The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-09-30

country. So his mind was easy. and. as
| said, the father, the mother and the two
| children We're all happy together.
THE mother and the children were so
: happy that they staid at home and enjoyed
I one another's company, and the father was
/ SO happy that it made him restless in the
] mind. He got in the habit of going to the
| tavern every day, and sometimes more
than once a day, and he got TO drinking
more ale and wine than good for him.
And on these occasions his legs would wob-
BILE under him, If one leg wanted to go
home and the other wanted to go back to
the tavern.
Sometimes at the tavern he would get
to gaming, and when he lost his money, as
he always did, he'd ask his companions to
wait until he could go home and get more.
He would soon come back with his pockets
full. This happened so often that people
began to talk about it and TO wonder how
a man who had been so very poor could
suddenly become wealthy that he had
money to throw away at the gaming table.
His neghbors were very curious about 1t,
but they asked him no questions. and he
went on drinking and gambling for many
long days
But finally there came to that vii
lage a company of five who let it
be understood that they We're peddlers.
They came into the city on foot, car
rying packs on their backs, and pu. up
at the tavern. They were not peddlers
but robbers, who had been attracted TO
the village by rumors about me poor
man who was rich enough TO throw away
money night after night at the gaming ia
bic.
Shortly after nightfall three of the five
men arranged themselves around table ana
when the man came in they invited nm 10
join them. Two of the five sat by the fire
and appeared TO he watching the game
The man didn't wait for two invitations but
seated himself at the table and called for
wine Then the gaming began. Aided by
their two companions, the three robbers at
the table had no difficulty in swindling the
man. Though he came with all his pockets
filled with gold and silver, they were soon
emptied. The robbers piled him with wine
and he played wildly.
when his money was all gone, he cV-
cused himself and said he would 80 and
get more and then continue the game. lie
went cut and at sign from the leader the
two robbers who had been sitting by the
fire rose and followed him. They mad no
trouble in doing this, for the mans legs
were already getting wobbly. One leg
wanted to so home and so to bed, and the
other wanted to go back and be stretched
out under the table.
But, though the mans legs were wob
bly,, his head was pretty clear. He knew
ms way lbults anu ne hHtW MS Why INTO
the stable where the coat-olack sheep and
the snow-white goat were housed. The
two robbers followed him as closely as
they dared. but it was too dark for them
TO see what he was doing They knew that
ne went into the stable and presently they
ncard the jingle and clinking of gold and
silver. and then he came out with his poclS-
cts full.
'.Fhey waited until he had gone on to-
ward the tavern and was out of sight
Then they slipped into the yard and crept
II the stable. II was very dark in the
stable but not too dark to see dimy. The
Two men felt their way along and soon saw
that there We're two stalls in the stable
Each went into stall and began to feel
prts' ''2fl,,,-t nlS.S.- aNa.4..r.-i 49,
there was "a lqId thumr IN each stan anu
a yell of pain from both robbers Nheh
they STOPPED 20 feel along the ground the
coal-black sheep and the snow-white goat
rushed at them and gave each one i thump
that nearly Jared the senses out OF him.
The robbers rolled over with howl and
the goat and sheep thumped them again
and kept on humping again.
"Sut at last the robbers managed to es-
cane. but they made a pretty looking SIGHT.
Their hats were lost. their clothes were
torn and muddy, their heads We're bleeding,
tbeir eyes were knocked black and blue,
and thcv felt as II there was not whole
hone in their bodies. They were too fright