Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-12-01

nothing more except a cover for me and
bottle Of Winc which she stood on u small
silver plate.
We at 'i"Hu. and seeing Tiir;ls take the
loaf out and spread the serviet;c over his
knees did the same though it seemed to
me about the oldest thing in the world,
and III, II lie passed the sartiincs for ME to
help myself. could very we'll have eaten
all the little fishes there We're in the box,
but ont If consideration for him who was
three times rs hi;, "a me, only took about
n quarter If the co"tcnt~. and also took
about Il quarter Of the number of radishes,
but coH,d not help looking at Taras in
surpri~, when he took but two sardines
and only three or four radishes well.
however does he live?" I asked myself
May fill your glass;" he asked, taking
up the bottle, 'or would you like beer in
stead"
Il amt pariic' lar" said; 'winde's good
enough for me"
The wine made me shuddcr -Four half"
was nectar in comparison with such sour
stuff / tuuu-t.t. However, | gulped it
duHu and said nothing, not TO appear too
nice. had scrapcd out my plate and was
screwng up my courage to tell Taras that
would finish up the box if he didn't want
any more, when Mere Lucas hustled in,
whisked off our plates, knives and forks,
and set others in their place, though the
cutlery was is bright and clean as if it had
just come from the makers. Then she
placed a steaming dish on a stand.
Come" said to myself. heres duff to
fill up with ut any rate"
But found that it was savory dish
| macaroni au gratin know now-and that
was not half bad, besides which there was
! plenty of it, and to my great relief Taras
| took all that left. Then in came another
dish--cutlets, with paper frills around the
bones, and potatoes frothed up In fash
| ion as odd as everything else, and by this
time began to wonder when this sort Of
thing was going to end. However, there
was no more to eat except fruit after that
for which ! was thankful. us my appetite
was fully satisfied, and did not like to re-
| fuse lest Taras should think / was dis
pleased with my food But the oddly of
the whole meal was capped by Mere Lucas
bringing in large bright pot after dessert
and filling two small cups with hot coffee,
which we had to drink without milk.
II usually smoke pipe with my coffee"
said Taras. "Do you objectt"
earn" replied. ut amt likely"
He filled his pipe slowly in grave silence
and watched him, trembling with anxiety,
for felt that he was about to decide my
fate. He had not yet spoken word with re-
gard tony future, waiting until my bodily
needs were satisfied and my mind was In a
opening a subject which to him at least
was of such weighty Importance.
Il have been very SILENT" he said after
| nd linz 90
ment with kindly solicitude, because l
have had a great deal to settle in my own
mind. But that is settled now. and il you
like we will talk about"-he turned his
chair round SO as to face me and added,
after a silent puff at his pipe-"about to-
| morrow"
to happen them"
Tomorrow at o'clock shall go to the pot
terry where work.
"You amt a-goin to send me away till Q
tomorrer mornin!" said joyfully.
mo. Mere Lucas will take care Of you
tonight. Have you any notion what you
shall do after?"
YES" replied resolutely. II made my
mind up to it while was in the station
'us. l shall go back to Shadwell. 'Tain't
no good. got to live and face it out like
the rest on us. And I can't get a Twin
where amt known. I'll go back to the
Joy. Dessay I'll get of with punch or
two. Then Putty'll come round and give
me job, cause he knows don't nick the
beer nor the coppers."
u think ! must ask one question. Are
you related to that man in any wayp"
mot me. I don't member ever havin
no relatives"
HE is not even friendf"
Il told you l amt got no friends-not
one. If l had, do you think should ha'
gone and done what l did down there in
the meshes Greenwich wayf"
He shook his head. Then, after O pause,
he asked me If l thought could do some
thing better than 60 back to the old life.
NO" said l. II can't think of nothing
else as Fm fit for and as would do me bet
ter. Can your"
Eyes," he replied, laying down his pipe,
and leaning forward with q new light
flashing in his deep, earnest eyes he contin-
ued: II can think Of something much bet
ter. You are filter for new life than the
old"
You don't mean an institootionf" ]
asked, chilled to the heart with the dread
that he should think me worse even than
l was as recollected the proposals with
regard to living a new life made by the
missionary who visited me in the station
house cell.
mo, do not mean anything of the
Sort" he replied, with flash Of angry re-
pugnance in his eyes. ION the contrary, ]
am thinking of removing you from all asso-
l rto vx-tft y, -ar11
and its people-of placing you in position
where nothing shall recall the past-of sep
arating you from previous conditions az
completely as if you were to be born again
upon another earth. To do that you must
think that your life begins from today;
that the part Of your life in the past has
been blotted out. You must abandon all
the ways and customs to which you have
been used. Even the language. such as 1t
Is, that you speak today must be changed
for new one. Every link in the chain that
connects you with the past must be broken.
You must begin just like child who has
everything to learn. Do you understand
me?"
Ppm a-gettin at 1t. Here, it's like as II
I'd never been picked up out of the river
and was just a-goin straight to heving.
amt itf"
what is your notion of heaveni"
well, I've heered say it's kinder place
where you don't have to do nothin but sit
about and enj'y yourself and never want
ANYTHING more'n you've got"
'"rhen 1t isn't at all ike that, for you
will have more 20 do than you have done
yet awhile. and there will be pain as well
as pleasure, and you will never cease to
want something better than you have"
1T stands to reason must do q lot il
I'm to learn everything like kid, and how
Pm a-goin to do it's Ticker II I amt to
speak my own language"
Learn another"
It puzzled me to see how this was to be
done, until. seeing my perplexity, Taras
said: I'VE will help you--Mer6 Lucus and
l."
"Will you. masterf" said I. my heart
leaping with delight at the prospect this
promise opened. '1'l do just whatever
clever"
THAT remains to be SEEN"
II can't write nor nothink."
"You will soon learn to write with those
long fingers"
But what am to do for Twin all the
time I'm a-learninf"
ut will be time enough to think of that
when you have learnt what you can do
best Mere Lucas will always find some.
thing for us to eat and drink, and there's q
room up stairs which you can have for Your
self"
"Whatp exclaimed. Here! Amt you
goin to send me away from this placer"