The Afro-American., 1897-04-17

draE cats better than COWS.
IHher anxiety to exhibit her artist
io bilities in their higher manifesta-
tioR she took the paper out Of his
ha13s ana presented the opposite side.
AZ !rst he glanced at it listlessly, and
thei his eyes suddenly flashed, and he
examined it with .breathless interest.
Il Well, I'm blessed !" he exclaimed,
exdtedly.
1T was not q very judicial utterance,
bud the circumstances were excep'
tidal.
Here's the very letter Maxwell de-
claed he had received from Lightbody
alhg with the cheque. His reference
toit, as he couldn't produce it, did
hih more harm than good; but be-
liebe it's genuine, upon my word | do.
LAten it's dated from The Hollies,
Lbhtbody's private address:
MY dear MAXWELL have just
heard from the doctor that my time
here will be very short, and am try
ing to arrange my affairs as quickly as
possible. I have long recognized the
uaostentatious, but thorough and en-.
tirely satisfactory, manner in which
you have discharged your duties, and
as some little and perhaps too tardv
recognition of your long and faithful
services, and as a token of my personal
esteem for you, Ihope you will accept
the inclosed cheque for $3.50. With
best wishes for your future, believe
me, yours sincerely,
"'IHoMAs LIGHTBoDY.
"What do you think Of that? III
send it round to Maxwell's solicitor at
once.
'Oh. Matthew, then the poor fel
lows innocent, after alp"
"It looks like it. If this letter IS gen.
uine he certainly is. There, don't look
miserable again. I'm sure it is. Ii ii
had been forgery, you may be sure
it would have been ready for produc
ton at a moments notice. Where did
You get this paper, little girl?"
Dorothy blushcd guiltiIy and hung
her head
81 took it out of pas desk. II
wanted some paper to draw on, and
took it without asking. You won't
tell him, will you? He'll be ever SC
cross"
"Well, we may perhaps have to let
him know about it, my dear; but [
dom think he'll be bit cross. Now,
this lady will take you to your mother,
and you can tell her that papa won't
go to prison, and that he'll be home
tomorrow night"
He kissed her, and his wife held oui
her hand. But Dorothy fingered, with
hanging head and twitchlng lips.
"MaY I--may l say good bye to
Tommy, please?" she faltered.
"You sweet little thing" exclaimed
his wife, kissing her impulsively.
"Tommy's going with you," said
the Judge, laughing kindly. 81
wouldn't deprive you of Tommy's
for Tommys weight IL gold.
| fancy there are limits to the pleasure
which Tommy and l would derive
from each other ssociety, Thege- snn
a"a8 aB&dh a8B&dht ttnke 55 G52mnYp Yp8Tfs6ed Tjta the fat
puppy, captured him after an exciting
chase, and took him in her arms. Then
she walked towards the door, but the
corner Of hereye rested wistfully on
the contents of the brown paper par
eel. The Judge hastily gathered the
toys, rolled them up in the paper, and
presented them to her. But Dorothy
looked disappointed. The thought Of
giving them to purchase her fathers
pardon had been sweet as we'll as Bit
ter. She was willing to compromise
IN order to escape the pang that the
loss OF Tommy and the doll and the
paint box and other priceless treasures
would have inflicted, but she still
wished-poor little epitome of our
complex human nature to taste the
JOY of heroic sell-sacrlhce. Besides,
she was afraid that the Judge might
after all refuse to pardon her father if
she took away all the gifts with which
she had attempted to propitiate him.
She put the parcel on a chair and
opened it out. Holding the wriggliDg
puppy in her arms, she gazed at her
treasures, trying to make up her mind
which she could most easily part with
that would be sufficiently valuable in
the judges eyes to accomplish her pur-
pose. Finally, she selected the sheep,
and presented the luxuriantly woolly,
almost exasperatingly meek looking
animal to the indga
afEou may have that and the pretty
picture for bein' kind to papa. she
said, with the air of one who ufers
inestimable favors.
He was about to decline the honor,
but, catching his wife's eye, he meekly
accepted it, and Dorothy and the
puppy and the '.gc~n paper parcel
through the door.
swell, we'll, " said the judge, with a
queer smile, as he placed the fluffy
white sheep on the mantelpiece, Il
never thought | should be guilty of
accepting a bribe, but we never know
what we may come to.
The next day Maxwell was acquitted,
and assured by the Judge that be left
the court without a stain upon his
character. The following Christmas,
Dorothy received brown papeEna
toys Of the me-
,ul description from an
a. - 4