The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-22

| lar case, nOtnlnS more need be said; tn
type is defined, and it's individual member
are as like one another as peas from til
same shell. Mr.. erode knew this well, an
the corners of his heavy mouth, unused t
smile as they were, drew up with NOR
that the mere shadow of sheer when h
saw the looked for cap, very much tn
worse for wear, suspended gracefully b.
the side Of an easel large enough to bea
one of the great battle-pieces at Versailles
lie was engaged in speculations upon tn
follies of other men, when the door opened
and in came the painter himself, as good
looking as of old, but rather thin anc
hungry-looking too. His creditors had in
sisted upon allowing him something, ant
he had accepted hundred year under
strong protest, and only on condition tina
it was to be considered as loan to be re-
paid one day-a sum that, for a bad econo
mist, whose habits had always been very
expensive, was enough to keep him from
the workhouse, and no more
He came into the room eagerly; perhaps
he expected to find some great art patron
who had come to give him commission
for thousand pounds. Seeing Mr.. erode
however, he came to full stop. But the
latter, with genial and hearty smile a,
he was able to assume, held out his hand
frankly and warmly.
$50 that is the way you treat me, is it ?''
he said, half laughingly. "Well, we'll,
young people will be young people, I sup.
pose, and we old fellows must expect to be
showed off into the corner. I ran off with
my own poor late-lamented, who's dead
and gone-Lissy's mother, yon know-and
I don't believe we lived a bit the unhap-
pier. (Nor bit the happier. the late Mrs
erode would have said with sigh, had
she still been in the flesh, and had she been
by to hear. "But why the deuce you
young people always treat us old ones as if
we was alligators. beat me hollow. If I'd
only thought Lissy, bless her! cared for
you as much as that comes to, or you cared
for her, l wouldn't have said a word; and
| don't 60 back from my word, not ], even
if a man does come to Queer street without
any fault of his own. And you're first
chop fellow-a right down good fellow, l
always say, and one to make my dear girl
as happy as she deserves to be. The state
of mind I've been in since she went away,
as if I'd meant to be took SO short up at a
word! Well, we'll, let bygones be bygones
There's the hand of Peter Grode!-and
we'll get you well before the wind again,
never fear. And now where's Lissye l
must pretend to give her bit of scold-
ing you know"
Arthur's delicacy approached fastidious-
ness, and the vulgarity of Filicia's father
always Jared upon him very considerably.
1t was standing wonder to him how it
was that such man should have been the
father of Pearl. But, after the first mo-
ment of new surprise, he took the sudden
geniality for what he supposed it to mean,
and remembered that the nature of the
husk is no indication of that of the kernel.
And, after all, no one can be very outrag-
eously astonished at another mans doing
what, under similar circumstances, he him
self would have done.
''Then you give your consent ?" he ask
ed eagerly. You take back Felicia 90
Neither the one nor the other. l don't
take her back, because mean you to keep
her; and don't give my consent, because
that's rather too late in the day, take
it."
elbow shall l thank You for such gener-
osity? l wronged you terribly, l must
contest fancied that my misfortune"
"Well, well, say no more. Where's
LiSsy? Is she here ~
"Here?'
What-aren't you man and wife -
1T is not my fault that we are not, l
must own. have pressed her to share my
fortune over and over again. But she has
always given me one answer-that her
promise to you must keep her single till
she is of age"
"Then there goes my promise out of the
window. I'm glad that she had so much
obedience left, however. Not that she
seems to have lost much by it," he thought
TO himself, as he looked round at the paint
ing-room. "Where is she then? Not far
off, I'll 60 bail?''
The young painter, however, did not feel
by any means SO genialy toward Mr..
erode on account of the past as he did on
account of the future. He could not pre-
vent his voice being little grave and stern
as he replied, "She has to work for her
living, like myself. She is helping the
mother of her servant by mending clothes
at laundry in Bean street, Soho"
"And she preferred this to marrying
youo" Even Mr.. erode felt just little
ashamed.
"She would have preferred starvation to
breaking her promise"
Her father took out his pocket-hanker-
chief, and even made pretsuss of using it.
At any rate, if he did not wipe his eyes, he
blew his nose.
"This has all been sad misunderstand-
ing" he said; every sad-very sad, in
deed. We must put all this to rights, Off
hand. You know where to find her, l sup
pose?"
Perfectly"
"Then come"
The two put on their hats and went forth
arm-in-arm, as Mr.. erode insisted upon
doing Arthur was raised once more to all
the delight of newborn life and perfect
happiness. So Pearl was to be his wife,
not in three long years, but now! This
one thought kept ringing through his heart
like an unaccompanied, unbroken melody,
to the exclusion of all others. Mr. Grode's
feelings were not quite so musical, but even
then he looked forward with what he per-
scaled himself was generous and disinter
ested satisfaction, to the reconciliation that
was about to ensue.
1t was still quite early in the day, for
Mr.. erode was accustomed to 60 about his
business betimes. Now it used once upon
a time to be considered that it is the early
bird that picks up the worm. Of all worms
in the world with whom he wished to meet,
Nathan Levi stood first in the catalogue.
And-could he believe his own eyes,
there he was, or else his twin brother, pass
ing door in Bean street, close to the door
of which sat Pearl, as | choose to call her
now, who greeted him with nod, that
seemed to say; "Good morning, Nathan
Leyin'
And yet could that ragged, foul-looking,
miserable old clothesman, prowling about
the back-slums of Soho, be the possessor of
the great Kandahar Emerald, upon which
millions might be raised at any given mo-
ment? Had he borne the least resem-
blance to more ordinary human beings,
Mr.. erode wonld most certainly not have
believed his own eyes. But that there
should be two such monsters in the world
would be greater miracle than that Mr..
| erode should be deceived. SO he weighed
probabilities, and came to the only cenclu-
sion open to him-namely, that he saw
Levi in the very flesh before him.
At any cost he must be tracked and fol-
lowed at once, even if the meeting with his
long lost daughter had to be postponed for
month to come. Such chances do not