Page 126 (1/1)

"By Jove!" cried Haldane, dropping his knife and fork, and looking ad his fingers through his shock of white hair, his shriveled and bristling aspect --"by Jove, you are that I call a Christian!"

"Now, look here, young h you are under no obligations to aot to be civil and speak the truth while you're on ed his shoulders, laughed, and usty and variable host he lanced around the rooht be e to his own ideas, if he could acco to bloith the occupant

"Who keeps house for you?" he asked

"Didn't I tell you nobody could stand me!"

"Will you stand me for about half an hour while I fix up this room for you?"

"No!"

"What will you do if I attempt it?"

"I'll set the dog on you"

"Nothing worse?" asked Haldane, with a laughing glance at the lazy cur

"You "

An expression of sharp pain crossed the young man's face; the sunshine faded out of it utterly, and he said in a cold, constrained voice, as he rose froot for a moment that I am a thief in the world's estimation"

"That last remark of mine was about equal to a kick, wasn't it?"

"A little worse"

"Ain't you used to 'eht to be"

"Why, do many speak out as plain as that?"

"They act it out just as plainly Since you don't trust me, you had better watch me, lest I put some cord-wood in oing to insist upon it that I am a scoundrel to the end of the chapter, I want to find soet under it," was the reckless reply

"A-a-h! Didn't I say we respectable people and the devil was in partnership over you? He wants to get you under deep water as soon as possible, and we're all a-helpin' hi man, I am afraid of you, like the rest, and it seems to me that I think more of my old duds here than of your ioin' to spite hioin' don after the evenin' paper, and, instead of lockin' up, as I usually do, I shall leave you in charge I know it's risky, and I hate to do it, but it seeh to know that if you take all I've got you would be jest that much wuss off;" and before Haldane could renarled cane that resembled himself and departed