The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08


 couraged 1t. He took in his cousin 8
 grandson. but only from the purest and
 most hallowed motives.
 And supposing the old man did not l relent would his taking in of the young
 man not show that the suspicious which | old Martin had expressed regarding
 the greed and cupidity of the noble 1 Pecksniff were unjust and baseless? 1 Might not old Martin say: "Ah, there
 at last, Is one of my relatives who does
 not flatter and cajole me in the hope 1 of getting my money?
 In that case. perhaps, MT. Pecksniff , might come in for something rather
 good in the old mans will. Virtue
 Is it's own reward" unused Mir. Peck
 sniff, who kept up his deception, even
 with himself to a certain extent but
 it would be most fitting that my gen
 erosity should receive a just recom- l pense. Yet greater than any mercen- ary reward Is the consciousness of .do- 1 ing a noble action"
 ] So young Martin was adored by Mer- cy and Charity. and rather lorded it 1 over the Pecksniff establishment. Els l pecially did he patronize poor Tom 1 Pinch, who had come to Mr. Pecksniff as a student introduced by the savings | of a doting grandmother He had made no progress in the study of architec- ture, and had been retained as drudge 1 by the great moral one because he was useful and because he worshipped the man who kept him in bondage. It was most useful for Pecksniff to have about him a man like Pinch. well thought of by everybody and always ready to defend the architect when scoffers scof- ed-for incredible as 1t may seem, even Pecksniff had his enemies. Tom told Martin much about one Westlock who had been student before l and whose place in the Pecksniffian es- l tablishment Martin had taken. West lock had discovered the true Pecksniff, had TOW with him and left. But l coming into some property he had run l down to Salisbury, invited Tom to din- ner and Tom had taken Martin over with him in the absence of Pecksniff on a visit to London with Cherry and 1 Mercy.
 On the way Martin told Tom all ,lis 1 love affairs, and Tom told Martin how there had come to the Blue Dragon lnn, some time before Martins arrival in 1 the village, an old manf accompanied by beautiful young lady.
 1 The old man was Martins grand l father and theFgirl with him was Ma l ". Old Maftin had been taken with sudden and violent but short illness at the Dragon, and while he lay tn ere a host of Chuzzlewit kin had descended on the place, but during a family coun- cll at Pecksniff's the old man had de- parted with his ward.
 Tom told Martin in confidence that while the old man was in the village the girl used to come to the church early in the morning and listen while he Tom, was engaged in his favorite diversion of playing the organ alone in the organ loft as the day was breaking. Tt was she," said Martin. Tom sigh ed softly.
 1 A remnant of the assaulting party of 1 the Chuzzlewit kin had remained in the village after the departure of the main body It consisted of Chevy Slyme, cousin of Martins. and his compan- ion. Montague Tigg.
 They remained for want of means of transportation and by virtue of little bill at the tavern. Slyme was a weak creature with an idea that he was an unappreciated genius. Tigg was sim ply rascal In hard luck. who thought something might be squeezed out of old Martin.
 When young Martin discovered their presence he was mortified greatly. Thereupon good natured Tom guaran teed their hotel bill and lent theU money to go away.
 Scarcely had this been done when Mir. Peck sniff returned home. He came with reproaches for Martin, whom he accused of having deceived him; and he said to the young man in his loftiest most saintly manner: "Go forth; l owe this to society. When this duty is discharged I shall go out into the back garden and weep for you. l for give you; but go forth" And Martin went. leaving poor Tom Pinch desolate.
 But Martin did not go alone. There was attached to the Dragon young man named Mark Tapley whose great ambition in life was to be jolly under adverse circumstances. There was no credit in being jolly at the Dragon, where the landlady, Mrs. Lupin, was as willing to take Mark for her hus- band as he was willing to take her for wife. But that would have been too easy. No, Mark must first seek ad- verse circumstances and be jolly un- der them. He rightly thought he saw his opportunity in following the for tunes of Martin, and so attach ed him. self to them in the nominal position of servant
 Mr Pecksniffs denunciations of Mar tin had been rather vague and general, but the real reason was definite enough. Mir Pecks sniff had gone to London Tn response to a letter from old Martin, and his action had been the result Of his interview with the grandfather.
  take the world by the throat was a tri- file shaken when he found himself stranded in London with Mark. But he would go to America. In that new land he would be appreciated. Unfor- tunately he was confronted by the fact that it costs money to get from London to New York and he had already pawn ed everything of value that he possess ed. At this moment there came to hin at his squalid lodgings bank note for a hundred pounds; just mailed to him with not a scrap of writing to tell by whom.
 Amercia, the promised land was sure now; but first of course, Martin must have a talk with Mary, and the inge- nious Mark arranged the interview. standing watch at a discreet distance in St. James's park while the two young people talked of love and fidelity, and forgot the fleeting quarter hours which the faithful Tapley called out to them. Beautiful, gentle, patient Mary re- , turned to her care of the grabbed old man and Martin went off, self-relant and hopeful once more, across the wide Atlantic. Vainly had Mary tried in that last interview to make Martin see l that a part of the fault was his, not | wholly his grandfath CTS. Vainly had ] she tried to point out to Martin his own faults. Well. Mary was in love with Martin, and lovers, when they correct | the faults of those they love, do so in a manner that hardly carries convic- 1 tion.
 Mr. Pecksniff took no new pupil into his establishment after the casting off of