Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-15
q yellow 0ster.
g Y lot y

NOW stop grooming. and do your
work. neither l nor the Lord would
touch you with a pair of tongs III your
present condition! You have earned
your punishment and of course you
shall get it. If you lived decently you
would have a first-rate place and you
know it. and. look here, | have come
to the end of my patience, if L find
you in this state again, | shall sack
you"
folly gave an anguished sQueal.
"Oh. I'll try, sir, does try, | swear
to God I does. l tries, does. till l
sweats like a bullock and doesn't know
if I'm on my head or my heels, but
summon it amt no go. Don't sack
me. for the love of God, don't. SIR
"Finish your sweeping, and go over
that place under the table again. L
shall see how you get on after the
bath and the castor oil.
"'Poor beggarI said Strange to him
self, as he ate his ham and drank his
well-sweetened tea. "POor beggar! l
wonder if I shall ever make anything
out of him! Only that the creature is
50 weakly-lOok at the miserable hold
of his claws on that dustpan!-1 should
take him about with me, the Arabs
would teach him sobriety anyway and
he might pose as an apostle Of Christi
anity among them"
At this thought Strange chuckled
aloud, and helped himself to another
slice of ham.
Toilys face frightened as he heard
the sound, he turned furtively to watch
his earthly Providence, and went on
with his busting with redoubled fury.
"Now," said Strange, when he had
finished, carry all these things into
the next room and have good feed.
When did you happen to have your
last meal?"
On the point of truth Strange was in
exorable; the fellow dared not lie; but
he had sort of bastard pride about
him and felt the question keenly.
Turning a sickly puce, he stammered:
81 haven't had nothing yesterday,
sir, summon 1 didn't feel like it."
mo? Well, if I were you I'd cult
vate the feeling now. Send in the bar
Der on your way to the bath, and hand
down that ink bottle from the shelf
before you go. Pah! you can't even
fill an ink bottle, your hand shakes so!
Upon my word, if L have to sack you
I don't know what you'll do, you aren't
worth four-pence week in this condi-
ton"
TolIy gave a dumb shudder and his
fang kept time to it.
Five years before, Strange had
picked him up out of a sewer, where
he went to learn the trade of rafting.
Strange liked to learn the ms and
outs of anything that had any sug-
gestion of human interest in it.
He had brought he half-dead, mouldy
creature to his rooms, and after saving
his life, it struck him to keep it, and
see what could be done with it. This
was the result.
AS long as Strange was at home
! folly kept straight, but directly he
was out of reach, the miserable alb
! sorbing craving took hold of. the
wretch. and pinched, and pulled, and
nipped, as with raging hot irons, at the
very soul of him, till at last he swal-
! lowed his humanity at a gulp, gave
way to the beast, and fled to the gin
! shop.
! For three weeks he had endured the
torture this last time. Strange thought
with grim pity, as he watched him
| through the heavy eastern curtains, de-
vOuring his food to the dropping of
! tears.
poor beggar! l shall never be able
to get rid of him as long as life holds
whatever morsel Of soul he may have
| in him. Meanwhile, 1 cannot stand
that solitary fang; when he has got
! over his brew I shall get him a set
Of teeth
! He lay back and laughed. They'll
be the ruin of his immortal soul, those
teeth; fancy the grin of the fellow
when his lips have resisting surface
to stretch across! Brown will charge
frightfully for filing such cavern ~
He laughed again and turned to his
work, and in two hours he had the first
batch of copy" ready for the printer.
Then he yawned and stretched. and
apologized to the barber, whom he
had kept waiting an hour and ten
! minutes.
When he was shaved, he dressed,
/ and set forth to resume civilization.