Connecticut western news., 1891-12-17
Williams, dealing him d generous blow

to one if don't catch he newmony with out a scrap of shawl. There-and therel' Jim staggered away from her, bbed his eyes in amazement, searched the ground diligently and even peered behind the ash barrel. There was no trace of Ted Will Hams or his ghost.
 "You're foolp' screamed Mrs. Williams after him as parting shot as she went back to her rooms.
 "I guess I am,': said Jim feebly; "gone clean daft"
 Just then q low whistle struck his ear, and something between a whine and a groan.
 Has mother gonef" asked cautious voice.
 Jim flew around, looking on the ground with big eyes, and then turned his gaze to- ward the heavens.
 "Where are you, Ted?" he cried in dis tress.
 "In the barrel" said the voice. Has mother gone-sure?"
 "Yes-yes" Jim rushed to the barrel, cast in a searching glance. You .ain't dead, Ted?" he inquired anxiously.
 ''No," said Ted, speaking with difficulty in his close quarters, "but you nearly fixed me- And then must have come to, for heard moi her, and jumped for my life in here She'd finish me, certain. I'd druther
 
 you'd do it."
 Jim was working away at the ragged portions of his companions clothing. "Can't you help yourself?" he asked at length, "everything glves way as soon as pull"
 'I s'pose you'll fall on me soon's ever l get out," panted Ted, working his way over the barrel top.
 "Never." declared Jim with immense emphasis. "Ive touched you the last time in my life. You may smash my posies u dozen times, but don't pitch into you" Smash your posies?" said Ted now on terra firnla, "what do you mean?" ''It's no use for you to pretend you didn't do it, |" said Jim in contempt, you said you would. and you have; took the time when you knew l wasn't at home to shy the stone."
 "I hain't shied a stone at your window, as true as I live and breathe, !" declared Ted, feeling of his back and legs.
 "Well, a brick, then; makes no odds to me what twas done with There's the hole in the glass, and my posy smashed. You can't put that back again straight and same as it was before.''
 "Jim," said Ted, drawing quite near and speaking excitedly, II hain't done thing to you nor your window nor your posy. Hope may die if I have.''
 But Jim, not caring to hear useless talk, was half way home, which he presently reached, and Mrs. Mulligan having sue cumbed to her comforting tea, he threw himself with his clothes on into his bed in the little box of a room, without conversa- tion of any sort to detain him.
 Along in the middle of the night, Jim was conscious of a terrible feeling at his chest, as if all the bangs of guilty con science were at work within him. There was nothing evil he did not believe him. self capable of committing at this moment. Biackness was around him, and hope ut terlysdead; and to enhance the dire distress of mind, something sharp and stin2ing was producing d dreadful pain of body. It seemed for all the world as if the fangs of the law he had violated were fastened on him and were bearing him off, perhaps to an ash barrel, deeper than the one in Raga- muffin court, from which he was not soon to get out.
 "Ied!" he roared. ill one mighty scream. Mrs. Mulligan al that sprang from her comfortable feather bed, dreaming of Christmases she had never had. and rushed to him. But before she reached his side, she changed her frightened cry.
 "Shoo-scatl get out your' Then she threw herself into a chair to laugh i'm moderately.
 Jim sat straight in bed to stare at her.
 What was its" he gasped, feeling of his chest and arms unable yet to believe that he was safe at home
 ''The one who smashed your posy," said Mrs. Mulligan, pointing tragically to the window. "This time she was after the crumbs of your supper in your pocket; q big black cat who went out of the same hole she made coming in."
 'OhI' said Jim.-Margaret Sidney in Boston Budget.