Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-05-29

a stout matron. with two children
clinging to her skirts, shading her
eyes with her hand. "And drunk al.
ready!"
lis a wrong and wicked thing to
say, Anna Maria Bird! tell zee
don't drink now!" exclaimed he
warmly. He challenged Anna Maria
Bird to smell his breath.
But how had so strange thing been
brought about?
When Micah had told of the inter.
cession Of the lady guardian, Anna
Maria asked If there was. anybody in
particular he wanted to see.
"The most particlarest," began
Micah, slowly" is old Bill Adams"
His face frightened with anticipation.
Il did want to have a word with Bill
Adams"
But, Micah, haven't you heard?"
"Old Mr.. Adams is gone"
"He's dead, Micah" .
"And buried"
"He do lie t'other side O. the old
yew; nice dry grave, so they told me"
said Anna Maria Bird, in more prac
tical tone. "But who besides, Micah?"
There's old Uncle Gregory
"He don't abide in Liddleston now
He had nobody to keep un, so he were
fetched away home to his own parish" "
There's Tommy Plat. He"
"No, no! Tommy's out in Farmer
Trench's bayfield,. But Tommy's in
drink. Keep away therefrom, Micah
Dodge; do We now. Don't zee go near
the cider, there's a good man. Now
do ZEE take a walk round parish and
see what you can see."
Thus encouraged, Micah started on
his melancholy quest. He looked in at
the forge. 1t was empty, for the smith
was away in the bayfield, *'pomstering"
up mowing-machine.
The baker dragged out his two.
wheeled cart, and set the level shafts
upon trestle, ready to pack his
bread. Micah strolled down to have
word with the man as he went to
and fro, bringing out loaves The
warm air of the bakehouse came
heavy laden with Renaissance. How
many an errand he had run to that
place when he was child! And how
his mother had slapped him when he
picked the loaf!
Again he longed for that little, brit.
tie corner crust.
The craving grew upon him stronger
than for the drink. He went in and
bought half loaf, crisp and brown
upon the top, but hot and steaming
from the oven. He crept away with it
under his arm to shed behind the
bakehouse. None of your workhouse
bread to-day!
He pulled off the crust, he tore apart
the middle, moist and clinging like
tripe. 1t was sweet as a nut and soft
as bun. 1t was so good that he grew
hungry upon it. And so Micah ate
and ate.
Miss Georgina Prowse came early to
"the House" on the day of the next
board meeting, and finding herself
with some minutes to spare, she re.
membered Micah, and went to inquire
of the master.
'And has the old man had his day
out?" she asked, with an air of genial
expectation.
"Oh, yes; he has had his day."
But the answer sounded short. It
awakened suspicion in the mind of
Miss Georgina Prowse.
did he behave himself?"
EYES,"
"And come home sober?"
account of it in the weekly paper?'
mo; have been away"
Eyes; he came home sober-he was
brought in dead!"
Dead! How-dead?"
There had to be an inquest, of
course"
"Yes?"
"The verdict was 'Syncope, follow
ing an excessive indulgence in new
bread
"But what did he do?"
ooh, it all came out before the jury.
He kept his word. He told the vii.
lage about it. and would not touch a
drop. He had weak heart, it seems.
In fact. the doctor said in court that
little stimulant might have saved
him. l ought never to have let him
out. Now the country tale is that we
starve the paupers here