The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-06-03

'Well!n exclaimed Mary, lis it trueF
"Not as he's mad, no but peculiar; it's
his birthday, and he says that he feels that
he'd like US to keep it-that is, you and me
and Mary and Jane and Sarah; and he has
ordered a supper for US after the opera, and,
he says, as it's the fust treat as he's given
us, he'd like it to be special you see, and
he's asked me as favor to take charge of
it; and cook is not to 60 to the opera, but
she's to 60 to the Crown, where he's ordered
the supper at ten o'clock, and help the
Grown to do the thing proper, and he pre-.
fers it to having it bare, and thinks it will
be moro jolly like; and he won't want no.
body at home, as him and Lawyer Nolan Is
apoine to do soma work together, because
masters going to Leighton Buzzard on
Monday and then to Ireland for week"
Mary, nevertheless, contendcd that the
master was mad and looked it." and she
was dead sure Of itY when ths butler be-.
ing recalled by Mr.. Needham returned to
say they could each invite friend to the
supper at the Crown. On the other hand,
tbs cook contended that he was getting to
be lonely man, and consequently begin
ming to ''think of others little" and for
her part she always felt he was "a good
sort" and now he was "a beginning to show
it."
In the meantime, Mr.. Needham called
at the Opera booking office, and paid visit
to the Crown tavern "a coachnan's resort
near Brunsw wick placs), at which latter
place be arranged for the supper, and was
voted regular brick" by the landlord
and his wife. Then he strolled into Oxford
street and pur chased strong narcotic. He
walked and felt land he thought so, COM
muning with himself in his strange way)
as if he were in dream, but knew he
was awake-as if he was led on-as if he
was destined to do cruel thing, and could
not resist it Some of his forgeries, his
desperate attempts to keep his head above
the eddies of financial trouble, had been
done under the influence OF q similar in.
stinct-a kind of impulse-as if his evil
nature was altogether beyond the control
of his moral faculties.
"Is man responsible for what be does
when he is fighting for life in q whirlpool"
Needham was muttering to himself as he
walked back to Portland place. "Adrown-
ing man suatches at straws; and il another
man comes along he clutches at him, even
though they both sink together. In his
blind despair he will clutch at the swimmer
who comes to his rescue, and cling to him
madly without reasoning, until the rescuer
is smothered, and perhaps the drowning
man floats safely to the shore clinging to
the dead. 1t must be that it is intended
should live; but London asks a sacrifice
the banks ask q sacrifice; financial honor
calls for victim; the widows and tha
orphans cry aloud for vengeance; and 10
and behold! Fate sends the sacrifice in lieu
of the one that was prepared. Who knows
that may not bo destined to atone to all
these people, to repay them, to re-endow
their Institutions and their honest"
1t was a ghastly smile that fickered on
his lips at this latter thought, as if the fiend
within him rejoiced at his hypocrisy.
As the solemn clock on his library mantel-
piece pointed to quarter to eight he stood
within the shadow of the silk curtains and
saw the last Of his little crowd Of attendants
trooping out into Portland place towards
Oxford Circus on their way to the opera.
The sun had set in lowering clouds, and
there was promise in the changing wind OF
O wet, dark night He noted these signs,
and said to himself:
Everything in earth and heaven, If I
may use that word, favors my escape, and
points the road to freedom"