Evening star., 1901-12-28
CHAPTER X.-COntinued.

ed him with terror "oih' ho iSP@'''SA'
bracing himself up. Hard, honest work.
OF any kind. Work l would sweep out a
shop; l would carry the packages and par
GELS; | would t ke the money: 1 would in
yite the people TO come in Give me work
Indeed. he looked most unfit for every kind
of work that one could name. How could
work be intrusted to that swollen, red
neck, those purple checks, those eyes that
stood out like the eyes of shrimps?
Have you seen that lady since?
''No. my lord, l have not. If L do see
her it would be the worse for her
Why you would not attempt violence,
would you? Have care. man. Have a
care. Tyburn Tree is easily reached.
IF | were to see her l know not
what / should do. Remember, my lord,
had a house and a beautiful shop-a good
house-the back window looked out on St.
Martins burying ground; good shop, an
apprentice, a good large shop-l was In
good esteem, as l said, in my company.
Nay. l did not despair of getting into the
common council, and perhaps, If business
went Well and the neighbors were satisfied
that / was man of substance, L might
have been an alderman. And we had our
friends: my wife gave parties to her
friends, while l and my friends took bot
tie in the back paTlOr. L had son and q
daughter. All these things-'twas the hap
piest lot in the WOrld-were broken up and
DESTROYED by that WOman-gentlewoman |
today l know not what l should do"
Since your failure you have been living
on charity, you say?'
L have picked up food and drink My
wife and children l fear have suffered ter
rible privation-thrOugh that woman. We
slept in single room, an upstairs room
without furniture-without scrap of fur
niture-through that woman. They were in
rags because everything was sold-through
that woman. They We're mostly starving
aIways-through that woman"
Gould your son do anything?"
He ran away and went to sea-
And your daughter?
She could do nothing. But lady has
taken her for a companion; the same lady
gives my wife lodging and a small allow
"Oh," a sudden suspicfon-I know not
why-struck his listener What is the
name Of your daughter?'
Alice, Alice This is curious and unex-
pected, sir. If you met that lady you
would, at any rate, speak your mind to
her
Il would. I would, indeed
There are footmen at the beck and call
OF a gentlewomaR. Suppose they kicked
You out of doors?"
They would not kick me out before I
asked them for news of the widow of
Adophus Truxo-negro who was hanged
three years ago. Mrs. Truxo. / shall call
her, Mrs Adolphus Truxo. widow of the
great, brawny, hulking negro whom 1 saw
in the court yard, his irons clauking as he
walked about, a pannikin of rum in his
hand Mrs Adolphus TruXo, widow of that
great negro. 1t is a creditable marriage for
q gentlcwOman, is it not. my Iord?"
He stopped. having said all that occurred
to him Lord Stratherrick looked at him
gravely his chin upon his hand
Il am interested he said; go on"
Your fortune whispered Pinder, 'fs as
good as made. He is interested in your
story"
80 far, I say that 1 am interested in
your story. But l must make inquiries
about it. Meantime 1 think that the best
thing you can do is to hold your tongue
i have heard something of your case be-
fore Pinder has been good enough to
speak OF It, If you blazen abroad the story
as you have told it to me you will do YOUR
self harm rather than good. For it is re-
ported that you were in quite a small
shop The draper held up his hands ION.
the Wickedness of men," THAT YOU had
neglected your business for the tavern
where You spent all your time" The
draper shook his head. That men should
tell such Hes,'' That your bankruDtcy
was quite certain without the lady's for
tune 10 pay the debt; and that instead of
4'Do It was nearer f100 The draper
groaned heavily. Very well; that will do
You need not groan or hold up your hands
any more. Now listen. Pinder here will
carry out my intentions as regards your
case ! admit that you have sonnet hing tn
complain OF. So now with Pinder to his
tavern OF the Grapes. You will observe ST.
lence about your case while | consider what
can be done for you Pinder has promised
TO give you as much food and drink as Won
choose to call fOr-beer, wine or ptInch-so
long you hold your tongue If Won tail
you viii be turned into the street with a
bill against you for drink provided Won
understand? Turned into the street'-his
lordsnip shook a threatening finger-''turn-
ed into the streets. Take him away pin
der" "
The bankrupt and Pinder having vanisb
ed, his lordship drew out of his nockat q
document large nd
round upright band-the hand of a Law,
statiOner or clerk He knew the hand we'll
having in the old days when he had still
something to sell. experienced the cIerliv
writing on many occasions
Like an old friend" he murmured onep
Ing the document. which had been bronpb-
To him that morning.
1t was counsei's opinion as 70 tho oua.
ton asked. viz: Whether II a woman who
has transferred her liabilities to her hns.
band becomes wealthy after his death. She
Is bound to discharge her debts
Ihe opinion was short and to the effect
ihat III such case the liabilities hayins
been transferred to the husband his widoI,
is not liable for any of the debts however
great they may be and however rich the
widow may have become A, the sams
time. said the counsel learned in the Law
there can be no doubt that the widow
should. If she can, discharge these liabi,;
ties OF her own free will and without ~
least obligation to the law "
Quite so, said the reader folding ur
tne oocumeht ana replacing II in his pocket
knew the law, of course, as well as the
learned counsel, and knew very well what
he would say about the obligation to dis
charge these liabilities. Yes, yes. II viii
be interesting in day or two perhaps 10
remind him of this opinion and of the ner.
son to whom 1t relates-the person whom
he regards as an angel-I don't know WHY
Isabel lost all her money where | lost mine
but she had less to lose. Then she was
straitened, and her creditors pressed her SC
she Old very sensible thing-what any
woman would do under the conditions Il
she couid-she shifted her burden on tc
lhe oack OF man about to die. The world
fhufeiy approves Of such conduct but the
world condemns a woman who is foolish
enough 70 be found out. Suppose such q
woman defies the world and brazens it out
why, u Is put a few card parties, a party
Or two to Vauxhau a water nartv HttL
horns ND - - " -