The Irish standard., 1905-01-28

I was attached to that Chinaman alone;
yet we have much for which we may be
thankful, and even in my dire extremity
was not without sympathy.
A certain widow who resided several
doors from me, on learning that had
death in the family, came to offer her
coincidence, and suggest means OF dis
posing with the remains of my faithful
servant and friend. l could not notify
any of his race of his death, and did
not have the heart to give his body to
the medical students; so without the
help Of this Angel of Mercy should in
deed have been in sorry plight.
was ashamed of my antipathy to
women when she offered to defray the
expenses of his burial, and to save my
feelings, suggested that might pay it
back as found it convenient And so
this sad chapter came to close.
may lack that fine sense of feeling,
but week later found me longing for
something else in my life beside soli-
tude. Perhaps the old longing of my
youth had been kindled anew for aught
l know, but, be that as it may, lived in
state of constant unrest. Perhaps it
was money needed; perhaps it was the
widow. She had enough, and to spare,
but whatever meanness forms a part OF
my nature, believe me, could not stoop
to such means to obtain it. No! If she
could accept me, she must feel my de-
sires were prompted by love, and love
alone. But to demonstrate even this,
must have some OF the filthy quantity.
At last strain and want deprived me
Of sleep, and night after night l lay
awake, thinking, dreaming of million
fancied wrongs on the part OF provl-
dence, until more than once l resolved
to drown MY sorrows and liquidate my
Indebtedness in the ebbins tide.
What would the widow think of my
proposal? Would the publishers accept
the work OF my life? And last OF all,
the strange thought: What had Wong
done with the money paid him? Thir-
teen years at $40 per months, ,l23!
Not mean sum, that, and wagered
some fellow celestial held the whole.
And lately, to add to My unrest, that
god of Wong's had been making Pc
culiar sounds at night, and this deter
mined to end, planning to lay with my
revolver beside the bed, and let him have
the contents if the offense was repeated.
Constant strain had robbed NE OF all SEN
timent in the matter
At length dreaded night came. Now,
have never been praying man, but
confess that this night | expressed
wishes to an unseen power that means
might be forthcoming for escape from
the dreadful groove into which | had
fallen.
slept space and awoke with start.
Fork! That god again. | reached for
my revolver and waited, and presently
| heard the same peculiar sound. l
aimed in the direction of the sound and
fired.
Now, | don't believe am coward, but
a crash followed that left me in the cold,
clammy sweat said to come before death.
At length l found courage to strike
light, and my floor was covered with
500 gold pieces, the god split in twain
lying in the midst OF the glittering gold.
; On examination, found he had been
made of two pieces followed from his
mouth to his stomach and glued together.
Before glucing he had been carefully
padded, so that any ordinary jar would
betray no sound of the matter within
him. Each month Wong had taken his
$40, dropped it in the mouth of the god,
and the weight had long been too great
for his construction. My aim was true,
for | struck him fair in the middle, caus-
ing a rent that continued to spread from
the weight of gold, and he lay, a pitifui
wreck Pieces of padding. Snawed into
bits explained the mystery of the noise.
Some mice. creeping down his throat.
found well-made nest, and running
over the gold at night, caused it to
jingle.
If Wong had any heirs, l did not know
any course to pursue to find them, so fig
ured | had every right to the treasure.
The mice? Well. | feel so tenderly to-
ward them tAat have had a gold-plated
image made for paper weight, that
while write may be reminded of the
good fortune for which they are in a
measure responsible.
The woman? Well, we are very happy
since closer relationship has, to large
extent, removed many Of my faults and
revealed many of her virtues.
The lie? Well. l still retain my an
tipathy to falsehood. - Overland
| Monthly.
! TOBACCO A GOOD POULTICE
Sprain of the Ankle Cured by Brief
| Application Of Little Known