Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-18

| GOu trutnIF he said harShly. III tnat
| savage bant built the very Gaps of my
dead boy-the very daps OF un, IL he wasn't
black!'
/, The others regarded the stranger crit
| ically, and obj, grinned about him and
tapped his glass again. But Sim shook his
| head.
mo more my lad. You must be moving
| soon. He's Mister Henrys servant" he
continued to Sweetland-''a poor. simple.
| afflicted creature, but true and faithful:
and wonderful smart, seeing he can't hear
or speak. He saved Mister Henrys LIE in
some row he had in foreign parts. and
| now's he thought the world of. Providence
| was looking after him. 1 reckon. He'll drive
| the new motor SO like as not. IL II can be
| proved his deafness don't matter"
| Sweetland still regarded the colored mari
| with interest. Then he turned to his glass.
| Presently he spoke to Beer.
| "How's 1t with your he asked "A man
| may get a merry answer from you: and
| for my part. being near the END OF my
| days, shun sorrow where 1t can be DONE
| though 1t meets you everywhere. There's
| nought else moving in town country"
| Don't think IL, Matthew" urged the pub
| lican. Sorrow be like a lot of other
things; go to meet 1t and twill come half
| way. Put of sorrow till tomorrow, and
| very often you can stave II off altogether"
| Its no time for mourning either" con-
| tinued Titus. ITS the time to be busy.
| Dan be gone; the memory Of him be here.
| IT'S for US to round or his history and let
| him be remembered as an honest man. And
| maybe afore a weeks out, twill be done"
| 'ODi nau MS glass IN MS nanu, anu at
| this noble sentiment he dropped 1t suddenly
| and 1t broke to pieces.
He shrugged his shoulders and produced
| two pence from his pocket and placed them
| on the counter.
"He've got his intellects. evidently. He
knows it costs money to break glass" said
BARLEY. That one may say for him..
| That he has," assented Titus. And az
| good tempered as a bulldog. Where's my
| parcels? / must be going. Have you seen
| your daughter-in-law Matthew"
Yes" answered the gamekeeper Il
| gave her a lift to Moreton. She's gone
| to her aunt's. She told me TO tell you
that she'd be In the yard of the White
Hart afore o'clock hear poor Rix
| Parkinson be set on speaking to her afore
| he dies"
Yes; were going there now. Much may
| come of It."
"A wasted life" unused Mr. Beer AN
a man of great parts was Rix Parkinson.
| God never made such a thirst afore. He'll
| have to lift that excuse at tudgment-not
| that excuses will alter the set of things
there. Yet they'm a part of human ma
ture. come to think of 1t. Adams self be-
gan it. He ate of the tree. then said twas
she. 'Drunkard Parkinson's cruel thirst
| have driven him from bad to worse; and
though he often had DTS" he never was
seen upon his knees II had to write
his tombstone, that would be the rhyme
of it," said Mr.. Beer
Its wrong to admire him, but 1 never
could help doing So" confessed Sim ''As
sportsman myself, always felt his clev-
|
bird as you bred. Matthew"
IF he knows aught as would clear Dam
lei, I'll forgive him ALL answered the old
| keeper.
II hope to goodness 1t may be So re-
piled Titus. MY ear will be quick to hear
it, l promise you. And this I'd say: leave
it to Mrs. Sweetland's good time If poor
| Parkinson have got any dark thing to get
off his conscience. he won't want it brought
to the light of day while yet he lives"
You make my flesh creep" said Beer.
f<r 1nr,ff ann IN
| him? You can only hear; but parson can
both hear and forgive" .
The ancient in the corner spoke up again.
| Don't you know no wiser than that rot?
| You read your Bible better, Johnny Beer,
an you'll very soon find that nobody can
forgive sins but God alone. An lay II
takes Him all His holy time, with such
| rotten world this
NO politics" said the man behind the
bar mo politics, an no religion, Mister
Hext. II you please"
| with, CATER" answered Mr.. Beer mildly.
"'Tis well known In a general way that
| the clergy have power to forgive sins; an
to think Of 1t, for their calling. Now, fol-
my part
In the yard a voice broke into Beers
| argument and a venerable rhyme ascended
from an ostlers throat:
Had no breaches to wear;
So he stole rams skin
The skinny side out
And the wooly side in.
Old Harry Trewin"
! There's a proper song for 'e. said
| BARLEY. when you can turn a verse like
that. you may call yourself clever chap,
John Beer"
torted Beer. THE verse be very vulgar.
an SOS the subject. You don't understand
these things, as how should policeman?
Take 'Widecombe Fair even. It's the tune
NE okv Never
| foolisher verses"
A little figure crossed the inn yard. and
Sim ieapt up; OBJ folioW seo; carrying bnd
| brought with him. Matthew Sweetland
| stared at the tall. retreating figure in its
long strangely cut coat.
| THE very cut of his shoulders" he saidi
but nobody was listening to him.
In the yard Sim saw Minnie waiting for
him. She wore deep black.
I'm quite ready, Mrs. Sweetland, If you
are he said. Then he took off his hat to
| her.
Minnie nodded.
just time. Is that the poor negro Mister
Henry has brought home with him."
Yes. A fine fellow for all his afiiictions
The widow stared fixedly at Obj The
! black man drew in his breath and endured
the ordeal. But he did not face her and
| grin He turned his eyes away. He be
lieyed that II his hands had not been full
of parcels, they must have gone round her;
He is deaf and dumb. poor creature
| said Titus. ~
us Mister Henry going to keep him?'
| yes"
won't he be cold in the winter? To
think-to think! His eyes have seen all the
| things that my Daniel wrote about. he
may have seen Dams dear self!
| The parcels fell; but obj only stopped
quickly and picked them up again: He re
membered in time the appalling fright thar
his black paws would bring to Minnie IT
they closed suddenly around her lie
turned and went his way; then, looking
around he was in time to see Titus offer
his arm to Minnie Sweetland and to mark
that she refused 1t.
| The black man winked great tears out or
his ewes. He had not cried since he was
child. ,
shape of her-the lovely voice of her;
Won't he be cold in the winterT she axea
that No, by God he won't! l had pom
the tip of my tongue TO tell her. But tbs
I lucky held 1t in, for it might have spout
ALL" ,,,
Deep in thought, Daniel returned to MID,
dlecott Court. At the lodge gates he stood
| a moment and stared up at the metal
Diana with the bullethole under her breast.