Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-12

I'm AFRAID Ii don't seem TO nave
q coin in my pocket!"
"Oh, you 'aven't, 'aven't you?"
"No, I have not! I'm very sorry
r.
"You may be! Never mind no tales.
You can keep them for the beak as'll
ave a word to say to you tomorrer
mornin'w And the cad winked at the
other passengers, stopped the omni-
bus and called a policeman from the
curb.
Tom could have burst into tears. To
be wrongly wanted for a crime so ter
rible and justly taken for a thing so
small! He looked forlornly at his fell
low passengers, with a wild idea that
one might come to his rescue. The
sole response was a whitening frown
from the ruddy old gentleman, who
also commended the cad and loudly
trusted an example would be made Of
the case. The desperate Tom began
~ransacking his pockets in earnest for
some overlooked coin, but he had done
this so often Of late that he felt the
futility now. The perspiration froze
upon his face, yet even with the police
mans tall hat poked inside the omni.
bus his twitching fingers continued
their spasmodic, hopeless search.
1.-THE flash young spark" whispered
the cad. "Just you brighten i'm, Sir
Robert"
"Now, then, come along" said the Of
fcer.
Good God" cried Tom.
you'll get all the more for swear
ing. Now, out you come afore you're
made" r. ~ "f%s 5 %
"Not just yet" returned the culprit
and handed the conductor one of two
half crowns found that very moment
in a scrap of crumpled paper. "Tm
sorry l couldn't find it before. Kindly
give me change"
"Where top growled the cad as the
constable stepped down.
Tom did not hear.
"Can't you answer? Where to?"
"Oh, as far as you go"
Toms eyes were ON the crumpled
scrap and filled to overlooking by half
a dozen i'll written words:
wishin good LUX, yours respeckfull,
j. BUTTERFIELD.
Clare would think him guilty. After
what had passed between them she
could not do otherwise. Then guilty
let him be in every earthly eye, and
the ooner it was all ver the better
for him and for her. He had no wish
to live if the one sweet judge whose
judgment he respected held him worthy
of death. And she would-she could
not help herself. Then what must she
think of his love for her? And the
thought Of her thoughts was worse
than that Of shameful death before a
bowling mob.
Tom tore up Claire's letter that he
had meant to treasure till his death, so
that when he was taken no slur should
rest upon his beloved, and he distrib-
uted the minute fragments at long in
tervals that night before looking for a
place to lay his head. In the end he
hit upon an empty house overlooking
the then green Enclosure Of Westbourne
EDuIk. AL uuLUSlClGu WluuOW Caught
his eye. He waited till the road was
clear and then entered like an expert.
fastening the window behind him.
Here he destroyed and hid away his
hat, a battered beaver bought in the
days of poor Blaydes. In it's stead he
had obtained from a pawnshop and for
19 pence an old fashioned peak and
tassel cap. But he had not dared to
offer the watch in pledge, although he
had entered that shop for the purpose.
1t licked so loud in the empty house
that in the dead Of night he leaped up
in a frenzy and smashed in the works
with his heel.
Before he could lie down again there
came a deafening double knock at the
street door.