The Holly chieftain., 1897-08-06

10 bring oranges and sometimes grapes
on his return to the garret at night.
And John Endleton hated it, lie re-
>cnred it tiercely and shrauk back when
lem Brooker approached the bed and
looked down at .Jackie's face.
" the winter passed into the spring
Jackie seemed 10 grow weaker instead
| Of stronger, ard at last. with solitary
shilling in his pocket, John EndIrton
set off in desperation for q doctor II
anything happened to the boy he would
have nothing 10 live for. and the
thought seemed to choke him But be
knocked At the doctor's door without
success. The doctor was husy-tOO busy
10 attend to him until night. and when
night came he had forgotten all about
il, and Jackie lay in half fever. moan
[ ing and tossing rcstlcssls from side to
side. while EndIcton sar over him with
rage al bis heart.
When. towards morning. Jem mount
. ed IN" creakiHg stairs in his usual half
drunken fashion and staggered into be
/ Tarro' he found Eudletor sitting by
/ .hr sid" Of the mattrrs, with his face in
his hands. \ pale moon sent shaft of
/ light ON to the boys sleeping face, and
|i' looked white and drawn and cold,
az II already the shadow Of death lay
/ upon lt.
/ Jrm stopped in drunken surprise. 4
. stupid grin crossed his iacr He stared
and waved his arm wildly in the air
| He tried to speak, but hs voice was
hoar,e With brandy. and the figures of
the boy and his father danced before hi,
| eyes by The dozen.
/ He muttered some words-indistiu-
/ guishable and meaningless. and. col
/ lapsiEg suddenly. he tumbled down on
| his mattress and huddlcd himself to-
gerhrr ia a drunken sleep.
When he awokr gray dawn was
pc"ping slowly in through the small
-quar" Of glas, II the roof and every
/ thing in the diugy Earret appeared un-
real and lifc!es. The boy on the bed
Sr"I-cd scarcely TO breathe
Jrm raised himself on his elbow and
looked round. and some remembrance
OF the last night scrne began to pass
] through his mind. He looked. and il
seemed TO him that .Iohn EndIeton had
never moved. Tn" moonlight had gone
from the boy's face and the dawn had
come instead, but John Endlrton was
still sitting there" huddled mp on the
floor with his face buried in his hands
J"m lifted himself slowly from his
mattress and stretched himself with
big ydwu. Then hr looked again at the
TWO iu the corner. aud after a minute
got up md went towards them.
"Nin't the little 'um well?" he asked.
clumsiIy. "Wot's up with 'un?"
John Endlriou stirred impatiently.
The sound OF the rx-conyict's voice
seemed to rouse all his hatred and dis
gust. He looked round with repuIsion
upon his face. and Jem. seeing it,
shrugged his shoulders and sneered
"Ou, we'll il ye're 30 mighty niudr-
pcnucut an 'augh,y. ~ by don't yer tax
lodriu's m m Grand? A-cuurse if yer
don't want no 'cIp don't care. Only
thought" he added, brutally. "as tn
chap, q dytu' like. as yer might want
somrthiu' for i'm.
John EndIeton started and looked
down at the boy, with his wan face,
with his thin hands and faItering
breath. For moment it seemed to his
excited Imagination that the Doy had
ceased To breathe, and he leant for
ward hurriedly and with trembling fin
gers pulled back the sheet.
He's all right. He's not dying!" he
exclaimed, eagerly. But at the same
time 1t was borne upon him that un-
less lie had nourishing things to eat, and
those quickly, there would be no hope OF
ever pulling him round again. and the
thought stabbed his heart with sudden
bitterness.
He turned to the burglar. 1t was pos
sibie that Jcm could help him. Jem
raight know where to get help. or work.
or even charity; but Endleton's pride
still stood up in arms, aud with de-
termination to have nothing to do with
him he turned away.
Jem. with fierce sneer on his lips
and a burning hatred in his heart
against Endlcton. turned away, too.
Not finger would he lift-not an inch
would he stir-not if the boy was dying
fifty times over!
! rs he turned he caught sight OF
Jackie's pallid face lying on the dirty
pillow.
"Oh. Lor', wot a little bloke it is" he
thought; and then he went out, STUN.
bling down the stairs, swearing 10 him,
self-a man apparently without the
fnintest hope of better life, without
knowledge of anything except thing.
evil, and yet with one clean spot in his
black heart.