Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-25
Treasure Of theThreeE KINGS.
BY JAMES G. HUSTIN.


this time, my poor fellow | have warned you |
before"
'Never mind all that, doctor; If I'm bound
to die what's the use of preaching4 But I've
got something ugh-there it is again-rye
got something TO ask for"
"Well, Bayhridge, anything in reason, but
you must be quick"
"Oh. it amt unreasonable, reckon. II
want TO see my son."
"What, No S5f"
"Yes, doctor He works in the foundry
gang, and being in the brush shop haven't
got to see hun for two or three years now.
just after he come in this time it was that the
warden let us have patter haven't seen
him sncen
We'll, Baybridge, your wish is natural,
and does you credit / will speak to the
warden, and dare say he will let No IS
come up here and have an interview-at noon
perhaps
"Will | last till then, doctorT asked the
hoary old convict, turning his eyes anxiously
upon the face of the physician who stopped
TO examine them narrowly, felt the pulse,
touched the clanmy forehead, and answered
gently:
YES, you'll hold out until sunset think,
my man"
Albright, doctor. You'll see about Nickfn
"Hes. Keep very still, and go to sleep IL
you can Save yourself up, you know
YES, doctor, and old Stephen Baybridga
the inceudlary, the burglar the would be
assassin, turned his gray head upon the pill
low OF his prison bed and composed himself
for the last sleep before the final one
Ty,.lN,. p'pIna- F,i1Jov aiapbn1 o,,t Fuo,,
the prison clock, and the convicts gathered
from the various workshops were marshaled
In the courtyard and marched i'll past the
kitchen grating, where each man received
his liberal mess OF wholesome food, and so
to their cells tor an hour OF rest and refresh
ment
No. s., the warden allows you to visit
No. lOi in the hospital ward Be ready in
ten minutes, said the officer in charge, as a
tail, stout fellow, who might have been good
looking but for his close cropped hair and
the hideous prison dress, filed by him
No. s. replied by military salute, took
his dinner and turned down the corridor to
the right
In ten minutes the turnkey who came to
release him found his tin basin empty.
Blessed if they don't snap up their victuals
like dogs muttered he, nodding to IS, VIC
followed him without word
Stephen Baybridge bad not slept, and as
his breathing grew more difficult, the at
tendant had bolstered his grizzly head high
upon the pillows, and now stood tanning
him; but as his son came down the ward anc
stopped beside the bedside Stephen motioned
the nurse away.
There, thatll do. l want to be all alons
with my boy here for awhile How are you
Nickr
''Well enough, father, hut you don't Iool
to be. What's upf'
I'm up for-somewheres. The parsor
says maybe I'll do well enough, but that ain
what | wanted OF you. Nick, have vol
heard from the old woman since | saw vol
three year agon
YES She's gone under"
"DeadF'
Eyes A fellow come in and saws, saws he
'Warnt Susan Baybridge your mother
And | says, Yes Well says he, she wa
run over by an ingine | was driving, and
was drunk, so they sent me up here for fiv,
year"
"Old womans dead, Sallys dead, Tomi
gone no one knows where muttered the DIV
sons face, said aloud;
mick, you're all I've got left of all tn
folks ever had"
YES, father, suppose ann replied tn
young man, with a sort of patient indiffer
ence of manner.
well, Nick, you amt the sort of boy yout
ought to be, but like as not that's more M
fault than yours You didn't get much of
bringing up"
II was brought up in the streets mostly
except when | got a turn at the Reform O
House of erection" replied Nick, coldly.
YES, know it Well, it's too late nov
and lain't the one to preach what neve
practiced," said Baybridge, uneasily, an
then fixing a glance of anxious scrutiny upo
his son, he asked
Saying you got rich, Nick, would yo
quit them ways that brought you hereT'
"Of course would. What's the use {
taking another mans money if you've &c
enough Of your own' I'd be as steady as
clock If ! could afford it and was out OF here
How long are you in forf'
Fifteen year. Three is out now" reptile
Nick, sullenly.
Twelve year to run if you can't get pal
doned out, How old are you, NickF'
Rising 80, reckon
''Forty-two Well that amt old, an
maybe you'd be steadier after you was on
Nick, I've got a secret to tell you"
"About money! asked the young man, b
face at last lighting with real interest.
"About fortune, Nick, fortune fit for
king" replied the father, impressively
SWELL, lets hear it; tell away, old MAJ
the time is short, anyway"
MY time is short, or I'd keep the secret
myself" gasped Stephen "But seeing Y
got to 60, thought-well, well, the long ar
short of it is, I've had a pal ever since
came here twelve years ago, fellow th
worked to me in the shop, and wake
next me in the gang, and sat next me
chapel, so of course we talked, rule or
rule, and found out all about him He
been Catholic priest, and he was took
for forgery, and got twenty years in I'll
place. So much ! knew all along, b
about a wear ago he took bad, and was D
in the hospital here | have a way when
get tired of work of making myself si
swallowing some of the stuff in the shop, al
so got sick then, and came to the hospits
too, and was in the bed next my pal
had fever and went off with it, but &
last night he'd to live he was mighty uneas
and at last, when the nurse vas asleep,
told me that be would leave me seer
worth more money than be dared TO nam
Then he went on to say that the very mig
before he was arrested he was called to co
fess Spanish sailor, dying in hospital of
wound got in some drunken spree, amidst
now-the priest had got it written down, a