Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-02-07

Elizabeth turnCu the Key, ana tnen,
| giving vent to an exclamation OF alarm
started back as she beheld the sight within.
Hudded up in a corner sat Reuben
Bates his knees drawn up TO his chin In
conse ,uenCe of the limited area OF his
prison and surrounded 10y jam-po's, dust
pans, black lead brushes, and bottles. Cf
the latter there were three or four
''emptie' lying by his side, ami h was in
| the very act of drinking of another when
| his term OF incarceration came 10 close
The bottles were Of the atent gass-sto J.
per description, so he had easily managed
to open them with his fingers.
"Liz, he remarked, looking up solemn
| ly from his sem-recumbent Osition on
the foor-'LiL, I've 'eerd some drediul
revelashuns My blood all runnin' cold
down my back" and he took another pull
at the bottle and shook hl' head mourn
fully.
''Uh, You wretch cried Elizabeth.
"The beers all a runnn down the front
of you, You mean thing get up and come
out of that cupboard ins an.ly, or III cal
the master"
Reuben rose suddenly. and with difi-
Guilty assumed an upright post on, then,
staggering out into the kitchen, he took
advantage Of the first support which pre-
scented itself TO his hay vision. This
happened to be unfortunately, clothes
horse on which some r the week.
washing was being aired. AM, as ne her
it nor the washing was capable of oderlng
sufficient resistance to an unsteady body
of nearly fifteen stone weight, the cOnse-
Quence was inevitable Reuben, clothes
horse and all the numer us articles IT
SUI ported came to the ground with
crash.
There he lay, apparently quite satisfied
with his new quarters. Shirts, pillow
cases, and sheets lay scattered around
him in every direction, and, nav nc
appropriated some of them to lay his
head upon, he once more found
his speech.
'"Lilbuth, don feel well. My nerves
is shook-l've eerl some dreadful reye-
lashuns.'
'ReuLen Bates" cried Elizabeth, "If
you don get up out of that and De'aNe
yourself tins very minnit il take tn ere
broom 'andle To you and. by way OF
giving force TO her words she deal him
couple Of sound blows with the weapon in
question, " hich had the effect OF inducing
Rueben o struggle to his feet. ">Ow put
these ere things tidy on tha 'orse, she
continued, Terceiving the good eject of
phi, steal force. "lut them all up atoncc.
There, that will do Now, pick Il your
at and turn out''- and she pointed to
the door with The room-handle. Ion
You 60 now! Ii ii abuth 'Awkins Is soft
which she don't deny-she ain so soft
as TO keep company with disgrace. a
disgrace, Rube-d'ye ear Yah! I'd
sooner go and get drowned than stand by
and be called that. You ought to be
asha ed of Yourself, that you ought! CIV
am / 10 make good the master S beer wot
you've been and swizzled? oh, you
wretch. 10 you call yourself n an? A
monkey wouldn't "a Zone such tricks"
Reuben stood humbly twirling his hat
round, and swayed unsteadily upon his
feet as he looked down abash d. As he
} afterwards remarked to one of his mates
'''e hadn't 'ad such iacketingever in his
lifetime, and o. ed e Il never ave an
other.
Liz lie said penitently at last. when
she st1pred Tor want OF breath, won t
yer forgive me-just this once? 10 never
sha'nt 'appen again, There's two shil-
lings, " he added. placing the money upon
the table; that will pay for the beer |
shouldn't ave gone for TO do it. Liz. but
: for them dreadful reyelashuns wot l
'eerd"
"Wot dreadful revelashuns?"
"Oh. it makes my air all stand OH end
when | comes to think on EN-" he replied.
81 thought as how | should ave ad a con
vulsion, as ] sat there In that cupboard
'eer every word. That there young fell
Ter. he's been and bowed up somebody or
something, he has. First e says as he
must leave England then. after a bit o.
/ talk about his mother, and 'ow he can't
never wish 'em goodbye. she guv him
some money 'eerd 1t chink. r. would
: MT say what he ad done but Re was In
! trouble. Then the newsboys in the street
began TO holer, an | 'eerd 'em a
{ singing out, ! ynamite explosion .
2 Oh, goodness. how my bloc cid run
cold Supp sin G was dynamiter
and 'ad so of 1t about i'm in is pockets,
and i'm a standin' there, close to the
kitchin ire, as might bloAed us all into
= hatomS in a minute Presently, when the
: street was quiet again, she sek-sei she,
= very low, but Just as | could ear FER, rs
it that, Jack" an e makes no answer.
Then 'eered EN- 60 on side. and, stretch
in out my and in my hagony, | feels a
bottle. l drinks Lii drinks out o
feein feiat; then goes for another. Oh,
Liz, to be shut up in a cupboard with a
? bloodthirsty dynamiter in the room. 'oOd
t no more ESTATE TO spill yer blood than
would to empty dustbins is wot | never
, thought to 'appen to me wen | come ERE,
4 and 'ope it won't never more"
"Rube." said Iii abeth cute ly, "did
you ear FER call i'm hy is ole name"
! NO, Liz; she only called him Jack"
''Will you promise me something, Rube
If forgive yer for forgetting yerself?"
Promise you? Yes, that will-any.
. think yer like to ask"
Then never say a word, not to one
: mortal soul RUDE, of wot you 'eerd To
night. If you do Rube. shall lose my
l sitiwation.
81 promise you. L." said Reuben
: Bates; II never won't let on-don't you
he Altered. And doyOu forgive me, LIZ
t yes of course | do. There that will
4 do" she exclaimed, as he sealed the recon
Y citation with rapturous embrace "'Ere
| take your two shillins, hube; you are
2 welcoIe to the beer-Ill make that al
v right. Now you be OF; and don Z you for
get wot you've promised. or you'll neve
Q he more To- 'Likbuth 'Awkins-no NOR,
!, than--than dust cap" she concluded
as IL somewhat at "a loss for a suitabl,
S smile. 'Now OF you 60
Reuuen retired, and, as he endeavoreC
il. TO find his way home somewhat unsteadi
II L.. 49, Z.