Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-01

underwear pair of socks, vest and an outing shirt-and extracted briar-wood pipe of cheap make and a small piece of smoking plug. From the tobacco he cut with miser- ly care enough to fill half the pipe bowl, and having lighted it leaned back with sigh of comfort. It was the first indulgence of the kind he bad allowed himself for several days, and the fact that he was permitting himself to enjoy so epicurean pleas ure at this morning hour indicated that something of unusual moment was occupying his mind.
 After having blown, to his intense T satisfaction, two or three fragrant clouds into the warm September air, he took from his pocket square envelope, from which he drew let ter. This he spread out before him upon one knee. It read in this wise: !
 bear Philip: have heard from your former friend, Everson, that you have again been seen in or near Kalamanti, 1 and I am sending this enclosed in a note to him in the hope of reaching you. For the sake of our dead father and mother, for your sake. and for the sake of us all want you to come back for another trial. Will you not? On the 1st of October the Evening Star passes into the hands of an acquaintance of mine, George Agnew, who intends making ! some sweeping changes in the staff. Recalling some sketches and skits you once wrote which received much pleas ant comment, and the leanings you | formerly had towards literature. which l father (vsry unfortunately and injudi- ciously, I now believe) so insistentiy dis couraged, spoke of you to Mr. Agnew, who has very generously offered to give you a chance on the paper. October l. as said above, is the date when the change in management takes place, and l if, by good fortune you receive this let 1 ter beg that you will not allow this fperhaps last) opportunity to retrieve yourself to slip from you. hope that you will believe me still your affection l ate brother.
 1 ARCHIBALD RossITER l Its mighty good of Archie" com mented the wanderer, "a blamed sight too good! I don't deserve it. I'd probably make mess of it, just as I have of everything else but this," and he glanced down at his worn and dusty shoes, and at his faded and weather-stained garb. And yet--well, it's what I always
 
 more than half way there.''
 When his brothers missive had been handed to him two weeks pre- vious he had been upon the point of turning south. Instead he set his face eastward, not with definite idea of falling in with what his 1 brother had proposed, but with that possibility in view. Now, after hay ing had the past so wildly brought before him by his unforeseen tarry in Illica, after having experienced emotions that he had fancied be- longed almost totally to different environment, he was more strongly moved than ever thus to challenge fate.
 But the old weakness, the hesi- tancy, the dislike of responsibility, fostered by his rowing life was not lightly to be overcome; so he lay and debated. Against his undoubted desire to redeem himself, 8 desire which was gradually strengthening, rose the consciousness of former failure, and also the undeniable fas- cination his present existence had come to have for him. Half an hour slipped away, an hour, and it was mid-norning. The heat increased, and the reclining man grew drowsy. ! Vaguely, as in dream, he marked two figures cross his angle of vision and follow the river bank to point l not many rods from where he was lying. He saw these persons begin to divest themselves of their clothes I commented to himself that they were going for a swim, and here his acarcely aroused curiosity ceased. He closed his eyes and presently lost I consciousness. Twenty minutes had elapsed when scream rent the quiet air, 8 sharp, boyfsh cry of terror. At the second outcry, louder and thriller than the frst, Ross1ter satx Ip. naked form was leaping wild- | y about upon the river bank, with Z sne terrified shriek after another. To Rossiter's ears the shouts now re- iolved themselves into
 "Helpi helpl" The awakened man was on his feet l n an instant. In such an emergency IS this his habitual indecision did aot show itself. Off went his cap, soat and shoes, and away he sprang over the sward towards the dis sraught figure. He was naturally deet of foot and his muscles were hard from hundreds of leagues of sramping
 The youth, for such Rossiter saw the shouter to be, grew more frantic IS he realized that aid was approach ing, turning first towards the stream and then in the direction from which assistance was coming.
 "oh, quick! be quick!" he cried, but now his voice seemed to fail him, and he did little more than ut ter series of incoherent sounds.
 Once within view of the river, Ros- sitter was not slew to grasp the sit uation. In mid-stream was a bather, 1st Sesaas K -1ey .. .sk55&a(SSJhS1