Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-22

taTutn DenInu, hun stOlc rouuu 10 VII
back OF the cottage. 4
Here, too, the window on the groun,
floor was lit up behind its blinds, bu
J that OF the room above was shattered
There was a hole in the shutter, how
ever. where knot OF the wood had fall
en- out, and thin shaft OF light stretched
across the blackpess and buried itself il
q ragged view tree at the end of the gar
den. From the loudness Of the sounds
judged this 10 be the room where tn,
flute-playing was going on. The sound
ofmy footsteps on the thin soil did MOI
disturb the performer, so gathered 9
handful of earth and pitched it up against
the pane The flute stopped for minute
or so {; but just as was expecting to see
the shutter open went on again this
time the air was pretty Polly Oliver.
] crept back again and began to ham,
mer more loudly at the door. "Come,
said ], whoever this may be inside.
III see for myself at any rate, and with
that lifted the latch aud gave the door
a heavy kick. 1t flew open quite easily
(it had not even been locked, and |
found myself in low kitchen The
room was empty, but the relics OF sup
per lay on the deal table, md the re-
mains Of what must have been n noble
fire were still smouldering On the hearth
stone. A crazy, rusty blunderbuss hung
over the fireplace. This. with couple
of rough chairs. boken bacon-rack, and
small side table, completed the furni-
ture Of the place. No. for as l sat down
to make a meal off the remnants of sup
per something lying on the lime-ash floor
beneath this side-table caught my eye.
| stepped forward and picked it up.
1t was barrister's wig.
"This is a queer business, thought I,
and laid it on the table opposite me as
] went on with my supper. 1t was a
"gossan wig, as we call it ia our parts !;
n wig grown yellow and rusty with age
and wear 1t looked so sly and wicked
as it lay there, and brought back the
events Of the day so sharply that a queer
dread took me OF being discovered with
it. | pulled out my pistol, loaded it
they had given me back both the pow
der and pistol found on me when was
tskep), and laid it beside my plate.
This done, went on with my supper
it was an excellent cold cspon-and all
the time the flute upstairs kept toot-
toOtling without stopping, except to
change the tune. II gave me "Hearts
of Oak, -" Why, Soldiers, Why ?""Like
Hermit Poor" and Come Lasses and
Lads, before | had fairly cleared the
dish.
"And now," thought 7, d" have had
good supper; but there are still three
things to be DONE In the first place L
want drink, in the second / want a bed,
and in the third l want to thank this
kind person, whoever he is, for his hos
pitality. am not going to begin life
No. with housebreaking.
rose, slipped the pistol into my tail
pocket, and followed the sound up the
ram-shackle stairs. My footsteps made
such a racket on those old timbers as
fairly to brighten me, but they never
disturbed the fute-player. He had
harked back again to Like Hermit
Poor by this time, and the dOlefulness
of it was fit to make the dead cry out,
but he went whining on until reached
the head Of the stairs and struck a
ronsing knock on the door.
The playing stopped. "Come in"
said a CHEEKY voice but it gave me no
cheerfulncss. Instead of that it sent all
the comfort of my supper clean ont Of
me, as I opened the door ard saw him
sitting there.
There he was, the man who had saved |
my neck that day, and whom most / |
hated in the world. sitting before a snug
fire with his flute on his knee, a glass of |
port wine at his elbow, and looking so |
comfortable with that knowing light in
his gray eve that could have killed him
where he sat.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" he said, Just the
very least bit surprised and no more.
"Come in"
| stood in the doorway hesitating.
"DOn't stay letting in that monstrous
1raught, man but sit down. You'll
find the bottle on the table and glass
on the shelf"
Ipoured ont a glassful and drank it
of. The stuff was rare i can remem-
Der its thick on my tongue to this day.,
but somehow it did not drive the cold
Dut of my heart. | took another glass,
lnd sat slipping it and staring from the
ire to my companion.
He had taken up the flute again, and
was blowing a few deep notes out of it,
enough. He was a small,
;quarely- built man, with a sharp ruddy
ace like a frozen pippin, heavy gray
eyebrows, and a mouth like trap when
{ was not pursed up for that everlasting
Lutte. As he sat there with his wig OFF,
he crown of his bald head was fringed
With an misunderstanding patch of hair,
he color of a badgers My amazement
It finding him here at this hour, and
llone, was lost in my hatred of the man
Is | saw the depths of complacent
in his face. felt that must
ill him sooner or later, and the sooner
he better.
Presently he laid down his flute again
md spoke:
81 scarcely expected you"
| grunted something in answer.
"But might bave known something
vas up, if I'd only paid attention to my
lutte. Itand Iare not in harmony tonight.
I doesn't hike the secrets I've been blow
ng into It, 1t has heard lot of queer
hings in its time, but it's aa innocent
minded flute for all that, and I'm afraid
hat what I've told it tonight is point
beyond what it's prepared to CO."
81 take it it knows id deal too !
much. " growled |.
He looked at me sharply for an instant,
ose, whistled bar or two of "Like l
hermit Poor, reached down a couple of
lay pipes from the shelf. filled one for !
lmself, and gravely handed the other
nth the tobacco to me. |
beyond what it is prepared to CO." t
e echoed quietly, sinking back in his /
hair and putting at the pipe. ats /
ice point that We have been discussing
,gether, my flute and |, aud l won I say r
ut that I've got the worst of it. BY the a
ay, what do you mean to do now that "
on have fresh start?" n
Now 1 had not tasted tobacco for over /
,ur months, and its effect now upon NY II
its was surprising 1t seemed to oil my b
loughts till they worked without hitch, fl
I'D | saw my plan of action marked out 81
ute plainly before me.