Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-04-23
XII

ately; Il am not satisfied"
1t was the next morning. Hugh called
again to learn the result Of the proposed ex-
p.anation.
am not satisfied" he rep ated. Where
is my sonl l don't know. He has not been
home all night"
Has he run away, then3 1t looks like it."
u do not know. / say that, until he has
an opportunity of meeting these charges, l
will not condemn him. What do l know2
The case against him may be a conspiracy
got up by you, the girl and her brother and
the scoundrel who owns a gambling den.
Am l to believe that a boy who has all his
life been quiet and orderly is suddenly to be.
come a thief and a gamblera7
I'VE do not ask you to believe that. We
ask you to believe that his vices were kept a
secret from you; that he lost money, Dor
rowed in the hope of winning it back, lost
that, and borrowed more, until he became
deep in debt-deep, that is, for a man of his
pcsition-and that under the temptation
and pressure he gave way. That is what we
ask you to believe"
II shall believe nothing. / will form no
theory, and | will not condemn nv son
until have seen him and heard what he has
to say, For augh5 l know. YOU may tie
keeping him hidden olt of my way
Then you will not withdraw this charge
against NorahF'
Ger ainly rot. 1t was my sons accusa-
ton, not mine. 1t is not for me to with
draw it until l am convinced that it is
false"
You have evidence in your hand suf-
fc!ent to convince any reasonable person"
Perhaps you think so. The evidence of
two persons already accused, and by their
own admission implicated-the evidence Of a
foreigner and a protested gambler, and the
evidence OF a miserable office boy"
with his documents"
"What do the documents amount tol
NothiNr. The imitation of my signature
may have been Norah's, for aught l know"
HUH left him. He was not to be shaken.
l suppose Mr.. Murridge knew perfectly
well that there was no escape. The fact was
proved, but he was obstinate. Until his
son could be confronted with this evidence
he would not condemn him. Until that
time, therefore, the charge against Norah
would not be retracted. Nor would she
listen to the voice of Love; nor would she
return to Mr.. Murridga; nor would his
busines get itself accomplished; nor would
his clients establish their royal, noble, and
gentle descent. So that the im2ediment Of
Dicks flight produced consequences of a very
wide and unexpected kind. You stick a lit
tie pin into a piece of machinery; there is
the least possible jar, which spreads through
all the wheels and pistons, AMI is felt even to
the foundations on which the machinery is
h1ilt Ear "a vula1o F,r4nizLE +I,o. I{,--l =.
this suspense, Norah remaining with her
sister at the hospital.
1t was reserved for Uncle Joseph to be this
humble instrument by which this impedt-
ment was to be removed. And it happened
i'll this way:
1t was his custom, in these long summer
evenings, to revisit. by the help Of the omni-
bus, some Of the scenes of his former great
ness, and especially a certain well-known
tavern in Great Queen street. Here he knew
the manager and some of the head walters
in fact, he knew by sight every waiter in
London, and had a nodding acquaintance
with hundreds Of the gentry who every
morning, about ten o'clock, assemble on the
curbstone outside the great restaurants,
waiting to be taken on for the evening.
Under their arms most of them carry the uni
form of their profession. They are an molten
sive folk, as may be gathered by any one who
will loiter for q minute and listen to their
talk; they give no trouble; they never want
anybody's property if you were to offer
them three acre allotments they would not
listen; they have never been known to
strike, to combine, to agitate, or to demon
strate; they never march in procession, and
baI not hatuon, 4L,ar, Ill ~ c;no1n haxa..
or a bit Of bunting; they are, in the even
ing, always beautifully dressed for their
work; they are civil of speech, active and
Jealous; they have, one and all, a curiously
cultivated taste in wine; and they are said
to have but one vice. This they share with
many landed gentlemen. 1t is love for the
turf.
Uncle Joseph, who had formerly been an
honored guest two or three nights ia every
week, now sat humbly in the managers
room, reading the menus of the day. AlasI
They were not for him-those gorgeous col
ored cards, inscribed with the names and
titles (all in French of the most toothsome
and delightful dishes. It was something to
know that the banquets still went on,
though he was no longer seated at the table
near the presiding officer, as richly decor
ated as a German official; and, no dou t,
it was a consolation to accept the hospitable
glass Of sherry, which was sometimes prof
Tered in the manager room
One evening, about ten days after Dick
vanished away, Uncle Joseph paid a visit to
the tavern. There were several beautiful
banquets COINS on, and he read the menus
with the soft regrets due to the happy past.
1t was nearly nina when he got up to go
the hour when the active business Of the
banquet is finished, and after the material,
the Intellectual Toast was to begin with the
speeches. Alas! they would never hear him
speak again.
As he passed from the managers room
into the hall, a door on the first floor was
thrown open, and there came out such a joy
sound, a mingling Of many sounds in a
fine confusion, such as the cliquetes OF glasses,
the laughter Of men who nave drunk plenty
Of wine, the shutting Of walters feet, the
noise of plates and the popping Of corks, that
Uncle Joseph's knees trembled.
"Ah," he said, ut is a blessing indeed to
feel that the craft is not falling Oft"
He went away and presently found an
omnibus.
Every night about this time he was seized
with a dreadful yearning for champagne.
This evening it was a yearning which tor
tured him. The festive sound of the revelry
was too much for the old man, and his heart
felt like lead to think that there was no
more champagne to be had during the short
remainder of his history. When he got out