Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-01-17


valid had tried to teach the old crea
'ture tricks. Above all, the prisoner
had never pretended to deny his guilt.
Still, this matter of the horses gave
him q certain sense of insecurity in his
cosy cell.
He had awakened to find himself not
only deliciously notorious, but actually
more of q man than in his heart of
hearts he had dared to hope. The te-
nacity and consistency of his pose were
alike remarkable. Even in the over
weening cause of egoism he had never
shown SO much character in his life.
Yet he shuddered to realize that, given
the usual time for reflection before his
great moment, that moment might have
proved as mean as many another when
the spirit had been wine and the flesh
water There was, in fine, but one
feature of the affair which even Os-
wald Melvin, drunk with notoriety and
secretly Sanguine of q nominal punish
ment. could not contemplate with alb
SOlute satisfaction. But that feature
followed the others into the papers
which kept him intoxicated. And a
bundle of these papers found their ad
venturous way to the latest fastness
of Stingaree in the malice
The real villain dropped his eye
glass, clapped it in again and did his
best to crack it with his stare Stu
dent Of character as he was, he could
not have conceived such development
in such a character. He read on,
more enlightened than amused '"To
think he had the pluck" he murmured
as he dropped that Australasian and
took up the next weeks. He was fill
ed with admiration, but soon q frown
and then an oath came to put an end
to it. The little beast" he cried.
hell kill that woman. He can't have
kept it up He sorted the papers for
the latest of ala sinful publican
saved them for him-and therein read
that Oswald Melvin had been commit
ted for trial and that his only concern
was for the condition of his mother
which was still unchanged and had
seemed latterly to distress the prisoner
very much
'rl distress him. roared Stingaree
to the malice ''pll distress him if we
change places for it.''
Riding all night and as much as he
dared by day. it was some hundred
hours before he paid his third and last
visit to the Melvins' music shop. He
n hCl Ia tfln
plebald mare not to be confused in
the most suspicious mind with the no
more CONSPICUOUS Barmaid. 1t is true
the brown parts Smelled Of paint and
were at once strange and seemingly
little tender to the touch But Stingarcc
allowed no mcddling with his mount,
and only Il very sinful publican very
many leagues back was in the secret.
There were no lighted windows be-
hind the shop tonight. The whole place
was in darkness. and Stingaree knock
ed in vain. \ neighbor appeared upon
the next veranda.
''Who is it you want?" he asked
Mrs. Melvin
Its no use knocking for her"
SIS she deadT'
''Not that l know of, but she can't
be long for this world"
where is she nOw?'
''Bishop's lodge. They say Miss
Methuen's with her day and night.
For it was in the days of the bishops
daughter who had strong mind, but
no sense of humOr and heart only
tickle in its own affairs. Miss Methuen
made an admirable if somewhat too
assiduous and dictatorial nurse. She
had, however, a fund of real sympathy
with the afflicted, and Mrs. Melvin's
only serious complaint (Which she in
tended to die without uttering) was
that she was never left alone with her
grief by day or night 1t was Miss
Methuen who, sitting with rather oS-
tentatious patience in the dark at the
open window until her patient should
fall or pretend to be asleep, saw man
ride a piebald horse in at the gate ana
then, halfway up the drive, suspicious
lv dismount and lead his horse into a
tempting shrubbery.
Stingaree did not often change MS
mind at the last moment, but he knew
the man on whose generosity he was
about to throw himself, which was to
know further that that generosity
would be curbed by judgment and to
reflect that he was least likely to be
deprived of q horse whose whereabouts
was known only to himself. There
was but one lighted room when he
eventually stole upon the house. 1t
had q veranda to itself, and in the
bright frame of the French windows,
which stood open, sat the bishop with
his Bible on his knees.
Yes, know YOU" said he, putting
his marker in the place as Stingaree
entered, boots in one hand and some
thing else in the other. II thought we
should meet again. Do you mind put
ting that thing back in your pocket
"Will you promise not to call soul?'
ooh, dear, yes"'
You weren't expecting me, were
" -. criaJ StinUoraa Sl1SuiciOuSlv