The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-21

oah ohSh aSnAh, 4 ~ oiSh
heard a word. Turning his back Oh him,
Jim fed the whole length of the court ant
again besieged Mrs. Williams door.
'I've killed him." he said hoarsely.
come with me-" laying hold of her apron
hem.
"What are you up tor" she cried GROSSLY,
'you Mulligan boy. Let go my apron with
your dirty hands or Ill box your ears"
which she now proceeded to do, setting
Jim's desperate brain spinning like mad.
81 tell you l have killed him. he cried,
and forcing her to follow him at the risk
of another box, or something worse. But
the delay had been bad, for on their arrival
at the place of encounter in front of the
ash barrel, there was nobody to be seen.
"Now, take that for bringing me or this
fooiis errand," cried the exaspcrated Mrs.
Williams, dealing him Il generous blow
with her ample hand, ''and makin it ten
to one if | don't catch the newiHony with
out IL scrap of shawl. There-and there!'
Jim staggered away from her, rubbed
his eyes in amazement, searched the ground
diligently and even peered behind the ash
barrel. There was no trace Of Ted Will
lia,ns or his ghost.
You're a fool" screamed Mrs. Williams
after him as Il parting shot as she went
back to her rooms.
81 guess 1 am,'' said Jim feebly; "gone
clean daft"
Just then a low whistle struck his ear,
and something between Il whine and a
groan.
Has mother gomez" asked a 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.
SIN the barrel,' said, the voice. HAS
mother gone-sure?"
~"Yes-yes." Jim rushed to the barrel,
cast in y searching glance. "You amt
dead, Ted?" ne inquired anxiously.
NO" said Ted, speaking with difficulty
in his close quarters. "but you nearly fixed
me. AND then | must have come to, Tor |
heard mother, and l 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 gives way as soon as /
pull"
II s'pose you'll fall on me soon's ever i
get OUT painted Ted, working his way over
the barrel top.
"Never," declared Jim with immense
emphasis. 'I've touched you the last time
In my life. You may smash my posies a
dozen times, but l don't pitch into You"
Smash your posiesf" said Ted now on
terra flrna, what do you meant"
= Its 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 | wasn't at home to shy the
stone."
II hain't SHE'D u stone at your window,
as true as 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
same as it was before"
"Jim," said Ted, drawing quite near and
speaking eXcitedly, Il hain't lone a thing
to you nor your window nor your posy.
Hope i may die If l have"
But Jim, not caring to hear useless talk,
was half way home, which he presently
reached, and Mrs. Mulligan having suc
cumbed to her comforting tea, he threw
himself with his clothes on into his bed in
the little box of "a room, without CONVERSE
ton of cry sort to detain him.
Along In the middle of the night, Jim
was conscious Of II terrible feeling at his
chest, as if all the pangs of a guilty con-
science were at work within him. There
was nothing evil he did not believe him
self capable of committing at this moment.
Blackness was around him, and hope ut
terly dead; and to enhance the dire distress
OF mind, something sharp and stinging
was producing a dreadful pain of body. 1t
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.
'"Tedi" he roared, in one mighty scream.
Mrs. Mulligan at 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-scat! get out your Then she
threw herself into a chair to laugh i'm.
moderately.
Jim sat straight in bed to stare at her.
"Whst was itt" 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 t~ragically to the
window. This time she was after the
crumbs of your supper in your pockes; a
big black cat who went out OF the same
hole she made coming in"
"ohm, said Jim.~~EaxEX.A.Y~~~1s ~