Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-06-29
HAND TO HAND.
By srBrocA HARDING DAVIS.
tccpyrish'ed !
Part n.

Dsaning against pile of bales in front Of the
ware house, loftily tapping his chin with his
pinchbeck headed cane and listening to Mr..
NcMurray. That gentleman, in his anxiety
lest the church should actually lose Proctor,
had resorted 10 the desperate remedy Of an
appeal TO Standish. The old man kept his
malicious eyes fixed upon him, and grinning
with enjoyment Of his embarrassment, but
under the grin he looked haggard and
anxious
$50 the boy has mind to take the part Of
his old friendi He'd stick by the hulk be-
cause it's going down. Tuti tut! There's
stupidity for you"
~ do not talk in metaphor about hulks
Ionly thought it likely, from my knowledge
Of you, you might presume ON your acquaint-
ancc with the lad and his generous nature to
draw him into trouble, and warn you what
the result will be to him"
at will ruin him to be known as even nv
friend. I understand"
McMurray hesitated. After all, why not
give Standish hint of the detective on his
tracki II he would escape, all difficulty
would be over. Enquiries of a significant
kind have been made for you this week, Mai.
Standish,n he said.
$50 have been toldn
81 do not know to what part OF your past
,areer they refer"
"And you'd better not ask too closely, Mac.
Dan standish has led hot life. l tell YOU"
with vicious wink that made the deacon
shudder from hat to boots
"Well, l have discharged my Duty he
said, after an irresolute pause at is most
probable that young Proctor will come to
seek you this afternoon"
"And IL he comes, am not to see himT'
tn an attempt at q jocular tone that had
more terrible force In it even to the cold
blooded hearer than any painful outcry.
why, man, am pushed nearer to the wall
today than anybody knows As for this boy
well, no matter what he is to me. gave
up something for him once 1t seems as IL 1
had the right to ask his help now, when
when death has me by the throat" He
looked vacantly, quickly about him, at the
boxes, the cars rattling by, at the head Of his
cane. McMurray thought he had been drink
ing. ~ am sorry troubled myself about
it," he said, with dignity. "Good day, Maj
Standish.r
"Good day." effecting a nourishing bow
with his unsteady hand "Take old Dan to
point your next sermon, will youi I've lived
by my wits I've made myself the compan-
ion Of poets-of mobiles, srl And now when
the end comes, damn it, man, haven't
friendr
Mr.. McMurray hurried nervously away,
picking his steps among the boxes and bales.
Standish stood a moment looking at the
ground, and then turned and stumped up the
narrow rickety stairs that led to the top Of
the building. He did not know what especial
sin Of old times was coming back to give him
the last blow, nor did he care That was all
fair enough. 1t seemed to him sometimes,
comparing his life with that of other men,
that he had lived just like beast from hour
to hour, out of whatever impulse was in him.
He was ready to meet any old abomination
Of his past life and take the punishment.
"rve had the dance, and I'll pay the piper"
he said, kicking open the door Of his room
and going in.
'But-the boyf'
Now the majors cockloft was in reality
garret room covering the whole sixth story
Of the warehouse The beams overhead, the
plastered walls, the half dozen squat dormer
windows, the pine floor, were as clean as
lime and scrubbing could make them. 1t
looked, in fact like big white plain with
little camping ground at one end, in which
was a crate with good fire, tent bed
neatly made, table with pens and paper
laid in exact order, the ''Men Of our Day."
out Of which the majo furnished obituaries
at ten minutes notice for The Camera, and
an odd volume Of Appleton's Cyclopadia,
out of which he drew its supplies Of science.
Great decency of cleanliness everywhere, but
nothing to eat. If there had been, perhaps
the MAJORS acts in the next hour would have
been less guilty in the eyes of religious
people. But when it comes to looking out in
the world from starving body, man is apt
to slip the orthodox leashes and follow his
own notions of right and wrong.
He took of his black coat carefully,
hung 1t up, threw his braces loose
down his back, and sat down in his shirt
sleeves before the fire, his hands on his fat
knees. He wished, DULY, Madeline was here
to puzzle it out for him; remarking half aloud,
that If that girl undertook to write leader
1t would be bosh, but in every thing else she
never failed to hit the nail plump on the
head There was round roly-poly brown
crock in the window, in which bloomed
buttony little rose, one Of the Burgundy sort,
red, fresh and pungent. Madeline had left it.
1t was like her somehow, the major thought.
Do what he would, his thoughts would go
back to the girl and to the years she had lived
with him, instead of this question Of life and
death which must be settled today.
There was the door to her little room ajar.
He always had contrived to pay the trifie Of
rent for the room after she left him, liking to
think of it as hers. He remembered the day
he brought her there first. He had had
tough siege nursing old Durbrow, her father
Ton The Camera like HIMSELF. When he
was dead, the major settled up the estate:
there were $500 of debts, and for assets, one
trunk, empty; one suit Of clothes, patched; !;
one watch gold; pretty lot Of meerschaums;
and the little girl of 8, just over the measles.