Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-08-22

Imp1oring Me to Spare His Life.
to his own devices. The piled-up
grapes looked tempting, and 1 was
both hungry and thirsty. I laid q
hand on the sleeping mans shoulder;
he woke with start Seeing me his
face assumed an expression Of the
widest terror; he jumped from his
cart and sank down on his knees in
the dust, imploring me by the Madon-
ma, st. Joseph and all the saints to
spare his life. laughed; his fears
seemed to me ludicrous. Surely there
was nothing alarming about me be-
yond my paucity of clothing.
"Get up, manv' 1 said. II want
nothing of you but few grapes, and
for them will pay" And I held out
to him couple of francs. He rose
from the dust, still trembling and
cycling me aska re with evident sus-
picion, took several punches of the
purple fruit and gave them to me
without saying word. Then, pocket
ing the money proffered, he sprang
into his cart, and, lashing his pony
until the unfortunate animal plunged
and reared with pain and fury, rat
tied off down the road at such a
break-neck speed that saw nothing
but whirling blot of wheels disap-
pearing in the distance. was amused
at the absurdity of this mans terror.
What did he take me for, wondered :?
A ghost or a brigand? ate my grapes
leisurely as walked along; they were
deliciously cool and refreshing; food
and wine in one. I met several other
persons as neared the city, market
people and vendors of ices; but they
took no note of me; in fact, I avoided
them all as much as possible. On
reaching the suburbs turned into the
hrst street saw that seemed likely to
contain few shops It was close and
foul-smelling; but 1 had not gone far
down 1t when l came upon the sort Of
place sought-a wretched tumble
down howell, with partly broken win
dow, through which shabby array
OF secondhand garments were to be
dimly perceived strung up for show
on pieces of coarse Irvine. 1t was one
of those dirty dens where sailors re-
turning from long voyages frequently
go to dispose Of the various trif1es they
have picked up in foreign countries, so
that among the forlorn specimens of
secondhand wearing apparel many
,uaint and curious objects were to be
en-, such as shells, branches of rough
u, strings of beads, cups and dishes
ed out of cocoanut dried gourds,
of animals, fans, stuffed para
and old coins, while grotesque
IN idol peered hideously forth
between the stretched-out por-
ia pair Of old nankeen trousers,
III surveying the miscellaneous
in idiotic amazement. An
l sat smoking at the open
lis promising habitation, a
nen of a Neapolitan grown
kin of his face was like a
rown parchment scored all
80 deep burrows and wrinkles,
aga time. disappearing Of the
he had himself penned upon it,
PATCHED over and blotted out all
S, so that no one should hence
4 be able to read what had once
cen clear writing. The only ANNA
Stion in him seemed to have concen-
Grated itself in his eyes, which were
sblack and bead-like, and roved hither
and thither with glance of everest
Cess and ever-suspicious inquiry. He
saw me coming toward him, but he
pretended to be absorbed In a pro-
found study OF the patch of blue sky
TINT cleaned between the closely lean.
Ing houses OF the narrow street nc.
costcd him. and he brought his gaze
swiftly down to my level. and stared
ut me with keen inQuisitiveness.
y have had q long tramp" l said