The Democratic advocate., 1883-09-01

from me! IF [ had him by the throat
now-so, like that, that-I'd tear him limb
from limbr'
For some time Reeves said nothing
He felt he was in the presence of a trouble
which no words of his could assuage. But
by and by, when the poor fellows passion
had spent itself, he ventured: "Look' e
here, friend. You'll find your wife one
day, either on earth OF in heaven. God
pardons such weak, misguided creatures as
she; and if you should never meet her here,
you will there, depend on it. You dom t
know how she has suffered; you don't know
how she has repented; you don't know how
her fault may have been blotted out and
her sins forgiven. Mate, shant say any
thing more about it, because can't help
you in that matter. But | can do so in
another. When I get home [ shall find a
bright, cheerful fire, plenty to eat and
drink, and warm change of clothes. You
won't have such luck as that. The togs
you've got on now wouldn't be of use to
you in summer, let alone such night as
this. I'm going to leave you my overcoat,
that's what I'm going to do. 1t amt ele-
CANT; but it will stand laundering lot of
wear yet; and it's warm and waterproof.
Here, catch hold of it, continued Reeves,
divesting himself of the garment and throw
ing it over the mans shoulders. "Don't
mind me. l can buy another tomorrow,
thank God You'll find three or four bob
in the left side-pocket; get yourself glass
of something hot, jolly good supper, and
clean shake down. No thanks, old chap;
I'm not used to 'em. Goodbye, and good
luck to you I'm off. " Suiting the ac-
ton to the word, Reeves darted out of the
doorway, and quickly disappeared from
view down an adjoining street.
A quarter of an hour later the recipient
of the generous mechanics bounty was re-
cruiting his exhausted frame with half a
pork pie and pint of hot ale, strongly
favored with ginger While he was dis
posing of this, to him delicious fare, his
eyes rested upon a ten-days-old newspaper
that CHANGED to lie on the bar of the pub
lie house in which he stood. All at once
gray, ashy hue overspread his face; the
knife slipped from his trembling grasp;
with shaking fingers he seized the paper
and gazed at one short paragraph with such
an expression of horror and despair that
the barman on the other side was startled,
and said "What's the matter? Are yer
in?"
"Read that for me-" replied the man,
wildly. [ can't see-I feel as if were
blind. Read that
The barman took the journal and read
at the place indicated: "F0und Drowned
The body of a woman, aged about 30
and evidently belonging to the poorer
classes, was yesterday taken out of the
Thames, near Woolwich. She had on an
old cloth jacket, much worn, black alpaca
dress, jean petticoat, colored stockings, and
buttoned boots, rather dilapidated. Is
marked with a small scar over the right
eyebrow. In the pocket were found a
leather purse containing four-pence in cop
pers and bit of card that had evidently
been written upon, although the words
Joe and forgive were alone legible. The
body had suffered from long immersion.
1t was taken to the mortuary.'
"Thank you," said the man, mechanic
ally, passing his hand over his clammy
brow.
at don't mean trouble to you, hope?"
asked the barman, feelingly.
''I'm Joe" replied the other, as he stag
gered to the door and left the house.
He walked on and on, quite needless of
the mingled rain and snow that blew in
gusty torrents from every point of the COM
pass Other pedestrians might grumble
bitterly, or swear savagely, at finding them
This man could scarcely have told whether
it was midsummer or mid-winter. He
didn't care. All weathers were the same
to him. 1t was late when he found him
self on Westminster Bridge, and it was
quite deserted. Deliberately he climbed
one of the centre buttresses and stood out
side the parapet, gazing into the dark abyss
beneath. Then he took off the coat which
Reeves had given him few hours before,
folded it up tightly, and flung it back on
to the bridge. 81 won't waste that" he
muttered. "Some other poor un may pick
it up and be glad of it. That kind-hearted
chap said as how | should one day meet
Mary on earth or in heaven. [ know
where to find her now; but it isn't here"
He crouched down, and then suddenly
sprang forward The gloom swallowed
him up. The waters closed forever over
him.
The coat experienced few rapid and
uneventful changes of ownership after this
in the way of being bartered and sold sin
the trade" Within week it become the
property of gentleman who never saw it
or knew of its existence. The gentleman
had a large house at Noting Hill, employed
men-servants and maid-servants, owned
horses and carriages, used massive silver
plate at his six o'clock dinner, and was
treated with marked respect by his bankers
in Lombard street. He also had an ex-
tensive warehouse in the city, where he
carried on highly remunerative business
as an exporter of secondhand wearing
apparel" He was big merchant. His
books showed many thousand pounds
year net profit. But his grandfather had
SlIOCGS VI LOLuOH Will CLICC
or four hats on the top of his head, and
sack slung over his shoulder, as he sang
out "Ole clio % at regular intervals, like
the minute gun at sea. There were people
who could recollect strange that there
always should be people whose memories
are so terribly distinct upon any subject we
most particularly wish to relegate to OBJ
livion The gentleman of Noting Hill dis
liked any reference to the founder of the
firm" He felt strangely ashamed of his
ancestor, dead and gone. There is mighty
difference, thought he, between walking
about to pick up few shabby garments
here and there, and buying them wholesale
by hundreds and thousands, to be packed
in heavy bales, marked and numbered as
per margin" and shipped to the uttermost
ends of the earth!