The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-06-14

| soon enough. There's q burden on my
conscience, Phil; it's been lying there
like plummet of lead all these years.
| Listen to me, and don't interrupt me
II you can help it. Give me some of
that stuff from the bottle, and when l
| grow weaker give me more.
Phil lifted Joe's head and put the
glass to his lips; then he sat down
upon the edge of the cot, leaving his
arm between Joe's neck and the pillow.
Joe could feel Pills pulse now, and
the loyal heart of his friend beating
close to his own
Its twenty-five years, Phil. y said
Joe, 'since that night we drove down
to the shore here and had that talk to-
gether. You remember it, PHILIP
Eyes. Joe.
"Ahl you've remembered it too
well, Phil. I've tried hard enough,
! God knows, to make you forget. The
sun was sinking over yonder in the
far west, and sky and sea were all
ahamo Some ileecy clouds dropped
low over the old shed where we had
| ordered some CLANS. remember
when l saw Polly that night The
dress she wore was like a stab to me;
| it was Of some soft, floating material
| that reminded me Of the woolly clouds
over the old shed. You didn't cat the
CLAIMS, Phil. You dallied with the
shells and turned them over with the
queer old fork they had given you.
| And all at once you put them aside
and lighted a cigar and turned your
face to the sea, aud began to talk of a
woman you secretly loved Now give
me some wine, Phil"
Phil put the glass to Joe's lips.
Don't talk any more, joe" he said,
LET me go for Polly"
mot yet" said Joe. You were 4
handsome fellow, Phil, twenty-five
years ago. As you went on to talk of
tho woman you secretly loved, some
sort Of light shone upon your face
from the splendor in the west that
made it like chat OF an archangel.
1t seemed to me that no woman could
withstand you. My heart grew like a
lump of ice. Ny first thought was to
walk out in the water and strangle
myself; my next was worthy of Judas
Iscariot. 1t was q resolve to betray
you. | must have been tempted by
the devil, for as God is my judge in
this awful moment of my life, never
dreamed before that night that you
and / were in love with the one wo-
man. l got up on my feet and shout
ed: She is Miner glazing upon you
with q logged, resolute stare. Have
you, then, asked her to marry youY
you said. and your face still looked
like an archangels, while mine must
have been inhamed with the passions
that beset man beyond his strength.
AS l repeated, She is my promised
wife, the words seemed to leap from a
throat of fire. 1t was the first down
right, hideous, malicious lie ever ut
tered, for l had not yet asked her-I
had not yet asked her. But when l
did ask her, upon that very night, the
next lie slipped easily from my per-
jured throat though it was worse
one by far. For told Polly, Phil
told her before | asked her to marry
me-that you confessed to me your
love for her friend, the poor little girl
that afterward became our bridemaid.
Whether it was my guilty conscience,
that makes hell enough for any man,
1 fancied l saw something in Rolly's
eyes that told me, had it not been for
my treachery,. your chance would
take your arm away from my neck,
Phil, and curse mo if you will-my
story is done"
The pulse of Joe's heart leaped and
tugged as if it would burst an artery,
but Pills voice had the old tender
ring, ;,
all this" he said. II think Polly has
proved who it was that she loved"
"Ah! after that night, Phil, yes
Polly is not the kind of woman to
make the misery of men. But cheat
ed you of your chance"
'Be it SO, Joe; forgive you and I
love you all the same. Now throw
off the burden, and live for Polly's
sake and mine"
100 late, too late," faltered the fail
ing lips.
They refused to touch the glass.
| The body fell back almost lifeless in
| Phil's arms. Then Joe aroused him
self once more, and called for Polly in
harsh, strained voice that reached her
despite the roar of the sea. She flew
to his side, but was only in time to
catch few indistinct, disjointed SEN
fences. With q last effort the dying
man lifted the hands of his wife and
his friend, joined them together
clasped his own about them, and SO
the three remained till the soul of
| Joe Barrett fed
"And if there could be such thing
as witchcraft," said Miss Mortimer to
some friends, the other day, Joe Bar
rett's widow would have been burned
at the stake long ago. She was pretty
well on in years when Joe died, and
I'll leave it to anybody if she don't look
like blonde mummy now. Phil
Somers has that air of distinction
about him that he might marry al
most anybody. Joe Barretts widow
is old and ugly, and sick and poor, but
should not be at all surprised if Phil
Somers would marry her yet."-Mrs.
Frank Mccarthy in The True Flag.
Testing His Whistle.
In the train-Georgie, Georgia
mind, your hat will be blown off if