Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-19

Tn and day out, probably made me care less to the fact that there is ever turn in the road, and when it came, this hard old heart of mine was touched, since put. ting all the sweet things out of my life was attached to that Chinaman alone; yet we have much for which we may be thankful, and even in my dire extremity l was not without sympathy.
 A certain widow who resided several death in the family, came to offer hel coincidence, and suggest a 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 I 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 l might pay il back as l found it convenient. And so this sad chapter came to close.
 I 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 heanness forms part ot 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 a million fancied wrongs on the part Of provl- dence, until more than once resolved to drown my sorrows and liQuidate my indebtedness in the ebbing 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 $20 per month-$3, ,l23 Not mean sum. that, and l wagereo 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 i mined to end, planning to lay with my revolver beside the bed, and let him hay; the contents if the offense was repeated Constant strain had robbed me of all sen timent in the matter.
 At length dreaded night came. Now have never been praying man, but confess that this night l expressed wishes to an unseen power that means might be forthcoming for escape from the dreadful groove into which had fallen.
 I'slept space and awoke with start Hark! That god again. l reached fol my revolver and waited. and presently I heard the same peculiar sound. aimed in the direction of the sound ana fired.
 Now. don't believe am coward. bu \ crash followed that left me in the cold clammy sweat said to come before death At length I found courage to strike light. and my floor was covered w1tf , s2O gold pieces. the god split in twaiI lying in the midst of the glittering gold On examination. found he had beer made of two pieces hollowed from his mouth to his stomach and glued together Before slueing he had been carefully padded, so that any ordinary jar would betray no sound of the matter wlthir him. Each month Wong had taken hi s2O. dropped it in the mouth of the god and the weight had long been too'srea for his construction. My aim was true for struck him fair in the middle. caus ing a rent that continued to spread iron the weight of gold. and he lay. pitifu wreck. Pieces of padding, gnawed int bits. explained the mystery of the noise Some mice. creeping down his throat found . well-made nest. and runnin: over the gold at night caused 1t tt 1 jingle.
 If Wong had any heirs, I did not knoV any course to pursue to find them. so fig ured had every right to the treasure. { The mice? We'll tfeel so tenderly to ward them that ha,s had gold-plate' image made for paper weight, tha while I write l may be reminded of tn good fortune for which they are in measure responsible.
 The woman? We'll. We are very happ, since closer relationship has. to larg extent. removed many of my faults an' revealed many of her virtues.
 The lie? Well. l still retain my an tipathy to faisehood. - Overland Monthly.