Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-06-24

pretended To be absorbed in pro-
found study of the patch of blue sky
that cleaned between the closely lean
Gccosted him and he brought his gaze
swiftly down to my level, and stared at
me with keen inquisitiveness.
Il have had long tramp" | said,
briefly, for he was not the kind of man
To whom | could explain my recent
terrible adventure land | have lost
some of my clothes by an accident on
the way. Can you sell me a suit? Any
thing will dol am not particular"
The old man took his pie from his
mouth.
Do you fear the plague?" he asked.
IL have just recovered from an at
tack of it, | replied, coolly.
He looked at me attentively from
head TO foot, and then broke into a
low ohuckling laugh.
Hal ha," he muttered, half To him
self. half to me. Good good, Here
is one like myself--not afraid not
afraid We are not towards We do
not find fault with the blessed saints
they send the plague, The beautiful
| plaguel--l love it, buy all the clothes
/ | can get that are taken from the
corpses they are nearly always eX-
Celleut clothes | never clean them
| sell them again at once-yes yes!
| Why not The people must dle-the
sooner the better, help the good Coo
as mucn as | can" And the old bias
phemer crossed himself devoutly.
| looked down upon him from where
! | stood drawn up to my full height,
with glance of disgust, He filled me
with something of the same repulson
/ | had felt when | touched the I'M
Irameable Thing that fastened on my
neck while | slept in the vault
Comet" | said, somewhat roughly,
will you sell me suit or no?"
Eyes, vest" and he rose stidly from
| his seat; he vas short of stature,
| and so bent with age and infirmity
/ and resembled more the crooked hough
/ of tree than a man, as he hobhled
I before me into ~ dark shop. Come
/ inside, come inside Take your choice;
| there is enough here to suit all tastes
4 See new, what would you? Behold
/ here the dress of a gentleman, ahl
what strong wool! English make? Yes,
yesl He was English that wore Il, a
| big, strong Milford, that drank beer and
/ brandy like water--and rich-just
| heaven, how rich, But the plague
! took him; he died cursng God, and
calling brayely for more brandy. Ha,
I ha, a fine death-a splendid death!
/ His landlord sold me his clothes for
! three francs-one two three-but you
must give me six, that is fair profit
/ is it not? And | am old and poor.
must make something to live upon
| threw aside the tweed suit he dis
played for my inspection. Nay |
said, 81 care nothing for the plague,
but find me something better than the
cast-off clothing of brandy soaked
Euglishman would rather wear the
motley garb of fellow who played
the fool in carnival"
The old dealer laughed with a
cracking sound in his withcred throat,
like the rafting of stones in tin
pot.
Good, good" he croaked. Il like
! that, | like that Thou art old, but
thou are merry. That pleases me;
enc should laugh always. Why not?
Death laughs; you never see a solemn
skull; 1t laughs always
And he plunged his long lean fingers
! into a deep drawer full of miscellane-
Gus garments, mumbling to himself
all the while. | stood beside him in
silence, pondering on his words, "Thou
art old, but merry" What did he
mean by calling me old? He must be
blind, | thought, or in his dotage. Sud
denly he looked up,
Talking Of the plague" he said
ut Is not always wise 1t did foolish
! thing yesterday very foolish thing
! II took one of the richest men in the
neighborhood young too strong and
brave; he looked as If he would never
| die The plague touched him in the
morning before sunset be was nailed
up and put down in his big family
vaulta cold lodging. and less hand
somely furnished than his grand mar
/ BILE villa on the heights yonder. When
/ ! heard the news | told the Madonna
she was wicked Oh, yes! ! rated her
suundly: she is a woman and capricl-
Gus; a good scolding brings her to
reason. Look you, | am a friend 20
/ God and the plague but they 10th did
stupid thing when they took Count
! Fabio Ttomani"
| started, but quickly controlled my
/ self into an appearance of indifference.
! Indeed" said. carelessly And
pray who was he that he should not
deserve to die az well as other peo-
ple2"
| The old man raised himself from his
stopping attitude, and stared at me
with his keen black eyes
TO be continued
WAS AT WATERI 90