The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22


 he will call you in and tell you.' stephen hung around the bank for the length of time specified, but was not called in. The day after he left Coketown the safe was found to have been robbed-a false key to 1t was picked up in the street. The light porter, who was none other than young Bitzer, who had once so triumph- antly defined a horse, had heard no one moving about the bank on the night of the robbery, stephen was sought for, at first quietly, and then advertised for Rachel declared that she would have him back to face his accusers and wrote to him to the place where the man was working under an assumed name.
 Meantime MT. Harthouse was progress Ing, and Mrs. Sparsit was watching with the eye of lynx. MT. Bounderby was in London on business. Mrs. Sparsit was hidden behind a tree in the grounds of Bounderby's country house, and MT. Farmhouse was talking with Louisa with- in hearing of the estimable spy. My dearest child" said Harthouse, Twill you not bear with my society for little while?" Not herel not herer' said Louisa. "But we must meet. dearest Where shall 1t be?" Mrs. sparsit had heard enough. She saw Louisa enter the house, come out again soon and walk te the railroad station. She saw Harthouse mount his horse and ride in the direction of the town. They were to meet in Coke town, and Mrs. Sparst started for Lon- don and Bounderby. But Louisa did not meet Harthouse in Coketown. She went straight to her fathers. and throwing herself upon his breast, told him, weep- ing, of all that had passed, of her dreary life and her temptations, and begged him to take her and shelter her.
 Gradgrind was deeply moved. All his mathematics and systems fell away and he folded his daughter in his arms, real daughter to him now. She never re- turned to Bounderby. That agreeable man sent her clothing to her in a rage and resumed his bachelor life, first dis charging Mrs. Sparslt in rage. He died Of apoplexy some years afterward, fell dead in the street, and the lawyers fought over his will as long as there was anything left to fight over. It turned out, too. that Bounderby was a humbug. He had not been born in a gutter and de- serted, but brought up by his poor old mother. an honest affectionate woman, who was still living down in the coun- try. As for IIartnouse, when he had res turned to his hotel at Coketown on the night he had besought Louisa to fly with him Ceceia Jupe had come to him, told
 
 upon his leaving at once take some rather unpleasant consequences. So he telegraphed his brother that Coketown bored him and was off for Jerusalem Cecella and Louisa were friends once more, and in the days that were to be Louisa, who never married again, was | the adored Aunt Louisa of Cecelia's' many children, and of all children who knew her-and she never talked "ologies'' to them. It might have been expected that Cecella would marry Tom, but she did not, she married far more worthy nan. Tom died young in hospital as he was on his way back from exile. For it was Tom and not stephen Black pool who had robbed the bank. Stephen, hastening back to Coketown to defend his character, fell into disused mine. They got him out, but lie lived but a little while; long enough, however, to tell why he had hung about the bank. Suspicion now pointing to Tom, the weak young man confessed to his father, who got him out of the country in spite of the efforts of Bounderby to arrest him. MT. Grad grind lived for many years. but the ex- periences of Louisa and Tom had so shaken his system that he let his younger children grow up normally-and they were credit to his want of system. Next weeks one page classic will be '''rhe Heir of Radclyffe," by Charlotte M. Yonge.