Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-12-10

1919 luxurious haolH, shabby clothes, AMI
reserved demo AIMING, afforded, 10 supert, ,ial IN
4GIrerss a proof that be was OF a ms .rIv ~,
folks were stlU Specializing on the sub;ect
Nhen, one DAY, looking ont of her DRAWN,
Mr.. Chatield cliugjng TO her
SUPPORT, as though taken suddenly in. II, reai
alarm, the widow went out, and finding him
, ,e with 1t, and sPeechless, az once OBJ
tsIhec assistance TO convey him to his c1ttare
arrived there, Mrs. Banwell and those neieh-
ooIs v no lad a accompanied her. waited down
STAIRS, IN Mr.. Chatfeld's little front parlor. To
near the DOCTORS opinion OF the case. Whilst
waning, me widow regarded the room with some
curiosity, 20 see IL il afforded any evidence Of
NY. ChStheIds rumored wealth. None an
iaientiy. The furniture was scanty, poor, and
VI ane precise degree of shabbiness Of the
oShefs clothes The one thing distinctive
about the room was that it belonged obviously
70 man who had to do with ships. Ii was
huhg with shipping ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
mostly-representing screw and paddle steam
ers, with particulars OF tonnage and horse
power, plans and sections OF vessels together
WIN drawings OF varions clipper-bUilt banks
and bTigs of large size. Several models Of YES
sells were placed about the room, aud these
with the pictures, constituted the sole articles
OF an ornamental character, eNcerting. perhaps.
a very old chess board, marked ssHistorv of
England, in Two Volumes" and another mich
smaller volume of dark wood, about four inches
by three, in shape aud general appearance like
small pIayer-book, which occupied a promi-
the doctor came down, and stated there was no
cause for alarm, that Mr. Chattield would do
very wei, ms attack having been nothing more
than the result of general debility.
On returning home, still thinking about Mr.
Chatheld and his probable connection with the.
Shipping interest, II occurred to Mrs. BanweII
10 write 20 her nephew, Mr.. LOney, who, from
his position IN st. katharine's Docks, had
largely TO do with shipping. So, by way OF post
script to friendly letter, she said - Bv the
way, we have strange old gentleman who has
taken cottage near mne-a Mr. Chatfeld-
and silly report has got about that he is rich
Ii appears he has had to do with shipping in
some way, and II SO, / think IT possible You
might know something Of him. 1t is the merest
curiosity on my part, but one does like to know
rhO ones neighbOrs are"
Now, it so happened Mr. Loney did know Mr..
Chatheld very well, having had good deal to
do with him in the way of business, and having
also spent many pleasant evenings at the old
gentleman's house in London in past times
Tossing the letter TO his wife, he said, 90 Here's
my blessed old step-aunt, / do verify believe
looking out step-uncle for me-"
However, after little consideration, he wrote
reply TO Mrs. Banwells letter. The part re-
speeding your inquiry about Mr. ChatfieId' /
knew him for many years whilst he was i'm LON
don, and shall he pleased to pay him my re-
spects when Il come TO Winterford I cannot
ascertain the precise amount of his wealth hnt
this 1 can tell you, that although he has nov
renounced all active connection with the shin
ping interest, be Is at the present time a mart
owner of a vessel OF more than fifteen bundrad
tons burden. 1 must say no more, and even
this Is in strict confidence as Mr. Chatfield Ia an
escenIic person: and particularly reticent
MIR. Loney was wrong in his surmi.e about
Mrs. Banwell. To do the widow Justice. her ia
tentions were not matrimonial: nevertheless on
receipt OF this intelligence, she began to take a
very lively interest in old MIR. Chathelds vel
fare, and commenced sending daily to ask aftar
his health.a simple civility which none but the
unchsritable could misconstrue, except on the
ground that she had not done 80 before.
When sufficiently recovered, the old man
used his hrst strength to call at Woodbury. Cot
tage, and thank Mrs. Bsnwell for the assis-
lance rendered him when taken Ill: and for her
sollcltude. The widow on her part was particu-
larly gracious. She chided him for keepinu
himself so much shut up from intercourse with
other people, and told him plainly that SOCIETY
was what he wanted, and what he must have
And she insisted that his first visit was TO he tbe
prelude OF great many more.
:, hy good Mr.. Chatfield, YOU really must do
As prescribe What are we here for in this
world, Il not to minister 10 each others com
FORTS: IL will not do fer you to bury yourself
underground like a mole. And do insist m at
whenever you feel little dull or lonely as Won
must feel al times-a man used to active life
such as yOurself-that you come over here for a
IIttle cheerful change. And if you do not come
OFTEN, snail come 10 see you in a neghborly
way, and try and cheer YOU up. We are both
Q, US 700 old FOR the world TO talk nonsense
about and may a. well be soeiable"
Dir. Chatfeld seemed unafectedlv SURPRISED
Ills hIeWd little eyes puzzled over Mrs BAN
WelIs face, to find some motive for her Interest
IN his happiness, but give il up. However. he
AT once promised 10 avail himself OF her kind
ness.
- II IS lonely at times" he said '.for have
neither chick nor child belonging to me TO write
me letter even. And IT Is the more kind of
you, Ms Banwell, because / am a poor man
very poor man, mum. But then il takes a
great deal OF money TO make rich mar, don't
Very true" assented the widow.
How much money 90 YOU think now, for in
stance asked Mr.. Chattield.
Nell really aItoUathar ,po,,
circumstances OF position but should you not
think twenty thousand pounds enough to make
the generality OF people rich?"
More than that, mum. that's not enough to
SATISFY a man-only enough 10 give him an ap-
petite for more: and at fVes times that. a man
would feel hungry STILL
Gracious. Mi. Chatfeld, you're never con-
tented"
That's where It's, mum. You're hit it, no
one is rich till he is content"
- Are you content, then. yourself1''
- No, mum. I amt; and. what's more Amt
likely to be, or to meet the man who is"
Mrs. Banwell had at first thought the old gem
tleman was going TO give her some notion OF he
extent of his resources, but found he was only
talking in circle, to leave OF where he began,
which aggravated her a. much a. his persistent
use ct the word num-
However, MIR. Chaitield soon became a con-
slant visitor at Woodbury. Cottage. and the
widow had every reason 10 congratulate herself
On being installed in his good gTaces. She gave
goOdly number OF parties, and invited him to
all of them. He always came, scrupulously
neat and clean, but in a well-worn dress coat,
and wig a shade better than the one lie
usually mounted. In point OF fact, Mrs. Ban
well spent a good deal of money on the old fell
low, and, what is more, thought 1t money well
land out. Some months passed so. Then Mr..
Loney came down TO pay short visit TO his
aunt, in the course Of which he smoked his pipe
more than once at Mr.. Chatfelds.
From that time, Mr.. Chatfield became less re-
served in his allnsiOns to his own fortune when
IN Mrs. Banwelfs company. He even admitted
10 her that he was, in fact, part owner of YES
sci OF large tOnnage-and in addition to that,
spoke of dividends he was receiving from
another sOurce-nOt ObStruSively. but in the
most casual manner in conversation. The rea-
son OF this change, no. Ia make any mystery
about It, was. that he had either discovered
himself or else (and more likeIy) Mr.. Loney
had helped him 10 discern that the lively interest
the widow took in him and his affairs was not
wholly as an unselfsh nature. Not that he had
any dread of being married, like the butcher or
the money lender, whose fate he had heard
about from Mr.. Loney; not at all. He saw Mrs
Banwell had other notions respecting him
Those two, metaphorcally speaking, the YAM
pire had cooked before eating. Had they not
both passed the tires of Hymen frst?) But She
did not mean TO marry Mr. Chatield. Ii was
her desire TO eat Mr.. Chatfeld raw, without any
cooking. However, her victim reconciled him.
self TO his horrible prospects with the best grace
imaginable, and with the utmost dociiity even
prepared to trust himself ready for the YAM
pres table, As follows: