Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-05

ana chain, etc.; in settlement of all
claims, and in consideration Of which
undertake to return pawn ticket for same
to said J. M. Blaydes. Ivy cottage. West
End. within three days from this date
Signed, -, April q. 1881.
Tom read this terse deed twice
through, looked again at the watch
and chain, weighed them in his hand,
TOOK a third look at the paper and sign
ed his name in the blank space with
out a word.
"Good" said Blaydes, pocketing the
roll. "Now 1 think you'll have no OBJ
lection to giving me back that worth
less check. Come, perhaps it wasn't
such a pure accident, after all, but
was cursedly hard up at the time.
And I honestly regret i'll do, indeed!'
Still without a word, Tom handed
him the check, whereupon Blaydes
twisted it up, struck a lucifer and ig-
nited the paper at one end, and as It
burned he picked off and powdered the
charred bits between finger and
thumb, while the yellow fame made
bis smooth face yellower than ever.
They parted. Tom going his way alone.
= +.
Tom pushed on with a light step and
q swimming brain. The sudden change
IN his poor little fortunes seemed too
good to be true. T~hirty-five pounds is
not a mint of money, but to Erickson
1t was something like one; at least it
was his all. for he had no right to
another penny in the world. The sum
represented his full capital as we'll as
his last chance in life. And he had it
safe in his pocket in the shape of
Blaydes' watch and chain.
The was hidden now. Tom
had difficulty in seeing and following
the beaten path and was unduly star
tied by a fellow waif, who suddenly
stood before him in the darkness.
Got the time about yer, guv'norY''
said a high, hoarse voice.
mo, IL don't possess a watch"
stammered Tom, taken as much aback
by the question MS by the questioner.
And he grasped the repeater In one
pocket and doubled the other fist.
"Ha, 1 see you DON'T" rejoined the
other as the moo shone forth at that
moment. mo arm done, I 'ope. We
can't all be real swells, can WEI"
And Tom was left shuddering from
a single moonlight glimpse of a hor-
rible face horribly disfigured. Disease
had RACED the nose to the level Of the
stubby, shrunken cheeks; the very
eyes were more prominent, but wolf
ish, unsteady, and little better to see.
His plans for the night were as yet
unmade. Tom looked about him and
espied a promising thicket not thirty
PAGES from the path. And here, being
tired out, be did actually lie down,
after first kneeling, as he had not
knelt for months, and thanking the
Maker of all good things for having
made the world so kind and his love so
true and so forgiving.
But he V quite fell asleep. He
was neal it when a sound of slipshod
feet, running downhill through the
grass, passed close by the thicket and
left him wide awake and wondering.
1t was hopeless after that. And 2
o'clock struck upon his ears with the
sound of his own footsteps trudging
down Haverstock hill to no immediate
goal.
Yet still the world was kind. A wag-
on came creaking at his heels, slowly
o~verhauling him and unexpectedly
stopping when it did so. 1t was green
mountains high with country vege-
tables smelling notably in the clean
night air, and with this sweet Whit
of home and the past there came a
hearty, elderly voice evidently hailing
Tom.
"Now, then, young man, if you want
a lift, joomp oop!"
Tom was not sure what he wanted,
but his feet We're sore, the voice liked
him. and up he jumped. And between
darkness and dawn-the quiet foot of
the sleeping hill and the half awaken
ed but already noisy purlieus Of Tot
tenham Court road-the lucky, attrac.
tive fellow made another friend.
The wagner was a red faced, red
whiskered, freckle handed fellow, with
a genial, broad, communicative tongue.
Jonathan Butterfield was his name,
and he was a Yorkshireman only re
Gently come south, as he said, with a
sigh which left him silent. Whereup.
on Tom became communicative in his
turn and remarked that he, too, medi
tated a move-to India.
"There's the good ship Jean advertis.
ed to sail on Monday, and Pm on my
way to the Office to see if they've q
bunk left. If there isn't 1 shall go on
to the docks and try my luck on the
ship herself. might work my pas
sage out. If not, I'll stow away"
you're that anxious to leave OLD
England!"
II am anxious to make my way"
"Ah, WE'LL" sighed the wagner
"T've got a lad o. my own as far away
as you are going. He writes US canny
letters, but dear knows what we'd
| give to see him back!"
But there was no end to the good
will of the Yorkshireman, who not on.
ly insisted on paying for hot coffee al
an early stall, but fatty refused to &C
| oho,,t his hI,cipoSS until Tor proricad