Omaha daily bee., 1889-12-08

eagerly consulted my watch. The hour
would be up in three minutes. Those
three minutes. how full they were of
suspensel-but | will not pause to de-
tail my m~isgivingS. Eight minutes
later | deserted three birds flying di-
rectly toward me. Yes, they we're my
pigeons. / believe | never extended u
more genuine welcome to any human
being than I did to them us they
landed on my outstreched arms. Nor
were their greetings. in their dumb
way, less cordial. But VI is enough to
say that | liked my pigeons and that
they liked me.
".
! did not need The money for myself,
because my habits OF life we're very
sim pie and inexpensive at that time.
True, in my college days mt afterward,
while | mingled with the world. | spent
money freely-too freely, in fact, for u
mar whose legacy had been but 800. 900.
But, fortunately for me. at about the
time | had nearly run through my in
heritance began to thirst for scientific
knowledge. | purchased "A farm Of
nearly two hundred acres and a cousid-
cradle number OF books, and IN this way
settled down. | entertained a vague
IlOblol lntiJ L cuulu DcCOIie itl dCttlllD
llshcd scientist and u practical farmer
ut the same time.
! desired money to give my younger
brother, n worthy aspirant for legal
honors, who was suffering from what
is commonly known as cateract of the
eyes. This trouble had become SO seri-
Gus rs to require him to consult an ocu-
list, who had urged him TO submit To an
operation ut once. Jack wrote me the
circumstances and appealed to me for
money to pay for the operation. My
whole career" he wrote, depends Upon
this operation, which DR.. Powell as
sures me he can successfully perform.
What could / do in the law or in any
thing else, without my eyeslght? [
dislike to call upon you for funds. but [
know of no one else to apply to. 1t
would be II pity and Il shame, now that
] am admitted 10 the bar and stand n
fair show of working up Il practice here
in New York, to have everything go by
the board. Dear brother, help me if
you possibly can. The operation will
cost only 800. With hat sum | think
| a manage it, as | have a little laid
away to meet my board, laundry bills,
etc. [ cannot see to write this-so my
friend Lawrence Shipley, is kindly act
ing as my ~amanuensis."
1t is Unnecessary to observe that this
letter touched my heart. had not
heard from Jack before in nearly three
months. He was a pushing, independ-
dent, clever fellow, aud | never had
had any occasion to worry about him,
except in regard to his poor evesight.
But previous to the receipt of his letter
had not known how bad it was getting.
OF course, ! resolved to provide Jack
with the money. But how? The pass
ing out of my hands of my entire farm /
should not have allowed to stand in the
way of furnishing him with assistance
in his exigency. But being a man of
middle age and not us practical as the
law will allow Il man to be, and also
sensitive as to my shortcomings in this
respect, [ really hated to give up my
farm.
After much reflection I hit upon the
eXpedient of disposing of my cherished
pigeons. The very afternoon | received
Jacks letter 1 worded an ad vertisement
to insert in the Centerville Weekly
Farmerand Rural Companion, and plac-
Ing it in an envelope, with IA note to
the editor requesting him to send mis-
bill for the same. gave it to Jim Blood
good, the stage driver, to deliver, as his
rocking vehicle ratified along the dusty
turnpike in front of my house about sun
set. The notice ran as follows: "Gor-
don Hildreth, Esq, of Weaver Valley,
offers for sale four beautiful carrier
pigeons, with a history. For terms in
quire of the owner"
On the following Saturday morning |
was sitting on my veranda after having
eaten a frugal breakfast. prepared as
usual by my housekeeper, Priscilla
Dudley, when II lively team and buck
board, whose approach from the direc-
ton OF Centre Vile, eve siuce it APP
Hill | had been watching, turned into
the lane leading up to my modest
domicile. This unusual circumstance
at once directed my attention to the sole
occupant OF the conveyance, whose
form and features were now plainly
visible. He was IL trihe stoOp shout
dered, wore II drab colored SLOUGH hat
and an outer coat of the same hue. and,
though it was July, thick buckskln
gloves. A nearly exhausted and poorly
lighted cigar rested in one side OF his
rather capacious ana sensuous looking
mouth. He did not glance at me or at
my house during the time he was driv-
ing up the lane, which covered a dis
lance of 200 yards from the turnpike.
Even when he stopped opposite my
threshold his gaze was reflectively in
clined down ward. He climbed clum-
silly out of the blackboard, for he was n
heavy man, put his whip in it's iron
socket and curled the reins carefully
around the whip. Then, after patting
the flank of the nigh horse and testing
the security of the nearest front wheel
of the blackboard, he turned sedately
and, looking unconcernedly at me, said:
"Mr. Hildfeth, / believe"
That is my name, SIR" replied,
annually.
II noticed in this weeks Rural Com
panion that you have some carrier
pigeons TO sell. My name is George
Puilen.. L thought I'd come up anu
look at EN-"
"Very WE'LL" I said. "Come up and
take a char ana / will call the pig
eons.'
He slowly assembled the steps of the
veranda without speaking. l knew my