A Romance of Billy-Goat Hill

love was a novel sensation; on the contrary a varied experience had made him agreeably familiar with all the symptoms. But this, he assured himself with passionate vehemenc

he woods to stir his soul. He had laid bare to her the most secret places of his being, had confessed his sins, and received absolution. From this time on the frivolities of youth lay behind him, and ambition sat u

e and perhaps-The memory of her face as she clasped Chick in the road flashed over him, and he straightened his shoulders sud

reached the Junction, and heavy mutterin

he boulevard?" he asked of a man,

ph pole that had supported it and sauntered forward. As he di

s. The balance of us sets in mud puddles." The man evidently found some difficulty in expressing himself without the assistance of profanity. There were blanks left between the words, which he supplied mentally with compresse

a preternaturally slim young lady, poised on a champagne bottle, coyly surveying an admiring world through the extended fingers

uld for the first time in any American city, perfor

Gayety, before he remembered that he was a reformed character. Then he sternly withdrew his gaze from the lady who peeped through

p such as you. A man what's been in the gutter times without number, and bore the awful horrors

d laughed. Here was evi

tened up, have you

e upward as if to size up the hand

' for weeks and weeks, and a sick wife, and a adobted child that ain't sp

commonly lenient toward his fellow men. "Her

I know that. Fer instance I never was a poor relation! That's more than lots of men kin say! T

squares the rain was driving in sheets across the street, and he was obliged to dismount and seek shelter in the doorway of an isolate

-PASS-IT

residents of Billy-goat Hill that their thirst might no

came to a stop, the lights from the lamps shining on the wet stree

for shelter. He was coughing, and h

aid Morley, recognizing him

of his lip. "Tried to make a short cut,

ouple of weeks. Got caught in the sho

He was a short, sallow, delicate-looking young fellow wit

red. "I've got to get something

osed. Won't be op

ty administration that would countenance such a pro

out here to prize fights. He lives somewhere around here. Ugh! but I'm cold. I'll be a cor

ned condition. He assured himself that he would refuse when the time came. In the meanwhil

here. It's letting up a bit, suppose we go over?" p

day?" asked Donald as they

is Margery and I have fixed thing

g a wet hand, but frowning into the

guess she didn't have to be told. I imagine she thought of it

thing. Had it not been true, how he w

devil! Decker asked me to go along. If it hadn't been for the paternal grandp

ing to buy a farm out near the

whistled in

You are counting on pullin

going to en

alk. All the crowd say you stand to win. Here, this

in her arms, and six youngsters in varying stages of Sabbath cleanliness, hung upon the words of a man who sat in a large, plush self-rocker, and read fro

hin' to warm you up? Sure. Just come in and wait 'til I git on my shoes and find an umbrella and I'll go over with you. Don't keep a drop here,"

lept "Skeeter"-tugged at his mother's sleeve, nodding his head at Donald, w

d her skirts. "She's got her popper's temper along with his smartness. They ain't either one of the

s busy doing the honors to one he e

he Missus and the kids a book Skeeter brought home from Sunday School, all about Dan'l and the lion

o, Mrs. Sheeley followed

ght, Popper; you ain't

n steps, between his two well-groomed companions, looking back now and then at the bright, o

ly only paused for breath, broke in all its fury. The thunder

de door!" sho

on't mind. I want you to see the improvements I been making. There ain't a saloon

nded Dillingham sharply; "and I say, can't you mak

here, and a bottle or two of extr

e the wind and the rain, a curious sound had come fr

harply, leaning over the banister

ht of wind blew in from som

," said Sheeley. "That fool bartend

while the two young men had lit the gas in the large upper room and were inspecting the elev

Dillingham?" said Sheeley, rejoini

sary firmness. "I'll just wait a second un

ngham, pouring himself a second drink of whis

gratify me friends. My long suit th

staring out at the wild night,

don't want to keep my mare s

am; "just wait ten minutes until I g

sent sense of responsibility, born of his new connection with the fam

cozy living-room at Thornwood, with the lamplight on her hair? Was she at the harpsichord, singing to the Colonel

, lightly running a deck of cards up the length of his arm and

ss that bottle, will you? What's that, Morley? Haven't g

nothing in thunder was the matter with him

his," urged Sheeley, as a crash of thunde

y, and speaking a trifle unsteadily. "If you'll play a couple of games I'll go home with you-Yo

the minute th

ou'll play

fle the cards. He must get him home somehow, for Margery's sake. Dill neve

is eye and nodde

the vacant chair. "Only two games rememb