The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-20


 him up In . chair and lif some candles. He was pale and trembling, whether from fear, pain, or nervous shock, l could not tell
 "Master Milford,n he announced by and by with sOlemnity, Pm dying"
 "Dying7 Stuff and nonsense, man." replied. "You're not damaged beyond a few bruises. Pm doctor enough to tell you that Why did you turn on me in that wildcat fashion 2 never thought you'd show 6ght" confessed.
 {" 1 was always a demon when reused" i" he said with ludicrous dignity. "TAere's more than one's felt the weight of this," setting down flabby list, till the rheu- matism caught me-an along of long hours in them damp churches"
 But as he spoke the clue to alto his clash of vigor and his swift collapse be. trayed itself, alas, in the corner ot a brandy flask, half full, prouuding from his pocket. drew it ferth and shook it in his face.
 "Rheumatism, you malingering rogue That's how you prime yourself for raids on my premises. You were half tipsy when 1 met you Saturday-you, whove forgotten the taste of spirits, never touch a dropi"
 Accidentally" he said gravely, with a sly twinkle in his eye. Under doctor orders. You're a bit of a doctor, you said. Now you've half killed me, master, least you can do is to order the restora. tive"
 "No," said 1, convinced he had had rlore than enough. "lf you're faint, there's water here" As l moved to the shelf to get the jug, Joe, the instant my back was turned, suddenly recovering the use of his limbs, rose, seized the flask l had incautiously laid on the table, and drained it as if it were water indeed Then he sank back in the chair with an inarticulate expression of bliss
 Rascal Aren't you ashamed of your self3" l said, furious and helpless, "get- ting relief from the parish, and setting up for temperance mau, swilling brandy enough on the sly to kill hippopota- mus. Drunkard and thief besides
 He looked at me with hopeless, imper- turbable serenity. Neither gods nor men could touch him for just that one moment of ineffable content. The dose had galvanized his damaged wits into quick, confused activity. The string of his tongue was loosed. It never took much to do that.
 "Come. there's thieves and thieves, !" he began. "Some rides on horseback, and some daren't look over hedge. See that young devil, Mick"
 Aye, the vagabond," broke in-for the mere name of him put me in a rage now. "You and he are a pair to match"
 "Eh, have you seen him ?" asked Joe, his curiosity reused by his warmth. "Where, master Lolling in luxury, I'll swear. while honest, hard working folks like Joe Murphy starve on crusts. I'd change that, if ever he came back" he added.
 "So thick you and he were together" l said, struck by his vipdictive tone. Joe, who was growing garrulous, rambled on.
 "As comfortable to be thick with as with pair O shears. Shuts on your hn- gers and cuts lem of. Tell me where he is, master. If knew I'd take it out oi him yet he as lets his old pal slave and come on the parish, when word O mine could set the police on him for thief and rob5sr."
 "Serve him right, too," rejoined. My feelings toward Mick were such that there was something not displeasing to me in any addition to the list of his known misdemeanors, and tried to draw Joe on-whose wits seemed getting ha1ier every moment, by following up his thought.
 "l was fool to let the beggar slide, and trust his word for the swag,n he said ; then muttered, indistinctly, to him. self, "Sampson knew, Sampson knew "
 "Knew Mick was robber," struck in, too sharply. It reused Joc's caution.
 "Nay," and he shook his head with a sickly smile. "I never said so."
 But so 1t was," rejoined, warming to the part was playing. Else why did the old man cut him of with shill- ing 2 He couldn't do more."
 This argument, spoken as if it were un- answerable, seemed to overwhelm Jim by its convincing logic.
 "Course, why cut him off7 Do as you've been done by. Nevvy robbed the uncle, so why shouldn't the uncle rob lhC uGvvyA kAo ua1 sampson COutOu do more, or he would. No evidence |; only I'd got that to give. Wish had. Why should he tenderer to Mick than his own kith and kin2 Answer me that" :"
 "You and he were a couple of iofernal dogs" ] exclaimed, forgetting myself.
 The drift of Joe's confused utterances pointed, 1t seemed, to some successful attempt of the two to help themselves out of old Sampson's cash-box-an ex- tremely probable occurrence. It revolted my sense of justice that these rogues should escape scot free, while poor lem had to pay the full penalty of his fatal though just anger.
 If men had their deserts" contin- ued, "l know where you'd be now and Mick along with you"
 He shook his head, stammering with a tipsy smile:
 ." Bnt dog at large is better than a caged lion,' proverbs says"
 So you robbed Mick's uncle for him P v A..