The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-10-28


''No, nor the price of them either"
''Where did you live--that is, him
lodge, sleep, l mean2
eln hayloft."
sand before that?,
"In church.
"Now, look here; draw nearer to the
lamp; yes, that's it. Just come with me,
and I'll put you in my kitchen for tonight
and tomorrow I'll see what can do fol
you. I'm taking you at your ogn esti-
mate, mind, and hope you'll justify -
sits not very extravagant one, fancy.
An outcast, believe | said-the Aot-
sam
"Why will you persistin misunderstood
ing me? | mean as to your past.
"Well, that won't throw very much light
on my future. Don't think 1 want to
touch yonr heart. Perhaps | did when ]
first accosted you. Hunger and cold make
man do strange things. But now don't
care cedar nut what befalls me- It's all
fate I'll go with you, if you like; if you
don't like, why, I'll tuck myself up in the
snow. There are not seven deaths in store
for us, and we can't steer clear of one"
What you want, my friend, is common
sense and moderation. Oh, dash this
snow I've broken my arm, swear. The
sidewalk ought to be strewn with sand,
instead of which,
They've strewn it with snow" he broke
in very impertinently, as it seemed to me,
for although 1 had not broken my arm
l had hurt it, and I did not relish being
laughed at by beggar. l bottled up my
rage, however, by way of giving him an
object lesson in self mastery, and we soon
came up to sleigh, the driver of which
was wildly dancing in order to keep away
the bitter cold and treacherous sleep.
An hour later we were comfortably
seated in my dining room at table adorned
with big, bright sanlovar, sweetly singing
of the joys of domcsticity, as no Kettle on
the most blazing fire in the coziest of rooms
ever yet sang. Ny strange guest-Niko-
lai Stepanovitch Maikoff was the name he
gave-had frightened up bit, but only
as to his brain. His mood remained as
respondent as before. He was a tall
spare man, with long, pinched face, high
cheek bones, hollow cheeks with hectic
flush, sunken eyes and shaggy red beard
His bearing was as naughty as that of a
Spanish beggar, his tone frank and famil-
lar almost to the point of cynicism, and he
had an awkward habit of talking loudly
and interrupting others.
He was an old man of % or thereabouts
experience being the stuff that age is
made of, and he, having deal more than
his share, had burned life's candle at both
ends and scoffed at the idea of economic
ing now. felt pity for the man on alb
stract principles, for | was fresh from the
university and full of the idea of regula-
ting society and infusing what we labeled
''the quintesence of Christianity, or the
gospel according to Dostoleffsky," into my
life. l mentally set myself to the task of
rescuing this outcast from the jaws OF
spiritual death and smuggling him once
more into decent society through some
back door, for l held that every fallen man
is better than he fancies himself. l am of
the same opinion still only l would now
add-if not good deal worse.
81 suppose you don't mind nay asking
you something about your antecedents-
just enough to guide me in my choice Of
ways and means of helping you," 1 said as
l pushed the second tumbler of piping hot
tea toward him, the delicious fragrance OF
which he speedily dispelled with thin
slice of lemon and was about to annihiIate
utterly by adding suspicion of rum-a
very heavy suspicion, it seemed to me at
the time.
"Ah, batyaoshka" Qittle father, he ex-
claimed, waving his hand despairingly
''the mere thought Of disturbing the ghosts
of the past makes any flesh creep. They
seem to stare at me like deserted images
of myself, and they often haunt and mock
me till death would seem relief if were
sure of not meeting them as torturing
iends down there. The moth eats stuffs,
and sorrow gnaws the heart of man, says
the pFoyerh, and some mems hearts were
made only to be gnawed perpetually like
like Prometheus' liver. Mine is one OF
the number. | never had what's known
as luck, but an invisible luck conductor
instead. The pleasant thing that | saw
only in dreams happened every day to other
people when they were awake"
And having emptied his glass he pushed
back the saucer on which it stood so vio-
lently toward me and the samovar that the
tumbler fell out and stained the white ia
blecloth; l cut short his apologies by ig,
noring the incident altogether and return.
ing to the previous question.
"You are pessimist, Nikolai Stepano-
vitch,p I exclaimed, "and-H
Believe me" he broke in, aI'd gladly
win the game, but I have neither trumps
nor long suit, as the saying is, and must
needs let things slide. When the lemons
squeezed dry, it's high time for the peel to
be flung away, and that's my case"
{ "Well, tell me how it all came about
anyway. You say you were at the uni
4