The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-02-01
IN TWO HALVES.


-iSar';h " B. Plat, in BelGords lagazin.
IN TWO HALVES.
THE STORY OF a DIVIDED BANK NOTE
THE FIRST HALF.
Wet and dreary. It is midwinter: tn
icene is Huntington, on the London an,
Northwestern; the time one-ouarfer +,
eleven; Just after the night mail ma
flashed through without stopping
found for Liverpool and the north. Tn,
railway officials are collecting prepara
tory to going of duty for the night.
where's DAMP asked one of tn,
crowd upon the platform.
Il saw him In the hut Just after tn,
one-quarter to eleven went THROUGH
Can't have come to any ham, sureIyfi
No; he said he'd seen somethinr
drop from the train. and he went down
tie line to pick it up"
And Dan had picked up something.
II was a basket, common white wicker
oisket, with a lid fastened down by a
I ss.F7T = 'AI 'li-l e -oeantain2---Il;a
'l1 \ {, ,,s...=ll . $50
where did you come across itlr'
asked one.
Lying on the line, Just where it fell
Perhaps It didn't fall, perhaps it was
ehucked out. What matter2 I've got
1t, and got 10 look after it, that's enough
for mel7
The little mites linen was white and
OF fine material, but he lay upon an old
shawl and few bits of dirty flannel
All they found was a dilapidated purse,
acommon snaplock bag-purse of faded
/ brown leather. Inside was brass thin
bic, a pawn-ticket, aud the half of a Bank
Of England note Of e100.
a aew parson-Harrold TreffrY-had
come lately to Kirklingion.
He IS now paying a round of parochial
visits, accompanied by an old college
chum, who is spending Christmas with
him.
"fonder," 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-ihe hoyel,
rather, Of one whose case is the hardest
OF all the hard ones in my parish. This
man IS mere hedger aud ditcher one
VINO works for any master, most often
LOT the railway, but who Is never certain
OF Job all the year round. lie has a
swarm OF young children, and he has
Just lost his wife. He is absolutely pros
trated, aghast probably at his utter in
capacity % do his duty BY his motherless
little ones. l wonder whether you could
rouse himf II you could only get him
10 make a sign, or cry, or laugh, or to
take the smallest interest in common
affairs Jack. l believe you're the very
man. lon might get at him through
the chlldren-that marvellous hanky-
panky of yours, those surprising tricks;
a child takes TO you naturally 1t once.
Try and make friends with these. Per
haps when the father sees them inter
ested ard amused he may warm little,
speak, perhaps approve, perhaps smile,
tryFp
Jack New5iggin was by profession q
conyeyancer, but nature had intended
him for new ',assli,ss,..s..,,,sss..,,.-;s,,,
Nortt55s.... d 5d1ii..' 81 a Slzafd u fns 81 A
IN J-71- He was more than half a pro- /
fessional by the time he was full grown. /
In addition to the quick eye and the I
facile wrist he had the rarer gifts of tine |
suave manner and the face of brass. He |
had even studied mesmerism and clair |
voyance, and could upon occasion sur
prise his audience considerably by bis /
power.
They entered the miserable dwelling
together. The ehildren-eight of them [
were all sSirmishiDg over the door, ex- /
cept one, child of six or seven, |
bright eyed, exceedingly beautiful boy,
the least-were not natures vagarles /
well known-likely to be born among and |
belong to such surroundings. who stood /
between the legs Of the man himself, VINO
had his back to the visitors, and was
crouching low over the scanfy fire.
The man turnei his head for a mo (
ment, gave pereceptible stare, then an
impereeptible nod, and once more he /
glowered upon the fire.
Here, little ones; do you see this gen
tlemanl He's conjuror. Know what a |
conjuror is, TOMMY catching up 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 gambols
and were staring ha-d at their visitors
the moment was propitious; Jack New
biggin began. Hehad fortunately filed
his pockets with nuts, oranges and cakes
before leaving the parsonage, so he had
half his apparatus ready in hand.
The pretty boy had 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 aud describe volu-
minously 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:
ut 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 as they've
had to make EN- lately"
1T is good for all Of us now and
again, take it, said Jack. desisting
and gong toward him, the children
collecting in a far of corner
and comparing uotes,--..a.as..us.
l,..,zs-,.s ii<lsse sir, if 80 hearts
1eavy. II you do it can be only sham"
While he was speaking he had taken
the Bible from the shelf, and resuming
his seat began to turn the leaves over.
'1'm TN untaught, rough eonntryman,
sir, but l have heard tell that these
strange things you do are only tricks;