The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-08


shine like now ketue. III is wonderful
hoW such e. crust could settle on it iu the
time. ana old CO. drew his lip uD until
/ his nose looked longer and more pro-
uOuucel than ever
He went on doggeIIy with his work
I Keeping his ears open all the while Tor any
signs 81 movement iu the shop. 70 was
I quiet enough at present. but he dreaded
am invasion OF newspaper reporters and
interviewers. so soon as mis- loss had been
nolsed abroad. which ID could not ran
Z 10 he Boo little time. His mind seemed
soOthel ana composed under influence OF
MS daily habits, however, ana the ola
man VINO mad graspcd the air was quite
another being TO the practical luait dual
who roasted his own potatoes over hand
fui Of scauly fuel. and who grudged ev-
efy moment of precious daylight as ne
diligently scraped away al the counterfeit
GreutZ.
The somber shadows decpcned closing
gradually round the old man as he SAT
perched on his high stool. They came
creeping nearer and nearer. like the walls
Of that diabolically constructed dungeon
are SAID ~ nave done round some mis-
cradle victim of the inquisition. Yet he
preScVered at his task till the 'Wreatheu
smile pn the pictured face became phat-
tom-iike. There was a reckoning air in
the backward inclination of the nead.
and the old mans fingers faltcred. He
raised his eyes stealthiy and let them
travel round the gloom, then Slid from
his perch and stood irresolute. The shaG-
oWs uarkcncd and thickeucd. He breath
ed in short suorting kind of gasps as if
corner of the gilt frame hanging empty
on the OppOS &c wall CLEANED at him like
an eye FUN of triumphant malice. and az
tnat moment voice sounded shriily In
the deserted street.
Mysterious theft Of a well known pic
turei Loss of the celebrated Ma-d0n-neri''
The jew shook from head TO foot as he
listened. for this was the notoriety he
had expected.
IL
Two hours later tho shop door was bllrg,
lmpetuOusly open and a slim. Wcll-dressed
youth stood on the threshold shading his
eyes in the solitary habit OF light from
the room beyond. which shot through the
darkness and fell on his face. Then ne
made his way cautiously amid the bric-a-
1t is D." he cried in answer to a surlv
growl at is Reuben"
who told YOU to Gomez snarled Old
Co. standing I'm the doorway Of his work
room from whence he surveyed his visitor
with anything but an inviting air.
NO one told me to come" faltered the
'Then go back to your rich relations as
your mother did before you and don't
trouble me again. the jew said. harsh
is it true?" whispered the lad. COM
ing nearer.
is what truey''
,,, They ne; say You win have to pay for
man in your way of business"
All, they say that, do they2"
Yes, yes, and / came here because
was afraid you might do something
The old jew did not answer for mo-
menl II may be that some fiber less
tough than others i'm his nature was
touched, for he stepped backwards be
meath the swinging lamp, his lean hands
folded, and gazed thoughtfully at the
peauului boNish coun0nance, with its
touch OF eager compassion i'm the parted
llpe ana dreamy eyes In that light and
win that expression, II was a head such
as Raphael himself might have painted
q r,fs. al
instinct uppermost, Isaac Cohen first i'm
pressed him with that idea then began
vaguely 70 reckon how much such pic
lufe would be worth. But these We're only
fieeting confused tricks of though which
arose from habit; underneath them all
lay something that angered him, while it
set all the pulses in his body quivering
Tor he both lOnged to strain Reuben to
his breast and at the same time to cruelty
repulse him.
Seeing some traces Of this agitation.
without rightly divining its cause, Reuben
approached and seized both the withered
hands in his own in an impulsive out
burst Of boyish affection.
Let me live for you-let me work for
you, ." he exclaimed
To his astonishment, the old man shook
MIN of as If he had been some poison
Gus reptile, and stood motioning him to
go with a vehement gesture more elo-
quent than speech.
'Oh, why do you hate me SOP" cried the
lad, instinctively covering for an instant
beneath that malignant glance. why do
you lock at me as if you would kill me?"
"GO-gO instantly, before / do"
Reuben cast look of terrified appeal
round the room, and his eye encountered
the empty frame hanging on the wall
1 men the lear dled out OF MN, and he
turned with sigh of compassion toward
the strange demented figure in the tat
tered gown, which still stood in a men
aeing attitude before him.
Father
The word came like a whisper from
some forgotten paradise, like an echo
heard in a dream; or Ike some strain of
music floating back from bygone days, and
Old co. trembled at the sound.
Father" continued the other eagerly.
seeing the advantage he had gained. For
years | dreamt of you and wondered what
| you We're like Oh, how often I have
cried because they said you were harsh
and cruel and hated the sight of your
| only child. They told me how my mother.
an orphan girl, was married to you against
/ her Will, and how she ran away from you
| to her brother and took me with her so
| that never again did either of US cross
1 your threshold. In spite of all this, ]
! longed to see my father, and one day
they brought me to this place and told
And hers" Kissed the Jew, angrily,
and he spat upon the ground. Her face
| her voice her touch" he shuddered
| Yes my poor girl-motheri She is dead. -
said the boy with tears quivering in his
i voice and eyes. God knows whether
your treatment shortened her life, but /
! your son--Offer to come back. to leave
| the rich uncle who is kind to me and
to be the prop and stay of your old age
| When / heard of the misfortune which
has befalen you l resolved to come 81
he concluded, with a grave dignity be
| yond his years.
Old co. took two or three PAGES about
the room, his head sunk on his breast
| and his arms hanging loosely at his sides
He shufiied rather than walked In felt slip
pers, which made no noise and to Reu.
ben. who was accustomed to the we'll
| groomed appearance of the pOrtly Jew his
uncle, in his luxurious surroundings. this
mean, bent figure. slipping furtiVely about
had something repulSiVe.
Ar the horror which his youthful mother
must have felt for such "A husband sick
ened in the boys soul. He felt almost
as if her spirit possessed him. and he was
living over again the suffering she mus
have endured. Still he did not waver il
his resolution.
Does this place attract you?"
The question was so sudden that Reu.
ben started. His father was watching hin
kenly with the skin of his face draw
up in that disagreeable, sneering grin pc.
culiar TO him.
mo. but I could live here"
"And what would you dor
1.-The same work yours. if you would
teach me and-and ! could mind the
shop" said Reuben sweetly, but he sighed
as If reinquishing some cherished dream
"Hein! So You could turn yourself into