The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-01-26
know as you like pleasant company"

ing IL IRON her pocket, "bleSt If /
hadn't clean forgot it; have a sip of this,
Bill" She held q glass of stcaming gin
and water toward him as she spoke; if
possible his face grew paler than before,
and he turned away.
mo. thank you, Mrs. Green"
"Nonscnse, Bill; it'll warm you.s
He looked up into her face.
cpd rather take a knife" he said,
sand kill myself, than touch a drop of
that-than learn to like it."
He turned away as he spoke, and left
the barroom.
"Father has blue devils" said Mrs.
Green, as though in apology for little
Bill, as she tipped Off her beverage, w
full sometimes; can hear him yelling
frightful; Bill minds him and the other
children more like an angel than a hui
man."
"Where's the mothcr?" asked a man.
Lord knows; went off two years ago;
Lent, bless you, she had them almost as
bad at times"
Bill 500 reached home again, I'M
locked the door, let himself in, and was
received with every mark Of affection by
Il small boy and a smaller girl, both
equally as dirty as himself.
"Ive got you such a prime supper"
he said, taking the newspaper cover
from the vltuals which he had bought
Mt the cook shop, ''vou must eat it fast,
and then go to bed in case father
home; he don't like to find you up"
He gave the children each a portion
of meat and bread, then sat Watching
them.
"Ain't you gong to cat nothing2"
asked Bill's little brother, looking at
him in great surprise.
No yet; don't feel hungry" and
again the cruel cough shook him.
Supper over the children went to a
mattress ut the further end of the room,
and laid themselves down. Bill pulled
the dirty coverings over them, kissed
both their grimmy faces, then wished
them good night, ''and if father wakes
you when he comes in" he added,
''don't you let him know it."
For a time the children were restless,
but at length they sank to sleep, their
dirty arms folded around each other,
their dirty checks pressed together.
Little Bill sat watching them for a time
then rose, drank some water from out L
broken pitcher, and set out the remand
er Of the food.
"Fathcr may like it when he comes
in" he thought, then went back to
watch the children.
After a time he heard a step upon the
stairs, a heavy stumbling step, but he
did not move, and when Il man rolled
rather than walked into the room, he
just lifted his eyes and looked at him
quietly, kccnly; then rose, crossed the
room and gently drew the man to u
chair.
"Hcad bad, fathcr?" he asked.
'Dcuccd bad, the man answered
shortly.
Something was evidently the matter
with little Bills father, ague perhaps,
for he shook all over, only his head and
hands lerkcd themselves more than the
rest of his body, and now aud then his
shot out systematically; his face
was gray, and great beads of perspira-
ton rolled down 1t; his eyes wandered
oun the room. as though seeking for
something fearfully.
cpl just put q bandage on y'ead,"
sold Billy quietly: "there amt nothing
like it. What arc you looking at,
father2"
The man had risen and stood gazing
in horror at the floor. Bill made him
sit down, and hastily bound a dripping
rag round his head.
els it rats, fnther?" he asked.
The man shivcred more than ever.
eyes, look, they're coming on to me-"
He gave n great scream, and would
have lcapt up, but the child's hands re-
strained him.
"There is many, father, he said quite
quietly and naturally; "but, bless you,
they won't hurt; sec, they are quite rs
close to me as they is to you"
The mans head shook SO that the
wonder was it did not drop. off; and he
glarcd up into the boys face.
'There was SIGH strange things about
tonight. Bill" he whispered, lions and
tigers-and all after me-"
Bill expressed no surprise, but thought
a minute.
"That's very like" he said at last, sI
did hear rs a menagerie had got loose;
did you rum, father?"
"And snakes" said the man, not
needing the question.
"Ah, to be sure, there would be
snakes, then following the mans eyes
which opened wider and wider till they
almost seemed as though they would
drop out, ''you don't happen to see any
of them now, do you, father7"
He pressed his hand more tightly
down upon the mans shoulder, and wet
ted the rag n ce morc.
"There's millions" 1.-THE man answered,
call a-coming this way; let me 60"
He wrcnchcd his collar from the
child's hands, but he caught him 10y the
arm.
"Father," he said, ''dcar, dear father,
stopa bit; they wont hurt you, they're
they're tame snakes, and ] want to tell
you what / think brings them here"
The man sat down again, his ewes