Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-10

You will wonder, no doubt, at being
in my bed but the fact is you were ill
last night, were you not?"
GILL ?'' I said, "ill ?" and put my
hand mechanically to my head. "Well,
I think I must have been my head
aches so !"
He smiled, and replied: "Well, my
dear fellow, not to put too fine point
upon it, found you late last night in
the gutter, just little bit the worse
for liquor, and two somewhat disrepu-
table looking men, who were with you,
asked me if I could manage to look
after you for the night"
expressed my profound thanks to
my good friend for his unselfsh kind
ness; but he modestly waved them
aside, saying, deprecatingly:
"Duty, sir, duty! cannot neglect
a genuine case of human suffering or
danger without some attempt, howev-
er slight, at succor."
thanked him again.
II am ill.," I said. II had too much
brandy yesterday. I must have hair
of the dog that bit me must have a
nip now. 1t is the only thing which
will put me right. If you have any
brandy in the house, for Heavens
sake, sir, bring me drop"
He hesitated a moment, then re
joined:
"Certainly; lie there, and III be
back with it in a moment" and disap-
peared.
Much quicker than I can relate it, I
sprang up, went to the bird cage,
drew the sliding tray, transferred all
the contents into my handkerchief,
and thence into my coat pocket, final
ly replacing the tray. Not moment
too soon was I back between the
sheets, for in an instant my good
Samaritan arrived with the brandy.
I drank, and professed to be much
better. 1 dressed, so did he.
Would ] have breakfast No! |
most reluctantly asked to be excused,
being in haste to catch the first train |
possibly could back to town, and l
pointed out to my noble host that
either breakfast or that train must of
necessity be given up. Would he for
give me if I felt compelled to choose
the train.
I searched in my trousers pockets
for my money gave a start of sur
prise, shrieked out: "They have rob-
bed me-those villains, robbed me last
night" and simulated as ably as /
could most woeful expression of grief
and despair. My good friend sympa.
thized deeply with me. He invoked
maledictions on the head of any one
who could be base enough to rob an
unfortunate stranger, aud, with gen.
erosity we'll nigh unparalleled, he
pressed upon me to accept, seeing l
was penniless, as temporary loan of,
if I liked, the sum of 10 shillings.
"Do take it," he urged. 'It is, you
know, more blessed to give than to
receive. I am not rich myself; but a
few shiIlings in the case of philan-
thropy shall not, cannot, miss"
So with renewed assurance of in
debtedness, I wished my estimable
benefactor adieu, told him I should new
er forget him as long as I lived (here
I really was speaking the trnth), and
departed. What the locality was l
knew not, but I wandered-nay, l
rushed-on and on until 1 saw a
sleepy-looking Jehu, whom l Dade
drive with me all possible speed to the
station. The train was just starting,
and I jumped into an empty compart-
ment. Hastily united the bag and
scanned the contents. Lo, and be-
hold I found that I had swept the
bird cage clean, for when counted
the money there were s42 in gold
and two s5 Bank of England notes,
making the very respectable sum of
ESP.
Now I am happily and peacefully
settled in life, and when round the
6reside at night I am called on for
story, nothing delights me better than
to tell my tale of how the trappers
were trapped.