Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-08-29

Z sxArrIrur troar,

Was only hseker--a broker With : bad char.
scser, and what that must have been, Il hen
u wss bad for . broker, We leave 20 iuaxi
| nation and Johnson to def1e. iIc was re-
puied the hardest nan OF lis trade; an !, al
men OK that trade are popularity supposed to
be mere electrical machines. work ed by hints,
not hesrte. supremacy Of iinsness must have
left him fearful congiomerates lie was
wi'hered old man now, bent almost double
with age and Rheumatism, with hooked
nose, and light brown eyes, red round the
Ids, and q strange mixture Of suriiness and
suspicion in his face. lie lsoked n cross be-
tween mastif and weasel, which he was,
IN character a. we'll ~ countenance. No
one had good word TO say for him. The
publican NJ the corner was sure the. e was
something quscr in man who did not take
an honest glass like the rest; and the ,ker
looked down on him because he ate ssse-
conds" on principle. II distress was to be
put for miles round the neightorhood, they
prayed that it might not be by old Joe Map
pin, OF Horlborn Buildings. One woman
said she'd as Lief have the Emperor If Roo
shia Us him; her daug ter said she'd liefer.
The very children were afraid of him, and
screamed if he came too near them, unless
they were impu1 lent and Knocked him. But
to the little ones he was the district Boyle :
and cold Joe Mappin'' stood in Horlborn
Building, soaring the riotous small fry of the
cutters, for s'the black man. Of more civil
lied nurseries.
Everybody said the man had secret
Some thought he was a conner, aud others
that he had committed murder, and went to
look at the body or grave. Others again
said he had a mad wife locked up in the gar
ret, on straw; but none knew exactly what
they thought, excepting the broad fact that
there was secret somehow; and of course,
If belonging to him, a disgraceful one sshe
could have nothing but villainy to conceal, -
said the inspector 70 Policeman X, SO.
Why the report arose of his having se-
crst in his life was, because evening after
evening, he was seen stealing in the dusk
from his garnet, along Horlborn, towards
the West End. No one knew where he went
to, though more than one lounger had set out
to follow him; but somehow the old man al :.
ways contrived to escape, doubling through
the streets in such quick and unexpected
manner that, however it was done, he inva-
riably got away. All sorts of plans had
been made to track him, but they failed, eve
ry one Of them and the brokers' secret was
a secret still. Little Teddy, his landlords
boy, came the nearest to the discovery; but
he lost him ut last somewhere up IN the New
Road, near Regents Park, though that as
u good measure to have taken, too. More
over, he saw that Joe was decently dressed
beneath his shabby old cloak thing no
one else would wear; and from that time the
report had got about that it was love af-
fair, with some my sterious celebrity, and that
Joe was buying wife with his gold for che
had Californy- worth,' said his landlords
little boy, Teddy.
One evening Joe set out, as usual, with
his shabby old cloak, and battered old hat,
but we'll enough beneath. He walked eau
tiously at first, hobbling, as was natural to
him now, with his rheumatics SO bad but
after he hid passed through his particular
quarter, turning round constantly as if to
cough, but in reality to see if any one were
following, he walked briskly on, cutting
through all sorts of queer alleys and bye
places, winding and doubling ike fox the
best topographer in London could not have
followed him. At last he came to very
pretty house in the Regents Park-a house
evidently inhabited by gentlewonan Of
fortune, MS we'll as of taste; for all the ap-
pointments were in such perfect keeping, and
there was such a wealth of costly simplicity
about it rs could only belong to both these
conditions. The broker looked up at the
window as he came beneath it, and little
girl of about fourteen or ffteen-but young
and slight of her age-leaning out from
among the geraniums, cried, an answer to
his look, "Why, Joe, how late you are to-
niehtr
That sweet voice! The old man used to
say himself, that he would not exchange its
"Joep for good 6ppun' note! He nodded
to her affectionately, and carefully scraping
his shoes, opened the door, and went in with
the air of man who knows that he will be
welcome. He took off his hat and cloak, and
put them away in dark corner, and then,
clean and s'respectable looking" he went up
stairs to the drawing room.
A lady, still beautiful and still Young
yodhg at least for the mother OF child OF
| ffteen-was sitting there embroidering.-
Surrounded with every luxury and every
beau'y-nestled in that lonely home, like a
bird in golden cage-how strange the
90 graceful as that lady and that old Jew
broker. Yet they were we'll acquainted
that they were even friends; for she rose
when he entered, and advanced towards him
kindly, and shook hands with him, and drew
petted him as women only can pet, withou,
any visible overtact. Blu: ali that joe
seemed to wish for was to sit a little, and
watch her rs she bent over her embroidery
| and to hear her say again that she was con.
tented and happy.
"And are you certain, sure you want TO,
nothing ?'' inquired Joe; 'snor Miss Marga-
ret, neither?"
ssNothing, Joe, nothing" and the sweet
| lady looked up atfectionately, rs if she had
spoken to a father.
ssThat's enough-that is all [ want nut.
tered Joe; and then he went back into the
depth of his quiet meditation, watching the
lady's face, and every now aud then glancing
round the room, as if to see that all was
right, and to find out where he could alter
and improve. After this had gone on for a
short time, Joe Mappin asked for Margaret
in an uncouth way. strangely softened, like
mastif partly mesmerised. The lady rang
the bell and Margaret came. 1t seemed to be
the usual way in which she was summoned
when the broker was there, for she came a,
once, without giving the servant time to call
her. She also showed the most unaffected
gratitude and love for the old man, running
up to him and taking his hand, calling him
ssDear Joc,' as If she meant it.
"And is there nothing that the little lady
wants?" said Joe, patting her head and
smoothing down her curls. s'Has she gowns
and bonnets enough, lady for you know she
has but to ask and have.o
"Why, Joe, don't wear such frock in
a week!' said Margaret, laughing; and it
was only last Tuesday that you gave me that
beauty, though hadn't yet half worn my
blue silk"
Joe Mappin drew her between his knees,
and held her face in his hands. sSilver and
gold isn't good enough for you bothp' he
said with almost u passion Of fervor in his
voice: $50 never stint yourself for fear of
me.''
But they both said again that they had all
they could require, sseven if they vera
princesses in q fairy tower" Margaret added;
and when this assurance had been repeated
to almost wearisome number of times, Joe
Mappin was content, and so relapsed into ST.
lence again. And there he sat till the last
rays Of the sun had gone, and candles had
been brought-theys were of the finest wax,
you may be sure-a peculiar expression of
fondarnces an HE mnetsHF5s faca -. ~ ,,,o .