Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-04-25

ride off now and leave him to the rap
idly deepening gloom and The wild,
cherries night. but the horse was kept
steadily alongside OF him, and the rider
spoke again.
Cant you get into regular work and
leave this tramp business?
No; there's none'll have the likes of
me. Idon't look respectable enough"
Nonsense, man. Don't get down on
your luck, but pick yourself up. Now,
look here; l will give you a chance my
self, if you will take it,"
Jim could not believe his ears. Some
one actually talking to him as if he was
an honest man, and not some sort OF
vermin or venomous beast. A real
"tip-top gentleman" TOO. He must be
muddled. But the brown eyes We're
looking coolly enough at him, and their
owner was saying: well, what do you
say?'
"Yer don'tknow what 1 be; Tn a bad
lot! I've been in quod Oft enough"
blurted out Jim, feeling somehow he
could not take his new found patron in.
81 dare say you have, and you de-
served it, too. But L believe you can
pull round yet if you like; and. as 1
said, [ will give you the chance of reg
ular work and pay. VIII you take it?"
In the depth of lim's warped nature
there glimmered something like q spark
Of gratitude and a dim longing after a
new life for q moment; but old habits
we're too strong for him, and the clouds
closed darker again as he shook
his head and said i'll tones which
tried to be civil: mo, guy'nor:
yer mean we'll, but it's no go
now. I'm no good for anything but
cadging and trainping, an dean want
to work for any master-an' won't, ney-
ther."
He expected an angry lecture and
round abuse for refusing; but the other
said quietly, stroking his boot with the
handle of his hunting crop, THAT
is a dangerous way of thinking,
my friend, and will get you
into trouble again. You are a
fool not to try and pull up a bit;
but you know your Nv affairs best.
Well, here is a supper and bed for YOU
anyway. Look out" He tossed a
half-crown to Jim with careless, easy
good-nature, and, shaking up his horse,
trotted off with a nod and"Good luck"
How c~ostless a word of two of sym
pathy are, and yet how priceless they
may become! How easy to be gra-
cious. and yet how far-reaching the re-
suits! We scatter kindly greetings
here and there as we journey on life's
roadway, and 10! they spring UP bright
flowers to gladden. some sad, weary
wayfarer. We perform thoughtlessly
now and again trivial services Of cour-
tesy and forget them, but they shine in
lone, loveless hearts as glittering stars
to cheer the midnight sky.
Hugh Boynton, smoking his high
priced Havana after dinner that even
ing in the luxurious Ease Of his favor
lite lounging-chair, had utterly for
gotten all about the few words
and the silver coin which he had
thrown to the tramp whom he had
overtaken as he rode home from
hounds. jim, curled up under the lee
of a clover rick, turned the %half-crown
over and over in his hand and thought
how for once i'll lis life he had been
spoken kindly to by q real gentleman.
Five dreary years passed over Jim's
luckless head-their monotony broken
by police-court, prison-cell, and va.
grant-ward experiences. He had wan
dered up and down some dozen coun-
ties, and seen the inside of most OF
their jails, and now, as Christmas
drew near, had drifted toward York
not that he had any particular reason
for getting there, but because it lay in
his way north, and he happened to be
making in thas direction; why, no.
even he himself knew, for north, south
east, and west were alike to him. He
had had q run of bad luck lately. Once
OF twice he hads found a ~casuals vel
come and slept under cover; but he hat
q rooted objection to its concomitants
and chose rather the cold and expos
IRE of the open air. He had %scarcel,,
tasted food for a week, and had almos
forgotten the feel Of a copper coin; TO
somehow the near approach Of the fes
tiyal of peace and goodwill seemed t
have shut up mons pockets, and shar]
E refusals and scornful silence We're all h
got from those Of whom he asked helr
The afternoon was closing as h
y found himself in the long, stragglin
? village of Niarston, footsore and don
$ up. The lights at the grocer's sho
threw a broad band of brightness acros
the road, aud jim could see a man in
white apron busily piling upa pyrami
. Of loaves which a boy had just brougl
y in crisp and hot from the bakehous'
The sight was too much for the fan
ished fellow, and lie pushed his wa
into the shop. Now, then, what is it
cried the shopman sharply, as !
scanned Jim's tatterea appearance.
"Mill ye give NE a OF them lit
uns, guv'nor? I'm nigh clem,ned," an
he nodded toward the bread pile.
"No, certainly not; Ineyer give
2 beggars or tramps.'
I've hot tasted bite nor sup til
g blessed day, God Knows
i Cant help that! Come, get out
the shop, do you hear? OF I'll set IL
constable onto you. The likes Of "
IS ought not to be allowed to go abo'
e the country. Come, off with YOU"
d Three times did Jim try his lut
n down the village street, with no bett
IS success, and then he gave it up al
bitterly left the houses of his fello,
oroo+,1,oc lo1;,J l;,, ,,1 f,.ol IL