Nebraska advertiser., 1876-08-24
CHAPTER X.
AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER IN OUR HE
ROE'S LIFE.

youth who descended into Mrs. Grip
ley's kitchen that morning was diff
ferent person to the weary, dulleyed,
travel stained boy that had taken bis
tea there on the preceding night.
Mrs. Gripley was quite struck with
the change, and remarked upon it.
Seated at the table at breakfast was
q middle-aged, shabbily dressed man,
with long grey beard and foreign
cast of face, whom Mr.. Pontifex sa-
luted as Herr Kaufman, and intro
duced to Charley as their fellow-lodg.
er.
The person thus named bowed po.
litely, and acknowledged the intro.
duction.
Charley remarked that he was sad
grave looking man, with a remarka'
bly, fine forehead and fine blue eyes.
He was very quiet and taciturn, the
very opposite of Mr.. Pontifex in ev-
cry respect. Before the newcomers
commenced their breakfast, he rose
from the table, and wishing every one
good morning, left the room and the
house.
IA very clever fellow, Kaufman u
said Mr.. Pontifex, as he mixed bic
cocoa. "a fellow-scribbler, but upon
the foreign newspapers; morbid and
mysterious I; always looking upon the
black side of life."
Too full of his new idea to listen to
these remarks upon Mr.. Kaufman e
peculiarities, Charley was only anx.
ious to dispatch his breakfast and rush
to consult the, to him, Sybilline leaves
of the Court Guide. But Mr.. Ponti-
fex was a gormand, and although his
meal consisted simply of rasher oi
bacon and an egg, he gave himself UP
to its enjoyment with as much gusto
as though he had had before him a
pate de JOie gras.
What occupation did Mr.. Pontifex
follow? the reader may possibly In
quire. AS the gentleman will occupy
an important position in these pages,
we will impart what little we know
upon the subject.
How Mr.. Pontifex really did live
was one of the mysteries of London.
OF his antecedents, we shall not speak
in this place; they will claim our at
tention fully hereafter.
He sometimes translated plays from
the French for the minor theatres.
and was an occasional penny-a-liner.
These were his only ostensIble sourc-
es of income, end as they did not on
an average produce more than ten
shillings a week, there was evidently
a large margin left to be filled up
with something or by somebody. He
borrowed of everybody who had any
thing to lend, and would lend 1t; he
novnr paid for anything be could
get upon credit, and his time of pay
meut was sine die.
Every morning he went as regular
ly to business as the most methodical
of city men. No one clearly under
stood what his business was; perhaps
he was little foggy himself upon the
subject. What writing he did was
done In stray holes and corners-in
the parlor or billisrd-room of public
house. He dined where he could and
when he could; he preferred dining
with a friend. If neither the friend
nor the dinner turned up, he content
ed himself with a crust of bread and
cheese and half pint of porter; and
so he got through the day. The even
ings were spent between the minor
theatres and public houses frequented
by shady actors and authors; and
whatever else he lacked he usually
contrived to get plentiful supply of
beer and rum. OF course Mr.. Ponti-
fex would not be so Inconsistent in his
rules of life as to pay his landiady,
and Charley frequently heard Mrs.
Gripley expostulating with him upon
the subject; but his imperturable
urbanity and good temper got the best
of her.
sis 1t not terrible to have ones hon.
or doubted?" he used to say, pathetic
ally, to his friends. "Want of conf
dence is the pervading sin of vulgar
people If they cannot see their mon
ey, feel It, grasp 1t, they are wretched.
And they are so unreasonable! I say
to her, My dear madam. have not
got it, Now, if the poor woman had
any reason, such confession would
satisfy her. But it does not. She
will ask again for money in the
next breath. What can one do with
such illogical people ?"
But TO continue the thread of the
The breakfast was at last
aud Mr.. Pontifex, having
brushed his almost napless hat with |
bis coat sleeve. and cooked it jauntily |
On one side of his head, declared him
self to be ready, and the two gentle
men left the house together.
But the proposed expedition in
search of Court Guide" was des-
ined never to be made.
Immediately after they left the
house Charley noticed a shabbily
lressed woman on the opposite side
# the street, who. keeping little
distance in the rear pursued the same
DAD as themselves circumstance
which did not attract the attention of
lis companion.
They had not proceeded more than
wo or three hundred yards, when she
rossed the road and advancing to
'ontifeX, who was nearest to the
.erb, touched him upon the shoulder. !
lie turned sharply round, and as his ;
yes fell upon her face the smile died I
way upon his lips, and was succeed i