Evening star., 1927-10-04
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
THE QUEER CLIENT
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

tCharles Dickens 1s1:-1s10. is one Of the
| best known of British writer's. His frst fame
was achieved through The Pickwick Papets.
Inn' hem the he".a one Five" ns here HIS best Known
novels include "Oliver Twist" David Con-
parfled" Bleak House" "A Tale OF Two
Cities " Great Expectations. etc.
His name was Heyling, and he was
in one Of the most famous Of the Lon
don debtors prisons. And day by day
his wife and child. so surely as day
came. presented themselves at the
prison gate. The childs recollectiOns
were few enough. but they were all OF
one kind; all connected with the pow
erty and misery of his parents. Hour
after hour had lie sat on his mother
knee. and with childish sympathy
watched the tears that stole down her
face and then crept quietly away into
some dark corner and SObbed himself
to sleep. The form of childhood was
there, but it's light heart. its merry
laugh and sparkling eyes were want
ing.
The father and mother look on upon
this, and upon each other, with
thoughts of agony they dared not
breathe in words, The healthy, strong
made man, who could have borne al
most any fatigue. of active cxertion,
was wasting beneath the close Confine'
ment and unhealthy atmosphere Of u
crowded prison. The slight and deli
cate woman was sinking beneath the
combined effects of bodily and mental
illness The child's young heart was
breaking.
One morning the mother failed to
come. for the first time. Another
morning arrived, and she came alone.
The child was dead. Not long
after that the mother. too, died. He
was alone in the world.
That night. in the silence and desc
lation of his miserable room, the
wretched man knelt down and called
on God to witness u terrible oath
that from that hour he devoted him
self to revenge her death and that of
his child; that thenceforth to the last
moment of his life his whole energies
should be directed to this one object.
He never forgot the one purpose for
which he lived to remember that his
enemy was his wife's own father
the man who had cast him into prison,
and who. when his daughter and her
child sued at his feet for mercy. had
spurned them from his door.
At last. leaving his place OF loss
on the seacoast to restore his pros
trate energies and mediate on his
vengeance. And here some evil spirit
cast in his way the opportunity for
his first. most horrible revenge.
He was seated on the cliff one eve
ming when the profound stiffness OF
the spot was broken by loud cry
| for help; starting to his feet he has
| tened in that direction.
| Some scattered garments on the
beach, a human head just visible
above the waves a little distance from
shore and an old man. wringlng his
| hands in agony, running to and frC
shrieking for help. My son." he cried
| my only son. Help. help, sir! He Is
dying before my eyes,
Heyling checked his impulse to res
cue the drowning man. for he hat
recognized the voice. Folding his
arms, he stood motionless.
| Great God" exclaimed the old man
recOiling. "Heyling.'
| Heyling smiled and was silent. He
remained immovable.
II have wronged you" shrieket
the old man. BE revenged-take my
all. my life, but save my boy:'
Listen" said Heyling,. graspine
the old man fiercely by the wrist. 81
| will have life for life, and here is one
My child died before his fathers eyes
You laughed-you laughed in your
daughters face, where death had al
ready set his hand-at our sufferings
then. What do you think of then
now See there, see there
| A faint cry died away upon the sur
| face of the sea; the old mans son was
Three years later gentleman
| alighted from a private carriage a;
| the door of a London attorney, ther
we'll known as man of no great
nicely in his professional dealings
| and requested private interview or
business of Importance.
II want you to undertake some lega
business for me-" said the stranger
displaying a large packet. 1T is nc
common business, nor have these pa
pers reached my hands without long
trouble and great expense" The packet
disclosed a quantity of promissory
notes, with copies of deeds and other
documents. Upon these papers," the
queer client went on, "the man whose
name they bear has raised, as you will