The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-04-09

! please. I ask II as a favor from an oil
friend
"He lives in Drury Lane--No. 100
at the ironmonger's."
An empty cab passed at this moment
and Sarah Eastbell raised her parasol
The vehicle stopped, and Sarah and JohI
Jennings, the latter with evident reluc
/ lance, got into it.
"Now, what has happenedw sale
Sarah, after the cabman had been tolc
his destination and had driven on; "it ii
a long story, but pray get it over before
we reach Reuben's house."
It's a short story" said John, "ant
soon told. After you left Hope street
luck left it, too The Saxe-Gotha Gar
dens burst up, and let me in for a lot Of
money; we were all in trouble and in 6
middle, and the brokers were in, wher
Reuben thought of the picture which his
father wanted to buy"
| "Ah! I remember" cried Sarah.
"He got an artist friend to see it, and
he said that it was worth two hundred
| pounds as it was, and might be worth
more if restored-and he would bring a
purchaser in three days time. We were
all in high spirits, though Lucy and
Lad q terrible row us to what we should
do with the money-but on the very day
the purchaser was coming we blew up.
was mixing material when, bang! we
were all in the street or the back yard,
and everything left in the house was
burned or blown to cinders! The picture
-Reubtn's books and papers, furniture
everything clean gone to smash and not
farthing of insurance anywhere"
"And Reuben?" asked Sarah solicit
ously.
He was out-when he came back the
place was a ruin. All his papers were
gone, the money that he had, the novel
that he was writing-but he came to see
me in the hospital that night, just us if
nothing had happened. The worst came
after the blow-up. had borrowed money
on the strength of selling the picture,
and Reuben had become my security; and
when l couldn't pay, he was dropped on,
and he has been working off my loan as
well as his own ever since-killins him
self with work, poor boy" and Jennings
began to weep again.
There, there, the worst is over, now
that have come to help you," she said.
we Will change all this"
He changed by degrees-he became
more discontinued and aggravating like,
after his awful bad luck Then Lucy
went raving mad-had her call she says
and took to preaching. and bullied Reu-
ben and me about our souls, till one day
Reuben gave her piece of his mind
and we all went different ways after that.
She spoke to NE this morning-it was
the first time for six months. She passes
me like dirt-she-"
There, don't begin to cry again."
Sarah adjured; II am sorry, but it might
have been worse. I'm very glad that
came to London, to lead the way to bet
ter timesr'
John remained silent till the cab stop
ped in the dingy thoroughfare of Drury
Lane, before a small ironmonger's shop,
as shabby and rusty in it's exterior as the
j. w-bolstered theaters for which the par
ish Is famous
"Here!" said Sarah in a low whisper.
He is close to his work-he saves
omnibus hire and shoe leather-but he
loses the country air and cheerful society
Of Hope street." explained John jennings
with sigh.
The cabman was dismissed, and John
Jennings paused on the curbstone and
pointed to all open door on the left-hand
side of the shop.
You go in there, and up to the very
top of ali the stairs and it's the back
'oom Miss Eastbell."
Stop one moment" cried Sarah, as |
John was about to beat a precipitate
'etreat. "You will not mind this. You
Ire not proud, and am indebted to YOU
you are poor, and l am friend with
90 much money. Pray do" she said
very hurriedly, then bank note was
hrust into his hand, and she disappeared
n the murky passage of the house, With
n he had not the courage to follow her.
What dreadful PLACED" she muttered
% herself as she went up the dirty, I'M
covered stairs, glancing through the
anding window as she passed at the
wilderness of houseroofs stretching be-
rond it. Two years of aff1uence had set
Ter old life wonderfully apart from her.
She reached the top of the house and
vent with slow, dragging steps to the
'ack room door, on the panels of which
he knocked.
Not I'M" she whispered to herself a.
he knocked again, and again the deep
Hence in the room beyond her warned
Ter of the fruitless sequel to her expedf-
ion. She tried the handle of the door
which she found unlocked: there was an
Their pause, then she opened the door and
Inferred the room with vacillating stems.
esolved to wait till he came back, ns,
nder different circumstances, and with
er in distress; he would have waited half
lifetime.
(To be continuedl