OMATTA DAILY 11EE : TIirilsDAV. JAM * Vin * IS. 15)00. )
© XlGXi Ci < IS5Xi ® ! )
| BUSKERS AT BAY.
g Hy ARTHUR .MORRISON.
@ Author of "Talcs of Mean Streets , " 'London Town. " Ctc.
( Copyright , 19iO ( , by Arthur Morrison )
Truly It noemed like lo bo what Is called
an old-fn/shloned Christmas In the matter
of colil and snow. The vscntlcr had cheated
all observers till as Into nn three days be
fore the fttttlvil Autumn tint ! lingered
Inns ways Vvcro dank , leaves still brown
about boughs nnd wlmt little chill buns I"
the nlr was all pointless and In the miln
a mere effect of. damp Hut a night had
rhnngcd all and what had begun as drizzle
turned to sleet nnd that to snow All that
day It fell and toward evening , prevailing
< ver the mire. It whitened the roads nt last ,
rveti as It had already whitened fields nnd
hedges nnd tbo housetops of the little town
of Crowbridge. So that morning , the mornIng -
Ing before Cbrlntmns , broke upon n muilled
whiteness ) nnd , though the fall had
ce-nicd , the sky had nn even grayncsa thit
promised another
Of the townsfolk of Crow bridge the moro
robust looked out of window nnd called It
reasonable ; nnd others who had grumbled
a week ngo because of the mitgglncsfi , DOW
that they had what they asked for , grum
bled again Hut there vvcro visitors long
past grumbling nt anything , though tba
change } bit them norcly. At the end of the
town nearest the railway station , on a
piece of common ground given to fairs
nnd markets , Lcathcrby's Uovnl Vlctorli
theater stood forlorn and solitary. It wa'i
a dlHtnal construction of canvas and wood ,
called nn outdoor fit-up , nnd It hnd stood
almost unregarded for n week. Never hnd
Leathorby's BO little encouragement to stay ,
never BO grievous n lack of means to got
away. Business had been bad nnd worse
than bad , even for n strolling company
And now I '
The vvbolo concern wns fnllcn on ov 1
times nnd Its welfare vvns gone with Its
early paint. All show of Balarle-s had been
dropped months ngo nnd equal division
made of what poor sums might remain
after expenses. Hut now It seemed that an
end hail , come to all things. Once upon n
tlmo the''show had been wont to travel by
rail and the buskers to take cheap lodgings ,
now It moved aa it might and sheltered the
company Itself. It hnd crawled Into Crow-
bridge drnwn by Uo angular horses , hired
In the last town , but there scorned no pos-
Blblllty of Us over crawling out unless the
company harnessed themselves and dragged
It The 'load or one van stood moro or
less erect , with a grqan nnd a flap nt each
Btlr of wind nnd was Iho theater , In the
other Leathorny himself nnd his wife hid
taken to lodge , -ft 1th their daughter of 17 ,
Lou , called-in print , in the dajs when It
ran to bills , Miss Sybllla do Verc.
It was a horrible place , this Crow bridge ;
nobody would trust , nobody would support
the drama. As for trust , ft gallant effort
hart been made In the beginning , when
Texldy Norton , general utility all the com
pany vvcro general utility was endued In
the best mixture of clothes tbo ohovv would
get together , nnd Bent forth to pledge the
credit of the concern with butcher nnd
baker Ho did It nil 'with ' nn air , poor fellow
somowhnt the nlr of a private secretary
conferring a royal appointment in person ,
nnd ho vvns careful to stipulate for the punc
tual presentation of bills next Saturday.
Hut the Crow bridge shopkeepers were a
stony-hcarte > d , even a stony-faced , lot and
they wanted money down , and made no
bones of saying BO , without circumlocution.
And no for the drama , they would have none
of It It would hcem , Indeed , that most of
them judged It sinful , for Crow bridge vvns
a most dull nnd proper place , nnd the money
It sent to Leutherby's doors scarce paid for
lamp oil * .
"Patronage , " too , failed utterly nnd every
tovcr was dra vn blank. Chiefly and first
Leatherby attacked Daring Spencer , esquire ,
and attacked him again nnd ngnln. Baring
Spencer , esquire , would neither send his
servants nor support a "special per
formance , ' nor picfiontly permit Lentherby
btandlng room on his doorstep. It seemed
that something must bo got out of Hiring
Spencer , osqulrc , it only ho were pestered
enough. Tor bo was a man of vast projects
in money and companies , and he was hero
nt Crowbridge , where ho had taken a fur
nished hoiiw ) for n few months , with schemes
In bicycle factories that would make the
place rich Indeed , It was s.ild that ho
was buying the house outright nnd would
BOtno day go to parliament for the county
The local paper was full of Hnrlng Spencer ,
osqulro , his undertakings nnd his designs
for the nourishment and glory of Crow-
btldge. Ho "patronlrcd" everything nnd
his nnmo was everywhere. So that It wna
doubly maddening to fin el him resolute not
to patronlzo the. drnma ns represented by
Lc-ttherbys There was his house , almost In
sight of the "pitch , " and his fame and his
glory almost pervaded Crowbridge It would
seem that every applicant might tnp him , If
not for money , for his name , except Leath
erby. Him ho would not oven see
List night bad been bid Indeed
nt the short. Tltoy had tried
a wonderful version of "Tho
Cornier of Lyons , " slashed and bitterod'out
of all recognition , lo IU the live mule nnd
three female members of the conip my. ami
the only two scene's available , and tlio
"houHo" ( two nnd fourpenco and n tow
pnsscd-ln loafers ) had merely hnlggcred ami
rattled Its feet Tomonoiv would b < >
Christmas and unless something occurred
desperately llkei a mlrnclo the fcstlvit must
be relobiated by u total fast What could
bo iloijc' A deHponilo suggestion of cnrol-
Llnglng hnd been eoiiHldered nnd abindoned
early Therc > wore already two parties etch
night , olio from the church and one from
the ( Impel , each with UH hiunionlilni nnd
each audible to the other nt Intervale , oven
from opposite mils ( f the town. And It
was plain , 03 Snm Davis ( general utility )
observed , that outxldo competition was use
less when the regular ciuvvd worked for
nixMrs
Mrs Leatherby , her daughter nnd Mrs
Hondy cat about n little coke tire bshlnd
the stage , mending and dinting n task
that grow day by day grew In illMlcuHy
ns we'll n magnitudes The girl was 1mm-
gard and sharp beyond her years and nl-
ready hci complexion grew rough nnd un
wholesome because of the nightly pnlnt
pel hups It was vvoi.so today from overnight
weeping 13\en heir mother , staunch through
n hundred ups and downs , made but a poor
fne.0 of 11 , try aa she * might , and Iho widen
ing bulk that had long ago led her , with
rare frankness , to abandon juvenile parts ,
wns now merely re'cordcd by n slackness
of clothes As for Mrs Hcndy. who was
nlso MlfH Hirjumont , IcaJliM lidy , she nl-
moht wept us Hhe > sewed She lamented
aloud , In season and out , the fate that had
brought her to ouch n pths , for she would
Uavtf It known that tilie , above all the rest ,
had known better things and hid played
I'aiillno to the gnat Kodgerion'ii Claude
Mclnottn at Liverpool Shu was at great
pains to Impress thmu things on anybody
who would 1'titrn ' and t > ho made them a
ghastly affliction to her husband , Into whose
mlnfoitunra she had married , and little
thanks she got for It , ns she was Insistent
to remind him
Tor his part , It was his habit to receive
her reproachert sometimes with eiuorulous
retort , but mcRtly with mild deprecation
and to make It la escape , when It wns pos
sible. In the direction of the nearest liquid
refreshment he was aware of
So that now ho wus > ono of I bo first of
the men furtive and Ill-clad , to sneak uriosa
toward tl-o bar of tr-e Ciown Not bt-
eauso ho or they bad money to spend there
but If truth must bo umfcaseJ because they
had fallen low , and va-y low so low that
not n man cf them was but glad to take a
drink at the fnvltatlon of any free-handed
bar-lounger 1 who might offer It
A drover was In the bir. nnd n butcher
a butcher who had declined the honor of
licntherby's custom as offered by Teddy
Norton Norton nnd Hendy pushed open
the door and stared about the bar with a
poor pretense of looking for eotno of the
others whom they had left nt the how
They stared ns long as possible nnd were
making n reluctant show of withdrawal
when the butcher , with a wink and n grin
nt thn drover , sang out"Come along
como nlong In ! There ain't no charge for
comln' In1"
They puihed the door wider , mumbling
something nhout "looking for a friend , " but
with expectant eyes
"Ah , jour friend's bin called out unex
pected to his gran'raothor's funoral. "Ave n
drink' "
They let the door swing to nnd came
shcoplphly In The drinks were ordered nnd
brought , nnd then the butcher , pulling out
n hanlful of silver , said abstractedly , with
another wink nt the drover. "Let's sec ,
wo toss odd man out for these , don't we' "
The drover grinned nnd Teddy Norton
made a ghastly show of feeling about his
pockets for money. Hut Hcndy only flushed
nnd paled nnd frowned nt the floor. Ho had
his feelings yet
The silence endured for three secondn and
then the butcher flung the money on the
counter with a coarse laugh "All right , "
ho said , "my show. " And presently they
wore nil tnlkntlvo together , for , after all.
thcro were the drinks , nnd the. poor players
hail learned not to he too thln-sklnncd.
Sam Davis nnd Hilly Mack found their
way across soon , and the drover wns good
for another round of drinks on their en
trance
, 'Trade In jour line don't eeera frustrate , "
said the butcher , happy in many Christmas
orders "Ain't overcrowded , nro ye ? "
The buskers looked one nt another and
shook their heads ; there could be no con
cealment. "Beastly business , " Davis au
swcred , " 'orrld "
"Not a very pay In" game , eh ? " said the
drover
"Well , " Teddy Norton replied , "I'd be
pretty well off If I had all that's owin' rue ,
anyhow "
"Ah , but then suppose you had to pny
all you owe ? " rejoined the butcher , and
guflawed Joyously nt his own wit.
"Owing1" cried Hendy , with excitement
"Why , the money In salaries I haven't had
'ud start a bink1"
"Yus no doubt , " said the butcher , and
laughed again. "What I ain't got 'ud sink
a ship "
"Let's sec , " said Davis , "you was In Tre
vor ntz-Howard's crowd , wasn't you , when
it loft 'cm stranded nt Leeds ? "
"I was that , my boy , an' Teddy Norton
here , nn' my missis before I married hoi
That was the second time he put mo * i
the cart , too , " Henry went on , with bitter
reminiscence. "Ho dropped n company
at Bristol once , after three weeks , an' 1
was in that. And that second time , at
Leeds , ho collared a bag o' mine to put the
plunder In , with n new pair o' boots In It1"
"I bet you'd liketo have 'em now , " ob
served the butcher , with a glance at the
actor's dilapidated shoes.
" ' Fltz-Howard " ventured
"I didn't know - ,
Davis , "but I've known some pretty near
as hot. There was Dlgby , that called him
self Stuart an' Waldcgrave an' "
So the talk went nnd each poor player
fell to a computation ofwhat he had loal
in shortages by reason of "bad business"
and by the robberies of rascally managers ,
so that , if debts -vvere but assets , hero
would sit a company of affluent persons
sponging for drinks in the Crown. Scarce
a town In the kingdom but one or other
hid been stranded In it ; they counted it a
successful engagement that brought , flrsl
to last , half the stipulated salary , and
though it was held "too bad" when a man
ager bolted with the moneybags , the thing
wns so common ns scarce to seem worse
than a piece of rather sharp practice.
Last poor old Leatherby himself , n sad
figure of a stout man worried thin , joined
the group nnd drew another round of drinks
It was hard , very hard , to maintain the
dignity proper to n proprietor nnd manager
conscious the while that be , even he , hnd
fallen to "pross" for a drink among strang
ers , though In truth he did his best ,
That night they played "Tho Ticket of
Leave Man" played It with the energy of
despair. Whatever that performance might
bring was all that , lay between them nnd
the lack of a Christmas dinner and worse
lack than that Hendy played Hob Brlerly
to his wlfo's May Cdwards. Leatherby dou
bled Moltor Moss and Mr. Clbson , with a
rush round the back and n change of coat
In the olflco scene played with a cottage
Interior. Billy Mack doubled too Maltby
and Gieen Jones , and Leathorby's daughter
was Sam Willoughby and Miss St Evremond
by turns While Mrs. Leatherby as Mrs
Willoughby , Teddy Norton as Hawkshaw the
detective and Davis as Dalton , had only
ono part apiece to think about. So that
on the whole the play was fairly complete
and regular , sive for a cut or botch In rare
places nnd a lack of crowds here nnd there
It wus not n comforting play , altogether , for
the players Money hnd to ho HourlshcH
recklessly In some scenes nnd a basket o
trotters made of rolled rags , nnd once
Hcndy had to pretend that ho couldn't cat
a biscuit.
But the house well , it wns better than
last night , by elghteonpence. The butcher
ratno and brought a friend. Ho was not so
bad n fellow , after all. In his own way
and he did his bwt to applaud for the
whole house But half the rest were boys
disciples of the local wit , an ostler fron
the Crown ; nnd these made the night's
work harder Hawkshaw was hailed ns
"Lockjaw" or "Lockjaw the Defective , " and
the sally drew yells of delight at every rcpe-
! tltlon A certain frock coat that from time
I to tlmo adorned a different character , It
accordance with necorslty , was greeted with
cheerful recognition at each reappearance
and "Oarn , it ain't your turn you've 'a <
It on twice1" was the Indignant reproof
th.it rac-t Mi Olbson In the olnco scene. And
toward ( he end Leathorby ( as Meltor Moss )
tame forward with Injured dignity and a
I ' largo potato , which ho protested that no
Kiinlli man would have thrown I
I All wns done that Leatherby's rould do
'and ' nil was done In vain , or very near It
A few pence apiece was nil the poor strollers
hid to sec them through Christmas nnd to
get thorn away from this abhorrent town
! The men shared n chew of tcbacco , and
tinned In ns best they might .Mrs Hendy
' was near to tears as t > ho left the stage , and
she Indulged In a passionate and reproach
ful outburst as soon as she and her hus-
i band were alone Kor his part , he could
but feebly protest that it wasn't his fault
"Nice situation this is for me , " she
scolded , "and then to be told It's not your
fault ! " Hero nho wept afresh "Of courue
you put on to me llko a man. Ob , Oh , to
think 1 was ever such a fool as to bring
It on myself"
"But my dear , " Hcndy began , with en-
ticaty In his voice
"Oh , don't talk to me1" she answered ,
Pushing away the hand bo had put on her
shoulder "To think I should como to thU !
\nd then you tell mo it's my fault' "
Hendy drew off to sulk alone Weak
characters both their sentiment ( like most
sentiment ) was rooted in self-pity and this ,
heir ono remaining luxury was best e-on
ccntrnted when they quarreled The last
embers of the coke flro gave the ole light ,
nnd the woman sat before them with her
ace upon her knees
Suddenly a loud burst of singing startled
he pair , for the sound camp , as It were ,
out of nothing and Itvas close In their ears.
The Ilrst Joy that Mury had ,
It wus the Jov of one.
To nee the liles pd Jemn Christ ,
When He was Ilrst her Son
Whrn He wns Ilrst lur Son , Good Lord ,
And happy may we be'
I'rnlsp Tnthnr , Son nnd Holy Ghost
To all ctcrnlti'
The carolers hnd como over the snow *
unheard , and now choir-boys' voices vvcro
uplifted lustily , while the bass of a largo
and healthy curnto went booming below
them.
The rext good Joy that Mnry hnd ,
It was the Joy of two.
To see her own Son , Jusus Christ ,
Making the lame to go
MnkltiK the lame to BO , Oood Lord ,
And linpny may we be'
Pi also rather , Son nnd Holy Ghost
To nil pternltv !
At the1 first shock nnn nnd wife1 lifted their
eyi < s toward each other. Then something
took the v\omnn nt the throat ami she
Iropped her head In a fit of sobbing. If
Hendy had come to her now he would have
been rcpulsol no more. But he was sulky
and resentful , nnd peevishly conscious that
the advance was due from hor. Moro , this
carol sung nt his very shoulder , this plgn
of merriment In the world about him , gave
laver to his self-pity So the woman sobbed
tiersclf quiet again nnd the carol went verso
after verso to Its end
The next good joy tlmt Mnry hnd ,
It was the joy of seven ,
To see her own mm , Jesus Christ ,
Ascendlni ? Into heaven.
Ascending Into henxuti , Good Lord ,
And hnppv may vvo bo'
Praise Tnther , Son nnd Holy Ghcwt
To all eternity
There was silence , and then the shout of
the carolers as they went their way by
dero 1 vasurlv whif r < om It n xbt IP who
window wns o near thi > ; roun 1 an 1 then
the answer came to hln hungry en rs from
the window Itself Clearly It wa the lar
der and no empty larder either 1'liklea
tould te smelled pickles plniny , anj some
thing e'le something of fulsome stMUnl-
ness and sweet recollection Chrlstnns pud
ding
No doubt It was n large liulct , though a
mere blackness to sight now No doubt
'crammed ' , to the celling with a superfluity
of the Christmas faro lint Hendy saw
no chRiicc of taeting. Was It xoally so
large ns he fancied * He foil his pocket
mid found a match box with n few matches
still remaining At least It was no sin to
tnke a peep Everybody was In bed. Ho
struck n mntch In the shelter of the window
frame nnd held It within.
A larder It was , Indeed , with both win
dows' wire within and glass without .eft
open , a long , brlck-pnved place the floor
wa.s a yard nt least below the path ho
stood on nnd lilted round with shelves
every where And en the ehelves !
Ho gizcd till the inntsh burned hl3 fin
gers. But the picture remained vivid in his
tiilnd Six plum puddings ( ttns It sli. or
seven' nt nny rate six ) In n row , lit china
molds with cloths tloJ. on top , n cut ham
on n dish nnd three whole- ones , hanging
two birds geese hanging , aNn , mate of
cold sirloin , half cut nwny another mass
of sirloin uncooked , n large dish of mln-o
pics , n tub of water In n dark corner , with
oatmeal spilled about It oysters , no doubt ,
rows of Jim pots , butter , cheese every
thing The agony of It !
Wns It six puldings or seven' No harm
In counting , at any rate. He struck another
match.
Six plum puddings And what could ono
man a bacheloi wnnt with six plum pud
dings' To sny nothing of nil the icst of the
extravagant provision IMobnbly the house
keeper or the cook was swindling her mas
ter nnd prepntlng all tMa t" n gale herself
li ir in inn 1 mi I diiigiious 1'fin * '
mlKht Muff it off with ono stone lirnVi
i busker But there s Mlro Beaumont hero
I toi Mine company You tvwe her * eek or
two'ti sslnrv , 1 think An' there's Norton-
Teddy Norton llemember him * Walk-
I In * gentleman Trevor riU-Howard's com-
piny , Leeds '
' i Mr. Baring Spencer sat do MI. "Well , "
hi Mid , Sifter n pause
i "Well , " Hendy went on slowly , "you seem
i to lw doliiR pretty well now. l'raps you
i can afford to pay off these arrears "
" 0 , " answered iho other Iflconlcally. nnd
there wn another pnu e. "Bui suppoe t
vAon'f Suppose I Just call the police and
put 5011 in jnll' Tor , of course , t Unow
nothing of nil this nonsense jou talk of"
| "Very well , " Hondy replied , rising wenr-
lly , "cnll 'em Hut I'm nfrnid you'll get
eounty-courted over thotv ; salaries And [
.when It begins lor' when will It stop ? " i
This was quite true Tor If nil the tin- j
liquidated debts Incurred lu Mr. Trevor ,
ritz-Hownrd's theatrical career were to bo j
called up nt once by creditors all over the i
country , Mr Baring Spencer would be
squeezed very tight Indeed And once the
two names were Identified the rush would
l-cgln Hut thrro wns another consideration
Mr Baring Spencer waa nt a critical stagu
In his present operations , hut his name Just
now stood good for anything Whereas , Mr .
Trevor ntz-lloward wns n notrloiiB svvlndi i
lor So anything that might reveal the fact
tl.at the two names btood for one flunnclil '
operator would mean n rraah Indeed So
Mr. Baring Spencer , llko a man of business ,
went to the root of the matter straight- ,
way. | I
"Look here , " ho said , "we'll fool about i [
no longer. How much do you want ? " I
Hondy sat down again. "Tor me , " ho
said , "say four weeks at SO bob , nnd say
nothing about the boots. Mlrs lloauuiont
four weeks at 30 be > b too , nnd Teddy Nor-
|
I
I
j
YOU MIGHT HLUFP IT OFI" WITH ONE STONE-HKOKE Bt SKCU , BUT THCnC ARE OTHERS.
the street corner "A merry Christmas' ' "
It was the final touch of Irony.
For avvhllo neither spoke , but sat as they
were. Then Hondy said , roughly "I'm
going to sleep ; that's cheap enough , any
how. " And he. reached for an old rug that
made part of their bed.
His wife made no answer. It Irritated
him. "For nod's sake , roily , " ho said ,
"don't sit there sulking' "
That roused her nnd she fell to reproaches
bitterer than all. For she was the angrier
because he had let her cry alone and had
made no overtures toward conciliation
overtures she had been expecting ns her
right. Rejoinder ifollowed quick and cruel
on reply , and at last , when he talked des
perately of sleeping outs'de ' , she answered
wjth a gesture borrowed of her trade "Go ,
then ! go ! If you can't give me food and
shelter ns other women's husbands do , BO
and let me earn them for myself ! I cm
do without you1"
"And you shall , too , " ho retorted , throw
ing down the rug nnd snatching his hat.
"You .shall , too " And In a second he hud
flung out Into the night nnd the snow.
They had done it all before , and it WHS
scarce moro than another kind of acting.
But this tlmo the quarrel was a trifle sharper
than common and ho could not go back and
made It up with any self-respect for nn herr
at least. Meantime it was a cold night and
a snowy one , -o ho turned up his collar nnd
strode off straight ahead to bo nn ill-used
and homeless outcast for an hour , or , at
any rate , for three-quarters of nn hour.
Another snowfall had begun , though It was
sparse and light , making Itself felt now
and again by a moist spit upon the face.
The carolers had struck up "Noel" some
little distance away , and between theli
verses the chapel party could bo heard nt
the farther end of the town Indeed , It was
scarce the best possible night for Hendy's
petulant adventure The snow declared It
self In the weak spots of his bhocs ere ho
had gone 200 yards , and the wind was
In his teeth , spiting hl face and coming
little faliort of cutting off his nose
Thus ho came to Caw thorns , where lived
Baring Spencer , osri , that Illustrious in
visible , and the high privet hedge , like a
massive black wall , wus so good a - windscreen
screen that Hendy turned up a sldo lane
and followed It , walking close , with bowed
head and shoulder brushing the twigs The
hedge took a wide curve , and following this ,
bo came plump against a small wooden
gate , which swung Inward nt the shock.
At this bo stopped and looked about him
Without a doubt this was the kitchen en
trance. Here was n narrow path , with n
tall hedge at each side , a short path ending
In a door with a pent roof.
He took a step back and another forward
The wind was as sharp as over , and there
was a wctncfs In the snowdrops , now more
frequent , that told of coming sleet To fol
low the lane wore to emerge presently In
open country , hero was shelter under the
Ice of a good-sized house , with a pent toot to
make It better More hero "
, was n "situa
tion. " The homeless outcast , wronged by
tbo world , would seek shelter ( for half
an hour , nt least ) on the doorstep of the
j proud and haughty capitalist , who , If only
ho were awake and aware of the trespass ,
would probably send his pampered mlnlona
to drlvo him forth Into the hitter night
The fancy accorded with the outcata's mooil ,
and truly for one bent on wallowing deep
In the pathos of his predicament , this was
the most promising spot thereabout and ono
not at all expcsed to the weather
! He lot the gate swing befit ml him and
i walked quietly to the kitchen door All
! wc3 silent , and as ho stood under the pent
' roof hn saw that the path he had come by
' went farther nnd skirted all the back prem
ises , dividing them from the kitchen gar
den As he looked a projecting frame
, caught his eye , llko that of an open win-
. but nearer the ground than ho woulJ
I have expected. It was hut a few yarUu
away and ho went Idly toward It It was
jn window , no doubt left open by the caro-
| IcBsnrsa of a servant There was a t > taln
ton the enow below It which betrayed the
occasion Plainly the servant had flung
out coffee grnumla or the like , nnd taken
no care to fchut the casement The house
I was rather old and for a moment l.e wetl
and her friends It would ic-rvc her right If
comrlody v ore to walk off with one of those
puddings , and , say one ham a micro act of
Justice , Indeed Not that he- could do such
n thing as that himself , of course. Though
indeed , It would be rather a lark the sort
o' Joke you could tell jour fi lends of years
after , bow the rlzh company-monger sup
ported the drama after,011 , without know
ing It.
It would Lo the essierft thing In the world
to get In too as easy as going down stni .
NotoJy would know of course , nnd it'vvould
really seem a capital joke afterward And
whllo this would bo a joke going without a
Christmas dinner would bo a seilous mat
ter. Wcie they oyMei-s in that tub' The
split oatmeal would peem to Indicate ns
much , though you couldn't tell with cer
tainty at this distance And then-
Mr Baring Spencer eat late , with a box
of cigars and n decanter Ho was a florid ,
heavjow led man of 15 or thereabout , nnd
it was probable th it In hU time ho hnd
emptied moro decanters than this one A
few dinft prospectuses nnd such pancrs liy
about the table but they were done with
hours ago lie had discovered a very excel
lent poit In the cellar , and now , the decanter
being emptyMi Baring Spencer , after n
Icok nt his watch , decided that on the whole
ho would see about another bottle The rest
of the household wcro in bed , so ho took a
candle and went down stairs himself Ho
wns on the cellar stairs , when he heard n
slight noise In the dliectlon of the larder.
Pui haps n cat had got Into It.
Joe Heady had burned bis last milch , and ,
with n pudding dinglliiK by Its cloth from
ono hand , was feeling along the tehnlf with
the other. In pursuit of the cut hnm , when
the door flew open behind him and his heart
Hew up Into his mouth Thcie was a light
and n ciash and two hands on his collar be
hind , nnd at that with n yell of dcspali ,
Hendy twisted nbout and fought . \Ildly with
both hands. The candle went over and out ,
the shelf nnd the cloth btlll gripped In his
lingers , slud cool , moist pudding nbout the
heads of thief and flnnmler alike.
But Hendy was the vvcikor , and the sho-lt
hnd despoiled him nf wind Presently he
wns dinggcd through the door nnd found
himself ImplorlUK p.udon and irlease In ab-
jext terms He was starving , nnd thev In-
dow wns open to tempi hint ho had n Hick
wife no food for her dlRSince would kill
her , nnd so forth
"Come , " Bald his captor , hard of breath
himself , "you just como along , and we'll tee
nbout that" And ho pushed the captive ,
now all terror and submission , up stairs be
fore him In the dark , tripping and stumbling
Tor It struck Mr Daring Spencer for lea-
sons , tlmt possibly , If no paillculai haim
were done , It would be bettoi to terrify the
Intruder nnd send him about his business ,
rather than engage In troublesome business
nt n pollen couit Po nt the top of a short
flight Hcndy found himself pushed across n
dimly lighted passage nnd then through n
study dooi
Pi out a landing high nbove came u trem
bling female voice "Mr Spefncor , sir' Arc
you thcro , eir' I I thought I heard u
nolso1"
Whereto Mr Spencer , In the passage with
out , replied with so teirlfylng u mouthful
of language that the volco was hcnid no
j i.noro
Poor Hcndy , pale nnd trembling , emcared
across the face with pudding , and etarlng nt
i the decanter en the table without seeing U ,
istartcl nt that nmn/lng string of rhetoric
I Surely auroly the lillcm was somehow fa-
i mlllar
I Mr Baring Spencer cumo In nt the door
' and for the first time their cytu met In full
light Both wore to EOIHO extent disguUcd
I in pudding , hut Hondy know his man at
once. "Why , " hegasped. . "Kltz Flu
Howard ! "
"Kh' " sruntcd Uio other , sharply
"What's that' " for his own recollection wna
slower Hut the name
Hendy lock n long bruath , wiped the Incl ;
of his hand across hU face nnd sat down
I uninvited "My name's Hendy , " ho said ,
i "Joseph Hendy , Juveniles Trover ritz
i Howard's company , Leeds , also rcsponxl-
blcs Trevor Fiu-Hownrd'j lompnny ,
Bristol You vc got yrur i uJdlns bic-k ,
giveme my boou
'What'S hut il > ( mtau '
' All right all right Hcndy went on , nun
ton a fortnight at the same. That's 15
quid "
The sum seemed enormous In those lean
days , but be was deillng with a cipItalUt ,
and the estimate was honest enough "And
tr-cn , " ho went on , 'you might give poor
old Loalherby a lift on the road "
"Never mind nil tlmt , " the otacr snld ,
unlocking a drawer "You don't \pecL i to
make mo believe you're Interested in nil
those people , do you' Or tint you'd give 'cm
a cent' 1 ain't n biby , no more arc you Se'o
here" Ho took a small parcel of notci , nnd
counted , "One , two , three , four , five a
pony , 2i Take It nnd clear out , and keep
your mouth shut As for getting the show
on tbo road do It anvhow you please , anil
as soon as you llko Only mind1" And he
raised a finger "if any of these others get
on the scent nnd ionic here I shall tell 'cm
you've got thcli money. Now you can go as
eoon as you llko "
* * * * *
But Indeed , Mr. Baring Spencer was just
n trifle too clever Ho was much too clever.
In fact , to suppose that Ilendy a man jiun
caught stealing pudding wattle * pirt with
any of that money unless he wore obliged.
He assumed , of course' , that Hcndy would
keep the mnnoy to himself , siy nothing of
the encounter , and , moreover , use every
excitlon to got the fsliow out of the neigh
borhood , bccnuso of tha throat to set the
others nfter a sh ire of the notes If he > , Spen-
cci , were troubled by them. Indeed , ho
judged It a very cunning shift to shut
Hendy's mouth nnd clear away the players
from the town at
one stiokp Ho wns never
sifo from recognition among players.
But ho miscalculated Tor Loathprhv'fl
company slgnall/cd Christmas by two dln-
noih at Iho Ciown , ono nt midday and ono
nt 7 And Lcnthorhy gnvo the health of
Baring Suoncci , founder of the feiiHt , with
grout feivoi nnd
proclaimed him nn orna
ment to tlip thoitrlc.nl profession , which ho
had so lately left For Ilmiry had made no
seciot of whence ho had the money , nor of
Iho debts It wns to liquidate nnd sonic of
it ho ropieHPiited as subscription toward n
Lenfherby benefit , designed to set the show
on Its legs ngaln In Iho next lov.n AmJ thn
company called Mr Baling Pponeer n noble
fellow and , moreover .Insisted on tearing the
butcher from the bosom of IIH ! family ( thu
diovor was not to bo found ) nnd making
him drink Mr Spencer's health , too u great
many times So that they were nil mighty
merry together thnl Christmas and cveiy
hour wnn an hour of Joy nnd fenstlng. And
at Inst , to cap everything , all thp mnlo part
nf Iho company , with the butcher In Iho
midst of them , stood in the enrly evening
on Mr Baring Spencer H lawn , ronrlng "For
ho's a Jolly good fellow' " at the top of
their voices , to Iho amazement and scnndal
of nil Ciowbildgd and the speechless fmy
of the Jolly Rood fellow himself Till at Inst
hn found his volcet'iind
, throw Ing open a
window and slinking his flst , flung out n
! shower of the rhetoric that Hendy so well
roniembnicd that the pnyer ! went elf might
lly astonished
"It is h's ' modesty , " snld Leatherby , out
hide , with tears of gratitude trembling In
hits eyes , "Just his modesty Truly hiis
a noble fellow "
| But the htory spread about Crow bridge
I nnd ere Inns It waa very generally known
I tlmt Mr. Baring SponccT was .Mr Trevor
ritMIniviml nnd that Mr Trnvor Flu-How
nrd probably had half n elczcn olhei nam
I n * "el | And ! i win oven said In the pud
| that the thlni ; hastened hlu arrest by throe
, days Ho had bought the house nt crow-
1 bridge , had manngcj to pay for it in worili-
IcrB Bl'nre i nnd had mortgaged It Instantly
foi iwrd cosh Hit companies were timed
to burst jubt after the now year nnd ho
was laid by the heels just a day before his
appointed steamer left Llvrrpcol , a snd
victim of his own excess of cunning nnd the
misplaced uratltudo of others
JMii'Kliii'Mriilt'ii
Has world-wide fame f r rnnr/ollntn
cure . It surpasses any other salve , lotion ,
ointment or balm for Cuts Ctrns , Burns ,
Bolls , Snre , Felons , Ulicrn. Totter , Pn't '
Rheum Fever So'ea Chapped liunia , Skin
KrujjtloiiD Infalllhlt f r Pllpa Cure
guaranteed Only 'jt at Kuhii & Co a ding
store.
FEA1I1KK BEDS FUR BEAUTY
,
Royalty Smiles Upon Them and Occasionally
Snores Approval
PRESERV S HUM\N \ HEAT AND ELECTRICITY
incrv iilur of Health unit n M' 'i" ill > '
felr ( UMiittlliu "iMlitcmU VIIHT-
It'uil Women I'nllinv
( In * 1'iul.
Tlio science snl practice of bed-making
hive undergone a radical change In the last
few years In the newly-donc-over nnd doc
orntcd houses no throne of state could b' '
more Impressive , more Insurious nnd mor-
radical in Its departure from tbo billion >
accepted laws of hygiene than the b ° < 1 n '
lucky Attest Is Invited to Bleep In i
The model Just now In the houses where |
tltp antique mahogany era sweeps everyI I
thins before It Is the Georgian bed Three I
could sleep , with an nbunjaiue- at refill
ing room. In the area Inclceed by the four i
massive cirrvcn posts of one of those big
couches nnd thrcv mattnspa nro tcejjir d i
to bring the sleeping platform up to the '
required height Ono Is of hair , one of o it- I
ton nnd In winter on top of thcao ieposes
n mighty tick stuffed full of Iho best white
GOISO fcithera When these requirements
are fullllled the full-Hedged Geoiglni bed
IH dressed with an nUcntkm to dotnll and
elegance that gives It alt appearance hardly
less sutnptuoun than tbo tent of an Indian
rnjoh Old brocade edged with bullion
fringe forming the luiiRliiKs nnd counter
pane that sweeps the lloor Is what Is util
ized on n bee ! of the type In Mrs George
docker's new b itise nnd the coat of aims
of the owner Is carved on the headboard
of the couch
TinIVallii'i rilleil TloK.
It Is not oveiybodv , however , who ctn
lay posse lvo hands on a really truly oarved
Georgian bed or dress It In antique brocade ,
but even with the mcdein brass awl Iron
bed it Is true that curtains nbout tile bead
and bis fcallier-stuTod ( mattresses foi will-
tor Li3 nre no longet a fishlon , but a gen
et al custom
I'dhalf n tenuity the feather bed Ins
been looked upon very coldly by our leaders '
In hygiene , but icccntly both with reniiel
to the hangings and the feather mattress n
rb ingo of heart bns como and delicate ,
iicivous , neuralgic , iheumatlo women and
pattlitilarlv elderly persons and those
nflllcloel with Insomnia hive been rcco-n-
memlrd to the feather bed cuie lit the winter
Queen Victoria Is rno of the shining piooN
of the olllcacy of the feather bed , for where
her majesty gOe s her big tick full of
fcathorsi In Its leather traveling jacket ROCS.
ton , nnd alvMiv.s the curtains aredinwn
about the bead of her bed to abut off any
treacherous little draughts.
Queen Victoria and her doctois believe
that the piopur wav to Mcop In winter Is
In ti cold loom , luMirlously lapped In a nest
of feathers tlmt niosotvcs all the heat of
tbo body nnd necessitates In the coldest
vvcnthei n covering of but one pill eif
blankets and a down quilt The modern
bed , so-called hygienic , requlic.s more heavy
coveting linn a pair of tired shoulders can
stand and the had mattress constantly dla-
slpatca the hiiniin beat Insteid rf conserving
It , besides drawing away that priceless force ,
luinmii elc'cti iclty
All this drain the feathers prevent , the
easily yielding surface they present permits
pcifeet iclaxatlon of the muscles that caul
never bo gained on a bed of even the beet
bill With the coming of the eighteenth
century typo of English bed the feather
j i mattress was ( successfully introduced ami
I now there arc numbers of women who have
'
not only Ictrned their viitucs , < > ut , like the
queen of Knqlnnd , travel about with their
beds done up In lontl'ci canes Some > nt
the tbeumatlcs and sulfciors from cold
'extremities ' have pionounccd themselves
Immune fiom their grievous afflictions when
luMiiiithiR among the feathers
fiM "edsleadH for .Ninxer * .
reathor beds ate as well coming Into
use in nurherlcs and though for children
the Gcoiglan foul poster is not yet the
fashion , the gayest beds are made to chime
in with the schemes of nursery decoi itlon
Charmingly t lived and p tinted wooden beds
are newlv liitioduccd , else they hive brass
01 sometimes sllvei let Into the dark wood
In appropriate scenes and Inscriptions On
the lieadboaid of a light maple bed will ,
for example , be p tinted a night scone of
clouds aciosa tbo moon nnd a flight of owls ,
on the" frotbotrcl a long line of eirollug
cnckb greeting the sun typellcs morning
An exquisite maboginj bed made foi a
Bosti millionaire's child , showed In silver
Inlay on the hcadbotrd a moon and tiny
sails with a quotation In silver letters bo-
ncath from 'lonuyEun'B lullaby In the I'rln-
cess
Illeli ' 'oil Clollilntr.
So piomlnent nre the beds featured In
liunrVsomo sleeping rooms nowadays that It
lu no wonder their clothing shows all the
nit nnd lavish beauty and lace of a fash-
ionnblo woman's w raring apparel Sheets of
any fineness nio nlwnys mule with broad
bands of drawn work running about the
four sldns and linen lace whipped on the
edges The ecatly Call.'otnla blinkctH nro
hent to a needle woman before they nro
ro.tdy for use lo hnvo their edges lightly
seillopo-d and buttonhole Hlltchcd with silk
and u monogram worked in tbo ( orners
Puvort.s covered with China silk show n
Huff of valonc'oniie's ' frills and pinked
flounces about theli edges and ( he huge
ulinm iilllows used by day are upbolstcied
to exactly aL-corel with the ( Invert Added
to this Iu\urloubiic83 there ) nrn beds with
big Bachot pillows tlmt Ho all day between
the shoots and when taken out at night mir-
lound the sleeper with a Hlcep-lnvltlng frn-
Kiancu of violotH or roBe loaves
I'nlM and ( allN I niler ( lie Man.
CMICAOO .Ian 17-TiailliiK In jmtH 01
callH , or llin payininl of nny money In con-
neitlnii tin rovvltli v\lll lieu ifti r ho a ills-
iiiinoiuliln tiatisiti linn If < mlml on In tbo
ixihaiiK' ' IOIIIM of the lioiiil ot Tr uio Til it
nun b vis ill c hit il liv tin ailnptl in of u.
u olutlin n tin In-t niiiiliiri In Id liv tbn
in w ! < il lli < I ) ard TillIs Ibe
l.i i nt In tin i I nn mi vi UK at which
( nitiil ( In in w "ill i rs mil ] fivi IK w illKi
turs ii HI otiice.
is thin blood. It causes pale
faces , \ \ bite lips , weak nerves
and lackofitality. . Ablood-
enricbing , fat producing
food-medicine is needed.
goes to tbc root of the
trouble , strengthens and en
riches the blood , and builds
up the entire system.
For Anemic girls , thin
boys , and enfeebled mothers ,
it is the Standard remedy.
tec art ! f i no. all drueglkti ,
. bOM. . , Ucmjiu , .New Utk.
t Vt TT"T
The Bee.
Here is Where You Will
Find It in the Principal
Cities :
ATLANTA. GA.
Klllltlllll UOIHC NlMVH Stlltlll ,
BOSTON.
I'nlillo I.ll.i i.r > .
\ rniluiiif Iliili'l.
lloituii I'm * I Inti , 14 lloxtvortli St.
BUFFALO ,
( ii'UPHCP Hold > < Mnnii ,
CAMBRIDGE. MASS.
llaiMiinl InUiTftlt ) I.lliriir ) .
CHEYENNE.
t : . A. I.OUMII. UIU UcM Illtli h ( ,
I IIP ) vtini < t lull.
lull.CHICAGO.
CHICAGO.
VniHIiirliiiii Intiov \ < - n Slniiil.
Aniltloiliini llol ( NIMN Slniiil ,
( irniiel Pnolllf Itiilcl > run .Hdtiul.
( in-ill Northern llolpl NOMM Mtniid.
I'M I in or llniini' > P N Stntiil ,
rii tollli > i < NIMVB stninl , % , UI7 llcnr-
liorit sired.
ANNiiflnli-il \ \ 01 tlnpr'n Club , 1'nlmri
Illlllhl *
Hotel ,
CLEVELAND.
\\fllcllMI llllllMP.
' [ 'hillollciiilfii. .
Coiiiinorcliil 1'iiMrlerV Annoclntlnn ,
M iixoii lt < 'I cnui 1 1' .
COLORADO SPRINGS
I'l IllllTN *
llllllK' .
llrlxcoc Mi OH ,
DENVER.
( Iron ii lintel N MMmnl. .
Hamilton .V Kciiilrli'U , m > ll ! ll2 ITtli nt.
Mi'l.nln , IMtl .V Co. , str : Sixteenth St.
1'rntl Mei-eimlUe Co. , 1517 I. ill Impr < 5 | .
TinstnllouiT Co. . l."tu nnil Im\rcne-o
siriM-lN.
\Vtnilniir Hole ) \m * Slniiil.
DEADWOOD , S. D.
I'lNhel A r < > . , llritilvv noil.
llnv IMNliel , leinli > ooil.
DE3 MOINES.
Mo.si-s .liifoliN , llouK Ixlniul Dejiol.
DULUTH , MINN.
\Vltr X HenneK , 1 ! | I U. Superior St.
HAVANA , CUBA'
Inclalei rn Hotel Itemllii llooiii.
HELENA.
W. A. .Moore , ( till IM enno unit Mnln St ,
HOT SPRINGS , S. D.
n < < oriri > l.lliKoti.
Klilll Hliriiells.
I
HOT SPRINGS , ARK.
C. II. \ \ i-n > er .V. Co.
I , . 1) . ( oojier .V ( o. , elUO Central Ave.
| I KANSAS CITY.
' 1
Holier ! Held , lO'-'H llee.'ee SI.
ConleN HOIIMI * N iMt H Stninl.
Missouri lenililleiiii fliili , DO. Haiti.
I i more Ac > .
. I'nlille I. Ihrni j.
I
I HleKNeeLci ( Ignr ( - , , , , ! ) < i , , , , , \\nliiut
oimoxlle I * . I ) .
I
i i llnllv\a > A. .M. C. V. , room 17 Union
I lemt , Kiiiinti.s Ct > , .Mo.
I'lihlle l.lhrarj.
LEXINGTON , KY.
Y. M. C. A HoailliiKT Hooiii.
LINCOLN.
A. II. 1-ilInpii , lisa O Street , Drill'
r > Aurpiit.
LOS ANGELES.
eIUer .t Ilnliion , KM ! S. Sprint ; St.
r. II. HiuiMcom , 1iu h. .Main St.
LONDON , ENGLAND.
CIiarleH \ . < II II ) ; ' * A mei loan I'xeliaiiui
: : e'ucl.Nidir M. , Trafalgar Sij. , i. AV ,
M NNEAPOLIS.
1'iilillc l.tlirarj.
'VVo.sl Hotel Noun Stnnil.
MILWAUKEE , WIS.
PianU Mnlkora.
NEW YORK.
ti Iliur Ilreiitnro.
Cooper I iiloii Illirnr > .
Pl'tli Adeline Hotel NOMH Stand.
drill \ eiine Hotel Heailiou Hooni.
Kiaplre Hotel.
ITiooiiK * Sticot hllirur ; .
Holland House Heading Itooia.
Honiuiiii HOIIKU.
liii'ieilal Hotel \OM.N Stand.
I'IONN ( lull , lllasHiin SI ,
WeNlmliiNler Hotel Heading Iluoin.
Hotel f.i ii n'lli'o
A. .11. C. V. , -d ! and 'Hli Arcane.
OGDEN.
VI' . AVohh , I ! ! ! ) . * ! \ Viinliliitonie. .
PARIS. FRANCE.
. " \e York llernlil Itenillnir Ilooill , < IJ
Vte. do I'OniMii.
TlioN. Cook A , SOIIN , 1 Air. do I'opeia.
PORTLAND , ORE.
W. H. .Icinrn , Utll Alder St.
I'ortliuiel Hotel Neun Stand.
I PHILADELPHIA.
| Mercantile Mlirarj.
SACRAMENTO.
I'nlillo Ul.rnry.
SAN FRANCISCO.
I' ulille I.llirnr ) .
Palace Hotel ,
SAN JUAN , PORTO RICO.
Hotel liiKlatorra Itciidlnir Ilooin.
SANTA ANA , CAL.
Santa Ann Krre I'nlillo Mlirnry ,
SALT LAKE CITY.
IP. . llninaiel , l/yeeiini Theater.
Salt I. nltr o M Co.
IMililln I.lhrarj.
I.lhrarj.SEATTLE.
SEATTLE.
Ilanlorn Ne Co. , Hie ! 1.2 I'lke Nt.
A. T. l.nndherK.
I' . AVurel.
SHENANDOAH , IA.
llaneoia Trotter.
SIOUX CITY.
CarrcllHoii Hotel Sc\\it Stand ,
.Moilliaialn Hotel > CWN Stand ,
Hotel V oai'onio % euN Maml.
( onuaj A. Knlolterhooker.
1'iihlle llhrar > ,
( ieialil Pltxullilion , 70(1 ( l/narlli St.
Ilo > Mien , : i'JI Center St.
Y. M. C. A. HeadliiK Ilooin.
SPOKANE.
JolmV . f.raham , 72:1-72 : , * ; Illvcrnlilt
\v en lie ,
SPEARFISH , S. D
IIeiir > Court.
ST JOSEPH.
IlriuiiliMt'H NIMVN "Iliad , 721 IMnioni !
street.
. .liinetloiiCVVN Stand , . ' , (11 ( Kdinonil St
A. M. < , \ . Iteadlnu Uooiii.
ST. PAUL , MINN.
I'rcxH Chili
AV hldior Holcl.
ItMin Hotel
ST. LOUIS ,
n. .i. .iptt , H' J > ii o si.
I'liiiitiTK' Hole ! \CMIM Stanel.
I'ulillet l.lhrai } ,
1 nlon NOMN ( oiniian ) .
WASHINGTON , D. C.
AV Him il'H Hotel l tVM Stand ,
Arlington Hotel.
I onuri HNliiiuil Mlirarj.
HlJIIMI1.
llciui JSiillunul Couunltte * .