Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-02-17

| II matter to hlm that her young lie was
wrecked, her future rendered hopeless, the
one love of her girlhood crushed and blghted
by his miserable being2 That was simple
necessity. He had brought her up to the
! idea to hold him over and above all earthly
consideration. Was he not her father2 The
| man who had won her whole heart was noble
and worthy yet she would not marry him.
The home she might have made a smiling
paradise would never be formed. Well, the
sacrifice was required Somebody must reap
the benefit of her existence and was he not
her father2
"Thats a wretched, ugly thing, that top
coat, l." he grumbled from his easy y.chair.
"But it fits you, papa. 1t is nearly new,
and, above all, 1t is thoroughly warm and
well made. Those are the principal points,
with your liability to rheumatism and gout."
"Thars right-Aing my misfortunes in my
face Remind me of my ill-health-of my
pain and suffering. It's like you'll Don't let
me forget them, not on any account"
20 papa!"
"There, don't begin to cry and whimper.
suppose you mean well, and are a good girl,
after all. Got any money, Madge2 2"
mot much, she faltered, trembling.
81 haven't had a drain worth speaking
about for more than week. You have kept
me on short allowance long enough, think,
Madge"
"But see how i'll you have been, papa.
You know the doctor said you were to drink
scarcely nything."
"Confound the doctor What does he
know about it q Besides, I'm well again now
| well as ever. / really must run out and get
three pen'orth Lend us sixpence, Madge."
He always said lend" BY no chance did be
ever employ the word give" in pecuniary
negotiations.
After many promises and much whining
and persuasion, be wormed the coveted six
pence from his daughters slender purse.
She knew he had no other money, and that it
would be impossible for him to hurt himself
on that amount
"Tll try this overcoat for the first time, ;" he
said, as he put ii on. "Yes; you are right
it is very comfortable, and will last me for
ages I'm not hard to please in matters of
dress"
"Do come back to tea, papa" were her
parting words at the door, The weather is
very rough, and you are not yet strong enough
to stay out late. DO come back to tea"
"Of course, Of course How far do you
think l can travel with a sixpence-R paltry
sixpence?' he inquired, sarcastically.
Between two and three O'Clock in the morn
ing he staggered home drenehed with rain,
and, alas intoxicated.
Madge was accustomed to the spectacle. In
| silence and without reproach she led him to
his room. Suddenly she missed his coat. 1t
was the old story. He had pawned it. She
asked him for the ticket and found that it
also sold for a mere song. The coat she
had worked so hard to pay for
The poor grief-stricken girl, in the retire
ment Of her own room, threw herself by her
| bedside and wept in anguish to that other
Father who has promised how, one day, He
will surely wipe away all tears from the eyes
of those that mourn.
VI
The individual who bought the duplicate"
from the drunken old man, probably lost
| or forgot it altogether, as the coat remain
! ed undsturbed in the storeroom Of Messrs.
Bate and Grindwell, pawnbrokers, for over
the statutory twelve months. 1t then be-
came an ''unredeemed pledge" and as such
was labelled, hung up, and dangled before the
| public as a remarkable proof of the manner
in which the disinterested vendors were pre-
pared to forego all personal profit for the gen.
eral veal. The coat was fingered and thumbed,
| twi.ched, and tried on, and turned over by
some dozens of persons before one Shortmiles
| a cabman took a fancy to it and eventually
became its owner. And now it began to see
service. He wore it hard, did Shortmiles
What with snow and rain, and frost and sun
shine, its original color grew many shades
deeper, Beer stained it, tobacco-smoke i'm
pregnated it, cold pork creased it. 1t saw
| great deal of outdoor life in London, and ac-
| quired an impudent reckless appearance. Its
| big bone buttons seemed to stare in awful as
| tonshment at those mean persons who pre-
! sumed to offer its master less than double his
legal fare. When Shortmiles tossed coin in
| the palm of his hand, and inquired of a vic
tim "What dyer call this? What's this
| for z" the big bone buttons seemed ready to
| burst from their places with surprise, indigna-
| ton, and reproach The victim could imag-
inc them saying: "Ay, what do yer call it =?
What is it for? That's what we want to
know. Yah-shabby!"
1t happened one day that Shortmiles, feel
| ing himself insulted by the remarks of a rival
cabman anent the symmetry and attractive
ness of his features individually and collect
lively, including a definite opinion respecting
| the lowest market value of his face if put up
to auction by a cheap Jack in the neighbor-
| hood of the New Cut, leaped from his vehicle
and challenged his tormentor to personal
combat. The gauntlet was at once picked up,
aud the battle began.
How furiously itraged--how women scream
ed, "Shame why don't you part p and
men replied, Get out! why don't you leave
'em alone ?"-how a stately policeman, with
| slow and measured step, approached the scene,
| forced his way through the crowd, and said
| Now then, stop this ere show your
| badges, both on yer'-how the two combat
ants were summoned before the magistrate
|
| hands and swore eternal friendship-are not
all these things matters of trifing concern, in
comparison with the following fact? When
| Shortmiles was preparing for the duel he
| took off his coat folded it carefully, and plsc-
| ed it under the box-seat of his cab. OF this
| he was certain. After the struggle, when he
returned to his post, the coat was gone. OF
this he was also positive; and he never set
his eyes on it again.
certain loathsome lodging house. situated
| in a back slum, whittier we must now repair
was nothing else butanest of thieves-wretch-
ed, ill-clad, hungry thieves outcasts from
| the more sturdy and bolder ranks of crime
despsed by the clever burglar who took his
| fifty or hundred pounds worth of 'swag" at
haul; ignored and disowned by the dashing
| swell mobsmRn or the accomplished pick
| pocket. These poor creatures were only STALL
| lifters and area-sneaks-men, women, and
children who were willing to risk the terrible
| punishments of the law for sixpence num-
| Der of them were assembled in an under
ground back kitchen, discussing the good and
| bad luck of the day. They separated them
selves into little groups of twos and threes,
and established temporary partnership on
the basis of uniting their pilferings and "go-
| ing whacks" in the profit.
Presently the door opened, and a man with
a detestably cunning expression of face, and
having a stumpy horsewhip in his hand, en-
tered the room.
"Well my lads and lassies, how are you
all getting along?" he said. 81 was just
driving round this way, so thought I'd give
you look in. Got anything in my line to-
| day ?" He walked round and rapidly inspect
ed the various little piles of articles presided
over by the respective firms"
you're a-pioking," grumbled one lean and
tsttered chevalier dindustrie land it amt
fair"
81 allus pick, and pays extry for it-yer
know 1 do" replied the dealer. 81 ony