Year: 1869

one is positively starving and thi
money will be the saving of her.
These words were spoken in th
course of a conversation between m
old friend, Mr.. John Irwin, retire
civil servant, and myself; both sit
ting on a fine September morning il
a little summer house, in the gardel
of our mutual friend, the Rev. Henr,
Tyson, Rector of Northwick- BALKAN


in the county of Berkshire. Th


subject of our conversation had beel


a piece of very aagiLious behavior OF


the part of wealthy retired trades


man, Harding by name, who lived il


the neighborhood. A sum of money


amounting to a hundred pounds


was owing by this man to a widow


living also close at hand, for worl


done by her husband just before h,
died. The validity of the claim hat


been denied by Mr.. Harding, and


payment obstinately refused.


i have made it all right. howev.


err said my friend, with something


approaching to a chuckle. 1T hap,


pens that this Harding is to a Ger


tain extent in my power. The par.


ticulars of a transaction in which he


was engaged some years ago, not OF


the most creditable nature, and all


the facts relating to which came be.


fore me in the course of my official


career, are not only perfectly well


known to me, but he knows that


know of them, and is aware that
could, even at this day, use them
against him if / chose. Consequent
ly he is always exceedingly civil to
me, and when in the course Of con-
versation between us yesterday. /
explained to Understanding as l did
SO dangerous look which / could
could see had its effeot--that I should
take it exceedingly i'll if he did not
at once consider this poor woman's
claim, and forthwith pay her what
he had owed to her husband, he
turned very pale, and informed me
that since a person on whose judg-
ment he could so entirely rely as he
could on mine, was of opinion, after
duly considering the claim, that it
was just oae, he would at once
give up his own view of the case,
which had certainly hitherto been
opposed to mine, and would without
delay discharge the liability. He
only begged he might be spared the
annoyance of personal interview
with his creditor, and that | would
undertake in my own person to see
the widow and transact the business
part of the arrangement myself.


you know continued Mr.. Irwin,
how interested have always been
in this poor souls case, and you will
believe how readily / undertook the
charge. This afternoon the bust
ness is to be brought to a conclu-
sion. have arranged to call on
Harding (who, as you know, lives
close by) at three o'clock to get the
money, and l will then convey it
with my own hands to the poor wo-
man as a SURPRISE


'You have never done a better
days work. l said. How do you
mean to goP


Il shall walk. 1t is not above a
couple of miles. The path across
the fields by Gorfeld Copse is the
nearest way-isn't it ?


Yes, by a good DEAL I answered.
Would you like companion p


well, should like one, certainly
was my friends answer, but feel a
little delicacy about introducing a
stranger into the business-either
that with Mr.. Harding himself, or
with my friend the widow, who is
the proudest and most sensitive VIC
man in the world


| assented to the justice Of this
and, having some letters
to write, got up to go, leaving my
friend sitting in the summer-house.
As ] quilted it, turning sharply
round to go into the house. l came
suddenly upon man who was emerg-
ing from among The shrubs which
formed the back of the little arbor.


He was an occasional helper
about the place, and / had noticed
him more than once, and not with
favor. He was very peculiar, and,
as / thought, very ill-looking man.
He was a shy, slouching sort of crea-
ture, who always started and got
out of the way when you met him,
A man with hollow, sunken eyes, q
small, mean, pinched sort of nose,
and prominent sayage-looking un-
der Jaw, with teeth like tusks, which
his beard did not always conceal.
This beard, by the by, was one Of
the most marked characteristics of
the mans appearance; it being-as
was his hair also--of that flaming red
color which is not very often seen
really red, with no pretensions to-
to those auburn or chestnut or golden
tints which have become fashionable
of late years. The blazing effect OF
this mans coloring was increased
very much by the head dress he wore,
an old cricketing cap of brightest
scarlet. He was otherwise dressed
in one of those short white canvas
shirt. or frocks, which are much worn
by engineers, stokers, and plaster
ers. over their ordinary clothes.
There was a great brown patch of
new material let into the front of his
garment, which showed very oonspic-
1ously, even at a distance. His
lower extremities were clad in CON-
mon velveteen trousers, old and
worn.


Such was the man who appeared