Evening star., 1901-11-23

ward to making another man happy within
two years, but Isabel did a very foolish
thing. No would believe that a woman
in her desperate position would have done
such a thing
1 have said that she had no knowledge
of arithmetic; addition and subtraction
were Greek and Hebrew to her under
standing. Her purse, SO long as one
guinea clinked against the other, was the
purse of Fortunatus-a purse inexhausti-
BILE. Had she known or had she learned
anything of the rapid wasting of money,
she would never have done such thing.
There was one excuse for her, however,
this was the memory of these two visits
to the prisons of the debtor and the GRIM
inal and of the men she had met there She
was possessed by this memory, which was
ike a terrible nightmare, which never left
her day or night. She saw before her
continually the prisoner from the poor side
of the kings bench He was always pres
ent to her, with his eyes. his lustrous eyes,
his sharp and intellectual face, his friend
lesSness; his hopelessness; his musical
voice; his words and manners so incongru-
ous with his position and his penniless rags.
1t was more than Moorish cruelty that kept
such a man as this prisoner; she could
not forget him. And at the same time she
heard the clanking of the irons and the
loud bravados of the condemned prisoners,
and she saw coming out from among them
that great monster-that big hulk of man
III he was man-rather that black devil
with the eyes of flame and the teeth of
ivory, whose tail and hoofs were hidden
gazing hungrily upon her as If he would
devour her. The latter vision she could not
drive out of her mind; the former she could
and did-but by a desperate remedy You
shall hear. This young gentlewoman who
had no more than enough to maintain her for
a short time, whose hopes of assistance from
her own people were slender indeed who could
hope nothing from her husbands people
though they were of exalted rank; actually
sought out an attorney-be sure that she
| did not advise with Mrs. Brymer-and in
trusted him with the task of oil
| this unfortunate young lawyer The at
| torney was paSSably honest; he found ont
the meagerness of her resources; he proba-
| bly, attributed her pity to softer emotion:
| he was so good, in short, as to study the
| interests of his client; he persuaded the de-
! tanning creditor to take a half and his
brother attorney to abate quarter of their
| claims. In the end and after day or two
| Mr.. Oliver Mcnamara, to his great aston
| ishment, found himself once more free
| man clothed as lawyer should be; free of
pocket.
The annals Of the kings bench and the
| fleet are full of surprises of this nature.
| charitable man sends to prison and releases
| to many whose debts are under SO much; a.
woman dies and leaves money for the pur-
pose; Easter offerings, Christmas gifts take
| the form Of release for so many poor pris-
| oners There are also in the prison legions
| Of fair women, who have fallen In love
| with young and gallant prisoners; and
| OF gentlemen who have fallen in love
| with ladies, young and fair and prisoner
| but these cases are rare. You may imag-
| Inc, moreover, the surprise with which Mr.
| OllVer Mcnamara received the attorney
| VINO brought him his freedom; he queried
| from whence 1t came; the giver had sur
| prised him more than the gift itself; for the
| lady was not rich; she had come propos-
| ing to hand over her liabilities to him by
| a marriage; she would not trust; she was
| embarrassed; she must want all her money
| and yet she had brought him out: she had
| freed him from his liabilities. Why? and
| what was her reason? This he could NOT
learn; however he walked out of the prison;
| MS heart was full; his eyes were dimmed
| as he left these accursed portals: and he
| made his way back to the Temple. where
| the news of his captivity had not reached
| the bench or the judges in the bar-he had
oeen absent for three months; he was now
| back again; he was ready to make another
| start; but had no doubts; he was clothed
| reputably; and he had ten guineas in his
| pocket.
AS for the lady, she had sold her plate
! and jewels; she had also sold her yaluahle
| dresses with all their lace and embroidery
MRS Brymer was as good as to take the
| latter on her hands at a sixth part of tha.
| which she had charged for them-but then
| business knew no friendship, and SO. with
| much more modest wardrobe, without n
maid and with no more than fifteen guineas
| In her pocket. the young widow began the
| she was to live when her slender stock was
spent she knew not nor as yet did she ask
so long as there was q guinea In her
| purse she would not think 1t necessary to
ask She changed her lodgings as Mrs.
| Brymer recommended. She went out to the
| rural village Of Hampstead, FIVE miles from
Covent Garden. This delightful retreat was
| not then 30 much thronged as thirty years
before. People had ceased. In great meas
! ure. 70 believe IN the healing powers Of the