The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-03-05
Copyright. 1850, BY Herber. S. Stone a Co.
CHAPTER XIX.
fsTs AND FINGER-NAILs AND HOB
NAIL BOOTS.

lubbock was quite right In observ
&&g that Number Two had had a "bat
stack" The poor mans face wal
Matched like an old coat, he wore !
Gyeen shade over one eye, and was sit.
ling up painfully in bed and as stifiy
r. a sawdust doll.
How are you. Number Severn he
sid with a feeble smile. Excuse my
not getting up to receive you. | have
$Sto move an arm or a leg all Of a piece
&5like a pump-handle, and even then |
VINCE and sometimes squeal aloud
VIII pain. How do | look, do you
Mink"
Like a stuffed Guy Fawkes on a
harrow," would have been my answer
SAad | felt called upon to adhere to the
ruth. AS 1t was, ! answered cheerful
1y that he was looking a bit chippy,
but that a day or two would no doubt
%a&et him on his legs"
sR& Set me on c%rutches you mean, don't
6$ayou?" he groaned. oh. what a maui
me- I've had! The voice of the peo-
x4sple may be the voice of God, but how
&bout the peoples fists and finger
nails and hob-nail boots? How did
Gz3ou get on?"
81 should have 'got on well enough"
replied, ruefully. "if only | could have
sol off But | couldn't. The people
Z Saw me switch the light off, and two
E1r three of them strolled up to inter-
view me after"
"Ah!" he said, trying to screw him
6elf round the better to see me, and
trimming hideously, but whether from
pain or from qualification at finding a
fellow-sufferer / could not say. "Ah!
~ you, too, have been interviewed by
the people, have you? And how did
you fare at their hands?"
1T wasn't their hands | objected to
10 much as their feet" | said. Tear
Ing ones clothes off ones back and
bashing at ones head with half bricks
And sticks may have been only their
#playfulness. But when it came to
Knocking a poor devil down and dane
Ing on his stomach, not to speak of
Kicking him in the ribs, why, then |
began to feel that there wal such a
Thing as having too much of the peo-
bile"
III IL believe you" he groaned. There
Us such a thing, and I've had it--Lord
knows. However. there's one consola-
zion. We did the devils out Of their
he 5000, though | wouldn't go through
such an experience again for e500, 900.
Your shares in. that writing-desk on
the table there. You'll find a bunch
pf keys in the top pocket of those
n trousers hanging at the foot of the bed.
zgThe little keys the one. Open the desk
and take out the parcel with a big
sfseven' upon It,"
n obeyed, and found, a little to my |
n surprise, but greatly to my satisfac-
lion, that he had not misled me.
Where, sure enough, was a parcel
marked Seven" containing no less a
Sum than $1,000 in gold and small
bank notes.
After | had expressed what he ap-
4peared to consider unnecessary thanks,
n asked him whether our fellow con-
Sspirators were upstairs"
No" he said f%ervently, they're
gone, thank goodness. They were
RESTLESS to be off as soon as they had
pocketed the money; and as the hue
and cry about the murder in the shed
has blown over, let them go-one at
"a time, of course. But talking OF the
money, | must warn you, as | warned
chem, not to let any one notice YOU'RE
flush of cash, either by paying it into
p bank or by blueing it too prominent
ly. That sort of thing always arouses
suspicion, and has led to the discovery
Of many a crime"
Have they gone for good, them"
! asked.
More likely for bad" he laughed.
like poverty, brings one into
strange company. How you, and, for
the matter of that, how | came to row
IN such a galley | can't think. Idon't
know anything about you personally,
Number Seven, for Number One, who
put you up for election to the council,
didn't take me into his confidence on
the subject; but | fancy, as I've said
10 you before, that you were meant for
a gentleman"
Even had there been no note of in
terrogation-as of n inviting conf
dence--in his voice, | should have
taken the last part of his sentence less
an involuntary compliment than as
an Intentional draw to lead me to
talk about myself. Piqued apparently
by my non-committal reply of You're
very Kind" he changed the conversa-
lion abruptly. ,
"A meeting of the council Is to be ,
held here to-day week at FIVE in the :
afternoon. Until then | need not bur- :
len you with my company, as | have !
nothing further to discuss. If you ,
'hoose to remain here until then as my !
guest, you are at liberty to do 80. Or +
'ou are at liberty to go. Which is it :
o be-stay or go?" 7
Under the circumstances / felt that 4
t had better be go" and said SO. !
Quite So" he assented CURLY. THE q
ocial attractions Of Heath cottage are =
lot, am aware. great, especially when 7
he host is laid on his back. To-day !
week, then, we shall have the honor !
II welcoming you again. If you will =
ONE down by the same afternoon !
lubbock will meet you with the =
rap. The time and route by which =
he other two are coming have been !
rranged. | wish you speedy recovery !
rom your hurts. Good-day!" !
Il wish you the same" | said, and =
o we parted. :.
CHAPTER Xxx. =
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