The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-04-05

| He leaned across the table and shook q
1Udrnifg tOrctnger In my face.
entable connection You do not know
how should you?-the nature of this
| village and it's residents.
began to wonder if the man was
mad or if there as method in his mad
ness. ''This place, sir, is the refuge of
| those who can no longer live among
| their fellow men, Here all alike have a
| disgraceful past and can meet on equal
| terms In fact, it would be in the high
est degree unmanneriy to speak of what
may have happened. Some words, such
as detection, punishment, justice and
the like, are never used here. Be careful
| not to use them.
Good heavens!"
"Why not? People must live some-
where Surely it is best, when man
| comes out, to join community Of 9TH
ers who have either come out or been
driven from society. All, my young
friend, have now been here six months
and more, and have as yet regarded
the possession of this knowledge as sa-
cred secret, but to see young gentle
man trapped cannot longer remain
silent | cannot indeed.
wanted to ask him if he had recent
| ly ''come out, " but forbore.
''In the very first villa outside the
town, " this agreeable person went ON,
there lives lady who was once tried
for her life in Scotland. She got off be-
cause the verdict was mot proved. ?"
But she did it, my dear sir, she did it.
have read the evidence, and | think !
may be allowed some experience in evil
dence She did 1t. "
"Well?"
And on the other side of my house
lives man who was cashiered-drum-
med out of the army, sir, and he ma
jor-for cowardice. Oh, yes My house
is between Them"
"And what have you done?" asked
impudently.
He shook his head sadly, as if / was
greatly to blame for asking so indis-
Greet question
Opposite to us there lives an aged
Clergyman. Ask him-l am not libel
Gus person. say only ask him why he
holds no benetce now-ask him that.
To say of his neighbor that he is q
fraudulent bankrupt and lives upon
the profits would not surprise you,
suppose And of the Hon. Mr. Arthur
Mompesson, another of our neighbor res
idents, that he was expelled all his clubs
for cheating at cards would not strike
| you perhaps as at all an unusual inci-
dent i'll gentleman career.
But what did you do?" For the man
was reeling out these accusations with
malignant joy which made ones brain
turn. what is it that you have done?"
He shook his head again.
And there's another man, who made
his fortune by wrecking ships, overin-
surfing them and then overlooking them.
He is churchwarden now-ho, hol
And as for old Reeve, as he calls him
self now, who wants to throw over his
old friends, refuses to speak to me if he
meets me and has forbidden me the
house-why, ! defended him, sir de-
Tended him, and this is his gratitude.
"You-you defended him? What
were you then?"
What was |, sir? ! would have you
know, sir, that ! was a barrister, sir,
and queens counsel, sir. What do
you think of that?''
"You were barrister and queens
counsel? Then why are you no longer
either? What did you do?' | asked
again.
He shook his head no longer, but
sprang to his feet. with fierce gesture,
and for moment thought he would
have made for me.
! why" said. looking him steadily