Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-08-01
ately his ideas changed entirely. Con

science remained in the pocket of the coat
hung upon the wall, and Lovets at once
felt light and free and more like himself.
Once more it seemed to him that nothing
in the world belonged to other people ;
that it was all his by right. The apti-
tude for appropriating and consuming
everything came back to him.
"Ah! All my good friends, now you
won't get off so 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,
without the overcoat, impudent and un-
scrupulous; 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 it,"
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 burden to him,
now he realized that it contained, not his
money, but his neighbors'.
"Here are fifteen copecks for you, my
friend" he said to peasant, giving him
the money.
"Why do you give it to me, simpleton ?"
ut is to make up for my former injus-
tices. Pardon me, for the love of God."
"May God forgive you, then"
In this way he went through the mar
ket, giving away all his money, and when
it came to an end he no doubt felt a
great weight lifted from his mind. New
theless he became very thoughtful.
II have certainly caught some illness" /"
he said again to himself. II had better
60 home, and take the opportunity of
collecting together all the poor 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 caressing tone:
"Just see these good people I have
brought you, my little Theodosia. Feed
them, for the love of God" 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 understand
what they meant by coming there. What
were they come for? Would he have to
90 out and beat them all?
"Whatare all these people doing here ~
he asked, going toward the courtyard.
"What! All these people? They are
the worthy vagabonds you have just told
me to feed" replied Nine. Lovets, dryly.
"Let them be turned out this minute,"
he cried angrily, and he rushed about the
house like mailman. He paced up and
down the rooms long time, repeating in
cessantly, "What can have happened to
me?"
How was it that man who used to be
exact, even fierce, in the fulfillment of his
professional duties had suddenly become
limp as rag?
'"rheodosia Petrovna, my good woman,
for heavens sake have me tied up," he en-
treated. II feel that to-day am capable
of committing 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 hot draught.
After about quarter of an hour it oc-
Cured to her to 20 and search the pockets
of her husbands coat, to see if he had a
copeck left. One of them contained an
empty purse; in the other she found a
scrap of dirty, oily paper. AS soon as she
had unfolded this paper, she cried out:
"Ah, here's an explanation of the tricks
he has been playing us; he had Conscience
in his pocket" ard she began to think.
What puzzled her was how to get rid of
Conscience, and to whom she could pass it
on. She did not wish to crush with one
blow whoever she should choose as the
victim, but only to cause him little tenn
porary Inconvenience. After some con-
sideration she made up her mind that she
had better bestow Conscience upon the
Jew banker, Brjotski, the promoter of
great commercial enterprises, and director
of innumerable railway companies.
"His back is broad enough, at any rate"
she said to herself, sit won't hurt him"
Having decided this, she slipped Con-
science carefully into stamped envelope,
upon which she wrote Brjotski's name
and address, and then threw it into the
letter box.
"Now," she said, going back to her hus-
band, "you can 60 to the market boldly"
Briotski was seated at dinner surround
ed by his family. One Of his sons, boy
10 years old, was next him this child was
pondering over banking transactions.
"What would happen, father" he said,
"if invested the money you have given
me at 20 per cent. month? How much
should 1 have at the end Of the year,"
cat simple or compound interest,""
asked Brjotski.
"Oh, compound interest, Of course"
"At compound interest that would come
to forty-five roubles and seventy-nine CO.
pecks, not counting the fractions"
"Then father, I shall invest it like
that"
"Invest it by all means, my boy, but be
careful that you get very good security"
On the other side of the table sat anoth-
er of Brjotski's sons, who was years old.
He also occupied with an elementary
problem in mental arithmetic. Further
off sat two more, who were both engaged
in calculating the amount of interest one
owed to the other on a loan OF sugar
candy.
Opposite Brjotski his beautiful wife sat
in state, holding in her arms her baby
girl, who already clutched instinctively at
her mothers gold bracelets. In short,
Brjotski was a happy man.
He was just tasting new sauce, so de-
hcious that he would willingly have had
the sauce tureen decked with gold lace and
ostrich feathers, when a servent handed
him the letter. He had hardly taken it
when he became extremely agitated.
"Why should any one send me this
thing?" he cried, trembling all over. No
one Understood what he meant, but they
all felt that to finish the meal was impos-
sible l will not describe the torments
that Brjotski suffered on this memorable
day. / will only mention one thing,
that this man, weak and feeble as he
seemed to be, bore like a hero the most
terrible torture, but as to giving up the
smallest sum of money, nothing could