Year: 1876

Sooos, Aoe e'eH taxing tue DeneHt
which the law allowed him. Yet
there were not wanting some among
the injured, who openly asserted their
belief that Mr.. Phillips had actually
saved money by the operation, and
even cited his utter REIMBURSEMENT of
all his visible property as proof that
he was remunerated by that which was
unseen.


His friends forsook him; one by one
dropping off, unable to vouch for his
innocence. His health failed, and
even if it had not, he could not have
witnessed the public sale which was
now announced, of his household treas
ures.


He had tortured himself by throw
ing into his creditors hands even lit
tie trifing mementors of the past-lit-
orally leaving everything in his house,
save his own clothing and his private
desk which, whatever others thought
contained little but family letters, and
the miniature of little child, with a
curl of golden hair at the back of the
locket. That child Oh, if he could
but recall the past If he had but
spoken kindly and forgivingly, that
child might now have been near to
save his gray hairs from shame and
disgrace.


There was, as we have said, pub
lie sale. 1t comprised the store and
household goods, and included valu-
able horse, Mrs. Phillips failing health
had induced him to buy, and which
he would not part with after her death
The man had a tender spot in his
heart after all. His first question,
when the man who had been his clerk
came into his solitary room at board
ing-house, the night after the sale,
was -


who bought Fleetwood?' ?'


81 did not know the man, sir. He
was a stranger. There We're many
strangers there, and I did not learn
the name of him who purchased the
horse He was in the house a good
part Of the time, and / noticed that he
bid for number Of things"


Il hope Fleetwood has kind mas
ter observed Mr.. Phillips after a
pause.


The clerk was going, but returned
after short parley with some one at
the door.


"Here's a man, sir, who wishes you
to meet him at the house you occu-
pied, at half-past nine this evening"


"What can any one want of me
there?' said Mr.. Phillips, with an
uneasy gesture.


II cannot tell, sir. 1 did not know
the man, but from the dim glance I
had of him at the door, I should say
it was the man who was bidding upon
the horse when came away, and the
same who bought Fleetwood"


II must go, I suppose; yet if he is
gentleman, l should hardly think he
would expose me to the pain of going
there"


Mr.. Phillips walked to his own
house with trembling steps. He
looked old and feeble, like man
who had numbered twice his years.
He reached the door which opened
to his familiar touch and rang the bell.
The woman who had so long kept his
house opened it, and ushered him to
the sitting-room, from which, years
ago, he had ordered his boy from his
sight forever.


This thought flashed into his mind,
and was more vivid, from the circum-
stance of his own armchair being re-
moved out of its ordinary place, and
set in the middle of the room, and a
low chair directly in front of it, on
which Samuel had leaned in passion
ate weeping. The boy, in his misery,
on that night, had left his cap hang
ing on the corner of that low chair;
and, as if to deepen the fathers an
guish to night, a boys cap hung there
again. How we'll he remembered it
How he shook with the memories that
rose up to his mind His fearful eyes
scarcely took in the figure of noble
looking gentleman who now entered
the room, and desired him to walk
Ground the house. Every piece of
furniture was in its old place. In his
own chamber, the little arrangements
of his dressing table We're precisely as
they always We're; and in little bed
room hesi1e If were tho two sn,oll