The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-23

eff yer know'd how"
Said /, turning on him angrily: "What
the devil are you talking about, any
ways
"Sa-ay, Billy, done git mad; I only asst
yer wy yer didernt li-ik him. You kin
do it easy enuf'-another pause-'if yer
wussen't skeart'
Scared. Well, what of it? 1 took my
licking if was 'skeart' as you call it,"
"Sa-ay, Billy, done git mad; done say
yer wus skeart NV him. -
''Then what?'
"Sa-ay, Billy, tibet chaps had a pow
full eddcation, amt he? Vase, that's it.
Thets what skeart yer, not Their chap
hisself. but his eddication. Sa-ay, Billy.
yer kin li-ik him sure if yer warn't skeart
NV hs book larnin'."
l stared at him in astonishment at
first about to make some contemptuous
rejoinder, but slowly there crept over me
Il vague suspicion that there was some
truth in what he said so l only answer
ed, WELL what them"
"Sa-ay Billy, you're kin'dr shamed Nv
me cause / amt had no dedication and
amt got no city manners an done know
nawthin', but, sa-ay. Billey I amt scarf
NV that chap, an | kin make yer link
MIN. sure
You can make me lick him?'
Sure, that's wot 1 sed. 1 done know
do wot i sez."
We'll l don't know what you are try
ing to get at, but if your are so clever
why didn't you make me lick him to-
night?"
Cause that warn't the way. If I
had 'ev. well next time you went to his
house an seed all his fine furnertur'
you'd git skeart agin, but if you wuzn't
shamed NV me an ud take me along next
time yer'd lick Their he'd off'uv him. I
done know nawthin but l kin do what I
sez."
More than this I couldn't get out of
him. but during the next two days he per-
sisted in informing me on every conceiva-
Bile occasion that 81 cud li-ik Their he'd
off NV that chap"
Shortly after a met Hart, who asked
me up to the house as usual, and when
/ pleaded my company" he wouldn' [
listen to it, Bring the old cock along
| told Clara about him and she told me
to bring him up. She's great at study
ing character and your friends a bird"
So despite my remonstrances he as US
ual, had his way and we arrived, the old
gentlement and l. one evening in time for
a late dinner. How / ever got through
that meal l don't know. Every moment
was torture. Hart seemed to take the
greatest delight in leading the old fellow
on and-well. he behaved like a Hotten-
tOL ana my HOTIlucdllOn was complete.
Even after we adjourned to the library for
our usual interview" 1 was still on the
rack, so much so that / forgot entirely all
about the old fellows mysterious asser-
tons in my fear of some still more gar-
ing contretemps But he sat quite quiet
huddied in an arm chair mumbling an I'M
lighted cigar between his toothless old
gums and apparently taking very little
notice of our prepare lions.
ia Hart NJ al mo nd
a smart biff on the ear recalled my wan
derng attention. The blow was not a
really hard one, but it seemed to sting
something to sudden life; a man had
struck me careiessly, half contemptuous-
ly. and suddenly my blood began to boil
The room seemed to swim for a moment
before me; then all my fear, ali my hero
worship and my sense of the mans superb
ority was lost in the blur, and only one
fact. a shameful one, stood out in bold
reief-the bloW-and it seemed that till
that was avenged / could not breathe;
and there right in front of me stood the
man who had put this insult on me- no
longer the revered friend, the educated
gentleman but a man like myself and an
enemy
Another singing blow on the cheek,
then l sprang forward, determined furi-
Gus, yet strangely, almost contemptu-
ously confident
Slowly FORCED him back, and crowded
him hercely, despite a perfect hail of
blows that battered me and whose only
effect seemed 60 be to fill me with a still
fiercer eXhilaration. AT last / got in, and
as he was ree,ing across the floor, some
fierce beast within me growled out a harsh
snarling laugh of triumph.
"Bartonn'
Harris angry voice recalled me 10 my
senses, and / gazed in stupid astonish-
ment as he rose from the floor. What
the devil do you mean, any way? Do you
call that boxing? 1t looks as If you want
ed TO kill me. What. ails you tonight,
are you crazy, or what?"
l passed my glove nervously over my
face and mumbled some kind OF apology
though 1 hardly knew what IL was all
about Why should ! want to hurt him,
my friend? All the hot lust for vengenace
seemed already like a vague dream, and
think had We stopped there l would have