Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-05-07
MEDICINE LODGE KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, MAY T. 1890
Few days.

few days.
The stranger ordered some breakfast,
and the attendant drew up little table,
so that it stood between Drane and his
more fortunate fellOw-bather. In fact
1t was as near to one as the other.
-"If<he eats right under my nose, this
way" said Drane to himself, 81 shall
become raving maniac"
A luxurious repast was ordered, and
then the stranger lay down upon the
divan and went to sleep. He did not
awake when the attendant laid the
cloth nor even when the lunch was
brought. Some gentle shaking brought
him partly to his senses, so that he was
able to sit up and pretend to be awake,
but when the attendant went away he
fell back upon the pillow and was asleep
again in a twinkling.
Then Drane's stomach arose and read
the declaration of independence. 1t
would hear no excuses; no reproaches Of
conscience. Life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness" was its text, and it
argued in a manner not to be answered
by the precepts of mere honesty.
Drane stretched forth his right hand,
and secured roll. Almost Immediately
thereafter, as nobody was looking, he
possessed himself of the leg of a
chicken. Being honest by nature he
returned the bone to the strangers
table. Other portions of the bird fol-
lowed, together with sundry fried po-
tatoeS, and such like embellishments of
the feast. Then he washed down his
scruples with the Strangers coffee, and
went back to his room d D6t6ersman.
But then came the rags again, and
not even the sustaining power of a
stolen meal could keep him from temp
tation. He put on his underclothing,
and then stood by the half-open door,
looking in at the detested garments.
They mocked him; they said: you've
got to come down to our level; you've
stolen breakfast on our account, and
nobody knows what you'll do before we
get through with YOU"
He shuddered and turned away his
eyes. 1t wasn't that his conscience
troubled him. No, indeed. He had
left his conscience in the pocket of his
other clothes, the ones the thieves
had taken, and he wondered, by the
way, whether the fellow had been able
to make any moral use of it. But his
shudder was caused by his disinclina-
tion to put on the suit which had nc
conscience in its pockets - in other
words, no dollars.
So when he turned his head away the
ragged clothes were responsible for it,
Then they must also have been respon-
Gil iS fhaf fhn6 ~ NJ
40 was ajar, and for the temptation
which came of that knowledge The
! first sin recorded against man led to
clothing, and Drane now felt the weight
of fearful heredity. He, too, would
| sin and be clothed.
81 wonder if his garments would fiji
me outwardly as we'll as his breakfast
fitted me inwardly," he muttered, and
then laughed recklessly.
| Nobody was watching. He pushed
the strangers door open little. Yes
they were excellent clothes, to Judge by
the little he could see through the crack
of the door. Dressed in that way Drane
could establish his identity in no time
and no doubt pass the whole affair off a:
a joke. Thus he thought, for the poor
! fellow was really half crazed by the per
picking experiences Of the last few days
He pushed the door still further; he
was conquered. 1t seemed that ht
could hear derisive chuckle from tht
rags in the next room. He scarcely
| looked at the clothes, but hustled then
on, all but the coat, which he carried
into the hall because strange feeling
came over him that he had seen it be
fore. Under an electric light he turned