mate would have come up to the house only―well, you'll have to use the stuffing in your head a bit; you can't expect me to do all the brain work. Remember it's consumption you've got―galloping consumption; you know all the symptoms―pain on top of your right lung, bad cough and night sweats. Something tells you that you won't see the new year―it's a week off Christmas now. And, if you come back without anything, I'll blessed soon put you out of your misery.'
****
Smith came back with about four pounds of shortbread and as much various tucker as they could conveniently carry; a pretty good suit of cast-off tweeds; a new pair of 'lastic sides from the store stock; two bottles of patent medicine and a black bottle half-full of home-made consumption-cure; also a letter to a hospital-committee man, and three shillings to help him on his way to Palmerston. He also got about half a mile of sympathy, religious consolation, and medical advice which he didn't remember.
'Now,' he said, triumphantly, 'am I a mug or not?'
Steelman kindly ignored the question, 'I did have a better opinion of the Scotch,' he said, contemptuously.
****
Steelman got on at an hotel as billiard-marker and decoy, and in six months he managed that pub. Smith, who'd been away on his own account, turned up in the town one day clean-broke, and in a deplorable state. He heard of Steelman's luck, and thought he was 'all right,' so went to his old friend.
Cold type―or any other kind of type―couldn't do
