The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-10
OUR MUTUAL FRIEND
BY CHARLES DICKENS
Condensation by Alfred S. Clark

A sinister bird Of prey Jesse Hexam,
crouched in the stern of a dirty row.
| boat, his eyes fixed upon the broad
waters OF the Thomas, his arms bare,
| his hair matted. his clothes mud-be-
grimed. Twilight deepened the shad-
cWs cast by the huddled buildings of
London. but his gaze did not swerve
HIS daughter, a girl Of 20, rowing in
obedience to his mods, regarded him
with fascinated dread. Suddenly he
stiffened; the bird of prey had sighted
the quarry. A few minutes later be-
hind the boat a body bobbed and
| Iunged. Hexam had found another
corpse, the pockets OF another drown
ed soul to rifle. 1t was this grisly
livelihood that was reflected in the
frightened eyes Of Lizzie Hexam.
The story of that find was to be
talked about in drawing-rooms; in
| olngy homes along the waterside and
IN the comfortable bar of the Six Jolly
telloWship-Porters; in the musty shop
OF Mr.. Venus where skeletons leaped
out of corners as the fire frightened;
in Boffin's Bower behind which rose
I the dust-mounds that had created the
Harmon fortune. For the body was
identified as that Of John Harmon, re-
turning to England to claim a fortune
| OF 100000 left him by an eccentric
father upon condition that he wed a
g1rl whom he had never seen.
John Harmon was decreed dead and
the fortune came to Nicodemus Boffin
He remained the same unaffected and
loVable man he had been in the past
when he was foreman in charge of the
| duSt-heaps. They were singularly
happy, were Mr.. and Mrs. Boffin. Men
and women laughed at their oddities
but never with malice Commonplace
as they were, there was a sterling
worth to them.
Eager to atone for his lack of school
Ing, Mr.. Boffin hired Silas Wegg,
wooden-legged vendor of sweets and
ballads, to read aloud Gibbons story
of Rome. His eyes popped with as
constituent as Wegg ploughed stolidly
| ahead, making sad havoc of Roman
names. II didn't think there was half
so many Scarers in Print" Mr.. Boffip
muttered sagely.
| He acquired too a ward and a secre-
tary. Bella Wilfer had been named
in the Harmon will as the sons future
bride. Her blighted hopes so troubled
Mr.. Boffin that he installed her in his
home, treating her like a beloved
daughter. And soon after John Har-
mon, disappeared, there came into
London mysterious John Rokesmith,
who obtained the position of secretary.
A secretive man was John Rokesmith,
unwilling to speak of his past.
Rogue Riderhood, former partner
and now sworn enemy to Jesse
Hexam, set afoot suspicious that Hex
am had murdered John Harmon and
the law trailed the vulture Of the
Thames. 1t found Jesse dangling be-
hind his boat as SO many had dangled
there before, swept overheard and
caught in his rope. Eugene Wrayburn
was one Of the trailers and again he
looked into the clear eyes of Lizzie
Hexam.
Lizzie found refuge with Fanny
Cleaver, better known as the Dolls
Dressmaker, a fantastic little creature
with a tongue as sharp as the needle
she SO necessarily piled. Intruding
into Llzzie's life came the love of
Bradley Headstone, a morose man,
and of Eugene Wrayburn, conscious
that she was too far below him for
marriage, unwilling to do her harm,
and yet unable to resist his longing to
be near her.
Rejected, Bradley Headstone vowed
vengeance upon the man whom he be-
lieved responsible. In the Boffin home
too unhappiness was brooding. Bella
Wilfer, her head turned by wealth, re-
membering poverty at home, set her
heart upon wedding a rich man and
discouraged John Rokesmith. The
secretary had other troubles. He was
trying to put together the past. He
recalled ar voyage, a ship upon which
he was known as John Harmon. He
remembered coming ashore and going
with a mate to the house Of Rogue
Riderhood. Somewhere was room
where he drank coffee. Then stupe-
faction, with CLEANS Of memory con-
cerned with a fight, slide, cold
water swirling about him, rescue and
a decision to test Bella by taking
another name. After that the discov-
cry Of the mates body, mistaken for
that Of John Harmon.
Suddenly Mr.. Boffin seemed to lose
his amiability. He was gruff with his
secretary; he turned to stories about
misers. The more l save, the more
you shall have" he said to Bella, but
she did not see the cunning look in
her eyes. Nor was Silas Wegg aloof
from the lust for money He cast
covetous eyes upon the mounds that
had made Mr. Boffin the Golden Dust
, man." He explored their lowlands and
} their SUBMITS, poking about for treas.
ure. Perhaps there might be another
will. He did find later Harmon will
and cherished it as a weapon where
with he would bleed his benefactor.
Lizzie Hexam, frightened by her
stone nor Eugene could trace her
Headstone nor Eugene could trace her
: But Headstone fancied that Eugene
would find her and for weeks he
trailed his rival. Eugene was aware
of this morose figure that was never
far behind him and he took an impish
! delight in roaming after nightfall
through all the four quarters Of
London.
At the same time, matters were ap
) preaching a climax with the Boffins
, Silas was preparing his trap; Mr.. Bot
fin was daily growing more surly. Al
last he blazed forth and discharged
John Rokesmith for aspiring to the