, 1886-07-14
JACOB AND POLLY.

himself attached to the estab-
ment as n messenger, though he had never
4sipned articles" with the principals, and
was Just barely tolerated outside on the
pavement, at an acute angle of the build
ing and three feet from the street doors,
where customers and clerks were not
likely to tumble over him. He had
been hanging outside this big bank for
many years now, and IL had become n cus-
of late days TO send him OF little err
rands which were not within the province
OF n regular clerks duty, and which the
clerks OF Parkinson, Goldchest & Co.
would ave scorned to perform Mt any
price whatever. II anybody required a
cab, Jacob was sent for one; II a country
gentleman with "A big balance on the books
wanted to be shown the way to the Bank
OF England, or Billingsgate, or the Tower,
Jacob was told off as a guide; If something
was wanted surreptitiously by the clerks,
In the shape of a newspaper or a ham
sandwich, Jacob was sent for 1t, and there
had been times when 1t was even consid-
cred safe to trust him with n telegram.
Jacob received no salary, but was sup
ported by voluntary contribution, like q
hospital, and what those contributions
amounted to in the year there had been
IlulH speculation u. Ah-
amongst the clerks, 1t was set down, by
young and imaginative minds, as a pretty
penny, take il altogether" But taking
Jacob Cattley altogether, was, to the Or
binary observer, to set him down as a
poor, half-starved, ill-clad, miserable old
man, struggling hard to live, and always
on the brink Of falling at it, a shabbier
old gentleman was not to be found; but he
was never in rags, and he always boosted
n clean face under his rusty-brown top
hat, which he poised at the extreme back
OF his grey head. He did not appear to
flourish on his contributions, but gew
thinner and more pinched with every week
Of his outdoor service there.
Still he had what the clerks called his
tips" and Mr.. Goldchest, every Saturday
morning, when he left the bank, N be
fore he stepped into his carriage, the door
OF which Mr.. Cattley always opened for
him, gave him something, 1t was noticed,
but whether d sovereign or n threepenny-
piece was u matter of uncertainty, the
claw-like hand of Jacob closing 30 quickly
on the gift. The junior clerks thought 1t
would be q "threepenny," Mr.. Goldchest
not being n liberal paymaster, In their
humble opinion, forc'bly expressed each
quarter-day, but Jacob, probably of a re-
tioent disposition, never let them know,
and, at all events, he did not wax fat on
his emoluments: and in the rainy and
frosty seasons caught many n cold and
cough, and wore, winter and summer, the
suit OF gray %threadbare clothes, TO
which, in very inclement weather, n red
cotton neckerchief, relieved by white
lozenges and tied in a strange knot, was
added. by way of protection, to n giraffe
like throat.
Jacob was considered a poor hanger-on;
Jacob had his hangers-on too, and
people whom in his turn he took upon
himself to patronize. There are always
below depths in this eccentric
world Of ours and always some poor
and sister to whom q hand can be
held out, or Il little kindness rendered, and
Jacob Cattley had his dependent In the
background, and one who waited and
watched for him as regularly after bank
ing hours on Saturdays, rs he waited and
for Mr.. Goldchest about noon;
aud this dependent on Mr.. Cattloy was a
dark haired, dark-eyed purveyor of penny
"b~utton-holes' and two-penny bouquets, a
poor fiower-glrl who regarded Mr.. Cattley
as n regular customer on Saturdays, one
who was always good for a penny, some
UNITS tN't Nv opeuce, Wnen ne nuu Deen
extra fortunate in the city.
Jacob, it may be said, never purchased
his flowers In Lombard street; no one In
that busy center had seen Jacob Cattley
spend II penny-piece upon anything, but
once away from the city proper. and hurry
ing on towards Blackfriars bridge-on the
Surrey side of which he lived and which
he crossed regularly twice n day to and
frA.. 4lt. .I.-. - .s.u ~ Il
had taken the trouble to watch him
no one ever ~had-would have seen
Jacob somewhere in the neighborhood of
Ludgate hill bargaining with Polly Baxter
for n nosegay every Saturday afternoon.
Jacob Cnttley would even condescend to
patronize Polly Baxter, and to occasionally
pass a remark upon the weather, or the
of her stock in trade; but all this
done in an a%ustere, stand-oflsh way,
did not encourage conversation in
and which was n w%ashed-out copy
OF the great G%oldchest manner when the
big banker skated across the pavement to
his carriage. Polly Baxter did not know
this. and thought il was very kind Of the
old gentleman in the queer-looking com
forter to say n word or two to her now and
which, with all their GOODNESS,
had n little ring in them of interest or
sympathy, or something not ensy to com
prehend. and which the fiower-girl did not
attempt In any way to account for.
Suddenly Jacob Cattley was missed
from Lombard street, and from the neigh
borhood Of Ludgate hill; and Polly Bax-
ter's basket blushed with flowers in vain
for him. Every day Polly Baxter had
been accustomed to see him between 4 and
. trotting homewards, with his sharp face
set due south; every day he had said
"Good-morning," in a grave, faterly way
aud with n solemn bend of his long neck
II on Saturdays. as we have intimnted
he always stopped to bargain with her fol-
her gayest pennyworth. And now jacob
was missing; and no one knew wher,
Jacob lived, so hat the mystery of his dis
appearance might have been solved by a
friendly call.
Hes dead, for %sixpence, poor old cove,
said n of the Junior clerks, a pert and
slangy and over dressed youth, whom
Jacob had In his heart disliked, despite the
offering of n penny now and then. "He's
of, depend upon 1t. I'm sorry | was sc
deuced hard on him last week.
Polly Baxter wondered more about him
thar the rest Of the community aware OF
his existence. She did not know why she
should bother abou. the old man." but
she did He was n something removed
from her life, n regular customer gone,
and that was to be regretted when regular
customers were scarce. When she had
bought her flowers at Covent Garden mar
ket In the early morning, and had taken
them Ia her little attic where she made up
her penny punches for the day, she caught
herself thinking OF he" funny little bloke, -
and OF his grave, old fashioned ways.
Polly Baxter earned her own living hon
estly, and made the best OF her position by
thrift and industry, coming very close to
starvation once or twice in the hard times
which VIII II up TO the hard-workers.
sun she fought on, and had begun TO
teach herself to read and write of late days,
n to find her way on Sundays to a little
chapel down n back street. and listen with