The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-14
hlGHwAYnEN BLAckLEG| AND RUFFlANlY TREyElEROr
 BfJET TIE ROAD IN HOSE GOOD OLD DKscr or 759

 intense astonishment recognized none other than his old friend and subordinate, Strap.
 Despite his gentlemans garb, Strap leaped at the private soldier and em- braced him. sobbing:
 "oh, to see you thus! Why did you leave me? But now all shall be made right. You shall have everything that have"
 Dragging him indoors, Strap told him that after Random's disappearance he had accompanied young nobleman to Brance as valet His master had died, leaving 10 him all his rich wearing apparel, ms swords watch, rings and ready money amounting to 300 pounds. Strap had taken the name of Monsieur Estrapes and had lived quietly and modestly as gentle man.
 "F,vervthing shall be yours!' cried the loyal strap. q surrender them all to VOL We will buy your discharge and thar won shall go to England and make our fortune
 He would not listen to obJections' put declared that he could not sustain tne role of gentleman and that he would De far happier as Roderick Random Vaie'-
 Random's brain was turned by the sud den prospect, and his remonstrances gre" fainter until at last he acceded. If was a figure vastly different rom , that of the poor French private that presently strutted through the conee bouses of London and showed itself at tho nlav. A coat of cut velvet, trimmed with gold a waistcoat of blue satin em- broidered with silver. black VeiVe' brooches, white silk stockings, hat with sli- yer lace scalloped shirt ruffled with real Mechlin, a sword of cut steel inlald With gold. a cane with a gold head, and tor tose shell snuff box of price made him a beau who rivaled any in London
 Expensive lodgings in Charinge cross and the other necessary appointments or a gentleman reduced their funds to 92o0, fact which made Strap grmace with anxiety and pain, but Roderick Random 1 had not permitted poverty to teach hlm petty and vulgar economies. The one lesson that. 1t had taught him, however, i was that poverty is an estate to be avoid ed by all means. He decided that the best method would be to marry an heress.
 Accordingly he laid seige to the toast 1 of the day, the beautiful Melinda, who cheated divinely at cards. He fought a l duel in her honor and committed a series of extravagances that drove Strap nearly mad. When he learned that Random 1 had lost IS guneas to his charmer in | one evening he could contain himself no longer. but whimpered while he shaved his master. who thereupon told Strap to take the rest of his money and go. At that Strap sobbec in earnest and begged Random never to speak that way again. The affection of the faithful crea- ture filled Roderick with the resolution to gain fortune at once and thus recom- pense his humble friends loyalty. When he put his fate to the touch, however Melinda demanded to see his rent roll and dismissed him with a sarcastic smile on the confession of his inability to pro- duce that useful factor in matrimony.
 Alarmed by the discovery that their joint finances had dwindled to less thar e100, Roderick Random attempted sev- eral desperate cutting-out expeditions | against other heresses, but reaped only | quarrels with other beaus. He resolved to make a bold stroke for fortune ir another direction and. bribed a noble lord to procure for him a good position under government. The noble lord ac- cepted the bribe graciously and introduced MT. Random to other gentlemen of sta tion. who also accepted bribes with such condescending freedom that one day Ran. dom was forcedsto confess to Strap that not only were they reduced to one pool | guinea, but the watch and the jewels also had gone to the hands of tht hungry bribe-takers, and all without re- suit.