Middletown transcript., 1900-02-17
CHAPTER xI
By Charles N. Sheldon.

carving mucn money with nlm, ana
the man with the stake. who was
searching him, uttered an oath at the
small amount Of change he found. As
be uttered it the man with the pistol
sayagely said: "Jerk out his watchl
We might as well get all we can out Of
the job I"
The man with the stake was on the
point Of laying hold Of the chain when
there was the sound Of footsteps coming
toward them.
sect behind the fencel We haven't
half searched him yet. Mind you keep
shut now if you don't want
The man with the pistol made sig
nifcant gesture with it. and his COM
panion pulled and pushed the bishop
down the alley and through ragged
broken opening in the fence. The three
stood still there in the shadow until the
footsteps passed.
Snow, then, have you got the
watch p asked the man with the pistol
"No; the chain is caught some
whereI'' And the other man swore
again.
ssBreak it, thenl''
s'No; don't break 1t, the bishop
said. and 1t was the first time he had
spoken. "The chain is the gift of a
very dear friend. I should be sorry to
have it broken. j"
At the sound Of the bishops voice
the man with the pistol started as if he
had been suddenly shot by his own
weapon. With quick movement of his
other hand he turned the bishops head
toward what little light was shining
from the alleyWay, at the same time
taking a step nearer. Then, to the evil
dent amazement of his companion. he
said roughly:
Leave the watch alone. We've got
che money. That's enough.
Enough Fifty centsl You don't
reckon
Before the man with the stake could
say another word he was confronted
!. with the muzzle Of the pistol turned
from the bishops head toward his own
'Leave that watch be and put back
! the money too This is the bishop we've
held up-the BISHOP Do you hearr''
"And what of it2 The president Of
the United States wouldn't be too good
to hold up if
II say, you put the money hack, or
In five minutes I'll blow hole through
your head that Il let in more sense than
You have to spare now, said the other
For second the man with the stake
seemed to hesitate at this strange turn
In events, ss if measuring his compan-
ions intention. Then he hastily drop
ped the money back into the bishops
pocket.
''You can take your hands down.
sir" The man with the weapon low
cred it slowly, still keeping an eye on
the other man and speaking with rough
respect The bishop slowly brought his
arms to his side and looked earnestly at
the two men. In the dim light it was
difficult to distinguish features Ee was
evidently free to go his way now, but
be stood there, making no movement.
"You can 60 on. You needn't stay
any longer on our account 3" The man
who had acted as spokesman turned and
eat down on stone. The other man
stood viciously digging his stake into
the ground.
'eThat's just what I'm staying for,
replied the bishop. He sat down on d
board that projected from the broken
fence
"You must like our company It is
hard rometimes for people to tear them
selves away from us. the man stand
ing up said laughing coarsely.
"ShEt mp" exclaimed the other.
"We're On the road to hell, though
that's sure enough. We need better
company than ourselves and the devil. A
II yoH would only allow me to be
Of any help The bishop spoke gen
tly, even lovingly. The man on the
stone stared at the bishop through the
darkness. After moment of silence be
spoke slowly, like one who had finally
decided upon a course he had at first
rejected.
do you remember ever seeing me
beforc2''
mo, said the bishop. "The light il
not very good, and | have really not
had good look at you
do sou know me now2'' The man
suddenly took OF his hat and, getting
up from the stone, walked over to the
bishop Until they were near enough to
touch each other
lhe mans hair was coal black, ex-
cert one spot on the top of his head
about as large as the palm of the hand.
which was white
The minute the bishop saw that he
started. The memory Of Is years ago
began to stir in him. The man helped
him.
Don't you remember one day back
In 81 or 'S2 man came to your house
and told a story about his wife and
child having been burned to death in a
tenement fire in New York;
"Yes; begin to recall now" MUIR
INJURED the bishop. The other man
seemed to be interested He ceased dig
ging his stake in the ground and stood
still, listening.
DO you remember how you took me
into your own house that night and
spent all the next day trying to find me
q JOB and how, when you succeeded in
getting me place in a warehouse as
foreman, ! promised to quit drinking
because you asked me tor
II remember it now," the bishop re-
Piled gently. 'I hope you have kept
your promise. %
The man laughed savagely. Then he
struck his hand against the fence with !
such sudden passion that he drew blood. /
"Kept It'll / was drunk inside of a |
week I've been drinking ever since,
but I've never forgotten you or your |
prayer. Do you remember. the morning /
after / came 10 your house and after !
breakfast, you had prayers and asked |
me to come in and sit with the rest? |
That got me, But my mother used to |
pray. cansee her now kneeling down |
By ny bed when ] was a lad Father |
came ia one night drunk and kicked |
her while she was kneeling there by
me- but never forgot that prayer Of |
yours that morning Eou prayed for
ne Just as nosner aseu 10, and you did
not seem 20 take count pf the fact that |
! was ragged and touah looking and
more than half drunk when rung your