Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1902-01-16

nance. surrounded by long beard and
side whiskers. His broken nose and
nlgn cheek-bOnes gave him somewhat
the air OF Kalmuck, and his light
eyes shone with the excitement of a
nigh fever He wore a skull-cap of
black silk; a huge Bible lay open be-
fore MIN on the bed, with pair Of
gNd spectacles in the place, and a pile
OF other books lay on the stand by his
SIDE. The green curtains lent a ca
daverous shade to his cheek, and. as
ne sat propped on pillows, his great
stature was painfully hunched, and his
head protruded till it overhung his
knees. l believe if he had not died
otherwise, he must have fallen vic
tim to consumption in the course of bat
a very few weeks.
He held out to me hand, long, thin
and disagreeably hairy.
Come in, come in, Mr.. Cassilis,'
said he. Another protector-ahem!-
another protector. Always welcome as
friend of my daughters, Mr.. Cas-
sllls. How they have rained about me,
my daughters friends. May God in
heaven bless and reward them for it,"
l gave him my hand, of course, be-
cause | could not help it, but the SYM
pathy | had been prepared to feel for
Clara's father was Immediately soured
| by his appearance and the wheedling,
unreal tones in which he spoke.
"Cassilis is good man." said North
| mour, worth ten"
SO / hear" cried Mr.. Huddlestone
eagerly; $50 my girl tells me- All,
Mr. Cassilis, my sin has found me out,
you see! l am very low, very low!
but | hope equally penitent We must
all come to the throne of grace at last,
Mr.. Cassilis. For my part, come late
indeed, but with unfeigned humility,
1 trust"
"Fiddle-de-dee!'' said Northmou1
roughly.
mo, no, dear Northmour!" cried the
banker. "You must not say that; you
must not try to shake me. You for
get my DEAR good boy. you forget
may be called this very night before
my Maker"
His excitement was pitiful to behold,
and felt myself growing indignant
with Northmour, whose infidel opin-
ions we'll knew and heartily derided,
as he continued to taunt the poor sim
ner out Of his humor Of repentance.
Pooh, my dear Huddlestone!" said
he. you do yourself injustice. You
are man of the world inside and out;
and were up to all kinds of mischief |
hpfnrn 7 ,Coio -
tanned like South American leather
only you forget to tan your liver, and
that, if you will believe me, is the seat |
of the annoyance"
Rogue! rogue! bad boy!" said Mr.. |
Huddlestone, shaking his finger. Il
am no precisian, if you come to that;
always hated precsian; but never
lost hold of something better through |
it all. I have been bad boy, Mr.. |
Cassilis; I do not seek to deny that:
but it was after my wife's death, and
you know, with widower, it's new |
thing. Sinful won't say SO, but
there is graduation, we shall hope.
And talking of that Hark!" he
broke out suddenly, his hand raised
with interest and terror. "Only the |
rain, bless God!' he added, after a |
pause, and with indescribable relief
For some seconds he lay back among |
the pillows like man near to faint
ing; then he gathered himself togeth- |
err, and, in somewhat tremulous tones, |
began once more to thank me for the |
share was prepared to take in his de-
Tense.
"One question, SIR" said I, when he
had paused. "Is it true that you have
money with you?"
He seemed annoyed at the question, |
but admitted with reluctance that he |
bad little
We'll" I continued. cit is their
money they are after, is it not? Why |
not give it up to them?"
''Ah!" replied he, shaking his head, i
Il have tried that already. Mr.. Cas-
silis; and alas! that it should be so.
but it is blood they want
'Huddlestone, that's little less than |
fair said Northmour. you should |
mention that what you offered them |
was upward of two hundred thousand /!
short. The deficit is worth refer |
ence; it is for what they call a cool |
sum, Frank. Then, you see. the fell
lows reason in their clear Italian way:
and it seems to them, as indeed it |
seems to me, that they may just as well |
have both while they are about it
money and blood together, by George, |
and no more trouble for the extra |