Milford chronicle., 1888-08-03

get of 50 easily, +" he cried, rubbing his hands,
and he promptly put ON his coat again to
hasten back to the market
But, strangely enough, he had scarcely got
it on when his impulse stopped short. He
seemed to himself to be two men. One, with
out the overcoat, impudent and unscrupu-
lous; the other, with it, timid and modest.
Although he found himself animated by
the best intentions he did not give up his
idea Of-going back to the market Per
haps, he thought, II may end by getting the
better of itn
But the nearer he got to the market the
faster his heart beat, and the more he felt
impelled to show some kindness to all these
poor people who worked in the rain and
mud from morning to night to gain two
copecks. He no longer thought Of taking
other peoples property. On the contrary,
he felt his purse a burden to him now he
realized that it contained, not his money,
but his neighbors'.
"Hore are fifteen copecks for you, friend, -
lie said to peasant, giving him the money.
"Why do you give it to me, simpletonn
1T is to make up for my former injus-
tices. Pardon me, for the love Of God.n
May God forgive you, Them
In this way he went through the market,
giving away all his money, and when it
came to an end he no doubt felt great
weight lifted from his mind. Nevertheless
he became very thoughtful
II have certainly caught some illness, he
said again to himself Il had better 20 home,
and l can take the opportunity of collecting
together all the poor l meet by the way, and
giving them meal, ;" and he proceeded to do
as he had said. He picked up numbers Of
beggars on the road, and brought them into
his courtyard. At the sight of them Nine
Lovets held up her hands in horror, asking
what he would do next. Lovets came up to
her and said in n careSsing tone:
'Just sec these good people have brought
you, my little Theodosia. Feed them, for
the love Of God.n But he had hardly had
time to hang his coat upon the peg when he
again felt clear Of all impediments. Seeing
from the window all the beggars of the town
assembled in his courtyard, he could not un-
delstand what they meant by coming there.
What were they come forl Would he have
TO go out and beat them alll
"What are all these people doing hereln he
asked, going toward the courtyard.
"What! All these peoplea They are the
worthy vagabonds you have Just told mo to
feed, - replied Nine Lovets, dryly.
Let them be turned out this minute" he
cried angrily, and he rushed about the house
like a madman He paced up and down the
rooms long time, repeating incessantly,
What can have happened to megn
How IVES it that a man who used to be ex-
act, even fierce, in the fuIfllment Of his
professional duties had suddenly become
limp as a ragl
'Theodosia Petrovna, my good woman, for
heavens sake have me tied up he entreated.
~ feel chat today 1 am capable of COM
mitting follies which it would take a year to
repair"
Nine Lovets saw that her husband must
be very i'll indeed. So she put him to bed
and made him swallow a hot draught.
After about a quarter of an hour it oc-
Cured to her to 60 and search the pockets Of
her husbands coat, to see if he had a copeck
eft. One of them contained an empty purse;
in the other she found scrap of dirty, oily
oaper. As soon as she had unfolded this
paper, she cried out;
"Ah, here's an explanation of the tricks he
las been playing us; he had Conscience in
lis pocket, and she began to think. What
uzzled her was how TO get rid Of Conscience,
Ind to whom she could pass it on. She did
Tot wish to crush with one blow whoever she
houid choose as the victim, but only to cause
i'm little temporary Inconvenience. After
mt she had better bestow Conscience upon
hc jew banker, BrjotsEi, the promoter of
reat commercial enterprise, ana director Of |
mumerable railway companies.
Ills back is broad enough, at any rate" |
70 said to herself, sit won't hurt him.
Having decided this, she eslipped Conscience |
.refully into a stamped envelope, upon |
.iich she wrote Brjotski's name and address,
Il thea threw it into the letter box
"Now,h she said, going back to her hus-
.ad, you can go to the market boldly"
.irj jtski was seated at dinner surrounded
his family, One of his scas, boy 10
g; o.d, was ext him; this child was pom
~ over hiking transactions.
What woc happen, father" he said, ''if +
rested t. money you have given me at
per cent. sonth9 How much should I
asiha, of the yearF'
y. a...: compound interest?' asked
':ski.
1A. c0@ nd interest, of course"
Acc. d interest that would come to
If. les and seventy-nine copecks,
cu,.; fractions.
,i,;. , ! shall invest it like that.n
all means, my boy, but be
l get very good security"
l-' side of the table sat another
rs, who was years old. He
led with an elementary prob
ia arithmetic Further off sat
... 'were both engaged in calcu-
.sta mt OF interest one owed to the
'o.t Of sugar candy.
otski his beautiful wife sat in
n her arms her baby girl, who
ed instinctively at her moth
ats. In short, Brjotsli was a
He was just tasting a new sauce, so deli
ious that he would willingly have had the
auce tureen decked with old lace and ostrich
Gathers, when a servant handed him the let
er. He had hardly taken it when he became
agitated,
why should any one send me this thingn
e cried, trembling all over. No one under
TODD what he meant but they all felt that to
nish the meal was impossible. l will not
escribe the torments that Bl.jotski suffered |
II this memorable day, will only mention
nc thing, that this man, weak and feeble as
e seemed to be, bore like a hero the most
errible tOrtures. but as to giving up the /.
mallest sum of money, nothing could make
i'm do it,
What suffer does not matter" he said !
D his wife in the moments of the most acute
g0ny. "Only hold me fast, and if the
sverity Of the pain makes me ask for my
ash box, don't bring it, my love Let me /.
lie frStm However embarrassing a situa-
ion may be there is almost always some
'ay out Of it, and one was found in this in
iance. Brjotski luckily remembered an old
romise he had made to give something to I
institution of which a certain gem
raj who was a friend of his had the manage
tent. Time had slipped by without his !
ding so, but now circumstances pointed out !
} him the most convenient way Of fulfilling
is obligation. Without delay he cautiously
pened the envelope which he had received !.
: post, drew out tho inclosed with a pair Of \
ncers, put it into another envelope with
lnknotes for hundred roUbles, and sealing
up carefully, went to see Ithe said general
II wish to help on this good work with a !,
your excellency," said he, plac- :
g his sealed packet upon the table before Il
e general, whose face expressed bis salts i.
ctiOn. a a
1T is a worthy act, sir, he replied. ''ln- II
,ad womb