Evening star., 1896-02-29

bottle of Burgundy. I never had better
supper in my life. He passed me anything
1 wanted and filled my glass. For the life
OF me. couldn't help grinning.
Now, then" he said, what's amusing
your
Il was only thinking, that's ALL 1t seems
a queer way for a parson like you to treat
chap like me. 1 come here to crack this
crib, you fairly get me, and no word about
the police-never word. First you give
me thrashing and then you give me sup
per-"
well, you can't deny that you wanted
both Of them badly. What else should a
parson have done? What did you expect
tell me honestly"
Speaking honestly, I expected more talk
more parson talk, you know"
And what do you mean by that?'
"Why, the sort of thing I was always
hearing when was boy-about the sin
fulness Of it, and repenting, and hell"
DO you think it would do you any good
If talked like that?"
"Well, no.
Nor do l." He changed the subject then,
and told me there was a good chance for
work at Enton mills. They were short
give me line to the foreman. "You tell
me-" he said, that you are Interested in
machines, and know little about them;
that that might IT, help you II you can do any
in the way Of repairs, when some trife goes
Wrong-they'Il soon find it out. Smart men
that go there stop and work their way up.
It's the rarest thing for them to be short
mandolin fact, you're in luck"
thanked him, of course. 1 had meant.
II ne let me on, to go on to Enton But
had no Intention of going near the mills or
gettng regular work of any kind. How
ever. did not want to annoy him by tell
ing him that l preferred my own Way of
living, especially as he seemed SO pleased
Win MS idea about the mills. After sup
PER per ns sat oown and wrote a line or two to
hn
ven. AS he was writing it the clock strncI
tnree. You will start at once" he said
IS so ,, as t" be be there early. You won't be able
put you can begin work the next dav IT,
important you should apply early. before
everyth:ng's filled up.' 'eiofe
-. .nanked him again, and asked him to
pue me on the right road. What wanted
was to get him out into the dark He cama
out OF the house with me- showed me which
turn to take. and said goodbye.
o.. Come and see me again; have much to
say to you when the right time comes" 7
thanked him and said goodbye. :
L walked until I heard his front door
smut, and then ran just about as hard
as as. could 1 passed one policeman, and he
tried to stop me. but lodged him and rot
away. was on the outskirts of the Vii
!age then. and once past him. had a
lonely country road and nothing to fear.
You see, while was on my back I had
noticed the parsons watch chain. I took
care not to look at 1t again, but kept It in
my memory. While he was saying good
bye to me in the dark 1 got an easv
chance. The parsons gold watch and
chain were in my trousers pocket, and he
never had the least notion when I took
them. My notion was now to get on to
Enton about 5, and take a workingmau's 3
train on to Waterloo
1 chnckled to myself. He'd called me a
ginger-headed scoundrel, stopped me swear
ing, spoiled my little game, and given me
thrashing, but had the better of him in
the end. There were his watch and chain
In my pocket, and in less than four hours
I should be handing them over to Ike and
getting three or four sovereigns for them.
As I walked along 1t gradually began to
grow light, and somehow or other I lost
my spirits 1 stopped chucxling; the more
I thought about the neat way that I had
scored of that parson the less I felt In
clined to laugh about that or anything
else. I got angry about nothing. It may