, 1877-06-29
Twenty Pounds Sterling.

IhCuly
There never was such q man to bet as
Staining. He was always so sure he
was right. Our mutual friend Maxwell
ought to have sailed for Brazil, but l felt
confident 1 had seen him in the street.
Staining said it was nonsense, and he'd
bet me twenty pounds to a shilling l was
wrong. He had hardly finished speak
ing when Maxwell, who had not sailed,
came up. Staining pulled out from his
pocket-book twenty pound note and
handed it to me.
"There you are, old fellow. "A fool
and his money etc. Another illustra-
ton of that wise adage."
"Not exactly; for you don't suppose l
shall take your money!"
@Yes, l do; and l shall be extremely
unmoYed if you make any difficulty"
protested; but presently he said in
irritation, "Then be my almoner, and give
the money in charity" And he pressed
the note back upon me, and left abruptly.
There are objections to standing in the
public highway with bank note in your
hand and puzzled expression in your
face, so the note was transferred to my
pocket, and went my way pondering,
when was met full tilt by clergyman
whom very we'll knew.
nHulloaln he cried. "Mr. Smith, both
you and seem to have our minds so
much occupied to-day that we cannot
take care of our bodies.n
apOlogized. No grave matter of
mine,' said; Abut you look sad. Moth
ing wrong with you or yoursi"
'sNo, thanks; but have just left de-
pressing scene.
"a young couple, married in hot haste,
have gradually come to grief. The wife
and child are i'll. Relatives and friends
have receded into the remote background.
And worse than all, the husband"-
aHas become intemperate or has gone
mad.
'sNither one nor the other.h
aSomething worsel"
"Yes; for to be dishonest is worse than
going mad. And it is such mere trife
that is needed, apparently, to put all
straight, that gToan at my inability at
the moment to find it."
sWhat is wantedln
pWell, it's only twenty pounds
HThere's the money which you require.
Haste away, and do all the good you can
with it.n
Ny friend looked astonished. he even
hesitated,
sit is very, very good of you" he said;
abut really"-
-'I have the power to give it away.
0ood-by." And / hurried of. Then l
hastened back to him.
"Kindly, on no account mention my
name"
aNo, as you wish it; but you should
know that Of the objects of your bounty
And he told me. Then we parted.
had only gone dozen yards when there
passed me a young man, with flushed
face, and a frightened, anxious look in
bis eyes. BE caught up to my friend and
spoke to him.
THAT is the man." I said to myself.
''Whose proceedings have been dubious,
and who viii, l trust, be rescued BY
Staining's twenty pounds. Well, if the
wheel should turn, and this poor man
should ever be in position to deliver
fellow-creature from such trouble as he
himself Is now in, by the surrender of
twenty pounds, l wonder whether he'll
do III Smith, you surely know human
nature well enough to answer your own
question. Not he-not bit off.
This little incident, with plenty of other
things besides, was soon swept from my
memory By a sudden call to go abroad,
even TO the place where Maxwell did not
go-Brazil. Nothing hAmpered me then /;
/ was ayoung bachelor, and could start
for the antipOdes at two days notice.
When take my wife and children-I
forget the exact number-for our autum-
nal tEip, in these latter days of my life, l
require weeks' preparation. Alas the
changel
Away then to Brazil; away to a new
life, new scenes, new companions, new
hopes and fears; away to fortune-and
the yellow feyerl Here occurs in nv tale
. grand interval Of twenty years INV
story deals in twentiesD / doubt whether
l should have come back had not young