Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-11-08
CHAPTER Ky.


CHAPTER Nv.
Humphrey Strange gave a sort OF
snort, made for the window. and threw
il open
Cru. Thia room is beastly. I'll swear
that window hasn't been open for d
month, the whole place is musty with
mildew. The beggar is drank or the
wire was delayed III have fire any
way
BY the way he went about making
IL, it was easy to see the man knew
his work First he showed his stick
up the chimney to see il 1t was free.
then he looked around
''Plenty Of kindling," he muttered.
bouncing on Il handbook in the corner
with battered old hat in II. "Tolly's,
III be bornd. reeking with grease, IA
direct interposition of Providence,
thisr'
He crushed ii up, crammed II into
the gate. and arranged broken pieces
Of handbook above 1t with mathemati-
cal precision. then he rummaged a
broken chair out of an inner room.
smashed the rotten legs across his
knees, and added them to the heap,
which at the first touch of the match
shot into flame.
1T Will clean the brutal air, he re-
marked, "and it is quite cold enough
for a fire. | wish had stayed where
| was till June. Tolly's bout might
have been over by that time Not
so much as the smell of an oil rag
here" he continued rejecting, Il must
90 out and forage"
Putting another chunk of chair on
the fire and forcing a side window
open with an ease that spoke well for
his condition. he went out and re-
turned shortly with a big knobbly par
Gel in one hand. and smooth brown.
paper one in the other
From the first he produced huge
wedge of steak. some cut slices of
ham, and n loaf of bread. the brown
held n bottle of beer.
When the fire had burnt down to
a hot bed of cinders. Strange put the
tongs across it, the poker and piece
of thick wire he had poked out of Il
cupboard across these, then balanced
the steak on the top Of this gridiron.
and watched II fiZzling and suffering
with a gratified air of expectancy.
Il left a gridiron. a saucepan. and Il
kettle in the bottom of that cupboard =
he unused, keeping keen eye on the
grill 'all in decent condition. folly
again! I'll put the fear of God in the
fellows heart before tomorrow's out.
That must be tomorrow, not tonight
A sell for me. my boy, If not for You.
] feel Just up to it now, by tomorrow
the desire may have lost its SAVIOR
must find something to put this steak
on and to hold the beer Not a sign
Of my pewter Phew, one cracked
glass Lord! there were dozens! and
one hot-water plate with half the delft
off it, could swear | left that shelf
full of crockery: and after this Chris
tian man is expected to do no muir
der!'
When he had got half through the
slab Of steak a strong thirst came on
Strange
There is corkscrew in one of my
inner pockets" he reflected. looking
lazily round, "never mind. this is
Shorterr'
He stretched out his arm for the
poker, and with 1t. knocked the top of
the bottle clean off and drank his beer
with wholesome satisfaction.
When he had eaten and drunk
enough. he pushed back his plate and
glass, and took bundle of quilts and
some MS, paper out of small cabinet
Seemingly Tolly has found no use
for these" he thought, as he sharp
ened a quill.
He then produced bundle Of
Smudgy notes from an inner pocket
and laid them by the paper.
IN have thorough good smoke. :"
he said, stretching his legs. and then
III be game for six hours work.
swear" he continued. rubbing his hid
eous, inch-long, bristly, reddish beard.
"Fll not touch an individual brlstle of
this mat till Lynton has got his first
consignment OF copy then I shall
clean up and resume civilization"
Strange was a good many things
but he was above all others a traveller.
he had neither nerves nor stomach.
which is proof sufficient that he had
been preordained TO the role, and he
had discovered his election very early
in life.
AT the opening Of one Of his Elton
vacations, when to look at he was a
mere chit Of child with a pair or
gray eyes that were staggering from
the sheer artlessness of them. he had
lodged the parental eye at Waterloo,
and instead of going down into Plow-
shire, he had taken ship at Rother-
hithe, and had reached Amsterdam by
the skin Of his teeth, the tub being
untrustworthy and nearly laundering
i'm mid channel
To BE Continued.
SECRETARY EsHAM Ill.