The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-29
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of them coming along now and me music they're making, l must say Just step aside minute sir, while we give hand. That's a womans voice and shes not been to the Tabernacle. shouldn't won der if it was the flower girl that hobnobs with the parson-oh. by no means, or dear no
 He raised his lantern and turned the light of 1t full on the passage. disclosing a spectacle which brought flush of warm blood 10 Albaa's cheeks and fillel him with a certain sense of shame he could not defend. For there We're three of his old friends, no others than sarah and the Archbishop of Bloomsbury. with the boy Betty" the latter close in the custody of the police who dragged him headlong, regardless of the girl shrieks and the eX-clergymans protests upon their cruelty. For an instant Allan Was tempted to flee the place, 10 deny his old friends and to surrender to base i'm pulse of his pride but q better instinct saving him. he intervened boldly and im- mediately declared himself to that aston ished company.
 '"rhese people are friends of nine. he said to the complete bewilderment of the constables, Please to tell me why you are charging them?''
 "Gawd Almighty-if it ain't Mir. Ken nedyl'-this from the woman.
 "Indeed,n said the clergyman with humility foreign to him, "I am very glad to see you, Alban, Our friend Betty here is accused of theft. l am cOnVinced-I feel assured that the charge is misplaced and that you wll be able 10 help us Will you not tell these men that you know us and can answer for our hon. esty?"
 The lad Betty" sad nothing at all His eyes were very wide open d heavy hand clutched his ragged collar, and ;ne police stood about him as though in pos session of convicted criminal.
 "A young lad, sir, that stole q gold matchbox from gentleman and has got it somewhere about him now stand up, you young devil-none of your blar- ney Where's the box now and what have you done with it?"
 q picked it up and give it to Captain Forrest-so help me Gawd it's true. Arst him if 1 didn't"
 The sergeant laughed openly at the story
 "Ie run two of our men from the Ma tional Sporting right round Covent Car den and back. sir he. said to Alban @rhe gentleman dropped the box and couldn't wait. But we'll see about all that in the morning."
 "Ir you mean Captain Forrest of the Trafalgar Club, l have just left him. interposed Alban quickly; this lad has been known to me for some years and l am positively sure he is not a thief Indeed I will answer for him anywhere and if he did pick up the box 1 can promise you that Captain Forrest will not prosecute"
 He turned to Betty and asked him an anxious question.
 "Is it true Betty-did you pick up the box?''
 1T picked it up and put it into the gen tleman's hand He couldn't stand straight and he dropped it again. Then cab runner found 1t and some one cried stop thief 1 was frightened and ran away That's the truth, Mr. Alban, If die for it"
 eve must search you, Betty, to satis- 1 fy the officers"
 "Oh yes, sir-Im quite willing to be 1 searched"
 l He turned out all his pockets there and l then. was pinched and pushed and euffcd to no avail. The indignant Sarah shak- 1 ing her clothes in the sergeant's face i dared him to do the same for her and to take the consequences of his curiosity, l The Archbishop obligingly offered his pockets which, he said, were. open at all times to the inspection of his Majestys authorized servants. A few words aside between Alban and the assembled police, the crisp rustic of a bank note In the darkness, helped conviction to final vic tory There were other ferrets h that dark warren and bigger game to be had.
 well, sir" said the sergeant, If youa answer for Captain Forrest-and he'll want a lot of answering for tonight-l!l leave the lad in your hands. But don let me find any of 'em down here again, or it will go hard with them. Now, be ou, all of you, for we have work to do. And mind you remember what l say. .TT 4,.l the place without an instant's delay. Out in the open street the Archbishop of Bloomsbury took Alban aside and con- graduated him upon his good fortune. "So your old friend BorlskoR has 1 found you q job?" he said laying a pat ronizing hand on the lads stout shoulder. Well well, l knew Richard Gessner when | was-er-hem-on duty fin Ken 1 sngton, and in all matters of public charity I certainly found him 10 be an example. You know, of course, that he is Pole and that his real name Is Max l i'm Gogol General Kaulbars told me as much when he was visiting England some years ago Your friend Is Pole who would find himself singularly incon- yenienced if he were called upon to re- turn to Poland. Believe me, how very much astonished I was to hear that you had taken up your residence in als house."
 "Then you heard about it-from whom?" Alban asked.
 "Oh, Betty followed you, on the day l the person who calls himself Willy For rest, but is really the son of jockey 1 named Weston returned from Win chester We are anxious about you, AL 1 ban-we questioned the company into which you had fallen. l may say, in- l deed. that our hearts were desolate and crape adorned our spears. We thought l that you had forgotten us-and what is i life when those who should remember 1 prefer to forget"
 Alban answered at hazard, for he knew perfectly well what was coming. The 1 boy Betty" still frightened out of his 1 own wits, elung close to the skirts of the i homeless Sarah and walked with her, nc l knew not whither. drizzle of rain had begun to fall; the streets were shining as l desolate rivers of the nighttime Caves 1 behind them stood for q house of the en- 1 emy which none might enter again. But l Alban alone was silent-for his generos- ity had loosened the pilgrims tongues, and they spoke as they went of a morrow i which would give them bread.
 CHAPTER XV
 A Student in Indifference.
 There are many spurs to a woman's vanity, but declared indifference Is sure ly the sharpest of them all When An l na Gessner discovered that Alban was not wiling to enroll himself in the great l band of worshppers who knelt humbly | at her golden shrine, she set about con l yerting Tim with haste which would 1 have been dangerous but for it's trans- i parent dishonesty. In love herself, so far ] as such a woman could ever be in love at