St. Landry democrat., 1880-06-05

day. He had got out OF my debt and
| had no misgiving that he considered il
convenient to forget he ever was in it.
IT'S the way of the world, according tc
many proverb. There is no such thing
as gratitude. If you want to make an
enemy of a man, put him under an OBJ
legation.
| had full leisure to ponder over these
exhilarating truths, for experience taught
me they We're of very general applica-
ton. First the Turks, who had got ever
SO much of my money, went unblushing-
ly into bankruptcy. Then a philan-
thropic establishment, in which [ had
allowed myself to be mixed up, came to
signal grief, and was the only respon-
sible person among the directors. The
others had been all ruined in a bank fail
ure. | liked my reputation better than
my money and did what the sharehold-
ers' attorneys assured me was right.
An evening paper, which had first called
me to account, printed leader contrast
ing my conduct advantageouslv with
that of a man who had carried off some
money belonging to other people and
settled in America. But [ was ruined.
The little | had left dwindled to nothing
in the beginning of the land panic Even
my fathers house was sold by auction,
and one foggy morning in February |
walked out OF some temporary lodgings
| had taken in Bury street, intending to
take my name off my clubs. I could no
longer pay the subscriptions and was
wondering gloomily how | should man
age to live. | had received the usual
education of an English gentleman and
could do absolutely nothing Those
'Notes on La Rochefoucauld" had only
brought me in debt to my publisher and
besides | had neither taste nor talents for
literature. Few people have.
| had just turned into ST. James
| Square in this disconsolate mood when |
noticed a fat, awkward man with splay
feet rolling down the street as though it
belonged to him and | was at once re-
minded of that abominable bore, Jones.
Before | could avoid him, however, he
stopped abruptly to tie his shoe, and we
unavoidably carromed against each
other.
"Ugh!'' exclaimed my old debtor, try
ing to recover the breath which | had
well nigh knocked out of him, and then
he seized me by both hands shaking them
heartily.
"Who would have thought of seeing
yOu,' he then remarked, as though my
being in London was the most marvel
Gus thing he had ever known in the
course of his life
II heard" he resumed confdentially, |
still holding me by both hands, :. that
you had fallen among thieves. Is there
anything | can do for you? Say the word, |
Mr.. Crabbe; only say the word and it is
DONE
1t was with afeeling of absolute conf
dence in my views of life, and with
depth of scorn l could not have put into
language, that | answered grimly, 80,
yes, lend me a thousand pounds
| had hardly flung the hooking words
at him, when the man face was Lit I'D
with smile so sunny and genial that its
homely features grew miraculously beau
tiful
g Come along" then said Mr.. Jones,
without further parley. Ransom's is
hard by and my agents paid in thirty
thousand pounds YESTERDAY for gold dust
only. There will be the proceeds of my
meat sales next week You shall have
it all. There is plenty more where that
comes from. My squattings have been
looking up these three years; mines,
woods, grass, corn, wharves, are all pay
ing now. Thank God! Tn so glad to
have met you. don't know what to do
with myself. l would have called on you
before, but / was told you had gone
abroad and | was afraid to make so
bold as to write; though l should have
done it if / had known could have been
Of use, sir.
| declare that although Mr.. Jones is
large man, and the houses of St. James
Square are larger, such mist came be.
lore my eyes that | could not see either
lim or them. His manner was so bois-
,erously cordial, yet SO respectful and
1elicate, it was so unlike anything had
ever read or heard of that it upset my !
When I hastily answered
lis obstreperous generosity, by saying
only spoke in jest, and had no need of I
lelp, his countenance grew quite blank
lgain and all the glorious light that /
lad burst over and Illuminated it faded {
way. He was SO panied and hrmili- :
tied that [ was obliged, in pity for his /
manifest concern, to accept a thousand
pounds, which | returned to him next !
lay, with civil note and the usual com {
ailments. could not think of touching G
he fellows money. did not even i
lream that he was in earnest and could c
lot have slept in peace as anybody's
ebtor Besides, a few days subsequently,
was offered the Craftsmanship of rail
way which ran through the estate that
nee was mine. 1t gave me fifteen hun !,
red year, and an inexpensive man can !,
egitate on that. Inever saw any more !;
t Mr.. Jones. When l thought Of him,
7hich was but seldom, | remembered i
i'm merely as vulgar man, who was y
ude and clumsy, but not unassuming, 6
hough | still was at loss to under y
tand what my sister could have found
l such creature to have recommended
i'm to me. At last she herself gave me =.
n explanation by cablegram. 1t was y
cry short, but certainly to the purpose, |.
nd it ran thus: :
''Mr. Jones has left his immense prop - :,
rty to be equally divided between YOU T. :,
nd me. 1t includes your old estate, ~ .,
'hich ne bought. He says in his will E
nat he made all he had by thousand >,
ounds you gave him when he was r
eggar. He had neither kith nor kim :.