The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-21
Household Words.l
TRICKY THIEVES.

ularly resident at the Abbey Hall, and thu
two rival local packs contribute to make
them brisk, and Mr.. Glister seldom had much
else to do in the long Off-SeasOn but pursue
such limited observations of the worlds life
in general as the Close offered him material
for.
Glister.& Co., goldsmiths and jewellers
had London house in Bond street. The
London manager spoke sometimes to his
clients of "our Ravensth0rpe branch, which
was inaccurate. The London house was on
ly thirty years old, and had been estab-
lished by the present proprietor Go. had
long since faded out Of reality, but the old
name of the firm was retained, who was the
third of the dynasty in Ravensth0rpe
He had personally managed the London
house until satisfied of its growing solidity,
and had then returned to his native town
and established himself and his family in
the venerable building of which his business
premises occupied the lowest story
He was one of the fine old race of country
tradesmen now fast becoming eXtinct-proud
of his business and of the long and unfair
nlshed history of the firm. His manner was
marked by a certain stolid, genial politeness
to all men, untainted by any effort to ape the
grand air of his clients, who respected him
as their forbears had respected his
He passed nearly all his time in Ravens
thorpe, going to London on the occasion of
stock-taking, and to draw the handsome
profits which went to swell his balance at
Une county DalK, Oh WHICH lie was u partner.
Mr. Gllster was warm man. He looked
it, with his clear, rich, rosy complexion,
heightened by his crisp iron-gray hair and
strips of.silvery whisker, his portly waist
coat crossed by the modestly solid watch
chain, and the handsome diamond ring which
was his solitary vanity in the article of dress.
''Here he is again" said Mr.. Glister.
A portly, elderly gentleman in the dress of
a rural dean turned the corner of the Close
and came briskly. along the pavement From
his countenance beamed forth benevolence
and good will to all men, land from his gleaml-
ing shoes and his neatly stockinged calves
to his jolly port-wine face and clerical hat,
his whole person seemed one solid smile
AS he passed Mr. Glister he gave him casu-
al glance of such cordiality that the jeweller
felt emboldened to salute him with bow, a
courtesy returned by the reverend gentleman
by a brisk Good morning" and a yet
broader smile as he went by.
Fate so ordained it that Mr. Glister. dur
ing the next day or two, saw good deal of
the reverend gentleman. That same after
was rent by the despairing walls of very
small damsel over the shattered shreds of
an earthernware jug, with which she had
been entrusted for the conveyance of the
family milk. The child stood above the
ruins in such despair as only infants of her
tender years in dread of an imminent beat
ing can know. The child was pretty, and
looked all the prettier in her innocent Attic
ton, and Mr.. Glister was tender-hearted
man. Already he had taken a step toward
the little one, and his finger and thumb were
cropping in the pocket of his portly waistcoat
for the consolatory shilling which should re-
pair the damage and dry the mourners tears,
when he saw that his charitable intention
had been forestaled The self-same rural
dean whom Mr. Glister had that morning
saluted, was soothing the child's grief with
words of cheer and consoling pats of the
tumbed golden hair through which the little
damsel s,tearful eyes, already brighter at the
sight of the proffered coin the reverend gen.
tleman held out to her, looked up at him
with shy gratitude. A pretty picture, thought
Mr.. Glister, blowing again to the rural dean
as their eyes met, whereat the old cleric nod
ded with confused and somewhat shame
faced aspect, as though embarrassed that his
good deed should have been witnessed.
Next morning saw Mr.. Glister again at his
post of observation, and at his accustomed
hour the elderly cleric was again deserted
upon the pavement. The jeweler had already
begun to feel a friendly, almost an affection
ate, interest in the old gentleman, whose ap-
pearance was so inviting, whose voice so Jo-
vial. whose charity so ready and unaSSum-
ing His attention was so completely alb
sorbed by the approach of his new acquain-
lance that he had no ears for the quickly APP
preaching step of young man advancing in
the contrary direction. The dean was just
opening his lips to reply to Mr.. Glister's
morning SdluIt, WHICH Gnb AOuilS HAL pduSCtl
precisely opposite the jeweler, and extending
his hand, hailed the old dignitary as I'm
cle." The reverend gentleman turned with
quick start, and a stumble, which, but for
the young mans restraining hand, would
have brought him to the ground.
"You young villain" painted the old man,
you'll never be satisfied until you have been
the death of mep'
The young fellow expressed affectionate
contrition for his abruptness, but his yenera-
BILE relative was evidently more shaken by
his sudden appearance than it scanned likely
so robust an old gentleman would have been
by so slight an occurrence. He trembled and
leaned upon his nepheW'S arm for support,
and was so evidently affected that Mr.. ellis
ter begged him to enter and seat himself III
the shop until his cOmposure should return
The offer was accepted, and the rural dean
was bestowed in chair. The jewoller made
hGspitable offers OF wine, and OF glass OF
water, which were refused, the old man tap
ping himself upon the region of the heart
and shaking his head, to indicate to him thai
his malady lay there, and was beyond the
power of such medicine as he proposed. Mr.
Giister and his nephew stood above him will
respectful concern.
'|You should be more careful, Edward, my
boy-you should be more careful, he SAID
presently.
my dear uncle said the young man, 81
was never more ashamed in my life. But you
arelbetter now?
'Yes, said the old gentleman; Il am bet
ter It Is Pass4n gSod am m extremely o obge(
tremely obliged for your prompt kindness
Mr.. Glister begged him not to mention it.
f'But l must" said the rural dean. 81
was extremely good Of you.
Mr.. Glister was happy to have been. of thu
slightest service, and deprecated turtle
speech concerning it,
''And what brought you here, demanded
the old gentleman of his nephew, 'to fright
ensyour old uncle, who thought .you were
hundred miles away, and more?'
ECant you guess ?" asked the young man
with an embarrassed little laugh.
"Har' said the old gentleman beamingly
He was quite recovered now, and had go
back all his'accustomed geniality. Love-
young dream-eh? That's it-eh?"
The good old man so enjoyed his little joke
and so Shook and beamed over it. that MI
Glister could not himself refrain from sym
pathetic smile. He looked at the young mar
and felt somehow vaguely disappointed. III
was by no means a bad-looking yOungStel
but he did not look, to the jewelers. eyes, Xix
a nephew worthy of such an uncle. His fac
had none of the geniality which made the Ell
der's c0untenance so pleasant to look upOI
His eyes were shifty, and young as he wa
obviously not more than eight and twent
there was a limited prophesy. of COMM
crows feet at their corners. But he appeare
very fond of his uncle and deeply concerned
at the results of his thoughtlessness.
"You have not seen Maud yet, / suppose?
asked the rural dean.
''No; Twas coming straight from the sta
ton to call upon you when | met you,
"And nearly frightened the life out G
me" said the old man, rising from the chall
Il was just on my way to see her, and, sine
we have met, we will thank Mr.. Glister 10
ms very KIND attentions, and go together.
And accordingly, after reiterated thanks G
the warmest nature, they left the shop, an
went down the street arm-n-arm very Low
ingly together, leaving Mr.. Glister bowin
his adieuX upon the step.
ANY strange face appearing in Ravens
thorpe during the dead season is pretty ce1
tain of remark, and that same afternoon Nj
Glister. from his usual coigne of vantage. No
ticed a broad-built man in very tight trou,
ers and tall hat, which gave him, to the Jew
eler's eve something of a sporting appeal
ance, lounged in an unoccupled fashion 0
The other side Of the narrow street whc
Opened into the Close. He took Mr.. Glister
eve at once, so completely unlike was he
the natives about him. He rolled little
his gait and yawned frequently, and he ha
trick of strolllng with the tips of his finse
a ragged mark or scar, as OF an old Woun
imperfectly ccatriZed, upon his SMOOTH
shaven cheek Presently he strolled ava
out of sight on the other side Of the Cath
dral and Mr.. Glister forgot him. He remen
bered after that the strangers disappearance
was almost exactly cOincident in time wit
the entrance into the shop of the young fe
low who owned the rural dean for uncle, an
had so.startled the reverend gentleman tn;
morning.