The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-20
fast friends still when, at two and twenty,

SClLluk buG uSuu uG WOulO uOt ONSI. Come along, and you tell me about everybody. How's the psrson, and that old miser, Sampson Glover, and his scapegrace of a nephew, and pretty Rose Evans whom left you all courting, and would have courted too, had l seen a chance for myself"
 checked my rash volley of questions. His faced turned livid, his features were distorted with passion, and recollected Iem's tremendous temper, which had won him at school the nickname of Tiger King; once too, when we were boys and l provoked him to fight, his onslaught was SO terrific that still felt a reminder in my shoulder.
 "DamnationW he shouted. "Are you mad, to talk so to me-"
 think you are," retorted. "Is that how you welcome man back2 ?"
 Flying me askance defantly, Don't you know 2" he said sullenly.
 "Know what1 My mother never tells me anything. Come on, you tell me-"
 He shook of my arm fiercely. He was Tiger King again. Disregarding me, he stepped upon the bank to strain his eyes through the trees at the red-tiled church tower, the school house gables, and matched barns of Eversfold.
 "Cursed fool that was," he burst out, to come in sight of the old place-ex- cept i'd knife to lay across my throat here and make an end p
 Jenny" l exclaimed. concerned, "what in thunder's amiss ?" Tell me, and swear I'll set it straight"
 They'll tell you yonder," he said and no living man can set it straight"
 cold pal," said, at my wits end, "you've had trouble, that's enough for me to know. If purse or hand can give you lift, why, there's no use I'd sooner put mine to. Pm up in the world just now, but the luck may change, and know you'd do the same if our places were reversed. Auld lang syne's the word between you and me" Just for one moment his countenance relaxed, but, resisting the feeling, he an- swered shortly:
 I've money to take me where Pm bound"
 Where is that2"
 "To the Colorado mines. The Cam bria sails tonight, and go with her Dead or alive, sink or swim, you'll hear no more of Jemmy King" And with that he turned and ran, and the bend in the lane hid him from sight.
 PAined and perplexed, went on my way; but as l neared home the personal pleasure felt in returning drowned all other sensations, and presently forgot everything in the arms of my mother, the least changed of all remembered things. You must imagine that meeting, the rush of talk, the eager interchange of questions that filled the first hours. Not until after dinRer, in the sudden Hull that comes at dessert, when the servants have gone, and the chatter of plates has ceased, did my thoughts revert to that strange encounter, and instantly began
 |" By the way, mother, walking up met emmy King. Never saw anybody so changed in my life. should hardly have known him."
 My mother was placidity itself by na. ture, habit, and principle, but nay an- nouncement electrified her. The very ribbons and faces of her cap seemed Aus. tered.
 "James King here ?" she calculated in dismay.
 "Yes; on Shooters Hill. What on earth has befallen him2"
 Shooters Hill Then they've let him out. Gracious heavenl How unsafe.'
 "Out of where P l asked, mystifi cd. Has he been in lunatic asylum 2"
 "ln Dartmoor prison," she replied gravely.
 "Jemmy Kingp" thundered indig- What for ?"
 "H He half murdered man, tAat was all" she returned.
 My shoulder twinged. Twas answered, but ready to swear that Jim's victim de- served his fate.
 "It must have been under extreme provocation," said. "Who was the man I'
 "Poor Mick Glover, old Sampson's nephew"
 "Mick was always a confoundedly in- solent fellow," said, inclined to make excuses for my old ehum, whatever the atrocity into which he had been betrayed. Mymother naturally resented such laxity.
 Dear Frank, it is easy to see you are fresh from the land of bowiss, revolvcrs, and lynch-law," she said. "That your neighbor is provoking scarcely justi6es you in setting upon him in a lonely field, and knocking the life out of him to the best of your ability"
 "Mick must have been very aggravat- ing" l said. My mother lost all patience, and apologized. "l can't take 1t all in at once, or get over it. You know Jemmy and were like brothers. What was the quarrel about?"
 "What, indeed, but that pretty, silly lass, Rose Evans" sighed my mother and reluctantly l seemed to take in every thing now. Before lett, gossip whis- pered there was something between far- mer King and blacksmith Evans pretty daughter. But handsome, dare devil Mick was a dangerous rival for any swain-wild, no doubt, but ladies of every degree overlooked his vagaries, or laid the blame of them on the tradesmen he feeced, the uncle he sponged upoa, the girls he ruined, on every one bat