The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-04-27
Ge
Rogue's
March,.
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- g: 9 <3sS - sSs.& sSs
do" And Blaydes produced sms2
sheaf OF blue paper tied with pink
tape. leaned upon the stile and. with
out untying the tape. wrote for little
on the outside sheet. moistening the
pencil with his Tongues
'Sign that" said he and handed the
packet to Tom. who held 1t to the light
and read as follows:
Received from j. Montgomery Blaydes.
late captain Coldstream guards. his watch
and chain. etc. IN settlement of all
claims. and In consideration OF which
undertake to return pawn ticket for same
to said j. NJ. Blaydes. Ivy cottage. West
End. within three days from this date.
Signed. -. April -. 1887.
Tom read this terse deed twice
through. looked again at the watch
and chain. weighed them in his hand,
took 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 I think youth have no OBJ
lection TO giving me back that worth
less check. Come. perhaps it wasn't
such pure accident. after all. but l
was cursedly hard up at the time.
Still without a word, Tom handed
him the check. whereupon BIaydes
twisted it up. struck a lucifer and ig-
nited the paper at one end, and as il
burned he picked of and powdered the
charred bits between finger and
thumb. while the yellow flame made
his smooth face yellower than ever.
They parted. TUssr scing hts way alone.
Tom pushed on with light step and
q swimming brain. The sudden change
In his poor little fortunes seemed too
good to be true. Thirty five pounds is
not a mint OF money. but TO Erichsen
it 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 rs well IS
his last chance in life. And he had IL
safe in his pocket in the shape OF
Blaydes' watch and chain.
The moon 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'norw
said high. hoarse voice.
mo. IL don't possess 4 watch"
stammered Tom, taken as much aback
by the question as by the questioner.
And he grasped the repeater In one
pocket and doubled the other fist.
TIA, l see you don't" rejoined the
other as the moon 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 raxed 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, he 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 30 kind and his love SO
true and SO forgiving.
But he never quite fell asleep. He
was near 1t when a sound Of slipshod
feet. running downhill through the
grass, passed close by the thicket and
left him wide awake and wondering.
It was hopeless after that. And
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
overhauling him and unexpectedly
stopping when 1t did SO. 1t Was green
mountains high with country vege-
tables smelling notably I'm the clean
night air, and with this sweet whiff
OF home and the past there came a
hearty, elderly voice evidently hailinS
Tom.
"Now, then, young man, IL you want
lift, joomp oop"
Tom was not sure what be wanted.
but his feet were 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 puriieus of Tot
tenham Court road-fhe lucky, attrac-
tive fellow made another friend.
The wagner was red faced, red
whiskered, freckle handed fellow. with
a genial. broad, communicative tongue.
Jonathan Bntterfield was his name.
and he was a Yorkshireman only re-
Gently come south. as he said. with a
sigh which left him silent. Whercup-
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 I'm on my
way to the Office to see IL they've a
bunk left If there isn't shall go on
TO the docks and try my luck on the
ship herself. might work my pas
sage out. III not. I'll stow away"
You're that anxious to leave old
England
II am anxious to make my way"
"Ah, well" sighed the wagner.
tive got lad o. my own as far away
as you are going He writes VI canny
letters. t,ft 1eaa knows what we'd
give to
Ito Be Continued.)