Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-10-23

Vanbrugh to himself rather ruefully
when the impecunious literary man had
taken his departure and the donor Of the
sovereigns had had time to reflect upon
his gift and the very ELUSIVE burst Of
gratitude that had followed it. "It
sounded real enough. And that letter
from James Desmond. That was GER
tainly in his own hand. However, when
I've time, I'll go round to Malling's
and see what they know about him."
He had light on the subject before he
went to Messrs. Mailing. He turned
into his club that afternoon and met
Desmond, writer of some repute, upon
the steps,
"Oh," said Vanbrugh, after greeting
him, "what about that man Simmonds
you sent to Mailing
"Simmonds, my dear boy? Capital
fellow; very clever; died a year and a
half ago."
"Eh?" ::
"Oh, I seef' said Desmond, falling
into a roar of laughter. "I've heard
something Of this kind before. There s
man going round begging under that
name, isn't there? And you We been hitl
How much did he get out Of you? Mot
ley gave him e5.'
81 didn't lose SO badly as that" said
Vanbrugh trying to laugh too, 'but he
had me must confess. Then he didn It
come from Malling?"
'Bless your innocence, no. He's a
swindler. my boy, a downright swim
dler."
''And a very clever one wish I
could get hold Of him again 7" said Van
brugh grudgingly. ga clear case Of the
worst kind of theft. -
He had his wish rather sooner than he
anticipated.
A few weeks later in the season he
was taking a short cut to the Strand
through some of the narrower and less
frequented streets near Drury lane,
when his attention was caught by q
figure on the pavement which seemed
vaguely familiar. Where had he seen
before that shabby, jaunty figure, with
the soft felt hat, the indescribable air of
poverty stricken picturesqueness? Van
brugh had an eye for ikenesses. In an
other minute he held the man by the
arm. 1t was the swindler indeed-the
so called Charles Simmonds himself.
But the man was more agile than
Vanbrugh thought. He turned a white,
terror stricken glance on his captor,
then wrenched himself free and dived
down narrow lane on his right hand.
Needless Of consequences, Vanbrugh
plunged in pursuit through the crowd,
but the man was evidently we'll ac-
quainted with the mazes of the streets,
and was speedily lost to view. Van
brugh, perceiving his pursuit to be use
less, stopped short, and found himself
in a narrow alley, which his instinct
told him was dangerous. - The sinis-
ter folk who lounged about it belonged
Enthusiastically to the criminal classes.
As he had no mind to be despoiled Of
his watch or his purse, he shrugged his
shoulders and prepared to depart, but at
that moment his eye was caught by q
face which peered at him from an upper
window and retreated-the very face,
with its long, fair mustache, of the man
Of whom he was in search. Vanbrugh,
as will be evident to every reader Of
these pages, was not prudent man. In
at the open door of the house, and up
the common stair he dashed, quite heed
less Of the probability that he was rush.
ing headlong into den Of thieves. He
had as quick an eye for locality as for
ikenesses, and knew at once the exact
position Of the room at the window of
which he had seen the pseudo Sim
monds. He went straight to the door,
threw it open and walked in.
He looked round and stood aghast.
No man was in the room at all. 1t was
tenanted only by tall girl in black,
who sat at table on which stood a
sewing machine.
AS soon as Vanbrugh looked at her
and met her eyes he felt vaguely startled
and taken aback. Why, this girl, in
spite of her shabby clothes, her sewing
machine, her poor surroundings-this
girl was lady. Her pale face was ex-
quisitely refined. Her hair shone like
spun gold above her common gown. Her
eyes were SO proud, so sad, SO calm,
that Vanbrugh' s gaze fell beneath them.
"Do you want anything?" she said,
and her voice was the voice of a lady
too.
II beg your pardon" said Vanbrugh,
removing his hat. II thought I had
tracked man to this room-a swindler,
a thief, whom I have long been in
search of-but / was mistaken, per-
haps'-
''There is no. thief here,' said the
girl briefly and began to work her ma
chine as if to put an end to the colloquy.
But her face had crimsoned and then
turned white.
Vanbrugh made one step to her side
and put his hand on her wrist.
"You know where he is," he said
sternly. "He has passed through this
room. All, there is door,
He dropped her wrist and would have
stridden to tho little wooden door which
he had not at first observed had not the
girl, casting aside he1 mask Of calm and
quiet, thrown herself upon him and
barred the way.
"Oh, stop, stop, if you have any
mercy!" she cried. "Don't follow him.
Don go that way. know what you
have come for, but it is not altogether
his fault. Oh, Won't you listen? Won't
you be merciful?"
Vanbrugh's position suddenly struck
himself as humiliating and ridiculous
He had wanted to catch the swindler
certainly and had rather thought of Civ.
ing him tllrashing instead of handing
him over to the police, but it was absurd
to be implored in this manner, as if he
were q monster Of cruelty. Of course
the girl was the mans accompice, but
aha was q very pretty aixA