Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-11-23
s dreadful smartipc in her back, and on

creeping into the damp and sQuaGd hut,
revealing the heavy form of Mr.. MeeSon
tossing 70 and fro in troubled slumber
on the further side. She got up, feeling
dreadtully sore about the back; and,
swaking the child, took him out to the
stream of water and washed him and her
self as well as she could. 1t was very cold
outside; SO cold that the child cried. and
the rain clouds were coming up fast, so
she hurried back to the hut, and, together
with Dick, made her breakfast of some
biscuit and some roast penguin's eggs,
which were not at all bad eating. She
was, indeed, quite faint with hunger, hay
ing swallowed no food for many hours,
and felt proportionately better after it.
Then she turned to examine the condi-
ton of Mr.. Meeson. The Will had been
executed none too soon, for it was evident
to her that he was in very bad way in
deed. His face was Sunkeu and hectic
with fever, his teeth were chattering, and
his talk, though he was now awake, was
quite incOherent. She tried to get him to
take some food, but he would swallow
nothing but water. Having done all that
she could for him. she went ont to see the
sailors and met them coming down from
the flagstaff, They had evidently been at
the rum caSk again. though not to any
great extent for Bill looked shecpish and
shaky, while the ilI-favored Johnnie was
more suiky than ever. She gazed at them
reproachfully, and then asked them TO col
lect some more penguin's eggs, which
Johnnie refused point blank to do saying
that he wasn't going to collect eggs for
land-iUbbers to eat; she might collect eggs
for herself Bill, however, started on the
errand, and in about an hours time re-
turned, just as the rain set in in good earn
est, bearing six or seven dozen fresh eggs
tied up i'll his coat.
Augusta, with the child by her, sat in
the miserable hut attending to Mr. Nee
son; While outside the pitileSs rain poured
down in a steady, unceasing sheet of Wa
ter that came through the wretChed roof
in streams She did her best TO keep the
dying man dry, but it proved TO be almost
an impoSsibility; for even when she sue
ceeded in preventing the wet from falling
on him from above, it got underneath him
from the reeklng floor, while tho heavy
damp of the air gathered on his garments
till they were quite sodden.
As the hours went on his CONSCIOUSNESS
camo back to him, and with it his terror
for the end and his remorse for his past
life, for alas the millions he had amasSed
could not avail him now
81 am going 20 die" he groaned. Il am
going to die, and I've been a bad man; I've
been the head Of q publishing company all
my life"
Augusta gently pointed out to him that
publishing was n very respectable busi-
ness when fairly and properly carried on,
and not one that ought to weigh heavy
upon a man at the last like the record uf q
career of successful usury or burgling.
AleeSon shook his head YES. yes" he
groaned, but you are talking OF private
firms. They are straight-most of them
far too straight, 1 used always to say.
But you don't know Meeson's-you don't
know the customs of the trade Mt Nee
sons"
Augusta reflected that She knew q good
deal more about Nelson's than she liked.
Listen" he said, with desperate energy,
sitting up upon the sail, 'and 1 will tell
you'll must tell you"
Asterisks, so dear to tht heart of the
lady novelist, Will best represent the con-
fession that followed; words are not equal
to the task.
Augusta listened with rising hair, and
realized how very trying must be the life
of private confessor.
ooh, please stop" she said family, at
last. II can't bear it-I can't, indeedn'
"AhI' he said, as he sank back exhaust
ed. Il thought that when You understood
the customs at Nelson's you would feel
for me in my present position. Think,
girl, think what must suffer, with such a
past, standing face to face with an un-
known future
Then came a silence
"TakC him away! take him awayl' sud-
denly shouted out Mr.. Meeson, staring
around him with frightened eyes.
'Who?" asked Augusta; "whoF'
"Him-thc tall, thin man, with the big
book! l know him; he used to be No 25-
he died years ago. He was a very clever
doctor; but one Of his patients brought
false charge against him and ruined him,
so he had to take to writing, poor devill
We made him edit medical encyclopedia
twelve volumes for three hundred
pounds, to be paid on completion; and he
went mad and died ct the eleventh vol
ume. So, of course, we did not pay his
widow anything. And now he's come for
me- know he has. Listen! he's talkingl
Don't you hear him? On, Heavensl He
says that am going to be an author, and
he Is going to publish for me q thousand
years-gOing to publish on the quarter
profit system, with an annual account, the
usual trade deductions, and no vouchers.
Obi OIL Lookl-they are all coming
they are pouring out of the Hutches, they
are going to murder me-keep them ofI
keep them OFF, and he howled and beat
the air with his hands.
Augusta, utterly overcome by this awful
sight knelt down by his side and tried to
quiet him, but in vain. He continued
beating his hands in the air, trying TO keep
off the ghostly train, till at last, with one
awful yell, he fell back dead"
And that was the end of Meeson. And
the works that he published, and the
money that he made, and the house that
he built, and the evil that he did-are they
not written in the Book Of the Commercial
Kings9
"Weu," said Augusta faintIy to her
self, when she had got her breath back a
little, 81 am glad that it is over; anyway,
do hope that l may never be called on to
nurse another publisher"
'Auntie! Auntie!" gasped Dick, why
did the gentleman shout so?"
Then, taking the frightened child by the
hand, Augusta made her way thro Igh the
rain to the other hut in order to tell the
two sailors what had come to pass. Ithad
no door and she paused on the threshold
to prospect. The faint foggy light was so
dim that at first she could see nothing.
Presently, however, her eyes got accus-
toned to it, and she made out Bill and
Johnnie sitting opposite to each other on
the ground. Between them was the
breaker Of rum Bill had large shell in
his hand, which he had just filed from the
ca~k, for Augusta saw him in the act Of
replacing the spigot.
My go-curse you, my gOr' said John
ME, as Bill lifted the shell Of spirits to his
lips. you've had seven goes and I've
only had six.'
You be blowedt' said Bill, swallowing
the liquor in a couple of great gulps. "Ahl
that's better. Nov I'll fill for you, mate;
fair does. says, fair does and no favor"
and he filed accordingly.
''dr. Meeson is dead said Augusta,
screwfng up her courage to interrupt this
orgie.
The two men stared at her in drunken
surprise, which Johnnie broke.
NOW IS he, Miss" he said, with q hic-
cough; ''is he' Wei, a good job, too, says
!, useless old landIubber her was. /
doubt he's off to q warmer place than this
'ere Kerguelen Land, and 1 drinks his
health which, by the way. I never had the
occasion TO do before. Here's 70 the health