The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08

III 81 ~ - N'S
ard?" Oxley said, in his slow, quiet
manner. as he smoked with his two
friends after luncheon at the club. i
could not attend the meeting. but l hear
that the affairs showed badly
Yes, we took the sum he offered, ana
of course it would have done no good To
nut him in the bankruptcy court, as far
as the dividend is concerned. Very IKE
" we should only have Melted half a
crown: but | had a good mind to refuse
q composition" And in his excitement
Beazley established himself for oratorl-
cal purposes on the hearth-rug-he had
recently taken to munIclpal polltlcs.
You mean tina Hatchard has acted
foolishIy. and ought nto to have got
into such a hole. / suppose you are
right. Tommy was always Il sah9ulhe
chap"
'Sanguine has nothing to do with i.
Oxley. and | fancy YOU know that
there's more than want of Judgment It
Hatchard's door. OF course, the long
est-headed men in the corn market
NAV make a mistake and be caught
by a falling market, but that IS no
reason why a fellow should take in
every friend he could lay hands on.
What do you say, Macfarlane:'
That most ~phlegmatic and silent of
Scots never said anything unless speech
was absolutely necessary, II as the
proposition hat a man ought not to
cheat his friends was one no person
could deny, Macfarlane "A no sign.
I'm afraid that it is a rather bad
case" Oxley admitted with reluctance,
but I'm sorry for Tommy; when a man
is at his wits end he's apt to-forget
himself in fact, and do things he would
be the first to condemn at other times.
A man loses his moral presence of
mind
Macfarlane indicated, after considera-
ton. his agreement.
THAT sounds very fine, OXley,' burst
in Beazley, but it's very dangerous
doctrine. and would cover some curious
transactions. Hatchard knew quite well
that when he was hopelessly bankrupt
he ought not to have borrowed a thou
sane from you and five hundred from
Macfarlane and me; our business losses
were enough
Had none,' murnured Macfarlane to
himself.
L was so angry" continued Beazley,
''that l got hold of him afterward in
Fenwick street and gave him as sound Il
talking 20 as ever Il man got in this
city; he'll not forget it in Il hurry. You
see. he is Il friend, and that makes me
sore"
Can you give us an idea what you
said?' inquired OXley, dryly, while Mac
farlane showed that he was listening.
We'll. | said various things. but the
gist was that his friends were ashamed
of him-not about the cash, you know.
but about the conduct, and that he was
little better than a sWindler; yes, l
did"
Macfarlane smoked furiously.
No, Oxley, he made no reply. Not
one word of defense; he simply turned
round and walked away. | suppose
you think that l ought not to have been
so hard on him.
well. no doubt YOU did what seemed
right, and Hatchard has not been quite
straight; but / now understand what |
saw two hours ago. and what gave me
q shock. You favored him with your
mind about II, l should guess? Yes;
then at u he came out of a restaurant
in Dale street. as if he had been drink
ing. That is the first time Hatchard ever
did that kind of thing. | believe, but it
will not be the last. His face was quite
changed-half woebegone and half des-
perate."
IF Thomas takes to tasting"-Mac-
~farlane was much moyed-''it's all over
with him. He's such a s~oft-hearted
chap"
Nonsense, you're making too much
of 1T; but l was a trifle sharp, perhaps.
He's been very provoking. and any
other man would have said the same
except you two fellows. and the one of
you is so charitable that he. would find
an excuse for a picl-pocket. and the
other is so cannie that he can't make
up his mind to say anything"
After which there was a pause.
Yes" began OXley again, falling into
ancient history. "he has gone off from a
bit-the best may do so at a time-but
Tommy wasn't half a bad fellow once:
he got a study at ~Soundbergh before me.
AND he was very decent with it, letting
me do prep in it before exams; II I
never counted him sidey. did YOU, By
L should think not: I'll say that for
him at any rate. there wasn't one scrap
of humbug in Tommy; why, he was Il
perfect when l was in the fourth, and
he didn't mind although a chap ragged
and chaffed him; he was the |jolliest
pre- in the whole school. 1t was per
haps rather hare ines to slang him to-
day. half wish / hadn't"
IF Tommy got a grub box from home
every chap in Buttery's house knew
OXley was bent on reminiscenceS-'it
was shared round in three days, and his
raspberry jam was not to be disposed.
l hear him yet: All right, Ok, dig in;
there's lots left Now there's Byles,
who makes speeches about hospitals; he
was mean, if you please
MEAN amt the word for Byles.' and
in his enthusiasm Freddie Beazley
dropped into school slang, which nc
public schoolboy ever forgets, and which
lasts from generation to generation. like
the speech of the gypsies: "Byles was 4
beastly gut, and a sneak too; why. fo1
all his cheek now he isn't fit to black
Tommy's shoes. Tommy wasn't what
you would call pie but he was as
straight as a die. I'd give 10 pounds no
to have called him that word today
Freddie was breaking down.
poor old Tommy went on OxIev
"One never expected him to come sucI
q cropper. He was a good all-round
man-cricket, football, sports, Tomm,
did we'll for his house. He was a dou
ble-color man.
DO you mind the 10 miles. lads ., onG