do.
whats TO be done with a fellow
like thisp'' Stephen asked himself. But
he only asked Dick, '.WellP'
Il can't even remember what the old
rumpus was about" said he. '"Twas
either about a horse or a girl; but
then everything's n horse or a gill.
Anyhow, l meant to be my own master,
as who wouldn't? So | Joined circus
company at Manchester, and took a
new name. As long as I'd my pockets
| full twas all ri9IlC: but when they run
out, there was a row. think it was
| about girl or q horse anyhow, I'd
| had enough of the circus, and got 4
! place as postbOy at a house on the
North Road"
And which happened that time,
| horse or grip
! '"Oh, sure enough, it was horse that
| time. They said | famed him through
| being drunk; of course twas a lie, for
! the brute was going at a hand-galop
| when / was thrown. But there was a
| pair of baronets in the chaise; and, be
ing as drunk as owls themselves, they
| said it was me-"
And thonP"
'.Wen, nobody can put it against me
| haven't tried. Talk of father! If
he'd been through what 1 have, instead
of living at home at ease, he'd have
some.can to talk of gray hairs. ] forget
what came next-whether twas wash
| ing bottles, or whether twas gypsying.
! think twas gypsying; and | got on
well enough at that if there hadn' been
something about q horse. No-the
horse got into the bottles; it was the
girl that time You wouldn't think, to
look at me, pyc been in quod? have,
though. No; YOU needn't look like
that. never 90 after mischief. It,
always mischief comes after me. If l
was on CrusOe's island | should be in
somebody elsc's scrape. If ever I'm
hanged twill be in somebody elsc's
Shoes
And after the gyps5ying?" Stephen
chose TO ignore the Jail.
Then / went TO sea-
Anyhow, there arc no girls or horses
there"
mo. But somehow OF other twas
all one a. if there were. You can't call
it my fault, | suppose. that the coaster
ran on the sands. They said il was. Of
course; chat was another of their lies.
But what's the good OF going through
the whole Confounded things all over
again? I've been twenty things forty,
for aught know. And b. somebody
coHfounded fault or another they We all
gone wrong. | cant even have forty
wink in wood, where nobody comes.
hut somebody else tumbles over ne. /
emit drink a glass Of ale but what il
makes somebody else drunk, and Ihen
| get the blame
But that rel jacket
"Ay. That's the Kings. He gave
me 81 guinea, too; but that gone"
Dick, listen to me. You c9Dtgo to
your father rs YOU are -
=" must, though as / am. Needs
must when the devil drives
Then You must pull the rejns out Of
IL; l.. ] 4 oil
fault, but at this moment he hasn't
penny he can call his own. Patience
believes iii You still; don't believe in
YOU much; but ! can't believe YOU re |
such y scamp that you'd come back To |
quarter Yourself on him just when ty0U
ought t. lie putting your shOuldeH to
the wheel. Come, he a man. shp-
pose You belong to the regiment whose
drums ! heard to-day. A. YOU are q
soldier, be good one. Write Patience |
q letter which your father shall read at
the right time; and the minute one can !
pet your discharge III see to it, and put !
you in the way Of work under my own !
eye. For yoT fathers and your sis |
tcr's sake there's nothing TOO much | !
can do for YOU
Dicl, hung his head and again turned /
Sullcn.
No" said he; II suppose you want !
me 10 20 and gct killed. No such luck .
for YOU. nor for me. I'm going Il sec 1
Patience. she won't want me TO bo /
Killed. She Is good Girl anl there /
may bc one good horse =omeN here, as /
wei"
You snail do what righ!-thcre. /
I'll 90 back with YOU to Manchester. /
Who ought one TO see about yogr dis .
charge? They won't want TO keep. | (
suppose. u respectable ycoman's only .
son, that enlisted out OF some stupid /
folly. and wants to be free, aud can pay /
to b. free"
WHATS the good? If fathers got
Il have, then I can %ct ii. any way.
Think of your father. your sister: think 4.
of right and manhood, and come with /
me-
There. That's Just my luck all round,
again. IL TOO late, now
Too late! Wen see about that. It's
never too late TO try
1t is. though I've discharged my
self That what I've done. -
Discharged YOURSELF What do you
moan?"
Taken French leave"
And what 50
I'm a dcscrtcr. That what am" /
You wrctched fool
stephen could no more help speaking
ont his anger than he could help feel (
inc it this, ra'icuv.'s brother Dick. /.
this irreiccmabe scamp, if not worse
than a scamp. a. he seemed 10 Ice. What (
was 30 bc donc9 Anything ANYTHING
rather than thst Farmer Blackthorn', !
rowling ~clf-rc>pcrt should receive the
fatal blow of learning that his son WAS
unworthy even OF the living of Il common
soldier: the proud old man would walk
straight into his grave. Anything
rather than that Patiencc's stubborn !
fifth In HOY. hr.nthn shn1rli he chnttnrnl