The sun., 1897-12-05

! rising. Tho candle Euttereu nnu IuCk-.
cred; Tho cmbcrs on the hcarth briehtcned oc-
/ casionully. as 4 trying to dispcl tho gathering
shadows, but, always inoiIcgtnally. The game
was frequently interrupted by the necessity OF
stirring tho fire. After an interval of gloom,
in which sach PARTNER snGGesSycly s, dreT s the
Jim said:
"Wcii' responded Uncle BILLY.
Are you sure that you saw that third crow
sure as I SOC you now-and dcrncd sight
:, "No!hin', / was just, tninkin' Look herei
Unclc billy was still losing Nevertheless,
he he said aid chcorfully, "lm OWN you matter OF
Uncle Jim examined the, book qbstrectedy.
suppose hc said slowly but without looking
nov. We play icr o iS% n6o half share Of Ne claim
Your half shGrci" repeated Uncle BILLY witS
amused incredulity.
"My hali share of the. claim of this yer
iIuiicn calls our rotten starvation property,s
reiterated Uncle Jim with u half smile.
it was of @ @ in he TaT Ss SSf the rSs
Of their ,, zane yet yN SyGM then he had had an odd
to have known i. Wade in, old pard." he
Uncle Jim lit another candle to reinforce the
fading light, and the deal fcll to | ncle Billy.
He turned up jack OF clubs; He also turned .
them, and glanced hastily at his partner, Its
d use doIm ri"yn M rh he said hGoa ,S, here ere He
tive tive sce King, and % queen S OF Of clubs. and jack q
spades. or left bower, which, with the turnedpp
Jack of clubs, or right bower, comprised all the
,"By jinEsi If we'd been playing ,foprhand:
have made four IN that deal. and h'isted some
money. en-! and his eyes sparked; Uncle
"oh, no, didn't see no three crows this after
| ner, in turn. began to shuttle the cards with la
| borious and conscientious cXactitude. Then
dealing. he turned up a heart for trumps Un-
|
hc had fins he'd his face had become ms pale az
What the mattcr!" said Uncle Jim, quick
ly, his own face growing white.
laid down his cards. face up, on the table. IL
was exactly tho sSquenG,c ,s in hearts he, % with the
take every trick.
They stared at each other with vacant face,
and haf'drawn smile of fear They could
hear tho wind moaning in the trees beyond,
5here ,M was sudden ral,lihg @ ny at ,hG door Uncle
his arm. Don't leave the cards! It's only the
wind; st down." he said, in II low, awch hushed
and two now, that makes you four; YOU We only
one point to make to win the game. Go on"
They both poured out cup of whiskcy.
smiling vaguely, yet with certain terror in
their eyes. Their hands were cold; the cards
when he had shvfilcd them he passed them to
his partner to % shuttle the them al also but did mot not
methodically he handed them back fatcfully to
h1sr partner. Uncle Billy dealt them with 9
You S are sure t, Of three tricks you know you've
won said lnce Jim i1, In voice i that was ,s scarce
tremulously laid down the ace and right and
left bowers. lie had won!
laughed ' Hys, " Sritaiy ally and discordanty Ridica:
lous and childish as their contest might have
been as great as that of the greatest gambler.
without the gamblers trained ,r resrcint cool.
ieSS' iooS mn n',I The rnrds again. "'i' D'"'
Don't" saI uncIc Jim. Its no use-tho
Just enc more DEAL pleaded his partner.
Uncle Jim looked at the fire. Uncle BILLY hasti.
tSe aG table T They We're ' be ordinary average
cards. He dealt again. with the same result.
Il told you so." SAID Uncle Jim, without look
It certainly seemed tame rerformansce
trial uncic Billy threw the cards aside and
, drew his stool before the fire. Mighty queer,
fhTce TN Zines ne funnias TiH yoa E"o% eta
: kind o, creepy % fcelin' dow down my back all the the
would believe it il we told eni-least of all that
T. Dick BnlIen. who don't believe in luck. any,
hed Gayo ooked Wa What are ?To you
~ Uncle Jim had faced around, and was gazing
= | at Uncle Bys good d-humored simple face
!, "Nothn'," he said. briefly. and his eyes again
Then don't look as if you was seein' suthin-
7 you give me the crceps, returned Uncle Billy,
i q little pelulantiy. Lets turn in-afore the
The fatcla cards were put back in The The drawer
a on 'af'e of ndTessnF aS' was quickly got ovep the
clothes they wore being put on top of their
%S%t Kind Of ' dream @ ri have to nisSs@Is
gh,Gr Ter pc snihn to @ eHPan s rner annt a
moments m"S ai he %as sound 10 asleep ts 10"
2 Not so Uncle Jim. He heard the wind grad
: that followed could detect the deep breathing
\ of his companion and the far-otf yelp Of coy.
yssS dn y t6s s
ticn Of the diving embers Of their fire, he could
n
so long The dismal patches on the bark roof.
ssory hs o t %4 Ssy h
+ plain to him now. without the sanguine hope
: that had made them bearabe, And And when he, hS
. in fancy down the steep mountain side that he
had trodden 50 often to the drcary claim on the
that encountered it. like empty shells Of the
!. hollow, proftless days spent there, which they
fortune to clear away He say again 1he
/ become scnnter At last he arose, and with
q infinite gentleness let himself down from his
and % WRAPPING MiG himself in his his blanket Went "a
' the door, which ne noiselcssly opened; From
in the northern sky he knew that 1t was yet
, scarcely midnight there we're still long rest
a state into which lie had gradually worked him
# self 1t seemed 10 him impossible to await tho
g But he was mistaken. For even as he stood
q there all nature seemed to invade his humble
>, cabin with its free ani fragrant breath, and
Il invest him with its great Companionship. He
" felt again in that breath that strange sense OF
It freedom that mystic touch of partnership
~ with the birds and beasts, the shrubs and trees,
U in this greater home before him. II was this
q vague communion that had kept him there
20 that still held these world weary workers
> IN their rude cabins on the slopes around him
and no felt upon his brow that balm that had M
j, nightly lulled him and them to sleep and for
y getfulness. IIc closed the door, turned away,
=, crcpt as nosclossly as before into his bunk
v again, and presently fell intoa profound slum"
- Der.
N N But when Uncle Billy awoke the next morn
y, ing, he saw il late for the sun. piercing tho
iss crack of the closed door was sending pencil
!, =, OF light across the cold hearth, like n match TO
y OF his strange luck The night before and Of dis.
N appointment that he had not had the dream OF
= dvinalion that he had looked for. lie sprang
TO the floor. but aS he stood upright his glance
- fell on Uncle Jini's bunk. II was empty. No,
~ only that but his blankets Cncle Iim'S OWE