Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-04-07
THE MISADVENTURES
OF JOHN NICHOLSON.
BY ROBERT louis STEVENSON.
CHAPTER vIII-CoNr1NuED.

winch, rs nave not Deen aDle TO
command the vehicle, here sup
press.
"Well," resumed Alexander, "I'll
call round at their place before /
come back, and pay your shotfor you.
In that way, before breakfast time,
you'll be as good as new"
John murmured inarticulate thanks.
To see his brother thus energetic in
his service moved him beyond express
sion. If he could not utter what he
felt, he showed it legibly in his face;
and Alexander read it there, and
liked it the better in that dumb de-
livery.
"But there's one thing" said the
latter, "cablegrams are dear; and
daresay you remember enough of the
governor TO guess the state of my
finances.
The trouble is" said John, 'that
all my stamps are in that beastly
house"
"All your what?" asked Alexander.
Stamps-money," explained John.
ats an American expression; I'm
afraid contracted one or two"
al have some," said Flora. II have
pound note upstairs.
''Aiy dear Flora" returned Alex
ander, "a pound note won't see us
very far; and besides, this is my faith
er's business, and l shall be very
much surprised if it isn't my father
who pays for it,"
al would not apply to him yet; /
do not think that can be wise," OBJ
iected Flora.
"You have a very imperfect idea of
my resources, and none at all of my
effrontery," replied Alexander.
please observe"
He put John from his way, chose a
stout knife among the supper things,
and. with surprising quickness, broke
into his fathers drawer.
There's nothing easier when you
come 60 try" he observed, pocketing
the money.
81 wish you had not done that" said
Flora. "YOu will never hear the last
of it,"
"Oh, don't know" returned the
young man; "the governor is human
after all. And now, John. let me see
your famous pass-key. Get into bed,
and don't move for anyone till come
back. They won't mind your not an
swering when they knock; i generally
don't myself.
CHAPTER TX.
In Which Mr.. Nicholson Accepts the
Principles of an Allowance.
In spite of the horrors OF the day
and the tea-drinking of the night,
John slept the sleep of infancy. He
was awakened by the maid, as 1t
might have been ten years ago, tap
ping at his door. The winter sunrise
was painting the east; and as the
window was to the back of the house,
It shone into the room with many
strange colors of refraoted light.
Without the houses were all clearly
rooted with snow; the garden walls
were ooped with it foot In height;
the green's lay glittering. Yet
strange as snow had grown to John
during his years upon the bay of San
Fsancisco, it was what he saw within
that most affected him. For it was
70 his own room that Alexander had
been promoted; there was the old pa
per with the device OF COVERS, In
which q cunning fancy might yet de-
tect the face Of Skinny Jim, of the
academy, Johns former dominic; there
was the old chest Of drawers; there
were the chairs-one, two, three
three as before. Only the carpet was
new, and the litter OF Alexander's
clothes and books and drawing ma
terials, and pencil drawing on the
wall. which Tin Johns eyes) appeared
a marvel of proficiency.
He was thus lying, and looking, and
dreaming, hanging, as it were, be-
tween two epochs of his life, wher
Alexander came TO the door and
made his presence known by a loud
whisper. John let him In and jumped
hack into the warm bed.
"Weu, john" said Alexander, s.the
oablegram is sent in your name, and
twenty words Of answer paid. have
been to the cab office and paid your
cab, even saw the old gentleman him.
self and properly apologized. He was
mighty placable, and indicated hi:
belief that you had been drinking
Then / knocked old Maeewen out o.
bed and explained affairs to him Al
he sat and shivered in dressing
gown. And before that | had been Il
High street, where they had heard
nothing OF your dead body, so that
incline to the belief that you dreamet
It."
"Cateh me" said John.
"well. the police never do know
anything" assented Alexander; "ant
ut any rate, they have dispatched {
man 10 inquire and TO recover your
trousers and your money, so tina
eally your bill Is now fairly clean