Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-10-20

4
much poultry. and eyerythii1 3ned /,
say TO him: He has only to stoof to take
The distance is great between cup an,
lips Meanwhile the peasants, seeins
that our man was not in his usual trim
and that be restricted himself to directing
ms eyes to their goods. grew more daring
ihey dared to joke with him and callet
MIN 'booby. son of BOBBY"
NO, am seized with some unknown
Illness said Lovets to himself, and he re
turned home empty handed His wife
aWaited him, specializing on the number
OF bags OF lime bark that he would bring
| Tor usually he was laden with them. and
ne carried his prizes in them. Now ht
came with only one. Immediately he
showed his nose Mrs. Lovets darted In
front OF him and said. where are the
bags?n
u attest my conscience" began Lovets.
Il ask, where are the bagss'
Il attest my conscience" repeated Low
cts.
Very we'll. let your conscience procure
your food till next market day. AS for
me, have no dinner to give YOU"
Lovets hung his head, because he knew
MS wife's words were unanswerabIe He
took off his overcoat. Immediately a trans
formation took place in him. The con
science remained in the pocket of the coat
which now hung on the door. Lovets sud
denly felt himself relieved and free as here
tofore. 1t seemed to him again that moth
ing in the world belonged to others. that
everything belonged to himself. The apti
tude to appropriate and to devour every
thing reappeared in him.
Hel he! now you will not escape me.
my good friends!' he cried, rubbing his
hands, and he rapidly put on his overcoat
IN order to return in haste to the market.
But, oh, miracle! scarcely had he put on
this garment when his eagerness was cut
short. He seemed to be two men-the one.
when without his greatcoat, impudent and
VOID OF delicacy; the other, in the great
coat, timid and modest. Notwithstanding
that he felt himself filled with the most
benevolent sentiments, he did not give up
his return to the market place. Per
haps,' he thought, ~ shall be able to CON
quer this ailment.n
But the nearer he approached the mar
ket the more his heart beat and he felt the
need OF showing some kindness to this poor
crowd who toiled from morning till night
III ram and in mud in order to gSin two ko-
pecks. He had not thought of others
goods Far from it, his purse became
trust, because he realized that the money
in it was not his, but his neighbours.
Here are fifteen kopecks, my friend, - he
said to peasant, giving him the money.
why do you give me that, great simple
tons''
1T is indemnity for my grievous injus-
tees. Forgive me, for the love of God.''
Eth! may God pardon your
Thus he went through the whole market
distributing his money The thing done.
doubtless he felt himself relieved of a
great weight: nevertheless he remained
extremely pensive
i have certainly contracted some i'll
ness, " he said again. II had better 90
home, and will take the occasion to call
all the poor that meet along the way and
will feed them"
He did as he said. He collected a large
number of poor and led them into his
courtyard. At the sight his wife lifted her
hands to heaven, asking what new extrav-
agance this was Lovets approached her
gently and said, Here are the people, nv
little Theotlosie, whom it was my duty to
bring to you. Feed them, for the love of
God"
But he had hardly time to take off his
greatcoat when he again felt himself freed
from the bondage. Seeing from his win.
dows all the poor of the town collected in
his court, he could not understand what it
meant. What was the motive of this gath
ering? Must he feed them alls
"Who are all those peoples' he asked, |
pointing to the court.
What; those people there? Those are
the vagabonds that you told me to 'feed,"
replied Mime. I4ovets, sullenly.
Let them be chased away by the Shout |
dersp' he cried in fury. and he rushed
into the house like mailman He paced
up and down the room, saying, What has
come to me" What he, the punctual
man, ferocious when it concerned the full |
fillment of his professional duties. had he
become as limp as Il rag?
''Theodosie Petrovna, my little mother,
let me be bound for the love of Godl feel
that today | shall commit some absurdity
that will not be undone in a year." he said
in supplicating tone.
His wife recognized that there was some
thing seriously wrong with her husband.
She undressed him, put him to bed and
made him drink hot potions. Then the
dea struck her to go to the anteroom and
rummage in the pockets of his greatcoat.
The one contained an empty purse, the
>o1S' RiSNS VI Ntpy Oiiy paper. " nch
she unfolded this paper she exclaimed,
with a shudder: Here is the trick he has
played us, the wretch! He carries his con-
science in his pocket"
Then she meditatad how to get rid of
his conscience and on whom to palm it.
It was necessary that she should not crush
Ter chosen victim under the blow, but
merely cause him some unimportant incon-
,enience. Finally she decided that it
would be best to locate the conscience with
he Jew financier, Bzjotski, the originator
# many important schemes, the creator of
undry railways. "He, at all events, has a
trong neck; he will be able to support it,"
he thought
She then prudently slipped the conscience
INTO stamped envelope, on which she
wrote Bzjotski's address; then she threw
he letter into the letter box.
Nov, 'sshe said to her husband on enter
ny her house, ''you may safely go to the
market"
Bzjotski was seated at dinner, surround
d by his family. At one side of him was
me of his sons, aged ten years. The child
neditated on the operations of the bank.
what happens, little father, if place
It 20 per cent the money you have given