The herald., 1894-04-08

two. at a. time in tho shanty, and his go.
ings ata ccmings were SO erratic, his
place 90 remote from the view of other
hahitatioDs that the question Of his
presence or absence was always an open
one. The farmars who passed on tho
highway had long since given up specu-
lating on The subject. Middals frequent
II denied himself fire even In mIdwin-
ter, 80 not even the absence of smoke
about the shattered chimney was proof
positive Of the mans presence elsewhere.
1t was ia this cottage that Lingo Dan
by this sobriquet was the taller Of the
two tramps, who had been lately depos-
tied in the Brighton cut by an inhospi-
table brakeman, known in such circles
as knew him at all intimately his
partner Billy were housed about
week after their advent in that part of
the country. BY marvellous. instinc-
tive faculty of penetration of stilling
his own curiosity, Lingo Dan had fully
possessed himself of all the facts in CON
nection with that shanty before he en-
tered it.
Covered by the drifting of the snow,
the presence Of these two was absolutely
unknown to a soul. In the driving
storm that followed their arrival like
wall OF emen all their tracks through the
snow had been obliterated.
Looking out of the eastern window of
the Middals shanty Lingo Dan gave a
sigh OF admiration. The sun was max
ing million diamonds dance about the
crust of snow that stretched away over
the fields and on the higwhay. 1t was
like rollicking cowboy shooting until
his victims dance for dear life. Clear
as crystal the air was intenselysensitive
to tone A farof ringing of sleighbells
sounded with distinctness that belied
distance. Out Of the blue of the sky the
glitter of the sun and the fierce purity
of the snow there arose splendid daz-
element that blinded unaccustomed
eyes.
1t would be pathetic" unused Lingo
Dan aloud after passing his hand over
his eyes to shut out the glare that began
to hurt him, "if we should find our op-
portunity on such day. Lock, Billy,
what day it is! HIM, l had not
thought this country capable of SO mag
nificent an effect. And yet, do you
know, think it is going to snow again
before uight2"
Billy offered no reply. He was en-
gagged in cleaning cut a rife, and at in
teryals he contorted his face into a
squint 80 that he might gauge the nicely
Of the barrels internal polish.
when come to consider the mat
ter, Lingo Dan went on, II begin to
regret my harsh words anent that brake
man. He was, as / now see it, an in
strument Of benign Providence. Provi-
dence is indeed singularly benign. What
could be handiM to our purpose than
this cottage ana ITS associations? Occu-
pied by a harmless hermit, it takes on
all the innccuousness possible. Benign
Providencel This man Middals is abb
sent, leaving US his shanty and his
shooting irons. Benign Providencel
feel it in my veins, now tingling with
the ezcitutfon 10 bcauttfu1 a day has
put mo in, that there win presently
come some one whose necessity is not
so great as ours In the interests of lib
erty and equality we must relieve his
person OF its vaiuabies ere we release
him. trust he will not resist. i sin
cerely trust So But if he does'--- He
Looked ut BillR'sA employment. sis it
cleansp a.o-e
swer.
Benign Providencel''
1t was as If in response to Lingo Dams
devout utterance that the eastern hilltop
became at this moment slightly clouded
with a fine powdery mist. Then the
forms of two persons on horseback ap-
peaTed upon the slope. 1t was evident
that their ascent of the farther side had
been accomplished at a canter. Even
at that distance, so clear was the day,
the breath from the horses nostrils could
be seen rising about them like halo.
At the first sight of them Lingo Dan,
smiling unctuously, said, "Ah, Billy,
our prey approaches.
"One?"
mo, there are two of them, They
are riding. One is man; the other, a
woman. They are young. Judging by
their present lettering and the interest
each exhibits in the other, l should say
they were lovers.
tNo good; they ain'tl" Billy gave
the rifle last vicious wipe and laid it |
upon a shelf.
Haste, my boy, is a dangerous in |
diligence. l beg to differ. think we
are in particularly good luck. Such
slight observance of the ways of my kind |
as l have been able to take has taught me
that in certain walks of life young
man never permits himself the company
of young lady without being sure that
he has money in his pocket. Yonder
young man is of that walk in life. |
There are, you see, so many possibili-
ties, such contingencies, that to provide |
ones self with money before providing
ones self with companion is merely to
prove ones appreciation of the world
we live in. This applies to ride of an
hour as we'll as to marriage for life"
Billy was apparently used to such
lengthy PHILOSOPHERS, for he replied as
II unconscious of the others wordy ef-
forts, Say, how about getting awsy?"
Easy easy. After OBJ
tanning the reward OF our exertions we
drift gently down the slope to the rail-
way, and presently boarding freight
turn our faces to the golden weet. !
have observed a ledge of rock from
which we can easily propel ourselves
onto the moving cars while the train is
toiling up the steep grade of the cut.
a MIL .rt <E<,sss Il =