The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-12-20
In TWO HALVES.

In TWO HALVES.
Solution Of the Mystery OF the
Divided Bank-Note.
THE FIRST HALF.
Wet and dreary. 1t is m:dwinter;
the scene is Kirklington, on the Lon
don & Northwestern; the time one
quarter to eleven; just after the night
mail had flashed through without
stopping-bound for Liverpool and the
north. The railway officials are coll
lecting preparatory to go of duty for
the night.
Where's DAMP asked one of the
crowd upon the platform.
II saw him in the hut just after the
one-quarter TO eleven went through.
Can't have come to any harm, surely?"
No; he said he'd seen something
drop from the train, and he went down
the line to pick it up
And Dan had picked up something.
1t was basket, common white
wicker basket, with lid fastened
down by a string. What did it con-
tain? Dirty clothes? What?
A baby-a child half dozen weeks
old, no more.
Where did you come across it?"
asked one.
Lying on the line, just where it
fell. Perhaps it didn't fall, perhaps it
was chucked out. What matter? I've
got it, and got to look after it, that
enough for me!'
The little mites linen was white and
OF fine material, but he lay upon an
cid shawl and few bits OF dirty fan
mel. All they found was dilapidated
purse, common snaplock bag-purse
of faded brown leather. Inside was q
brass thimble. a pawn-ticket and the
half of a Bank of England note for
fl0o.
A new parson-Harrold Treffry-had
come lately to Krklington.
He is now paying round Of paro-
chial visits, accompanied by an old COL
lege chum, who is spending Christmas
with him.
''Yonder," said Treffry, pointing to
thin thread Of smoke which rose
from some gaunt trees into the sullen
wintry air, ''yonder Is the house-if,
indeed, it deserves so grand a name
the howell. rather, of one whose case is
the hardest Of all the hard ones in my
parish. This man is a mere hedger
and ditcher, one who works for any
master. most often for the railway, but
who is never certain Of job all the
year around. He has a swarm of young
children, and he has just lost his wife.
He is absolutely prostrated; aghast
probably at his utter incapacity to do
his duty by his motherless little ones.
l wonder whether you could rouse
him? If you could only get him to
make sign, or cry, or laugh, or to
take the smallest interest in common
affairs. Jack, l believe you're the
very man. You might get at him
through the children-that marvellous
hanky-panky of yours, those surpris-
ing tricks; child takes to you natu-
rally at once. Try and make friends
with these. Perhaps when the father
sees them interested and amused he
may warm little, speak, perhaps APP
prove, perhaps smile, and in the end
give in. Jack, will you try?"
Jack Newbiggin was by profession a
conveyancer, but nature had intended
him for new Houdin, Or wizard OF
the North. He was more than half a
professional by the time he was full
grown. In addition to the quick eye
and the facile wrist he had the rarer
gifts of the suave manner and the face
of brass. He had even studied mes
merism and clairvoyance, and could
upon occasion surprise his audience
considerably by his power.
They entered the miserable dwelling
together. The children - eight OF
them-were all skirmishing over the
floor, except one, child of six or
seven,. bright-eyed, exceedingly
beautiful boy, the least-were not nat
,,re's vagaries well known-likely TO
be born among and belong to such
surroundings, who stood between the
legs of the man himself, who had his
back TO the visitors and was crouching
low over the scanty fire.
The man turned his head for mo-
ment, gave blank stare, then an i'm
perceptible nod, and once more he
glowered down upon the fire.
Here, little ones; do you see this
gentleman He's conjuror. Know
what conjuror is, Tommy catching
up a mite of four or five from the
floor. mo, not you; nor you, Sarah
nor you, Jakey"-and he ran through
all their names.
They had now ceased their gam
bols and were staring hard ut their
visitors--the moment was propitious;
Jack Newbiggin began. He had
fortunately filed his pockets with
nuts, oranges and cakes before leaving
the parsonage, SO he had half his ap-
paratus ready in hand.
The pretty boy had very soon left
the father at the fire and had come
over to join in the fun, going back,
however, to exhibit his share of the
spoil and describe unanimously what
had occurred. This and the repeated
shouts of laughter seemed to produce
some impression ON him. Presently
he looked over his shoulder and said,
but without animation:
1T is very good OF you, sir, surely;
very good for you to take SO kindly to
the little chicks. 1t does them good
to laugh bit, but it amt much a
they've had to make 'em lately"
ut is good for all of us now and
again, take It," said Jack, desisting
and going towards him, the children
gradually collecting in far of corner
and comparing notes.