Transplanted

The oab was piled with luggage, anti Within sat a yoting matron, her cheeks fcesh as the meadows 8he had quitted bst a few honrs ago. Long Bill, lurkfag on the limita of the railway station, enght a significant nod froru the cabsrive, and at once started in pnrsnit. Long Bill was not very tall, bnt had Hmbs so excessively slender and so ■jeager a trnnk that his acqnaintances naturally thought of him in terms of length. Wheu uuoccnpied, which was generally the case, ha lot his arms hang straight and close to hia sides, aathough teying to occnpy as little room in the world as possible. He walked on his toes, ratber qnickly, and almost without a bend of the knee; his back was traight and the collar of his filthy coat always tnrned up to shield the scraggy, eollarless neck. Observe hiin in motion at a distance, and you wore reminded oí a red Indian on the trail. Catch sight of hirn snddenly close at hand, and his dling, fnrtive carriaga made yon ansióos abont yonr pockets or watch guard. By his own account Bill was 19 years öld, bnt ho had the wizened face of senility; his hairless cheeks hollow over tooth gaps, his nose roere cartilage, hia srnall eyes a-blink, yet as eager aa those of a bungry animal. For more than amile he ran along by the laden cab, and seemingly, without mnch effort ; when it drow np in front of a comfortable hons. Bill sprang to the door of the -vehicle. "You'll let a pore yonng feller help with the luggage, lydy? I'veran all the ■w'y from Victoria." He panted his mendicant humility, and with a grimy paw shook drops from a scarce visible forehead. The fair yonng matron regardsd him with pained, compassionate look. "Yon have run all the way from Victoria? Certainly yonmay help, of conrse yon may !" She alighted, eutered the house, and stood there in the hall watching Long Bill as, with feverish energy, he assisted a servant to transfer trunks and paraels. Eelatives pressed about the lady, bnt ehe conld not give them due attention. "Look at that poor creatnre ! He has followed my cab all the way from Victoria, just to earn a few pence. Oh, these things are too dreadfnll" The simple heart of this lady was a law unto itself. She had possessions, and spoke with authority. In happy moment, Long Bill bad pursned the ■wheels of her cab, Holding money in readiness, she talked with him. Oould he not get work? What was his story? Where did he live? To every question Bill made fluent rep]y, pauting oft, and sqneezing the rag which served him for headgear. Work ! Only give him the chawuce! See what it was to be rigidly honest ; not sinco yesterday at this time had a morsel of bread passed his lips. Work! He threw np his oyes in appeal to powers superna 1. "Come and see me tomorrow at 12 o'clock." His immediate wants provided for, Bill passed the evening ia contemplation. He feit no prompting to impart to any one the wouder that had bef allen. Very punctnally next day did he present himself at the area door of the comfortable houso, and silently he was led to a room where the lady waited for him. To varions searching questions he again auswered with a treinulous candor which had its full effect. Then, bidding him listen and perpend, the lady offerec her suggestion. Far awayfrom Lcndon, in a very beautiful country, she had a honse, with gardens and fields, anc there, if so it pleased him, William conld support himsolf honorably by the labor of his hands - conld learn tho rural life, eonld gain health and strengtb, could forget the horrors of his early years. Was William disposed to consider this? The head gardener, an estimable man, would direct and encourage him. He would receive wages, and eat the bread of independence. What said he? William once more threw up his eyes, and, in very truth, knew not how to respond, but his face auswered for him. Very well; he should have this chance of proving his sincerity. In a day or two the arrangemonts wonld be complete. Let him come again, at a time appointed, and be in readiness to quit London. Meauwhile he must purchase the decent clothes of a laboring man ; herewith, money for that purpose. Let him be faithful, and the sun of happiness would henceforth shine upon him. In less than a week behold Long Bill, answering now to the name of William Higgs, transplanted to quite a new sphere of existence. His lodging was in the cottage of a farm laborer. His duties led him to the kitchen gardens of the old manor house, where Mr. Brown, grave and snspieious, set him primitive tasks with the fewest possible words. William looked as though hehad fallen from the rnoon. He was vastly nncomfortable in his clean, now clotbing. He stared at everything and everybody. He stood on guard against possible attacks and kept wondering whether if he elimbed to the top of a hillnot faraway he would be able to see London. The 1 fact that he had traveled for three hours liy an express train did not affect this specnlation. Never in his life had WilKaïn feit so bopelesa, so purposeless. By the directions of his benefactres he wat abnndantly fed, and ench adTantag iid hetate of this novel experience that on the second day he began to suffer from an alarming disorder. A severe pain oppressed his breathing, and hía heart throbbed violently. At length, utterly overeóme, he lay gasping as if for life. A doctor had to be summoned. Soon there fóllowed a second and no less violent attack. William had secrotly eaten two largs cucnrnbers and a Donnd of cheese. He paid the penalty. Work, from the flrst not only distastefnl, but difficnlt, was forsome days impossijle. Presently it appeared that he bad caught a very bad cold. Ko was threatened witb congestión of the lungs. Writing to the lady of the manor, the doctor explained to her that Williarn's constitution had snddenly broken down in consequeiice of the great and sudden change. There would have to be care. Fignratively and lierally this poor fellow had as good as no legs to stand upou. He seerued ripe for all manner of diseases. If his diet and habita were not strictly regnlated, the result might be lamentable. A month went by. William had pretended to work, but always gave up on the plea of weakness. He looked very miserable and did not talk much. His congh was bad. One day, after spitting on tha gravel walk, he showed the gardened a red stain. Mr. Brown, thongb he did not like Ynlliam, looked troubled. "Ever eeen that afore now?" Enefnlly una resentfnlly the other deolared that he had never known what it was to have anything the matter with him. Then be went apart into a qniet spot and lay on the grass and was beset with torrors. Moreover, a great wratb awoke in him. He cnrsed the place and the people and above all the wel! meaning lady who had sent him into exile. Faroff London oalled to him with irresistible lure. He longed for the streets, the noises, tho smells, for his old companious, for the lurking places of his homelessnights. Money he had none. As yet his weekly wages only paid for board and lodging. Bnt, with or without money, he wonld get back to London. His purpose mnst be sectet. If the enemy got wind of it, he wonld be foroibly detained. That evening he contrived to make a stealthy entry into the grapehouse and to ent the roots of all the vines. Early the iiext morning ho did the like damage to a number of rose trees. A poor revenge, but it soothed him. Suspecting that his malfeasance among the vines must soon be discovered, he held himself in readicees for flight at any moment, aud while listening eagerly for every word spoken by the people about hiin he sought new forms of mischief. His troublesome cough kept him in mind of tho wrong he had suffered. It urged him to malicious activity. But before he conld do anything worse than pinch blossoms off certain valuable plants the alarm struck upon his ear. "Hoy, London Bill ! Mr. Brown wants you, and look sharp. " It was one of the undergardeners shontiug from a distance. In sudden terror, in a raad desire for libeity and home, he slnnk rapidly out of sight, then took to his heels. In the night, at a village some 20 miles away, the constable cañe upon a tramp who lay helpless by the roadside. "Severe hemorrhage from the lungs," said the doctor. And, but a few days later, William Higgs was again transplanted, this time to a yet more quiet localitv wbere no work would ever be asked of