Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-04-16

my brother Dick! be qOOd. De honest"
Was it by chance was it by design that the sign
or's hands should be in his pockets at that moment
and that there should be the clink of coin?
Nothing else?" said Dick. There is money"
He turned his face away without taking her handa
being softened by the tears In her beautiful eyes
The signor stepped to the door and held 1t open
while Calfsta passed out. Will there ever, in that
unknown future which lies before this young man.
fall upon him the memory Of this chance and the
tears of the girl who with him more patient
than sister with brother, more ready to hear his
sorrow more sure to forgive, and more careful to
excuse? Will he ever discover, In the years to come
that life of obscurty with honor is better than the
life marked out for him OF trckery and cheating?
Exactly hour afterwards another cab drew up
the hotel entrance Of the tavern. There stepped
out of it an old genteman-none other than Uncle
Joseph-and an elderly gentleman, who was Mr..
Murridge.
ION the second floorr' you said
Second foor-first door on the left when you get
to the landing I'll wait for you down here You
can't miss him, and he's afraid to go out because of
you"
Mr.. Murridge went slowly up the stairs. Any man
bound on such an GRAND would go slowly. He
resolved what to do. There should not be the
least appearance Of anger. hut he should demand
full confession. Otherwise He reached the first
floor and looked about him. Through an open door
he saw large room filled with little tables the at
mosphere thick with stale tobacco smoke and the
reek of spirits.
1.-THE gambling club" he said, and mounted to the
second floor.
He went to the door indicated and opened it with
out knocking. The room bore signs of recent occu.
pation the bed had not been made since the night
and the bedclothes were tumbled about; there were
cards on the table and pipe and jug which had
contained beer. He thought he must have mistaken
the room and tried the next, and the next. There
were some more rooms on the landing They all pre-
| sented the appearance of being family bedrooms.
Mr.. Murridge slowly came down stairs again.
You to me the first door the left, he said
| Uncle Joseph
First door the left it isl
Mr. Murridge this time sought the landlord In the
bar.
The functionary who was in the bar exp planned that
young gentleman had been staying there some lit
tie time but that he gone-gone OFF in a cab that
very day. Being asked if he kept a gambling club
In the house. he said that he did not; he let his first
floor to so 1al club, which every night for con-
versation and tobacco. There might be cards, He
did not know the names of the members; it not
his business. The young gentleman who had lust
gone away paid his bill regular and was quiet and
we'll hammered He kept indoors because he was re-
covering from an Illness He did not know where
he had gone.
Nothing more could be got out Of the landlord.
Mr.. Murridge came away.
'Well sir-well?" asked Uncle Joseph. "You have
seen him, and made short work with him, doubt
Ah he was penitent, trusti And you forgave him,
cond1tions-of course, conditions. 1t rejoices
me to have been the humble means, under Provi.
dence, of bringing together father and son. under
these most interesting and peculiar circumstances
Sixty pounds, think you said? And five pounds for
the humble Instrument. More Providence Sixty
five pounds. 1t is sad sad losS.'
81 promised you five pounds for putting the boy
into my hands. Well, he is not there"
mot there? Mr.. Murridge, give you the word Of
of an officer in don't know how many lodges, that
he was there yesterday
every likely. He MT there to-day. However as
you did your best here's half a sovereign for you"
He gave the Old man this paltry coin, which wi do
little more than purehase one bottle of really good
champagne, and left him standing sorrowfully on
the curbStone.
Half sovereign! And Uncle Joseph thought he
had secured at one stroke whole dozen of cham
payne!