The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-02-21 00:00:00

CHAPTER XLVI.
TUB OLD HOUSE BY Th'::: RIVER,

He bath changeci
Nothing, except our ignorance of all
Suspicion into such a certainty
As must make madness of delay.
" ruined, tumble-down old wharf overlooking the
reiver at Lambeth had suffered many reverses and
een a multitude o fchanges since the dispersal of
the gang of coiners who had at one time made it
their headquarters had left the building without
waY ostensible proprietor.
f Tenantless, with no one to claim an interest in its
e°"talles, it was discovered by an enterprising in-
uabitant of the Marsh, who forthwith took pos-
te4B,- ierl in a very summary fashion, and after a
;,e!ef interval of undisturbed occupancy turned it
c.te.o a
W lodging-house, in which, for the small
~,...404diri0nof, threepence a night, he provided accom-
consisting of a shake-down of straw
tchovered with an old sack and a coarse blanket;
,„--e °Peculation, however, turned out to be so unre-
✓nerative that it was soon abandoned, and the
vitt n,old. tenement was once more abandoned to
a aommion of the rats, who held high revel
flin„,°Uget the rafters and beneath the mildewed-
ruag till they were in their turn displaced, and
walls echoed again to the sound of human voices
I,,,settl in prayer and song.
time it was an itinerant preacher who set
aPpis camp in the former stronghold of the coiners,
collected a congregation from the noisome
l'ets and alleys that surrounded it.
nearly three years it was given over to this
PtirPese, and nightly services were held by the
Eanctimonious hypocrite who held forth to the
credulous disci les he gathered round him in his
lablteulPorised chapel; and many a "love feast" and
g;of the elect was celebrated within the shaky
of Bethesda, as it was styled, till one dread
▪ ,
ug a r, mour circulated that gather d.
ti,-``gth and was at last confirmed to the consterna-
"4 of those who had believed in the piety of their
Pastor.
soFor beneath the plain deal pulpit on which he had
of en thump, d while dealing out denunciations
th °La to unbelievers and promises of reward to
lit :h0 followed his teachings, under the flooring
wuich his feet rested while he preached, was
end the body of a woman brutally murdered, and
BeLProphet prophesied no more, delivered no other
9n. in this world. One indeed he heard spoken
ott."18 special behoof, to which some half hundred
list!! graY-costumed, closely-cropped auditors also
ga7ing the while with something of awe
• bile miserable, cadaverous, blank-faced creature
Wor•
-dseatin solitary state to hear almeA the last
of th Which were to fall upon his ear this side
.e prison grave, which was ex en then dug to
facelve him-a living sentient being with all the
risch‘inties of life strong' in his body, for whom the
another sun would be but a signal to pre-
death.
oicr!ce then an evil reputation attached itself to the
telt house, and it was left to take care of it-
free from the inroads even of children,
fo ° would fain have made a playground there 1 ut
t;r the dread with which it was regarded. Some-
eB indeed, some poor, miserable creature, home-
and forlorn, would creep in for such meagre
°l.alter as was to be found there from the searching
43:41 or bitter frost of winter, but even such as these
C'er stayed long, and no one was found of sufficient
verdiliood to make it a permanent abode. There
43110 landlord to trouble for his rent, and the tax
ectors always passed it by with no more notice
sil.aiu an upturned look at the deserted building, from
beiree it was currently reported and implicitly
e I strange sounds were heard to issue after
partial', and lights that could proceed from no
vrtal source were plainly to be seen glimmering
ugh the cracked walls by those who had courage
Watch for them.
by,Queer, creaking noises were certainly often heard
It,elated wanderers who found themselves in its
tb.guDourhood, and when the wind howled round
‘,71 corners and swept across the dark, muddy
coma of the river, whistling defiantly through the
theefage of the vessels lying there as if in m Kkery of
etile attempt of ropes and spars to stay its
bel_ivard progress, the frail tenement would seem to
beneath the fierce gusts that assailed it.
doi4t, it remained, battered and weather-beaten,
retZtese, but still a shelter-such as it was-
itsFnuied, wherein poverty might hide its head, and
tioi,,""mer owner, caring nothing for the unearthly
41348 People spoke about, ouce more took up his
ph_ e there, making himself as comfortable as dr-
i,stances would allow.
,htde was svaitine• there on the day following his
ticounter with Carrie, but the night came and still
Was alone. However, there was plenty of time
NatuLally she would not care to venture into
1r4211. a neighbourhood, where, disguise herself as she
her appeararlee would surely attract remark,
,metil the cover of night enabled her to do so without
eing observed. It was growing dark, however, and
doe Bradley made what preparations he could to
l'eccive his daughter, after which he lit the candle
'lock in a rusty tin lantern, and seating himself by a
te,ally bright fire which blazed merrily away, smoked
.1!.,8 blackened clay in philosophical yontentrae_gt till
be should make her appearance.
• It
ain't much of a place to ask a fine lady like
n 13 got to be to come to," he muttered,. "looking
up "But she won't mind, won't Carrie.,
~,:;,resently he got up and walked across the room
"4 fl
tr, ,0 same in which Doctor Sampson was first in.
z(niced to his protige-to where a seaman's chest
(14(.1d and opening it took out a square-shaped bottle
,‘,,,j which he returned to his former seat.
r4th. I mustn't go too deep into it," he said, taking a
I,°,r long pull, n vertheless, and placingthe bottle
"Old Joe must keep his wits about
, '"There'll be time enough by-and-bye to enjoy
eN,o,°elf, after I've done what there is to do and made
tso;Ything square. At the same time, a little drop
gal e can't do harm ; " and once more he took a fair
that IA the fiery spirit. "Ah ! that's proper stuff,
Oej; the right sort to warm the old man. Nine
the "he wont on, as a distant clock struck out
caasi°ur- "Where can the gal have got to? She
wouid,ulean to disappint me, surely! No, no- it
Pay her, neither."
for e e tminutes crept on, and he smoked ia silence
glal;: wane, every now and then casting longing
Ilit4.ces at the flask which stood so temptingly near
ii don't know why I need be so pertikler," he
"eal again. "It's only Carrie as I've got to
sober.w4th, after all, and I can manage her, drunk or
cite 1314 I won't get tight, for all that. Only
-.ass
, taste won't hurt."
ea, tDo "one more" developed itself into sundry,
%Yea-ects of which soon began to show, for Joe's
eive,Aarkled and he burst forth in snatches of song
trti iclued with renewed draughts, till the clock
Ae °uce more.
dr 11(1 '
1, folk et Carrie did not come. He smoked, and
▪ Na" Bung, and drank again in solitude, till
iltage I,ll.ent potations brought him to a maudlin
s,"l intoxication.
She>le ain't a comin', after all ! " he whimpered.
t 8
hIVBII ;00 proud, I suppose-got to be such, a
-,l!ve ';,;-` 11)111 fit for her to 'sociate with. But
cli.eB;,,:uu. She'll be the loser in the long run if
4,144 ;nee her poor old dad. I've got what she
safe-and I'll stick to it, too."
• wh'ich resolution Joe Bradley ceased every-
Ilia' 41 the shape of intelligible talk, though he
!3troteontinued to mutter drowsily as he lay
qlto Chad before the fire, until he dropped off at last
stupefied sleep, and for a while no sound
•is 0 heard in the room save the heavy, ster-
ccsoi' ureathing of its soddened occupant, and an
stwa°ellea.l crackrmg of the timber burning in the
tlubeeteilence did not, however, remain long undis-
l‘in
111101A,),°0.°11er did the regular breathing of the sleeper
'lro, to be fast locked in slumber than a curious
st
Slob ance occurred in the loft outside, where a
ttteo of ship barrels, most of them rotten with
eocl on encl. in one corner.
1111Zivi'etid it ,be that these inanimate objects. were
4,%1t with the power of motion?
And-
yet one of them certainly itirrect,
ecsi„at 18 spoke-or rather, to speak raore
t; WI a voice issued from its interior.
.2141.0.--kotnid the thing ! " the voice said very dis-_
• e•l4l' twwilile the barrel from which it proceeded
it ?Dv° iat and a wriggle as though it were about
ex, over
"How tightly I'm jammed inhere!
sr get my arm loose the rest would b_e.
t• o Hang it all, this will never do! lt
th,"l 'Jae.; "ept a prisoner here all night I might as
e stopped away. Here goes for another
so with
eaufa .wa violent effort-which, so far as any visible
of ast,„"
eg Doerned, appeared to be quite indepen-
C froth-I:Zan agency-the barrel then dislodged
attio-, uie fast hold in which it was held by its
ort ,tlt 41', and got free.
s.lo,,ita side h!za,ttemptit was overbalanced, and falling
like"R„the-ph"". a tremendous crash, went rolling
153?-tl.‘all eft4lag boards of the loft with a noise
ri,-er) till its further progress was arrested
the
t fo canse of so much disturbance was made
,oLgetttr.o Btarotfl,rout its interior crept out backwards a
r
• ing of red from head to foot in a dirty white
IZ.Dled teuuet and mildew, which rose erect and
brti ot i4Vorm of Mr. Pounceby.
his Ilsn,al guise, trim, orderly, and well
re,, face dirty and disreputable in appearance,
iiscont'M hands both torn and bleeding from
I,latehicpet 'with the nails and splinters that lined
ts._°l' Bo ulg-place,
1,44151 y
4,4 Inoments he stood listening almost
'
e hae.,„.‘o discover whether the din he had
thaera ho used the inmate of the inner room,
ot.. could
at ju
te• tat discern stretched like log before
401: ' tolnspector Pounceby's great relief,
e ebz„._,Y never
cursory
with caution, a very
and approaching ;him
(314,nce w174113' Int. still ry
vas
in
.ci...ent to show the inspector that the
artberY esdirtai.,, siso profound a slumber to be waked
_Nate afikkrea-.Y,
_means, a :fact ofi which :he still
ssim
41 iouraself by rolling him ovpr on the
8 foot.

7gO-und enough," muttered Mr. Pounceby, quite
satisfied with the results of his experiment. "He
won't give 'me any trouble, that's certain. Deuce
take the fellow who knocked those casks together,"
he continued, somewhat ruefully regarding his
wounded hands. "I shall never be able to get the
dust out of my throat, either. Hullo, yere's a bottle!
Wonder whether the old blackguard's left a drop for
a fellow to wet his whistle."
But not a drain remained, and Mr. Pounceby put
it down again with an exclamation of disgust.
Perhaps it's as well, though," he thought, by
way of consoling himself for the disapeointment,
"If he'd been content with a moderate allowance he
wouldn't have slept so soundly, maybe. I wonder
whether there's a drop of water in the place. I'd
like to swill my face if I could; but I don't suppose
old Joe here troubles himself much in the matter of
washing."
A little search, however, brought to light an old
rusty tin bowl and pitcher of water standing in one
corner, and Mr. Pounceby, first taking a hearty
draught, prooeeded to cleanse himself a little, feeling
much refreshed after the operation, though he was
compelled to use his handkerchief in lieu of a towel.
"That's something like," he went on. "Now I
can get to work. I don't fancy there's much chance
of being interrupted, if I look sharp. Let me see,
now, where will he be likely to have hidden 'em?
Not far off, I'll be bound. Most likely somewhere
about him. At any rate, that's where I'll try first."
Once more he rolled over the prostrate form of
the drunken man, to assure himself beyond doubt
of the soundness of his slumber, but without pro-
ducing any other effect than a prolonged snore from
Joe Bradley, who continued to sleep undisturbed in
the new position he had been so unceremoniously
forced to assume by the inspector.
"Fast as a church ! " said that gentleman, his
mind now quite at ease.
Satisfied on this point, he knelt down by the side
ofj the 'sleeping man and proceeded carefully and
methodically to search his clothing. There was not
much difficulty in the task, or fear of his overlooking
what ho sought, for the article he was looking for
was, as has doubtless been guessed, Clarence Wood-
ville's pocket book, and this he soon satisfied himself
was certainly in some other hiding place than about
the sleeper.
Further search in that quarter being therefore
evidently useless, Mr. Pounceby rose and looked
about the room. There was very little light,' the
candle end being burnt out, and what little flicker
there was from the fire only served to illuminate its
immediate vicinity, leaving the rest of the apart-
ment in deep shadow; while, to add to his diffi-
culties, Mr. Pounceby found, on feeling his pockets,
that the box of wax lights he provided himself with
was not there, having probably fallen out during his
struggle to escape from the barrel.
"This is decidedly vexing,' he muttered. "How-
ever, I must make the best of it, I suppose."
And he groped about, stumbling more than once
as he pored into the darkness. But without success.
He could discover nothing, either in the shape of
shelf or cupboard in his search:for any piece of fur-
niture that might by chance contain what he
required.
"Confound it! I shan't have a whole bone left
in my body at this rate," he grumbled, as he raised
himself after stumbling over
.something that lay in
his way.
But the next moment he was down on his knees
and examining the obstacle with fresh hope. It
was the chest from which Joe Bradley had extracted
the bottle. Open, too!
In another minute Mr. Pounceby had tumbled
out its contents upon the floor. A sheet of a news-
paper that he found was soon twisted and made a
temporary torch, that afforded him light for such
space that enabled him to lay his hand almost imme-
diately upon !the prize he had risked so much to
secure; and he rose to his feet with a triumphant
chuckle.

"A regular slice of good luck, that's what I
call it! he exclaimed in high glee, as he tossed
the things back again pell mell into the box and
closed the lid. "Now, Mr. Bradley, good night, and
pleasant dreams to you."
He stayed no longer, but made his way down the
ladder to the yard below, and was soon hurrying
rapidly through the tortuous streets, round the
corners of which the wind was howling in great
gusts, and went_with his head well down to escape
the storm. _ _ _ _

_
Not a hundred yards from the riverside house he
came into violent collision with some one who
was hurrying in the opposite direction.
";Now then where are you driving to?" asked the
man with a
.muttered oath, but stopping for no
reply.
Mr. Pounceby stood and looked after the re-
treating figure with a curious smile upon his fs..ie,
till he was out of sight, and then resumed his way,
if possible, at a more quickened pace.
"You're a day after the fair, Mr. Clarence Wood-
vine," he said, chuckling to himself. "I was only
just in time, it sums."

CHAPTER XLVIL'
"TIIE DARKEST HOUR COMES BEFORE TRE DIMS;
There go the loves-that wither
The old loves with wearier wings;
And all dead years draw thither
And all disastrous things.
N DrwirrisTANougo his assumed confidence, Clarence
Woodville felt by no means so easy in his mind as
he pretended to be. The loss he had sustained
deprived him of the 'chief instrument he! had in-
tended to use, upon which, indeed, he had placed
absolute dependence, until Leonard's scornful rejec-
tion of the terms he had sought to impose made him
vaguely aware that he had to deal with a man of
different nature to his own—one upon whom con-
siderations of the probable consequences to himself
would be as nothing, who could not be moved by
any temptation to swerve from the right or allow
motives of,self -interest to influence him; and Mr. Wood-
ville, though heartily despising such weaknEss, was
clear-sighted enough to recognise its existence, and
feel an innate conviction that—foolish and quixotic
though it might be— Leonard's co operation was no
longer to be counted upon in his favour.
For that matter, indeed, it was not of so much
importance as to give him any great concern. He
had, it is true, looked to such aid as likely to smooth
his path; but in point of fact he held in reserve such
a card as must, he fancied, ensure him the victory,
though he had his reasons for withholding it until
all other means were exhausted for obtaining the
consent of Eve's guardians, without which, however
reluctantly it might be granted, every penny of her
fortune could be withheld until she was of age.
And this was an arrangement that could not in
any way meet Mr. Woodville's requirements, though
he began to fear that it was one to which he would
be forced to submit in some degree. Not altogether,
perhaps as most probably some small allowance
would be made her in the interim, but that pos-
sibility was of so uncertain a kind that it gave him
small comfort.
Still, if Mr. Sartoris and his co-trustee chose to
exert their powers so it would be useless to resist.
He must make the best of the situation as it stood,
and wait patiently till the time came when they
would be forced to surrender their authority. It
was not so very long, after all, to look forward to,
and do what they would it was not possible to wrest
from him the advantage he had gained.
At, least, he thought not, though some foreboding
told him not to place too absolute a dependence upon
his fancied security.
"They may find a-loophole," he muttered to him-
self,`as, after making a more than ordinarily careful
toilet for the coming interview, he prepared to start
for Chiswick. "It may be that I shall find things
more difficult than I have reckoned upon, for I look
on it as certain that they'll fight me hard. But I
rather fancy I shall prove one too many for them,
after all. Eve will be easily enough managed, and
that is a strong point in my favour. But for that
unfortunate accident of the old woman's death I
should have made assurance doubly sure as far as
she is concerned. That was deucedly unlucky, to
be sure. _ N'importe. Here goes to meet the
enemy."
We will, however, precede Mr. Woodville to his
destination, where Eve Trenehard, who had been
warned of his coming by a note which had reached
her in the morning, awaited him with dread, with
a loathing which she did not strive to repress, for
what small glamour had blinded her once was now
utterly dispelled, and she was no longer deceived by
the thought that Clarence Woodville had wooed her
from other than purely mercenary motives.
Mr. Sartoris had made her ac luainted with the
insolently-worded demand for her handl made by
the adventurer, and besought her to authorise his
rejection of it on her behalf with all the contempt
it merited, but this Eve would not do, though her
guardian expostulated with her warmly.
" Surely ! ' he said, incredulously, "you will
never be so mad as to countenance the suit of an
impostor—a---"
"You are speaking of my affianced husband, sir,"
coldly broke in Eve. "Would it not be better to
use gentler words?"
"Affianced fiddlestick!" exclaimed Mr. Sartoris,
vexed beyond endurance. "Have you no sense, no
regard for the fitness of things, that you can con-
template such an act of folly, of moral suicide? "
"I do'not understand you, sir," replied Eve, who,
though her heart echoed every word, was too proud
to make confession, and assumed a mask of cold
indifference to hide the agitation which must else
have been made plain. "What imposture has he
been guilty of ?"
"A false name, for one," sharply retorted the
lawyer.
"That ifj a common custom in his profession, I
believe."
"Maybe. But there's worse than that behind.
Did he ever confess to you that he has been the
associate, the accomplice of thieve "
" Guardy ! "
Did this very respectable gentleman ever tell
you that such was the case? I ask, did he ever tell
you, also, that but for an act of treachery he would
inevitable have shared the imprisonment to which
his' companions were sent, partly through his
evidence ?"
"No, no—it is not true !—it cannot be truer"
cried Eve, with a iook of horror. "Why do you
say such things ? "
"My poor girl, do you think that even to save
you from what I cannot but look upon as an act of
mad recklessness I would make such charges with-
out foundation ?" asked Mr. Sartori, p gentler

have said is true in every respect,
and can be proved."
"Proved !—against him !Ij
"Certainly !"
And Mr. Sartoris briefly sketched out for her
such details of Clarence Woodville's early career as
he had been made acquainted with, to all of which
Eve listened with strained eagerness and distress
that was pitiable to behold.
"You could not possibly know these things, Eve,'
he said in conclusion. "It is not to give you pain
that I repeat them now, but only to show you how
impossible it is that we should dream of allowing
you to become the wife of such a man, even—which
I very much doubt—if his after life has atoned in
any way for the past.l, Come, you will not see him
again ? Promise me. Let me give him from you,
as well as from myself, the only answer that is
fitted for so preposterous a demand."
But though Eve wept and rung her hands, though
the revelation just made had evidently come with
stunning force upon her, she was not to be moved;
and perplexed, unable to account in any way for the
infatuation which made her still cling to her resolve,
Mr. Sartoris lost all patience, and spoke more
sternly.
"I can scarcely credit it, even now," he said.
"If it was only that he was poor, of low birth—
though I might still, and most certainly should,
offer all the opposition in my power, I could make
allowances for the romance of youth, and even
admire your faithfulness. But for such. as he.! lam
ashamed of you, I am indeed!"
And yet," she said a little bitterly, stung to
retort by his contemptuous tone—" and yet you
would force upon me another husband who, you
say yourself, was brought up in the same surround-
ings for: which you condemn him -whom I have
chosen. Is that your idea of justice P
"The cases are altogether different, Eve," coldly
returned her guardian. "I will not attempt to
argue them with you, for your own sense must show
you where the difference lies. However, as you
choose to take such a tone, I need waste no more
time in wards that are evidently thrown away.
This man—Woodville, I suppose I must call him—
will shortly be here for my answer."
"And that will be—"

"A most decided refusal, no matter what plea he
may urge, nor how strongly you yourself may sup-
port him. That being so, unless you are so lost to
all sense of decency as to marry him privately—and
I warn you beforehand that I shall not be easily
blinded, so you will find such a step rather difficult
to take—he will be forced to wait till you attain your
majority. Perhaps by that time you will also have
learned to be grateful that you have been saved in
spite of yourself from such a degrading union."
And without another word Mr. Sartoris left the
room in a very angry mood, leaving Eve to bear as
best she might the misery that she could see no
possible escape from.
(To be continued.)