The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-12-28
The Gentleman Beggar..En httor.
nsy's Story. ~
Ivy picKEys.1

! DE pawuOfukcr Ia accompany INN to Liverpool
M pursuit Of Levanting customer Balance
IN addition to pawning, does little business IN
the sixty per cent line, 1t rained in torrents when
the cab stopped Mt the passage which leads past
the pawning boxes tn hls private room. The cab
man rang twice and Mt length Balatce appeared
looming through the mist and rain in the entry
Illuminated by his perpetual cigar, AS eyed
him rather impatently, remembering that trains
wait for no man. something like n hairy dog or
bundle Of rags, up at his feet and barred his
passage for n mement Then Balance cried out
with an exclamation in answering apparently TO
a something | could not hear, "What, man alive
slept IN the passage there, take that. and get
some breakfast, for Heavens sake" So saying
he jumped into the Hanson" and we howled a.
way at ten miles nm hour, jus. catching the ex
press as the doors Of the station were closing
My curiosity was full set; for although Balance
can be free with his money it is not exactly to
beggars that his generosity is usually dioplayed :
50 when comfortably enscuuced in a coupe fin
ished with
You are liberal with your money this morn
Ihg; pray, how oilen do you give silver to street
cadyers '-because shall know now what walk
to take when flats and sharps lcaxe utf buying
law"
Balance. who world have made nm excellent
parson, If he had not been bred to a case harden
ing trade and has still soft bit left in his heart
that is alway, fighting with his hard head, did not
smile at all, hut looked as grim rs il squeezing
lemon into his Saturday nights punch. He ans
wered slowly: "A cedgrr--yes, II beggar-a
miserable wretch he is nov but le, me tel! YOU
Master David, that that misetable bundle Of rags
was born and bred gentleman--the son of no
blcman, the husband Of an heire,s-and has sat
and dned al tables where you aud l. Master Da
yld. r-s Only allowed to view the rla'e bv favor
Of the butler. have lent him thousands. and
been we'll paid The last thing | had from him
was his court suit and hold now his bill for c'.h
hundred pounds, which will be paid, expect,
when he dies"
/ Why. what nonsense you are talking Eeu
mus, be dreaming this morning However, We
are alone; ] II light weed in defiance Of railway
law, and You shall spin that yarn, for, true or un
true it will I'LL up the time to Liverpool"
/ AS for yarn replied Balance the whole sto-
ry is short enough and as for truth that YOU beg,
a. my Jezebe babe me when we parted
/ 81 POST sight of Molinos for long time, and
when next came upon him it was in the Rookie
ry of Westminster IN low lodging house where
| was searching with an officer for stolen goods
( lie was pointed out to me rs the gentleman cad
ger, because he was SO free with li, money when
IN luck He recognized me, but turned away
then. have since seen Inn, and relieved him
more than once, although he never asks ior any
thing. How he lives, Heaven knows Without
money, without friends, without useful education
of any kind he tramps the country, a. you -ow
him, perhaps doing lttlc hop picking ur la. ,na-
king in season only happy when be obtains the
meats to get drunk. have heard irorph the
kitchen whispers. which Yea know con e to uc.
that he Is entitled to soue rropr'v, and cx
p'ct II he were To die h, " t. oud pay the
hundrcd.pound bill huI IN, rate, what
have tod you know ,ol- t,.c. and the bundle
NJ n"r ! relieved just now Snown in every
'lrts lodging III LpgIand as the gentleman cad
GER
ms story produced m impression upon me-
am fond oi speculation, and like the excitement
! "i legal hunt as much some do fox chase
a gentleman bcggar, wife rolling in wealth,
rumors Of unknown property due to the husband
1t seemed rs IT there were picking, for me a
midst this carrion If pauperism.
/ Before returning from Liverpool, had purcha-
Scd the gentleman begslrs acceptance for Bal.
anee. 'len Inserted III the Times the FOLLOW
ing advertisement: "Horat'r lHoi'up, tii-. Roy
Ill this rcntemar will apply to David Discount
esq. solicitor, ~, James, he will hear Of some.
thug to his advantage. ANY person furnishing
: Mr. rs correct address shall receive el lSreward
lie was last seen tSe. Within twenty four hour,
had ample proof of the wide circulation ~ the
Times My office was bcseiged with beggars Of
every degree, men and women, lame and blind,
Irish, Scotch and English. some on crutches, some
NJ bowls, some IN go carts. They all knew him
as the gentleman and must do the regular
fraternity of iramps the justice to say that not
one would answer the question until he made Ger
| ha na,,N hn,
One evening about three weeks after the M,
pearancc IL the advertisement my clerk anunun.
ced "another bcggar," There came in an old
man feanlng upon II staff clad in Il soldiers great
coat all patched and torn, with battered hat.
from under which mass of tangled hair fell oy.-
! his shoulders and half concealed his face The
bcggar, IN weak, whcc-y, he>tatint tone, said :
You have advertised for Molinus Ftz Roy. |
| hope you don't mean him any harm he is sunk,
/ think, too low for cnnry now aud surely no
one would sport with such misery as his These
last words were uttered in a sort o' piteous whis.
per
/ Answered quickly, "Iicaven forbid should
/ sport with misery. mean aud hope To do Inn
good, rs well as myself
Then sir, am Moinos Fitz Roy |"
While We were convcrsing, ca;dlps bad been
/ brought IN. have NOT ,c~v tender nerves-my
head would not agree with them-but own |
started and shuddercd when saw and knew that
the wrctchcd creature before me was unde- thirty
years OF age, and once u gentleman. Sharp. aqul.
line features reduced to literal skin and bone,
were begrinled aud covered with dry fair hair ;
the white teeth of tho hNlfopen mouth chat,ered
with eagrrnuss aud made more hideous the foul
! pall0r of the rest of the cuuutcnance A. he
stood leaning On staff half bent, hi long yellow
bony iuger- cid>ped over the cruchhcnd of his
stirh he was indeed u picture of misery, famine,
squaur, and premature aye too horrible to dwell
upon, ! made him SIT down, and sent for suln,.
refreshments, which he dcvourrd like ghouI and
set to work to unr,vel hi, story. It was difficult
| to keep him To the point but, with plins, | lear.
ned That convinced me that he was entitled to
some prcperty-whethcr great or small there
was no evidence. On parting said: Now Mr
F. YOU must stay in town while make proper
inquiries. Whs. allowance will DO enough to
keep you comiortablyT
he answered humby after much pressing:
Would you think ten shillings too much r
don't like il | do those things at nil, 10 do
them shabbily so said Come every Saturday
aud you shall have pound" lie was proiuse
in thanks, Of course, as all such men are Us long
Us distress lasts.
had preyiously lpnrr,d that nv ra,,,-n, rli,,,s