The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-03-08

| one has such luck as that he doesn't for
get his friends. I'll tell the lads to expect YOU
Lame Caspar's anger rose. He muttered an
| oath as he limped on in the darkeninp twi-
| light. Treat Not hel He meant to keen the
gold piece for himself. 1t was hard, indeed II
man couldn't keep what belonged to him.
to cry out within him. .It belongs to the
golden-haired boy.n Caspar turned to see II
any one was following him. He saw nobody;
! yet peculiar dread possessed him. When he
reached his hut on the outskirts of the settle
ment he carefully boted the door before he
lighted the candle that he stuck into the neck
of bottle. He sat down by the ricketv old
table and examined the gold piece leisurely ID
scintillated In the dim red candle light like a
living thing. He was afraid to sit there hold
ing 1t in his hand for any length of time 1t
had already been discovered in his possession,
and soon the whole village would know of it.
Possibly the news might spread to the little
boys ears, aud then -
AS this thought occurred to him his fingers
trembed so violently that the gold piece fell
gathering on the table. He began to regret that
he had not given 1t to the boy, but it was too
late now, and besides he wanted 1t. He loved
to look at It.
1t was the most beautiful thing he had ever
seem But he must hide it away somewhere
hide 1t until he had made up his mind to
spend 1t. lie therefore placed 1t in cup and
locked the cup in closet. After this he
cooked his supper and went to bed
Through his feverish dreams all night long
brilliant showers Of gold danced and twined
themselves into fantastic shapes. Sometimes
they seemed to fall from an immense height
and threaten to crush him beneath their weight,
and he cried out in desperate terror. His rest
was broken and frightful visions assaied him.
once or twice the face of a golden-haired boy
rose before him alternately wreathed in smiles
and bathed in tears.
With the advent of the dawn Lame Caspar
frnn 1n1 and ,1,.1
walked to his boat that was moored some dis
tance away woman's fresh voice called to him
from window:
"Good morning, Caspar. 1 hear that you
nave gold piece thata lady gave you for
few fish. What luck %
He stopped short and scowled back at her.
"Well, what of it ?'' he snapped. 'I've right
to my own, l suppose"
Nobody said you hadn't but the lads
seemed to think you might treat for once
were vexed because you didn't come. Are YOU
going to treat tonight ?n
"No ~ he answered, and passed on out of
sight into the duil-tinted morning.
All day, sitting among his nets and tackle he
reflected upon what he had done and the posi-
BILE result 1t would be silly in the extreme to
Keep the gold piece forever in the cupboard
when he stood in need of SO many things. Still
ne did not feel like spending it Immediately.
A superstitious dread overcame him whenever
he contemplated parting with it..
Generaily speaking, he was successful
fisherman, but to-day he got scarcely anything,
and he came home in the evening tired and out
OF temper. Upon one point his mind was made
up. He would not go near the tavern. He re-
sented being pressed to spend the money in
drink. But the other fishermen, when they
found he did not come, sent delegation to his
mouse. About six men raped loudly on the
door, more in spirit of mischief than down
right veXation, but it was sufficient to rouse
Lame Caspar to furious opposition
"What do you want? ?'' he shouted flinging the
door wide open ard confronting them with
fierce hostility depicted on every line of his
to The Bull?"
"No, I'm sick. Go away and let me- alone.n
And he tried to shut the door.
But the men resisted the action. ''Sick, nom
sensen' cried one. 'What's come over YOU,
man? Have you turned miser?"
"Let's see your gold piece, anyway" said
another "We never get such things. Let's
see what 1t looks like, ~ and he tried to force his
way into the cabin.
"Yes, let's see the gold piece p shouted the
others in chorus. But Caspar's features grew
liyid with passion. He strobe forward with
clenched fist.
''Out of here, every mothers son of yep he
shouted. Sill not spend a penny to make
ye more drunken than ye are. Out of here,
sayp' wv
The men drew back, surprised at this strange
outburst. For moment no one spoke Then
one said, with slow deliberation, "Come away.
lads, come away? From the way he talks it
looks as if he'd stolen the money instead of
coming honestly by it. One would think he
was thief afraid of being found out"
With stified exclamation Caspar raised his
hand to deal the speaker a blow. But his up-
lifted arm dropped as though stricken with
palsy. His face whitened. He turned away
with groan and sat down.
"Come, mates ~ cried another voice and the
men vanished in the darkness
How long he remained sitting Lame Caspar
did not know But long after when he looked
up into the obscurity and silence the word
"Thlet J! rang througe his brain like the clash
ing OF discordant bells. He, a thief? Yes.
he had stolen the gold piece. He was thief
He did not go fishing on the following day.
Assudden resolve had come to him. He would
returning the money. He did not mean to con-
Tess his guilt. He could not bring himself to
such a humiliating ayowal. He would say he
had found the gold piece accidentally
Toward noon he clambered up the steep path
way leading to the hotel on the cliff He
trembled with nervousness as he neared the
great white building, with its flying flags maxi
Ing spots OF vivid color against the pine groves
beyond. He glanced eagerly about among the
groups of people who were seated on the
Veranda, but he could not distinguish any one
resembling the little boy. Then he went inside,
and, hardly able to control his voice, put a few
timid questions to the clerk, who eyed him
suspiciously. "a little boy, with eyes colored
like the sea, and bright hair that floated on his
shoulders-Where was he?n
His name 2" the clerk inquired in business
like way.
81 don't know his name, but want to find