The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-18

anu Iuc AtCA0 WIlSO, uO udu Tue TdF0I
gifts of the sauve manner and the face
of brass. He had even studied mes
merism and .clairvoyance, and could
upon occasion. surprise his audience
considerably by his power.
They entered the miserable dwelling
together. The children--eight of them
were skirmishing all over the floor.
They were unmanageable and beyond
the control of the eldest sister, who was
busted in setting out the table for the
midday meal; one other child, of six
or seven, q bright-eyed, exceedingly
beautiful boy, the least-were not ma
lures vagaries well known-ikely to
be born among and belong to such sur.
roundings, stood between the legs OF
the man himself, who had his back to
the visitors and was crouching low
over the scanty fire.
The man turned his head for mo-
ment, gave d blank stare, then an inn
perceptible nod, and once more he
glowered down upon the fire.
"Here, little ones, do you see this
eentlemanP he's q conjurer. Know
what a coniurer is, Tommy" cried the
parson, catching up mite of four or
i've from tho floor. IS No, not you; nor
you, Sarah, nor you, Jackey and he
ran through all their names.
They had now ceased their gambols
and were staring hard at their visitors
the moment was propitious; Jack
Newbiggin began. He had fortunately
filled his pockets with nuts, oranges and
cakes before leaving the parsonage,
so he had half his apparatus ready to
hand. p
The pretty boy had very soon left the
father at the fire, and had come over to
join in the fun, going back, however,
to exhibit his share of the spoil and de-
scribe voluminously what had occurred.
This, and the repeated shouts of laugh
ter, seemed to produce some impress
sion on him. Presently he looked over
his shoulder and said-but without ami
nation hE &hs 20
''It be very good of you, sir, surely;
very good for you to take SO kindly to
the little chicks. It does them good to
augh bit, and it amt much as they've
had to make 'em, lately"
Its good for all of us, now and
again, take it," said Jack, desisting,
and going toward him-the children
gradually collecting in far-off corner
and comparing notes.
"You can't laugh, sir, if your hearts
heavy; if you do, it can be only a
sham"
While he was speaking he had taken
the Bible from the shelf, and resuming
his seat, began to turn the leaves slow
ly over.
"rm an .untaught, rough country
man, sir, but have heard tell that
these strange things you do are only
tricks; amt it so?''
Here was, indeed, Q hopeful symp-
tom! He was reused, then, to take
some interest in what had occurred.
"All trick, of course; it all comes of
long practice" said Jack, as he pro.
ceeded to explain some of the simple
processes, hoping to enchain the mans
attention.
"That's what l thought, sir, or I'd
have given you job to do. I've been
in want of a real conjurer many long
day, and nothing less Il dc. See here,
SIR" he said, as he took small, care
fully-folded paper from between the
leaves of the Bible; "do you see this?"
1t was half Bank of England note
for one hundred pounds.
Snow, sir, could any conjurer help
me to the other half?''
''How did you come by it?" Jack
asked at once.
t'Tn tell you, sir, short as l can
make it. Conjurer or no conjurer,
you've got kindly heart, and I'm
main sure that you'll help me if you
can"
Dan then described how he had
picked up the basket from the quarter
to-eleven Liverpool express.
"There was the linen; I've kept it.
See here; all marked quite pretty and
proper, with lace round the edges, as
though its mother loved to make the
little one smart"
Jack examined the linen; it bore q
monogram and crest. The first he
made out to mean H. L. M, and the
crest was plainly two hammers crossed
and the motto, II strike'-not a COM
mon crest-and he never remembered
to have seen it before.
"And this was all?'
"'Cept the bank-note. That was in
poor old purse with pawp-ticket
and thimble. kept them ALL
Like true detective, Jack examined
every article infinitely. The purse
bore the name Hester Gorrigan in rude
letters inside, and the pawn ticket
made out in the same name.
81 cannot give you much hope that
l shall succeed, but ! will do my best.
Will you trust me with the note for a
timep''
''Surely, sir, with the greatest of
pleasure. If you could but find the
other half it would give Harry-that's
what we call him-such a grand start
IN life; schooling and the price of bind
ing him to some honest trade.'
Jack shook the mans hand, prom
Used to do his best and left the cottage.
When Jack Newbiggin got back to
the parsonage he found that his host
had accepted an invitation for them
both to dine at ''Big House," as it was
called, the country seat of the Squire
of the Parish.
They were cordially received at the
ssBig House." Jack was handed over
forthwith to his old friends, who, fgu-
L
were London acquaintance no more;
OF the sort we meet here and there and
everywhere during the season, who
care for US, and we for them, as much
40 for South Sea Islanders, but whom
we greet with rapturous effusion when
we meet them in q strange place. Jack
knew the lady whom he escorted into
dinner as a gossipy dame, who. when
his back was turned, made as much
sport of him as of her other friends.
81 have been fighting your battles all
day." began Mrs. Sitwell
'Was it necessary 1 should have
thought myself too Insignificant"
They were talking at lunch of your
wonderful knack in conjuring, and
some one said that the skill might prove
Observation-Disclosures you played cards,
for instance"
"a charitable imputation! With
whom did it originateP''
"Sir Lewis Mallaby." =
Please point him out to me.''