Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-11-09

your jottering finger could find the trig-
ger, the hilt would dirl on your breast
| bane."
Eth, man: NV, wha Is denying g it," said id
your ain way; I'll do naething to cross
We Just tell me what like yell wanting,
and ye'll see that Wen can agree fine"
''Troth, sir" said Alan, Il ask for moth
| ing but plain dealing. In two words do
We want the lad killed or kept?''
80, sirs! cried Ebenezer. 20, sirs,
me! that's no kind of language
Killed or kept?" repeated Alan.
20 keepit, keepitp' walled my uncle.
well have nae bloodshed, if you
| please"
well" says Alan, 'as We please; that'll
| be the dearer.'
The dearerv' cries Ebenezer. would
We fyle your hands wi crime?"
"Hoot!' said Alan, they're bath
crime, whatever! And the killings cas-
| ier and quicker, and surer. Keeping the
lad II be fashions troublesome job, a
| fashions, kittle business"
"Tll have him kept, though" re-
! turned my uncle. Il never had naething
to do with anything morally wrong; and
I'm no gaun to begin to pleasure a wild
Hielandman."
''Ye're unco scrupulous,'' sneered Alan
I'm man O. principle said Eben-
ezer simply; land if | have to pay for
IT,.
says he, we forget the lads my brothers
son.
well, WE'LL" said Alan, land now
about the price. It's no very easy for
me to set a name upon it; l would have
to ken, for instance, what We gave Ho-
season at the first off-go?'
''Hoseason" cries my uncle, struck
aback. What for?'
For kidnapping David" says Alan.
Its a lee it's a black leev' cried nv
,, uncle. He was never kidnapped. He
Iced in his throat that tauld We that.
Kidnapped? He never wasr'
That's no fault of mine nor yet of
yours, said Alan; nor yet of Hosea
sons, If he's man that can be trusted"
What do We mean?" cried Ebenezer;
did Hoseason tell yep
Why, We donnered ould runt how else
would | kemp cried Alan. ''Hoseason
! and | are partners; we gang shares; so
+ ye can see for yourself what good We can
do leeing. And | must plainly say We
drove FOOLS bargain when We let man
like the sailor-man so far forward in
your private matters. But that's past
praying for; and We must lie on your bed
the way ye made it. And the point in
hand is just this: what did We pay him p
Has he tauld We himsel'?' asked my
uncle.
That's my concern" said Alan
Weel,' said my uncle, Il dinnae care
what he said, he Iced, and the solemn
Gods truth is this, that [ gave him
twenty pound. But I'll be perfectly hon
est with We: forby that, he was to have
the selling of the lad in Caroliny, whilk
would be as muckle mair, but no from
my pocket, We see.''
THANK you, Mr.. Thomson. That will
do excellently well,' said the lawyer,
stepping forward; and then mighty civil
ly,. Good evening, Mr.. Balfour," said l.
And, Its Draw NIGHT Mr.. Balfour,"
added Torrance.
Never a word said my uncle, neither
black nor white; but just sat where he
was on the top doorstep and
stared upon us like man turned
to stone. Alan filched away his
6lunderbuss; and the lawyer, taking him
by the arm, plucked him up from the
doorstep, led him into the kitchen,
whittier we all followed, and set him
down in chair beside the hearth where
the fire was out and only a rushlght
burning.
There we all looked upon him for
awhile, eXulting greatly in our success.
but yet with sort of pity for the mans
shame.
Come, come Mr.. Ebenezer," said the
lawyer, you must not be doWn-hearted
| for l promise you we shall make easy
terms. In the meanwhile give us the
cellar key, and Torrance shall draw us
bottle Of your fathers wine in honor
of the event" Then turning to me and
taking me by the hand, Mr.. David y
says he, Il wish you all joy in your good
fortune, which | believe to be deserved -
! And then to Alan, with spice of drol-
lery, Mr.. Thomson, | pay you my COM
pllment; it was most artfully conducted;
but in one point you somewhat outran
my comprehension. Do | understand
your name to be James? or Charles? or
/ is 1T George. OQrh9nS
J, And why should it be any Of the
three, sir?' quoth Alan drawing himself
up, like one who smelt an offense.
Only, sir, that you mentioned a
kings NAME" replied Rankeillor; .'and
as there has never yet been a King
come my way, | judged you must refer
to that you had in baptism"
This was just the stab that Alan would
feel keeneSt, and l am free to confess
he took it very i'll. Not word would he
answer, but stepped off to the far end of
the kitchen, and sat down and sulked;
and it was not until / stepped after him
and gave him my hand, and thanked him
| by title as the chief spring of my success,
| that he began to smile a bit, and was at
last prevailed upon to join our party
BY that time we had the fire lighted.
! and a bottle of wine uncorked; a good
| supper came out Of the basket. to which
| down; while the lawyer and my uncle
passed into the next chamber to consult
| They stayed there closeted about an
hour; at the end Of which period they
had come to good understanding, and
my uncle and | set our hands TO the
agreement in a formal manner. BY the
terms of this, my uncle was confirmed
for life in the possession of the house
and lands; and bound himself to satisfy
RankeillOr as to his intromiSSiOnS and to
pay me two clear thirds of the yearly in
come.
SO the beggar in the ballad had come
home; and when l lay down that hight
on the kitchen chests, | was a man of
means and had name in the country
Alan and Torrance and Rankeillor slept
and snored on their hard beds but for
me, who had lain out under heaven and
upon dirt and stones, so many days aud
nights, and often with an empty belly,
and in fear of death, this good change
III my case unnamed me more than any
of the former evil ones; and l lay till
dawn. looking at the fire on the roof and
| planning the future