Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-17


 to share my feeling of exultation.
 What do you mean2" he asked in a tone of sharp severity.
 He had never before spoken to me like that. His harshness frightened me and changed my feeling of triumph to one of modification. If had done wrong. it was for his sake, not my own. Ihung my head and made no reply.
 What do you meant" he repeated. with increased sternness, turning me almost roughly by the shoulder that the light might fall on my face. "Speakr'
 What do you think I meanf" 1 asked morosely. We've bested lem, ain't wei I've got you right away from 'em, ain't I? Isn't it me what's done lem for youi"
 He drew deep breath of relief, and then in a tone of wonderful tenderness said:
 Forgive me, little friend. Thought you meant something very different from that. I do not understand English we'll But how did you get so wet?'
 T couldn't drop out of the hole into the water down there without gettin wet, could +" said l, still with an air of resent ment, though 1 had forgiven him in my heart the moment he spoke again with kindness.
 Come, you need dry clothes-rest. Twill take you to your friends"
 II ain't got no friends. You leave me here. I'm all right. Go quick past the house."
 Not without you. If you have no friends, will take you to mine.''
 I stopped-he had drawn me onward as he spoke-and shook my head. The rank smell of burning seemed to fill the air He might see the flames bursting up in the bar of the Joy and learn what had done l would rather separate now than risk meet ing his angry repro0ch.
 Don't be afraid, y said he, mistaking the cause of my reluctance to pass the Joy. No one shall hurt you nor me either now my hands are free. Come"
 His strong hand was on my arm. I could not resist his command. But as if 1 were in terror of Putty l ran that we might pass the Joy quickly, giving him no time to find out that had set the place on fire over the heads of his enemies.
 Stay" said he, checking me when we were some distance down Sweet Apple lane you have run far enough There is no danger now, and we have still good way to walk. There are no cabs in this part of London"
 We walked Oh toward the Minories The streets were quite empty. We passed but one policeman and he said nothing, seeing Taras with me. He eyed us curiously though, thinking perhaps that Taras had saved me from drowning, his clothes also being wet and caked with black mud. We walked in silence for some timc but Taras spoke at length in d low, soft voice:
 II owe my life to you, little friend; more than my life, " he added, my liberty"
 How did you let 'em come over you:" asked
 "I was deceived. I thought the dark man was friend. He was an enemy-an agent of police"
 And the three others-was they slops soo?"
 ''Slops-what is that:"
 "Policcmans."
 "Yes, they were police"
 Was they goin to kill you?"
 "No, worse than that. They were going to take me back to my country"
 You aIn't done anything wrong, are you!'
 Not wrong as we understand the word you and I.''
 T thought it was only parties like me as was hunted about for being s'picious car rioters"
 No class is free from suspicion in my country; it is not like yours"
 Tt must be pretty bad if it's wus"
 Tt is pretty bad"
 What are you goin to do with the dark man with the round shoulderss"
 Keep him at arms length"
 But s'posin," l persisted tentatively, 's posin you'd got him in corner or in a ole wouldn't you drop something on him and smash him:"
 That would be murder"
 "Garn Hw'y! It aiu't murder; it's jus tice Nou only does for him what he'd do for you if be got a chance"
 That is the law of brutes, not of men. It would be murder, and we should pray for strength to resist the lust of vengeance that leads to it. For think, little friend, of the misery that follows, the degradation and shame of being summed by innocent women and good men, the feeling that one Is not fit to kiss child" He said more, but could not follow him for thinking of the men had left to die in the Mariners Joy, whom had murdered for this-to be summed forever by Taras. A sickness over came me. must have stumbled or reeled, for Taras stopped suddenly md held me up.
 You are faint Let us sit down on this step," he said.
 No. We will go on. l shan't be silly again"
 He drew my arm through his and bade me lean on him, telling me that we had now but a little way to 20. Leaning on his arm, wished that We might 20 on forever and ever and never reach our journeys end. Talk to me, said.
 He proposed a brighter subject, but l would not near of that and badc him tell me more about the dark man and the po- lice
 He is nothing but an instrument" said Taras. II bear him no ill will. He does what he is paid to do, like soldier who lowers his rifle and kills another soldier at the command of his officer. It isn't the man who executes an unjust law, but the thinking man who makes the law, who should die" And then he went on to speak of many things beyond the reach of my reason, but that made no diff ference to me. heard his voice like flowing strain Of music that softcned my heart and lighted up my soul with an ex- quisite emotion such as had never before felt. And l knew not why. It seems strange, anomalous, unaccountable to me, as l look back now, that these feelings should suddenly spring up in my being, which had hitherto been dull to all the in huences of nature. But surely it was not more exceptional than the revelation of a new world to the blind whose eyes after years of darkness are opened.
 We stopped before a small house in by street of the Minories, and Taras rang a bell. The door was opened instantly by fair haired young woman and her husband. They were friends who expected the arrival of Taras with the three men whom he had been led to believe were friends. They looked at me in mute astonishment when we entered the shop-a tobacconist's-as Taras in his own tongue briefly explained what had occurred. But when he had spoken the man took my hands in his, and pressing them told me in his broken Eng fish that should never want friend while he and his wife lived. She could speak no English except ives" and mo-" but she understood what her husband said, think, for she nodded smiling agreement with his promise and kissed me heartily upon both cheeks, despite the dirt upon them.
 Then she led me quickly to a room up stairs where a bright fire was burning,