The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-12-02
night, and the slow hours dragged on

lutermlndDly. Dut at NEBtn u prOJeCt
presented itself to my now sharpened
senses, which project l put into execu-
ton when 6 o'clock struck.
Failure" said l to myself, "means
simply death. Success means a saved
reputation with my employers and q
VOW of strictest sobriety."
Everything being perfectly quiet. l
simulated a gradual waking up, and
my first yawn opened the eyes Of my
bedfellow. The second had the effect of
raising him from his recumbent posi-
ton in the bed, and when l slowly and
painfully awoke he was bending over
me, all solicitude.
Daylight was now stealing into the
my poor fellow" exclaimed the as
siduous one, chow do you feel now?
You will wonder, no doubt, at being in
my bed, but the fact is you were i'll
last night, were you not?"
"Ill?" said. "Ill?' And 1 put my
hand mechanically to my head. "Well,
I think I must have been. My head
does ache sou
He smiled and replied, "Well, my
dear fellow, not to put too fine a point
upon it I found you late last night in
the gutter, just a little bit the worse for
liquor, and two somewhat disreputable
looking men who were with you asked
me if l could manage to look after you
for the night
I expressed my profound thanks to my
good friend for his unselfish kindness,
but he modestly waved them aside, say
ing deprecatingly:
duty, sir, duty! I cannot neglect a
genuine case of human suffering or dan
ger without some attempt, however
slight, at succor."
l thanked him again.
Il am ILL.," 1 said. Il had too much
brandy yesterday. I must have a hair of
the dog that bit me. l must have a nip
now. 1t is the only thing which will
put me right. If you have any brandy
in the house, for heavens sake, sir,
bring me a drop!'
He hesitated a moment, then rejOined !:
"Certainly. Lie there and I'll be back
with it in a moment" and disappeared.
Much quicker than l can relate it, l
sprang up. went to the birdcage, drew
the sliding tray, transferred all the con-
tents into my handkerchief and thence
into my coat pocket, finally replacing
the tray. Not a moment too soon was l
back between the sheets, for in an in
slant my good Samaritan arrived with
the brandy. l drank and professed to be
much better. / dressed so did he.
Would l have breakfast? No! l most
reluctantly asked to be excused, being
in haste to catch the first train I possibly
could back to town, and I pointed out
to my noble host that either breakfast
or that train must Of necessity be given
up. Would he forgive me if I felt COM
PEELED to choose the train?
/ searched in my trousers pocket for
my money, gave a start of surprise,
shrieked out: "They have robbed me,
those villains. Robbed me last night!'
And l simulated as ably as I could a most
woeful expression of grief and despair.
Ny good friend sympathized deeply with
me. He invoked maledictions on the
head of any one who could be base
enough to rob an unfortunate stranger,
and with a generosity we'll nigh IN.
paralleled he pressed upon me to ac-
cept, seeing I was penniless, as a tenn
porary loan if I liked, the sum of &c
shillings.
"Do take it," he urged. "It is, you
know, more blessed to give than to re.
ceive. / am o rich myself, but a few
shillings in the cause Of philanthropy
shall not, cannot miss"
So, with renewed assurance Of in
debtedness, l wished my estimable ben
efactor adieu; told him l should never
forget him as long as l lived (here
really was speaking the truth) and de,
parted. What the locality was l knew
not, but 1 wandered-nay, 1 rushed OIL
and on-until l saw a sleepy looking
jehu, whom 1 babe drive me with al
possible speed to the station. The train
was just starting, and l jumped into al
empty compartment. Hastily l united
the bag and scanned the contents. Ii
and behold! l found that l had swep
the birdcage clean, for when / counted
the money there were G42 in gold ant
two G5 Bank of England notes, making
the very respectable total Of $50.
Now / am happily and peacefully set
tied in life, aud when round the tiresid'
at night l am called on for a story, moth
ing delights me better than to tell m,
tale of how the trappers were trapped
London Tit-Bits.