BILLY'S FATHER.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 905, 29 April 1891, Page 3

BILLY'S FATHER.

\ ] (ContMuJd.) ;■ Steedraan had now got the cast of the key, but could get no chance to restore that tp its place inside the rail. For 90 me minutes he tried to get rid of the i barman, but, failing inrtha£-ha--at length got impatient, and noticing \& box of sawdiist, threw it m. When the barman found! it thare, he could only conclude that b[e himself knocked it down m some way, and subsequently whisked it across while j dusting the counter. He replaced the k<jsyr and ; thought^ nq mpr% ,of £he_ matt l r ti Ui f J ii U Ut>l J ' *"' j Bijly, who had seen the most of this fromjtlie street, and *ook care to arrive at his home some minutes later than his father. Steedman was by that time busy framing a paper pattern to fit the r wardJ3 of the cast, after which he placed 'CHe'qast carefully on .the, top shelf of itjtieiri empty cupboard, strictly enjoining ; Billy nut to touch it, as it has to harden ; and it might be needed again. Billy's whole life waa spent m obedience. If > his' father had told him to walk out of tb'e :J window ho 'vould have done it ; therefore ( lie 't&rjfcuedl- the pattyJ eft^ :or thought of disturbing it. But ,sj^Kept a ceaseless^ ,a^d ( seager5 eager .watch lupqn' hi<» fath'er — he had not bees ordered mat to do that. '•' "A! night or two later! fihe waß again 'aiw'a^ened by the sound of his father afau 1 ! anotjbejß^ t |e^ing ( ;th^ room, tjhey, \Goed their home, ' It was" quite 'dark,' rand ,'must have been about midnight. ■■,;:yi You can come with me and have a bottle or two of the stuff, as I don't waiip any of it,' the stranger was saying, to which Steedman appeared to assent, "But 1 just then Billy sprang up and was across the p oom and holdjpg.pn to his : (Continued on Fourth Page.)

father before another word could be ■pokei. * Don't go out father,' he cried. Don't go and lcare me, I'm frightened to stay here m the dark.' * Then light the candle/ gruffly returned the father, 'I've sOine work to do ; I most go/ * Oh, no! oh, no 1 ' vehemently persisted the boy, m such hysterical tone 9 that Steedman was transfixed with amazement. 'Not to-night; or you'll never come back !' 4 The boy's not right — not quite awako, I think,, said Steedman to his companion, trying hard to pull off the clinging hands. ' Leave go, Billy, or it'll be worse for you,' For the first time m bis life Billy diiobeyed. He seemed, indeed, to be for th« moment possessed, and though he gave no explanation he hung on tp hit father with a tenacity that maddened and infuriated as much as it astonished. At length Steedman's fury got the better of bis pity, and be dashed bis hand into the boy's face, and then wrenching him off during the momentary f tupor, he dashed him from him down the stair. The boy was at tbe bottom of the flight m a moment, but he made no great outcry, and Stood m»n regretted his fury m a moment. 'Are you hurt Billy V he asked though tbe darkness, as he groped his way down after tbe boy. 'Not much, father,' cheerily answered the bo/, minoing a groan to get the words out; 'but you won't leave me, will yon?' 'No I won't,' said his father, with sudden- resolution, and this Billy heard him repeat to his companion, who accordingly- left. < Then Steedman struck a light and picked up Billy, whose face was btadirig 'and braised, and whose arm hung down limp and useless. The poor boy almost fainted when the arm was touched, bnt only said— ' I think it's broken father. How ever will Ibe able to brush your boots mth morning?' * I'm a brute— l'm a wretch— l'm » devil ! ' cried Steedman, m bitter selfreproach, 'and 1 wish that fiend had broken his neck before he came here to tempt me. ' ' Never mind, father, it's all right cow, for yon didn't go,' said Billy ; and then his father carried him to the Infirmary, whwe put up m splint*, and some sticking plaister put over tbe cuts on his face. The boy had fallen down a dark ftair, tbe father said, which wag true, if nothing was to lie said of the pushing. Then Steedman carriod him home again, and, when he had made Billy as comfortable as possible m their poor bed, he laid his hand on tbe bandaged arm and said solemnly— ' Now, Billy, hear me say something —I swear by this arm of jours never to touch drink again as long as I live. That's an oath, mind.' : . 1 Break the other arm too, father,' cried Billy, with a bright smile ; ' I'm so glad that I shouldn't feel it ! ' Next morning at eight o'clock, when the barman at Wilson's public-bouse opened the house as usual, he had. not been two minutes m the place when be discovered that some one had been there during the night. A number of empty bottles, were lying m confusion on the floor 5 and a number of full ones were missing ; and, besides a canvas bag, full of silver and copper, amounting roughly to about thirty shillings, had been removed. There was no trace of the place being broken into ; not a fastening was forced, or bolt or lock undone ; ami tbe publican himself, who was with him, naturally turned round on the man, and fixing him with his eye, said sternly — ' Where did you keep the key last night?' 'At home, m my pocket, as usual,' was the answer ; for the publican was inclined to mistrust bis own rising powers, and preferred bis man to keep the key. Wilson took the key from the man's hand, and found on tbe wards aonie traces of oil. And you <>iled it to make it work easily V he sharply continued. 'I nrver oiled it.' * Thn oil's on it now ; look at it for for yourself.' 'Well, I dMn't put oil on it,' was the persistent reply ; and so they continued to arguß till I arrived, when Wilson at once gave the man m charge It was evident that the shop bad been opened from the front, for traces of the intruder's feet were visible on the sawdust, and it was also as clear that no skeleton keys had been used. But the publican's chief evidence of complicity was the fact tb?t no one nut himself and his barman knew !ihe hiding place of tbe bag of silver and copper which had been taken, and which was only left m the shop because it was too htayy to be taker! away. The man looked confused and stupefied, but protested his innocence most vehemently, though he had to admit that he did not reach home till three m tbe morning, though be had left tbe place at eleven. The oil on the key puzzled me, and I had a smith sent for to take off the lock, when we found that the watds of the lock were more liberally oiled than the key It was therefore evident that the little oil on the k<>v had been got off tbe wards of tbe lock m the simple tot of opening the door. How the lock h»d been oiled was easy to see, for a dri()ping trail of tbe oil went from th. Ley-hoe to the wardff* A key dripping witboil bad been inserted from without, nn ' ♦her* wers indications on the karris I <.i t c Io«k iM fcba k«y had Hot frwfcd I f*r/ i»<o«4li)/, fihteh #«s«ss)/ wl