The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-11-17
ANDERSON INTELLIGENCEP

my cnum seeing the movement that
express agent slipped bill in my
| hand
IF you need any more, he whis
pered, meet me at the station be-
fore the night train goes out. Not y.
word to soul.
II saw the figure 'one' and two
cipners. l thought I was floating
on air. Calling the waiter l told
him to ask Billy for a bottle Of the
coldest wine he had. Bring i'll four
glasses, said, and tell Billy. to
join us, and trot out some more OF
those perfectos.
Harry couldn't raise the wine
glass to his lips. His teeth chat
tered when Billy sat down to tic
table, and Billy acted as if he were
about to chew the glass.
You ought to keep that wine q
little cooler, Billy I said.
" 1t has had time enough to freeze
since you last bought bottle, he
replied.
Here, waiter, I said, take this
back and bring US a colder bottle,
and open fresh box of cigars.
BILLY got up, expanded his chest
and turned on his heel. Harry
leaned across the table and in a
voice that seemed to come from the
grave said:
I can sec our finish. I hope
Billy will take an ax to us and end
it Quick, that's all
My friend the agent had gone.
" Come on, Harry, I said, as !
called for the check.
Oh, Lord, said Harry, cant
we have it over in herei'
'' Be man, I said. Make ou1
last play in front of the bat.
You'd have thought we were 60
ing to the gallows if you could have
seen Harry's gait, and he shivered
when 1 opened on Billy.
"'Well, Billy, remarked, I sup.
pose things will pick up here after
awhile. I have got lot of I o US
in my pocket. don't suppose you'd
like to take any of them for our din.
ner, would youi'
".Billy went up in the air. Harry
staggered backward and collapsed
in chair. Of course Billy didn't
stay up long. When he came down,
there was fire in his eye and an ice
pick in one hand. I didn't monkey
any longer I flashed the hundred
under his nose and said: Come
down on earth, Billy. I only want.
ed to have little fun with you.
Well, I'm ID said Billy
as ne dropped the ice pick. Say,
Drifter, if that dinner had lasted
five minutes more without my see.
ing the color of your money, I think
I would have kicked the front OF
this place out. Now join me in a
bottle in the back room. Why,
what's the matter with Harry2
".My chum had tainted. The
strain was too much for him. When
we brought him around, he laughed,
cried and raved about folks at home
ard about being hungry. He kept
on ordering food and drink just as
man who was delirious from starva.
ton would do. Billy put him to bed
and sent for our friend the doctor,
who fixed Harry up all right.
II didn't forget to be at the sta
ton when the night train pulled
out. l wanted to thank my friend
the express agent. He shook hands
with me as he clambered on the car
and said:
lone good turn deserves another,
Drifter. Don't think too harshly Of
me when you get the news and don't
give me away until I have had timo
to get under cover.
"That crisp 500 bill which the
agent slipped into my hand at Eng
lish Billy's was part of the proceeds
of a touch he had made on the mon
ey boxes of the express company.
He was defaulter for several thou
sand dollars The news leaked out
The next day, but Harry and l had
had our meal Perhaps you can un-
derstand now why I never refuse to
help a poor devil who says he is
hungry New York Star.