The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-14

proaches bitterer than all. For she was
the angrier because he had let her cry
alone, ana had made no overtures to-
ward conciiiation-overtures she had been
expecting as her right. Rejoinder followed
quick ard cruel on reply, and at last,
when he talked desperately of sleeping
outside. she answered with a gesture Dor
rowe1 of her trade: GO, then, CO. If you
can't give me food and shelter as other
women's husbands do, go and let me earn
them for myself. / can do without you
And you shall, too" he retorted throw
ing down the rug and snatching his hat
You shall, too" And in second he had
flung out into the might and the snow.
They had done It all before, and it was
scarce more than another kind OF act nS
But this time the quarrel was TRUE
sharper than common and he could not
go back and make il up with any self-re-
spect for an hour at least. Meantime.
it was cold night and a snowy one.
SO he turned up his collar and strobe or
straight ahead to be an ill-used and home
less outcast Sor an hour, or, at any rate
for three-quarters of an hour.
Another snowfall had begun though II
was sparse and light, making itself felt
now and again by moist spot upon the
face. The carOlers had struck up Noel
some little distance away. and between
| their verses the chapel party could be.
| heard at. the farther end of the town.
| lndeeGJ Ito was scarce the pest possible
night for Hendys petulant adventure. The
| snow declared itself in the weak spots of
| his shoes ere ne had gone 200 yards, and
| the wind was in his teeth, spting his
| face, and coming little short of cutting
| off his nose.
Thus he came to Cawthorne. where lv
| ed Barring Spencer. Esq, that illustrOus
invisible, and the high privet hedge. ike
| a massive black wall was so good a wind
! screen that Hendy turned up side lane
and followed it, walking close, with bow
ed head, and shoulder brushing the twgs.
| The hedge took a wide curve, and follow
| ing this, he came plump against small
wooden gate, which swung inward at the
shock. At this he stopped and looked
| about him. Without a doubt this was
| the kitchen entrance Here was a mar
| row path with tall hedge at each side;
short path ending in a door with
pent roof
| He took a step back. and another for
| ward. The wind was sharp as ever.
and there was wetness in the snowdrops
| now more frequent, that told of coming
| sleet. To follow the lane were to emerge
| presently in open country; here was shell
| ter under the lee Of a good-sized house
| with pent roof to make it better. More
| here was a "situation" The homeless
outcast, wronged by all the world, would
seek shelter Qor half an hour, at LEASH
| on the doorstep of the proud and naughty
| capitalist; who, If only he were awake
| and aware of the trespass. would probably
| send his pampered minions to drive him
| forth into the bitter night. The fancy
| accorded with the outcast's mood AMI
truly for one bent on wallowiNg deep in
the pathos of his predicament this was
| the most promising spot thereabout and
one not at all exposed TO the weather
He let the gate swing behind him. and
walked quietly to the kitchen door. All
was silent; and as he stood under the
| pent roof he saw that the path he had
come by went farther. and skirted all
the back premises, dividing them from
| the kitchen garden As he looked a
! projecting frame caught his eye like thar
of an open window, but nearer the grou ID
! than he would have expected. 1t was but
a few yards away, and he went idly to-
| ward it. 1t was a window, no doubt left
| open by the carelessness of a servant
There was a stain on the snow below it
| which betrayed the occasion. Plainly the
| servant had flung out coffee grounds or
| the like and taken no care to shut the
/ easement The house was rather old and
| for moment he wondered vaguely VIVA
| room it might be whose window was so
| near the ground; and then the answer
| came 90 his hungry senses from the w.t.
dow itself Clearly it was the larder. and
no empty Harder, either. Pickles could be
smelled-pickles plainly. and something
| clS6-SOttNilHS IOt luiSOElE SteamnSSS
and sweet ollection--Christma pudding
| No doubt 1t was large harder though
| mere blackness to sight now. No doubt
| crammed to the ceiling with a superiority
| of the Christmas fare that Hendy saw no
| chance Of tasting. Was it really so large
| as he fancied? He felt his pocket. and
| found a ma tchboX with a few matches
still remaining AT least, il was no sin
to take peep Every body was in bed
| He struck a match in the shelter of the
window frame and held it within.
larder it was indeed. with both VIII
dows-wire within and glass without-left
| OPEN a long. brick-paved place-the floor
was a yard at least below the path he
stood on and fitted round with shelves
| everywhere. And on the Shelves
! He sazed till the match burned his fn-
| gers But the picture remained vivid in
his mind Six plum buildings twas it six
| or seven?-at any rate six in a row in
china mods with cloths tied on top; a
| cut ham on a dish. and three whole ones
hanging two MISUNDERSTANDING also
a mass of cold sirloin. half cut ava :anoth-
er mass of sirloin. uncooked: a large dish
| of mine pies, tub of water in dark
| corner with oatmeal spilled about it
oysters, no doubt: rows of jam pots. but
ter, cheese-everythng. The agony of it,
Was 1t six buildings or seven? No harm
| in counting, at any rate. He struck an
| other match.
Six plum buildings. And what couSd
one mana bachelor-want with six plum
| puddings? To say nothing of all the rest
of this eXtravagant provision. Probably
| the housekeeper-or The cook-was swim
| ding her master, and preparing all this to
| regale herself and her friends 1t would
serve her right if somebody were to walk
off with one of those puddings, and, say
one ham; mere act of justice indeed.
! Not that he could do such a thing him
SELF OF course. Though, indeed, it would
| be rather a lark-the sort of joke you
| could tell your friends of, years after:
how the rich company -monger supported
! the drama after all, without knowing it.
1t would be the easiest thing in the
| world to get In, TOO; as easy as going
| down stairs. Nobody would know of
course, and il would really seem capital
| joke. aferward. And while this would be
joke, going without a Christmas dinner
would be a serious matter. Were they
| oysters, in that tub? The split oatmeal
would seem to indicate as much, though