The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-06-23

row.
They parted, and he watched her
graceful figure till it disappeared in
the dusk, and then he, too, made his
way out of the park with heart
lighter than it had been when he en-
tered.
He reached the corner, and was a
few yards from his studio, when he
noticed youth, an errand-boy appar-
emily, preparing to cross the road
with most superfous degree of eau
ton for that unfrequented quarter;
again and again when halfway
across he would retreat to the curb
stone he had left, looking this way
and that, as If completely democrat
/ lied by nervousness.
At last he seemed to pluck up cour-
age and made a run for it, with an
uncalled for determination which
nightly amused Campion; he was
| still laughing when an empty ham
som dashed round the corner and
bowled the poor boy over few inches
from the footpath.
| The cabman, without waiting to
see what injury he had done, whipped
his horse to gallop, and was gone
before Campion, Mortified and
shocked as he was, could stop him OF
ascertain his number.
He could only run to the boy and
pick him up and wait there while he
leaned, white and gasping, against the
ratings of Campion's garden. When
the boy could speak he said, You'll
bear me out, mister, as it wasn't none
of my doing; the guv'nor, he told
me to be keerful, and I've been keer-
| full enough-if it's broke it amt my
fault noway."
Never mind that" said Campion.
''the chief thing is, are you broken
anywhere?"
II don't think as how I'm broke
anywhere, though l fell all nohow;
the shaft of that there 'ansom ketched
me on the shoulder and sent me
a-spinning. But feel o. that there par
eel, sir-do it seem all right to you,
through the paper? Well, that's a
good thing, anyhow. If you knew the
job I've 'ad bringin' of it ere you'd
feel for me, you would indeed! l
took bus at Tot'nim Court Road,
and blimy if both the 'orses didn't
go down! Then / took another at
the Cirkis, and we got a-racing down
the Edgeware Road, and run into a
butchers cart and very near turned
over that time. / never see any
thing like it Then SEE +, Not any
more ridin' for me- / SEE, I'll walk
the rest And, would you believe it,
sir-if all the kebs and buses and
carts there was didn't seem bent on
runnin' ryer me! Never run such an
erran' in all my born days! Why, I
was like old woman by the time /
got ere, and just as SEE, Blame the
hlmage!' SEE 1, I'm quit of it now!
round comes that there gallopadin'
'ansom, and over l goes like skit-
tle!"
II saw" said Ronald, "you weren t
to blame in the least; and now you
had better come with me and we'll
see If you've broken any bones"
Il must deliver this ere parcel,
and get that off my mind FIRST" said
the boy stanchly, and then Campion
discovered that it was addressed to
himself
why, it must be SYPHILIS present."
he said, as he saw the label 1t was
curious to think of the perils it had
run of miscarrying and even perish
ing; its escape struck him as sort
of special providence.
He had the boy attended to and ex-
amined at once. Fortunately he had
escaped with bruise or two and a
slight shaking. II never heard no
cab" said Bales, 1.-The boys been
fightin' on the way-them young ras-
kills will get fighting-he never got
them bruises in no accident!" and
no argument would move him from
his opinion
Meanwhile Campion had unpacked
the precious parcel in full confidence
of finding something with a pretty
fanciful association with it, some
graceful and well-chosen addition to
his household gods.
His spirits fell suddenly at the
reality; it was household god liter
ally enough, being nothing more nor
less than an extremely ugly Oriental
idol, such as a Buddhist shrine in
China or Burmah might contain.
1t was made of a dingy notified
kind of alabaster with a sparkle here
and there under the smooth surface,
the robes were family indicated by
a dull red lacquer, and it was repre-
scented squatting cross-legged with
great fanlike hands on it's knees.
The eyes in the broad fiat moon
face were closed, and the general ex-
preston was one of SNUG and sleepy
dissatisfaction if it were being
reverently tickled by an unseen at
tendant.
This, then, was SYPHILIS first pres
ent, and at the sight of the inscrut-
able smile on its calm countenance
Campion's demon of doubt again
stirred; the smile seemed to be say
ing:
Now do look the sort of thing a
girl would give lover she seriously
and honestly cared for?" and the an
swer he gave was: TNo, she has sent
me this in some fantastic spirit OF
mockery-not love; she has been
playing with me after ALL
CHAPTER III.
From n Pedestal