Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1900-08-10

TIE WAS in n city OF 100000 soule,
but he knew none OF them. lie
tld not ~ he name Of q street,
therewus not one light, howr,e. fecs,e,
among all lhe lights OF he town that
shone FOR him. Indeed, he was not
sure that IN all the world q light was
III with thought OF him. Perhaps IL
might be, remotely and indefinitely
that n certain distant, feeble CLEAN in
d town thousand miles AWAY iii with
some faint Of bis return. Hut, after all.
IL was improbable. lie had done moth
ing to deserve uifectionatc memory, He
had been ungrnteful to those who had
raised him, selfish and bitter TO the
girl who might have loved him, scorne
ful Of old friends and ncighbors, and
bent upon his own obstinate willful
way The result was a step downward
IN step which precipitatcdl Then
the punishment brief but shameful
aud now liberty agnin aud no knowl~
edge Of what to do with it.
The icy rnin TINT fell, the wind that
slapped his face with clammy mud in
quilting hands, the cruel hnrdness Of
the paved streets the imprcgnablc look
Of the city walls appalled, him, lnspite
OF lis arrogant putting down Of the
thought, he could not but remember
the village which he Ind held in such
contempt, but whore, once he would
have had welcome from every man
md woman, boy and girl, dog and
horse, II was ~ much lost 70 him
now, that cordiality aud fficndliness.
as If those who had offered IL were
people of another globe. Except all
ways but, no, ne would not trust him-
SELF TO think Of that one possible cN-
coption Of that one light which burned,
perhaps, for him.
lie did not know where to 20 lie
had horror Of going 10 amy place that
might be inhabited by such dark spirits
ms those he had just left in their cap
tiyity. He Ind had enough Of dark-
ness. Yet where else could he goP lie
must be careful with tho few dollara
thnt were in his pocket They were
hateful dollars tbc dole of The state
10 its offending child. Ilc had no
sooner assured himself Of The need Tor
the scrupulous guarding of this treas
,re than he was seized with d paAAipn-
ate impulse to cast IL from him in
the gutter. The money used should
come TO his hands fresh from toll aud
libcrtyl lIlt sinner thought impclled
him not only to retain the money but
TO place II IN n snnll pocket IN his
nnnnel shirt under his vest.
lie was growing cold and sleepy. The
thoughts that had beaten in his brain
Wild, tiger thoughts iIat frctted aud
paced ana would not We quiet had
worn him out The need for rest was
upon him imperatiyely lie looked
about him for some corner IN which
he could creep for a short time, and
he saw by has side what ot first APP
peGrcd to be the cyil, yawning mouth
of the night, but which proved, upon
closer examination % be inrue
burned building, icc-eontcd, Rrmy.
desolate. Hardly realizing the poor
ness Of his choice, he turned Ia here
door. a man with gaunt face looiacd
in.
Room enough fer two?" he In
quircd. Khodas heart was beating at
his eurs.
II shall probably be killed" he re-
1ected. and remembered with anger
that he Ind no weapon ~ any sort.
not even pocketknife. The other
man lad entered and closed The door
behind him standing with bis back 70
IT, lie WAS short md rather stout. and
his head eat almost upon bis shoui-
ders Iiis leagy muse aad moHih bc-
spoke ~ obstinate hDt noi rarficnlar.
ly il.uaircd temperament iiseQC
were sualisn p bis bead bul aloda
gould eee that tAcy were blask and