The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-30

cohluror Is, tommy! crled the pars0n
catching up mite of four or five from
the floor. "No, not you, nor you, Sarah
nor you, Jackey"-and he ran through
all their names.
They had now ceased their gambol
and were staring hard at their visitors
the moment was propitious; Jack New
biggin began. He had fortunately filleo
his pockets with nuts, oranges and cake
before leaving the parsonage, so he haC
half his apparatus ready to band.
The pretty boy had very soon left the
father at the fire, and had come over tC
join in the fun, going back, however, tt
exhibit his share of the spoil and describe
voluminOusly what had occurred. This
and the repeated shouts of laughter
seemed to produce some impression OF
him. Presently he looked over his shoul
der and said, but without animation:
'1t be very good of you, sir, surely
very good for to take 50 kindly to the
little chicks. 1t does them good to laugh
a bit, and it amt much as they We had te
make 'em laugh lately"
''Its good for all us, now and again, ]
take it, said Jack, desisting, and going
toward him-the children gradually col
lecting in far off corner and comparing
notes.
"You can't laugh, sir, if your hearts
heavy; if you do, 1t can only be sham. y
While he was speaking he had taken
the Bible from the shelf, and resumine
his seat, began to turn the leaves slowly
over
"Pm an untaught, rough countryman
sir, but | have heard tell that these
things you do are only tricks, amt ii
so?"
Here was, indeed, a hopeful symptom
lie was reused, then, to take some inte-
rest in what had occurred.
"All tricks, of course; it all comes Of
ong practice" said Jack as he proceeded
to explain some Of the processes, hoping
to enchain the mans attention.
"That's what | thought, sir, or I'd
have given you a job to do. I've been in
want of real conj for many long
day, and nothing else'Il do. See here,
sir" he sud, as he took a small, carefully
folded paper from between the leaves of
the Bible; edo you see this?'
1t was half Bank OF England note
for 9100.
"Now, sir, could any conjurer help me
TO the other half"
"How did you come byit?' Jack asked
at once.
"Pll tell you, sir, short as can make
it. Conjurer or no conjurer, you've got
a kindly heart, and Pm main sure you
will help me if you can"
Dan then described how he had picked
up the basket from the 1915 Liverpool
'There was the linen; I've kept it. Sec
here; all marked quite pretty and proper,
with lace round the edges, as tho Ugh til
mother loved to make the little one
smart"
Jackexamined the linen, it bore mon
ogram and crest. The first he made out
to mean III. L. NJ, and the crest was plain
y two hammers crossed and the motto,
Il strike"-not common crest-and he
never remembered to have seen it before.
"And this was all"
"Cept the bank-note. This was poor
lid purse, with pawn-ticket and thin
,le. kept them ALL"
Like a true detective Jack opened
hem all minutely. The purse bore the
lame of Hester Gorrigan in rude letters
inside, and the pawn-ticket Was made out
n the same manner.
II can not give you much hope that I
hall succeed, but l will do my best. Will
you trust me with the note for timer"
Surely, sir, with the greatest of pleas
Ire. If you could but find the other
lalf it would give Harry-that's what
We call him-such a grand start in life;
chooling and the price Of binding him
o some honest trade.
Jack shook the mans hand, promised
o do his best, and left the cottage.
When Jack Newbiggin got ba k to the
,arsonage he found that his host had &C
epted an invitation for them both to
line at the big House" Jack was
landed over forthwith to his old friends,
vho, figuratively, rushed into his arms.
hey were London acquaintance, no
nore, of the sort we meet here and there
nd everywhere during the season, who
are for us, and we for them, as much as
or South Sea Islanders, but whom we
rect with rapturous effusion when we
1eet them in strange place. Jack
new the lady whom he escorted into
inner as ghostly dame, who, when his
ack was turned, made as much sport of
i'm as of her other friends.
81 have been fighting your battles all
ay," began Mrs. Sitwell.
"Was 1t necessary? I should have
hought myself too Insignificant"
'They were talking at lunch of your
'onderful knack in conjuring and some
ne said that the skill might prove in
when you played cards for
ga charitable imputationl With whom
id it originator
"Sir Lewis Mallaby."
"Please point him out to me-"
He was shown a grave scowling face
pom the right of the hostess, face like
mask, its surface rough and wrinkled,
trough which the eyes shOne out with
aleful light, like corpse candles in a Sc