Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-09-27

Ao. ~
Tom rctreatcd ,imbty, hitting high up
the blade til all his might.
handsome and h IVY and fat, with
yellow dial and back like a golden
saucer. Tom turf it over, and the
moon sh0ne on IL, captains mono
gram.
"Well, but what l. i've 1 got to do
with this?"
"Pawn itv'
"Pawn your watchT'
"And send me the ticket end never
poster me again! 1t won't be the first
time it's been in. I've had f4O for IT
before today and never less than thirty.
You may get what you can. All
want is the pawn ticket and your un-
dertaking to leave me alone from this
day onp'
Leave you alone! 1 shall get
berth of some sort aboard an India
man that sails on Monday. Do you
mean it, Blaydes? Do you mean what
| you say?"
"Mean it? Of course mean it! Put
the watch In your pocket and give me
a pencil"
"And the chainP'
"And the chain"
It was made of long gold links and
short silver ones, with a huge bunch
of seals at one end. Tom pocketed the
lot without conjunction and then pro-
duced his stump Of lead pencil.
"Here you are.'
SCOT any paper"
"NOt scrap"
"Well, well. then we must make TINS
do" And Blaydes produced a small
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 tongue.
"Sign that" said he and handed the
packet to Tom, who held it to the light
and read as follows:
Received from ]. 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 ]. M. Blaydes. Ivy cottage. West
End. within three days from this date.
Signed, -. April q, 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 word.
"GOod! said Blaydes, pocketing the
roll. "Now 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 it, do, indeedH
Still without word, Tom handed
him the check, whereupon Blaydes
twisted it up. struck lucifer and ig-
nited the paper at one end, and as 1t
burned he picked off and powdered the
charred bits between finger and
thumb. while the yellow flame made
his smooth face yellower than ever.
They parted, Tom going his way alone.
Tom pushed on with light step and
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 Erickson
! 1t was something like one; at least 1t
: was his ALL for he had no right to
another penny In the world. The sum
represented his full capital as well as
his last chance in life. And he had 1t
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 wait, who suddenly
stood before him in the darkness.
"Got the time about yer, guv'nor?'
said high, hoarse voice.
mo, II don't possess 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.
"Ha, see you don't" rejoined the
pther as the moon shone forth at that
moment. "No arm done, / 'ope. We
can't all be real swells, can weT'
And Tom was left shuddering from
q single moonlight glimpse OF h0r-
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-
f. His plans for the night were as yet
/ unmade Tom looked about him and
espied promising thicket not thirty
4 PAGES from the path. And here, being
! tired out, he did actually lie down,
after first kneeling, as he had not
| knet for months, and thanking the
Maker of all good things for having
made the world so kind and his love so
true a2a so forrivinJ'