Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-03-17
Mr.. BIRDS
BY +. W. RGSssSDE

honor, and did not know moments peace
till Bridget, your girl, told me you We're out
of danger. Lor', what a trial it wa5"
81 don't see why-I don't understand at all
p
~ can just fancy how man feels who has
committed murder and is not found out
yet he continued; ''it was dreadful, and all
my own fault, too-every scrap Of it,"
did not feel so bitterly toward him after
this. His manner was genuine, if too forci-
bic and fluent for everyday wear | might
have even thanked him for his exaggerated
interest in my health and said good morning,
If 1 had not suddenly remembered his sur
reptitious visits to ny lodgers' apartments
Then was adamant, a-ii lie saw it. He was
certainly an obscI'g.;L5 man, whom very
little escaped. l noyiced the broad smile
disappear, and he said, almost with astonish-
ment:
"Why, you're offended with me stilll''
GAS l have only seen you once before in
my life, I cannot very well speak of being
offended, Mr. Bird-but l must say
mo no, don't say it, he CRIED interrupt
ing me, ''don't say word more, please. /
know it was great hberty-an unwarrant-
able liberty-but couldt help it, wanted
to make little return for all the trouble end
misery had brought about, and couldn't
think Of anything else. / had just done it.
you see."
"Done whatp' l exclaimed, snappishly-I
could have screamed at him for two pins.
"Why, the little bit of carving-aren't you
talking about that?' he inquired.
''No, sir, although I'll trouble you to re-
move the article from my premises as soon
as you conveniently can"
'Ohm
"But am alluding now, sir, to your un-
gentlemanly behavior in bribing my servants
to let you inspect my apartments"
II didn't bribe your servants, Miss Neild.
Poor girls, l frightened them, but l did not
give them money as bribe. You might
have thought better of fellow than that"
he said, very sorrowfully; although why
you should don't know exactly"
"You had no right to go into my lodgers'
rooms and search for that trumpery umbrella
you lost"
mo rightr' he repeated.
"Certainly-no right
"But one of those two old beggars has got
it," he cried, energetically; I'm sure of
that
"How dare you say this to mer'
who else can it be? l know you haven't
got it," he cried. II am sure your two SER
wants are as innocent as babes unborn, and
they were the only two besides in the house
that nieht-the upstairs lot had gone to Tun-
bridge Ter Two Gays. +"
Chow did you know that?'
"Oh, made every .luiry," he explained
coolly; land as the u.4Jreua was precious
possession to me-I think told you before it
was gift from my 1&Uler on his dying bed
i made every effort to find out what had
become of it."
And a very mean way to find out it was"
said, with asperlty; "and-Good morning"
''Go-ood morning" he said, iii low, croak-
ing voice. He raised his bilious straw hat,
dropped his telescope, which he picked up
and tucked olce .nC.e under his arm, came
suddenly to a fun sop and let me go on my
way unnolested any Iuroner by him.
When had got good distance from him,
began to feel a little sorry-even little in
doaoG ii | had not bca-l too hard upon him.
He had appeared SO uVverly dumfounded by
my last o, lnion of his conduct, and he had
turned of such a varie0y of colors. Perhaps,
from his point of view, and with an umbrella
which had vanished from every point of view,
he was not wholly to be blamed. Perhaps
the captain had-no, that was quite impos-
sible. Perhaps Mr.. Goode-oh! | was getting
as miserably distrustful as this unhappy man.
Yes, was little sorry. AS l went off the
fort l stole one glance behind me to make
sure what had become of him-that his i'm
pulsve nature even had not led him to lump
off the cliff. He was all right; he was long
way otf-indeed, in the very place where |
had left him-not overwhelmed or mad with
grief and shame, as had almost feared he
might be, but standing with his legs planted
widely apart looking at me through his tele-
scope. When he saw l had turned he
wheeled quickly round and feigned an inter-
est in the sea, knocking the hat off bath
chairman just passing him with an early fare
who had lost the use of his legs.
Well, there is an end of the intruder,
thought, and could have wished-yes, did
actually wish-that l had been more of
young lady and less of vixen in my re-
proaches to him. 1 had been put out by his
appearance at Margate by his venturing to
address me, and had lost my self composure,
but then a moro obtuse and aggravating per-
son had never encountered before.
Not so very obtuse either, but very quick
to take hint and to guess when he was dis
liked and his company objected 10. We
passed each other twice or thrice day after
that, but he never ventured to speak to me
again. I1p uOWU0 WlbA BlctiO SIdYlIy dllu
exhibited extraordinary formality in taking
of his hat, seizing it in the middle of the
crown and raising it like the lid Off sauce
pan, and there was no further occasion to
object to his expansive smile He was a
stolid, even woebegone young man, with
something on his mind Had it not been for
u,at everlasting Telescope under his arm one
could havs imagined him prey to the deep
est rooted sorrow.
think he was the most sad when passed
him in company with the captain who somo
times condcscended to promenade with me.
and the most angry when was out with Mr.
Goode, to whom was relief from the wear
and tear of two boys wonderfully full of ami
NAL spirits on unreasonable occasions When
was with Lily Brian, he seemed to brighten
up little. and Lily was curious concerning
MN, and asked me many questions.
Who is that good looking young man,
Jane, who is always taking his hat OFF, she
asked one morning.