, 1899-01-25

@S 1855 '.SN
"Your health, Dick" at length he
said, and raising the kettle all blazing
to his lips he drank like a dromedary.
"And now, Dick, it's your turn" he
said, after a long breath. "You must
drink my health now"
Richard drew back.
Drink! p shouted the stranger, hold
ing out the vessel.
Poor Dick took a single gulp. He left
the skin of his mouth on the brim of
the kettle, his throat was scorched as
with liquid fire and his hair was singed
by the blaze.
"And now to business" said the
stranger, resuming his seat and leaving
Dick to sit or stand as he chose.
"You knew John Walter, l believer"
"Ye-yes," stammered Richard. 81
once knew a person of that name"
"You and he went to California to-
gether?"
Richard acknowledged the fact.
"You made money, and he didn't?'
81 believe l was the more fortunate
of the two"
"You and he started to return togeth-
er, and he died at San Francisco"
Richard bowed.
His wife and children are now desti-
tute, the stranger persisted.
81 can't help that"
"Of course not. 1t was his boy you
gave the good advice to today. I hope
the young scamp will profit by it,"
The scene with the little beggar,
Richard was quite sure, had been wit
messed by no one. How the stranger had
found out was past comprehension.
You're quite sure John Walter died
poor?" the stranger went ON.
"Oh, quite!" said Richard. II paid
his funeral expenses myself"
"That's a liel" retorted the little
man. "They were paid by the public.
It's another lie that he died poor. He
had $40, 900 with him which you stolel"
81 deny it, Richard fairly screamed,
and defy you to prove itH'
"Prove it! What e%ffrontery! Why, l
saw you do it!'
"It's falsei There was nobody pres
ent!"
"Be careful, Dick, or you'll commit
yourself. ! saw you do another thing"
Richard sank shivering into a chair.
but said nothing.
John Walter would have survived
his illness, but you put poison in his
medicine!"
A sudden fury took possession of
Richard Whinstone when he saw the
secret of his life in another's keeping
The carving knife lay within his reach
He seized it and, springing on the
stranger, with a desperate plunge
sought to bury the blade in his heart,
but it glanced as from plate armor and
in an instant the little man was OIL his
feet.
"Oh, hoi That's your game, is it?'
And with a trip hat sent his heels
spinning in the air Richard was thrown
%headlong with a force that shook the
house to its foundation. The club foot
was planted OH his stomach, and what
a horribly ugly foot it was! 1t was cleft
like the hoof Of an OK and seemed to
weigh a ton.
"Then you are
pray keep a civil tongue in your
head and come along" said the little
man.
Richard tainted.
When he came to himself, day was
breaking. The old housekeeper, who
had found him grooming and sprawling
on the floor. had with much difficulty
shaken him into consciousness. She as.
sisted him to bed, but Richard never
was himself again. The surfeit of pig
had brought on a fever, of which he
died in eight days. His last rational act
was the execution of a will, by which
he left the bulk of his fortune to John
Walters widow and child, which, aft.
er all, was a simple act of justice, for
the demon Of nightmare had told the
ruth.-Cincinnati Post.
Mrs. s. "A, Fackler. editor of the Mi