140 Pacific
 
 Joshua Humble 
 
 Jl Tale of Old St. Louis 
 
 By 
 
 
 
 Edgar 'Rice Beach 
 
 St. Louis 
 
 Edward R. Eddins fr Co. 
 Publishers
 
 Copyright by the Jtuthor 
 Edgar R. Beach, 
 
 Z>cmfrr *,
 
 "Everything Comes To Him Who Waits." 
 
 Contents. 
 
 Page. 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Joshua Rumble's Early Morning Experience The Dread- 
 ful News Communicated to Him by Mrs. Sly Sol 
 Miserleigh's Morning Greeting to Mr. Humble and 
 its Dramatic Climax 13 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Mr. Humble's Blunt Statement of an Occurrence which 
 Surprised and Gratified Sol Miserleigh, and Cleared 
 Away all Obstacles to the Accomplishment of a 
 Scheme Then in Process of Evolution Sam Slick, 
 "The Human Cyclone," and the Backward Twist He 
 Received from an Unexpected Source 25 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Plucking of a Green Gosling and its Departure for 
 Pastures New Mr. Humble's Secret and Impressive 
 Warning to George Langdon, which He Failed to 
 Comprehend 31 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Mrs. O'Keefe's Pathetic Tribute to the Memory of Will- 
 iam Barnes An Informal Discussion Concerning the 
 Dead Millionaire by Mrs. Sly, Becky Falser and 
 Jerusha Snuffer Mrs. O'Keefe's Stinging Rebuke to 
 the Gossips Joshua Humble's Midnight Promenade 
 
 (3) 
 
 2061772
 
 and Sorrowful Meditations A Soothing Balm for a 
 Wounded Spirit 43 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Sol Miserleigh's Residence and its Gloomy Surroundings 
 Its Strange Occupants and Their Peculiar Character- 
 istics Mrs. Miserleigh's Home Welcome to Sol and 
 the Startling Events which Immediately Followed 
 His Arrival A Veritable Dance of Demons 51 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Mad Aurelia's Mournful Reminiscences which Awed Her 
 Mother and Brother Into Silence Weird Hallucina- 
 tions of a Mind Diseased A Stinging Indictment of 
 the Robbers of Her Reason and Happiness A Gleam 
 of Memory in a Brain Enveloped with Darkness..... 57 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A Dramatic Interview Between Sol Miserleigh and His 
 Mother The Mystery of a Half-Forgotten Tragedy 
 Partially Revealed. Details of an Infamous Con- 
 spiracy Calmly Explained 61 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Mrs. Miserleigh's Motives for Wrecking Aurelia's Life 
 Explicitly Made Known to Sol The Peculiar and 
 Deliberate Manner in which it was Accomplished 
 Clearly Set Forth A Deadly Potion which Accom- 
 plished its Purpose Quickly and Well A Mother's 
 Savage Warning to Her Son 66 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Early Morning Incidents at the Residence of Jacob Blum 
 A Startling Revelation by "Amos, the Fox" What 
 Hunchback Mose Saw and Heard in Front of the 
 
 Barnes Residence 7 
 
 (4)
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A Marvelous Physical and Mental Transformation 
 Martha's Kindness to Hunchback Mose His Pa- 
 thetic Expressions of Gratitude and Pledge of Friend- 
 ship Questions Concerning Her Name Which 
 Brought Forth an Interesting Explanation 78 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A March of Ghosts of Past Events Martha's Thrilling 
 Recollections of Early Childhood Scenes and Inci- 
 dents Photographed Upon a Human Brain Martha's 
 Beautiful Day-Dream and its Dramatic Conclusion 84 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Some of the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of 
 William Barnes Spiteful Croakings of the "Three 
 Graces of Satan" Mrs. O'Keefe's Sad Farewell to 
 Her Dead Friend and Benefactor 90 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Sol Miserleigh's Mysterious Sunday Occupation at His 
 Office Thrilling Incidents at the Barnes Residence 
 Over the Casket of the Dead Millionaire Mad 
 Aurelia's Sudden Appearance and Her Startling Ac- 
 cusations <X> 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Continuation of the Flight of the Green Gosling Inter- 
 esting Reminiscences Concerning Joshua Humble and 
 Sol Miserleigh Mr. Slick's Comical Efforts to For- 
 get a Disagreeable Subject A Confidence Man's Vir- 
 tuous Resolution 108 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Sad Meditations of Two Travelers During a Dreary Jour- 
 ney The Mysterious Influence for Good Which Took 
 
 (5)
 
 Possession of the Heart of Sam Slick and Marked 
 the Beginning of a New Life 114 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A Grieved Expression of Countenance Which Caused a 
 Flood of Sad and Tender Recollections to Sweep 
 Over the Mind of Sam Slick His Droll By-play to 
 Divert Attention from His Embarrassment An Alli- 
 ance of Friendship Under Peculiar Circumstances.... 119 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Sol Miserleigh's Abandoned Building with Secret En- 
 trance "Hairlip Brown" and His Intelligent Brute 
 Companion The Near Approach of Animal Instinct 
 to Human Intelligence Practically Illustrated 126 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Animal Tenants of Miserleigh's Rookery Their Peculiar 
 Characteristics and Aggressiveness A Musical Chal- 
 lenge to Battle and the Dreadful Slaughter Which 
 Ensued 132 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Trappers of Men in Council, and the Floundering of a 
 Snarer Entangled in His Own Net A Conspiracy 
 Surrounded by Many Complications 138 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A Strange Visitor at the Residence of Joshua Humble and 
 the Ignoble Flight of Two Eavesdroppers Judge 
 Prye's Startling Interrogation and Mr. Humble's In- 
 tense Mental Anguish 143 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Joshua Humble's Frank Explanation Concerning His 
 Business Relations with Sol Miserleigh A Plain 
 Statement of Facts Which Astonished Judge Prye 
 
 (6)
 
 How a Snare was Woven and Cast Which Deprived 
 Its Victim of Fortune and Reduced Him to a Condi- 
 tion of Servitude 150 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 A Quick Transition from Opulence to Penury Fiendish 
 Greed of the Robber and the Methods Employed to 
 Gradually Enslave the Victim A Valiant and Suc- 
 cessful Struggle Against Evil Machinations and Pov- 
 erty Preparations for the Weaving of a Net in which 
 to Entangle a Snarer of Men 156 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Old Mother Hurt at Home Entertains the "Three Graces 
 of Satan" Jerusha Snuffler Wrestles with a Crystal 
 Drop and Mrs. Sly and Becky Falser Labor Under 
 Great Conversational Difficulties 161 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 The Successful Completion of a Crazy Quilt Followed by 
 a Sumptuous Repast An Immense Hash of False- 
 hood Containing a Slight Seasoning of Truth 
 Mother Hurt's Sensational Story Concerning Mad 
 Aurelia and Her Children A Pebble of Fact which 
 Disturbed an Ocean of Fiction 167 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 A Shrewd Bargain and Sale of Old Rags Precipitates 
 Momentous Events A Professional Visit of Mother 
 Hurt to the Residence of Jacob Blum Results in In- 
 teresting Discoveries Martha's Terror in the Pres- 
 ence of the D'octress Enables Jacob to Solve a Com- 
 plex Problem 176 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 The Detection of a Detective Reveals an Infamous Scheme 
 and Enables the Discoverer to Dictate the Terms of a 
 Compromise A Skillful Intriguer Cleverly Unmasked 185 
 
 CO
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 The Beginning of an Acquaintance Between a Human 
 Brute and a Human Mental Monstrosity A Criminal 
 Alliance for the Furtherance of Individual Interests 
 Widely Different 190 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A Demand which Startled and Unnerved an Outlaw The 
 Faithful Fulfillment of a Momentous Obligation Re- 
 luctantly Acknowledged How a Brutal Tyrant Be- 
 came an Obsequious Suppliant An Ingenious Snare 
 which Failed to Catch the Game 197 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 The Resurrection of a Superb Mind A Pliant Menial 
 Transformed into a Majestic Being An Emancipa- 
 tion which Changed the Current of Many Lives 
 Joshua Humble's Joyous Welcome Home An Im- 
 portant Invention Utilized in the Detection of Crime. . 204 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 A Wolf Conquered by a Lamb Some Important Dis- 
 coveries by Mr. Humble Communicated to Judge 
 Prye A Clever Fraud Revealed by a Scientific 
 Mechanical Process 209 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 A Revelation Concerning the Peculations of Executors 
 The Perils of an Estate in Process of Settlement and 
 Division A Mutual Admiration Society Composed of 
 Two Congenial Old Gentlemen A Complete Chain 
 of Evidence of Crime Skillfully Wrought A Poacher 
 Caught in His Own Toils 213 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 A Great City at Sunrise on an Eventful Sabbath Morning 
 The "Three Graces of Satan" Abroad and the Cir- 
 
 (8)
 
 cumstances of a Night's Adventure A Luncheon 
 During "The Wee Sma' Hours" with a Fishwoman 
 as Hostess Mrs. Sly's Spirituous Consolation to Her 
 Professional Associates and its Results 219 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 A Cruel Slander which Aroused the Indignation of a Vir- 
 tuous Soul and Furnished a Clue for Investigation of 
 a Mystery A Marvelous Personal Transformation 
 and its History Pathetic Incidents Accompanying 
 the Presentation of a Gift 225 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 Joshua Humble's Many Pleasant Experiences During the 
 First Day of His Changed Condition An Elastic 
 Conscience Scourged by the Knowledge of its Own 
 Guilt and the Fear of Consequences 231 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 A Vile Slander which Recoiled Upon Its Authoi The 
 Police Captain's Cogitations and Logical Deductions 
 Some of the Results of the Putting Together of 
 This and That 238 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 Startling Information Communicated by "Amos the Fox" 
 Plunges Sol Miserleigh into a Chaotic Condition of 
 Mind and Precipitates a Crisis 241 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 A Visit of Jacob Blum and Sol Miserleigh to the Ren- 
 dezvous of ''Harelip Brown" Results in a Sensational 
 Denouement and the Unceremonious Parting of Con- 
 spirators 2 45 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Sol Miserleigh's Return to His Home at the Close of a 
 Day of Momentous Events Mrs. Miserleigh's Savage 
 
 (9)
 
 Greeting and Her Dramatic Disclosures An Igno- 
 minious Banishment and the Tragical Termination of 
 a Tempest of Grief 249 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 
 Amusing Experiences of Paul Dyke and George Langdon, 
 
 with Representatives of Mushroom Fashionable So- 
 ciety M. Marie Whiffle and W. Potter Stunner as 
 Samples of Vulgar Plutocracy Paul Dyke's Humor- 
 ous Analysis of Character and His Dissertation on 
 the Wonders of Evolution from Plebeian to Aristocrat 253 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 A Carnival of Shoddyites in which W. Potter Stunner 
 and M. Marie Whiffle are very Conspicuous An 
 August Scion of European Nobility as a Greedy Mo- 
 nopolist and Scornful Usurper 260 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 A Bewildering "Hop" with a Sensational Interruption 
 A Gymnastic Exhibition Not Down on the Pro- 
 gramme A Tragedy Narrowly Averted by Female 
 Diplomacy A Startling Disclosure and an Ignomini- 
 ous Flight 264 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 The Receipt of a Telegram Disturbs the Equanimity of 
 Paul Dyke and Leads to Explanations of a Delicate 
 Character The Image of a Dead Friend Revealed to 
 Paul by Langdon's Emotion A Moral Regeneration 
 Accomplished by the Revival of Sacred Memories 270 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 A Still Hunt which Failed to Uncover the Game A Snare 
 which Failed in its Operation by Reason of the Tardi- 
 ness of the Trappers What the Police Captain Found 
 in the Fireplace at the Rendezvous of "Harelip 
 
 Brown" , 27$ 
 
 (10)
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 Some Pathetic Incidents at the Home of Jacob Blum 
 The Sad Ending of a Life of Pain and Sorrow An 
 Unsuccessful Effort to Solve a Complex Problem 
 Mr. Grubb's Self-Satisfied Posture in Front of Sol 
 Miserleigh's Office and His Significant Display of 
 Fetters to the Police Patrol 279 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 An Early Morning Visit to the Residence of Sol Miser- 
 leigh Old Pompey's Terror and Protestations of In- 
 nocence A Search and a Dreadful Discovery in the 
 Apartment of Mad Aurelia in the Tower A Letter 
 which Explained a Mystery 283 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 A Letter and Legal Document which Greatly Surprised 
 Mr. Humble and Removed Business Complications of 
 a Serious Character Mr. Grubb's Complaisance and 
 Pleasant Anticipations Completely Dispelled Joshua 
 Humble's Prophesy and Warning 266 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 The Aftermath of a Conspiracy Demoralizes a Bold 
 Schemer A Shrewd Mind in a Chaotic Condition 
 An Aimless Flight and a Quick Answer to an Appeal 
 to Deity 292 
 
 CHAPTER XLVIIL 
 
 A Sudden and Arbitrary Change in the Current of a 
 Human Life A Visit to the Home of Jacob Blum 
 and its Gratifying Results Martha's Changed Con- 
 dition and Wonderful Transformation 295 
 
 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 Some Dramatic Incidents at the Residence of Joshua 
 Humble Echoes of Footsteps which Thrill the Heart 
 
 (ID
 
 of Valentia A Joyous Reunion and the Beginning 
 of a New Era The Prophetic Dream of Little Alice. . 299 
 
 CHAPTER L. 
 
 Important Occurrences of an Eventful Year Two Deso- 
 late Mansions Restored to Their Former Magni- 
 ficence and Retenanted Removal of Relics of Years 
 of Sorrow and Humiliation Evidences of a Mysteri- 
 ous, Supernatural Power in the Control of Human 
 Events 304 
 
 CHAPTER LI. 
 
 Dramatic Experiences of Mr. Grubb in Search of an Old 
 Acquaintance A Lone Cabin in the Ozark Mountains 
 and its Peculiar Occupant An Enforced March Be- 
 fore the Muzzle of a Loaded Rifle 307 
 
 CHAPTER LII. 
 
 A Shrewd and Persistent Sleuth on a Long, Cold Trail 
 A Dreary Hunt on a Desolate, Treeless Plain A 
 Fugitive Driven to Cover and a Narrow Escape 310 
 
 CHAPTER LIII. 
 
 Fugitive and Sleuth in a Foreign Land A Vigorous Pur- 
 suit in a Mountain Region Swarming with Banditti 
 Joshua Humble's Warning and Prophesy Remem- 
 bered and Heeded A Snare which Accomplished its 
 Object with Startling Rapidity A Thrilling Charge 
 and the End of a Life of Cruelty and Crime 314 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 Gleanings from the Field of Years 320 
 
 (12)
 
 JOSHUA HUMBLE 
 
 A Tale of Old St. Louis 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 MR. HUMBUS'S EARLY MORNIXG EXPERIENCE. 
 
 On one of the principal business streets of St. 
 Louis, many years ago, a handsome office building 
 was erected. Its walls were of polished blue limestone 
 from a quarry in the western subsurbs, and its sills, 
 lintels and steps were of brown granite. The roof, 
 which was of the French style of architecture, was 
 sheathed with slate of different colors and curved 
 gracefully upward to a level surface, in the center 
 of which was a small square dome ornamented on 
 its upper edges by iron lattice work with gilded dart- 
 shaped points, and on its ,apex by a golden weather 
 vane. 
 
 The building was three stories in height, the 
 entire ground floor being occupied by its owner, 
 Joshua Humble , General Financial Agent, and 
 Dealer in Stocks and Bonds, while the upper stories 
 
 (13)
 
 14 Joshua Humble. 
 
 were divided into offices and tenanted by professional 
 men. 
 
 The office of Joshua Humble was a marvel 
 of elegance: woodwork and furniture of polished 
 cedar; floors of marble tiling; bronze chandeliers 
 with cut glass prisms which reflected the light in many 
 brilliant colors; windows of plate glass protected by 
 gilded bars of steel, and finally a large vault with 
 massive iron door and time-lock for the safe keeping 
 of valuables. 
 
 The home of Joshua Humble was on Garrison 
 Avenue in the western portion of the town. It was 
 a grand structure vast in dimensions for a residence 
 at that time a marvel indeed of elegance and 
 comfort. 
 
 Although the relentless wrecker Time, has 
 wrought many changes, both the office building and 
 residence of Joshua Humble still stand, the former, 
 old and weather-stained, its beautiful roof of slate 
 having been replaced by a flat platform of rough 
 wood covered with coal-tar and gravel, and its plate 
 glass windows broken and patched. The former 
 office of Mr. Humble is now occupied by a dealer 
 in old clothing, and the upper rooms of the building 
 are tenanted by makers of advertising signs. The resi- 
 dence, having been recently renovated and repaired, 
 is apparently unchanged; but many superstitious 
 people gravely affirm that strange gruesome forms 
 flit to and fro under the deep shadows of the trees
 
 Early Morning Experience. 15 
 
 on the lawn, when rain falls upon the earth and 
 
 lightning flashes across the sky. 
 *********** 
 
 An overgrown town, time-worn and weather- 
 beaten, had, within the space of a quarter of a cen- 
 tury, been transformed into a great commercial 
 metropolis teeming with human life and throbbing 
 with industrial energy. The process of evolution 
 from town to city had wrought many wonderful 
 changes : the distant suburb had become the center 
 of population, and the former center of population 
 had become the business center, and in that space of 
 time little children had become men and women, 
 bearing lightly and bravely the cares and responsi- 
 bilities of their parents, and bringing into action the 
 vigor of manhood and womanhood for the solution 
 of the problems of a new era. But these were not 
 all of the changes that had been wrought in the 
 process of evolution. In numerous instances the 
 employer and employe had changed places, the 
 former wage-earner having become the employer 
 of his former master. And there had also been many 
 financial wrecks during that transformation. Mil- 
 lionaires had been brought to feel the pinchings of 
 poverty and even the pangs of hunger, and among that 
 class of unfortunates, Joshua Humble was, beyond 
 question the most conspicuous. His fall was from a 
 lofty height of honor, wealth and power, to the low 
 level of an impecunious wage-earner, a fall from
 
 16 Joshua Humble. 
 
 which he could never hope to recover, and he sank 
 into obscurity as a great ship sinks into the sound- 
 less depths of the sea, and was soon forgotten. 
 
 Plain Mr. Humble in shabby attire, modest and 
 silent, a mere living human reminiscence, was in pub- 
 lic estimation, quite different in all respects from 
 Joshua Humble the wealthy financier before his fall 
 from high social and business eminence, leav- 
 ing nothing in the vacuum but his wealth in 
 other hands ; and so, as the years went by, he sank 
 lower in poverty, and deeper in social obscurity and 
 no friendly hand was extended to lift him to a higher 
 plane. 
 
 When Sol Miserleigh, who succeeded Mr. Hum- 
 ble in business by virtue of an assignment in sat- 
 isfaction of an alleged indebtedness far beyond Mr. 
 Humble's ability to pay assumed the proprietor- 
 ship thus transferred to him, it was Miserleigh's 
 good fortune to be enabled by the terms of the settle- 
 ment, to retain Mr. Humble in the business and to 
 thus practically own him. Mr. Humble's entire fortune 
 did not liquidate his alleged indebtedness, and so as 
 Sol Miserleigh, who was his sole creditor, proposed 
 to allow Mr. Humble to pay the balance due in 
 monthly installments, a settlement upon that basis 
 was concluded, and Joshua Humble calmly entered 
 upon his duties as a wage-earner and failed not to 
 return to his employer the stipulated portion of his 
 monthly earnings. And so as the years glided along
 
 Early Morning Experience. 17 
 
 and became to him only ghastly phantoms of mem- 
 ory, the period of Joshua Humble's servitude was 
 correspondingly shortened and the joyous future 
 seemed to leap backward to meet him. At last the 
 day, almost the hour, of his deliverance was at hand, 
 but his spirit had become so broken by long sub- 
 servience to the will of a stern taxmaster, and his 
 mind so deadened by poverty and humiliation that 
 he did not seem to realize the approaching fulfill- 
 ment of his dream of liberty, which began at the 
 moment of his downfall and from which he had not 
 yet fully awakened. 
 
 It was early morning the last day of the week. 
 A dense fog hung over St. Louis, obscuring all ob- 
 jects at a distance and rendering even those nearby 
 dim and indistinct. The atmosphere was chilling 
 and oppressive, the trees were dripping with moist- 
 ure and the pavements and street crossings were as 
 wet as though a heavy rain had just fallen. 
 
 Joshua Humble emerged from the doorway of 
 his little home in a quarter of the city tenanted by 
 laboring people, glanced up at the dark sky through 
 which the first rays of early dawn gleamed feebly, 
 drew his thin worn coat closely about his stalwart 
 form, and then with reluctant, hesitating footsteps, 
 hurried down to the pavement and walked rapidly 
 toward the business center of the city. No restful 
 slumber had come to him during the night. He had 
 lain in a semi-conscious condition as motionless as
 
 18 Joshua Humble. 
 
 a corpse, his mind active and alert, thinking of the 
 past, of vanished wealth and comfort, of his once 
 prosperous business and beautiful home, of the long 
 dreary years of humiliation and toil since then, of 
 his voluntary self-sacrifice for the sake of one dearer 
 to him than life all this, and more ; he dreamed of 
 his emancipation, of his restoration to wealth and 
 affluence, of the downfall of his oppressor; but just 
 then a soft little hand passed over his face, and a 
 baby voice said gently, " Why Grandpa dear, your 
 face is wet; you are crying! Dear good Grandpa 
 don't cry Allie loves you, don't you know?" 
 
 " Yes, darling," said Mr. Humble, taking the lit- 
 tle one in his arms. " Yes, darling, I know you love 
 Grandpa." 
 
 The child had been awakened by the sound of 
 his sobbing, as she had been awakened many times 
 before, and creeping from her little couch by his 
 bedside had gone to comfort him. 
 
 A sudden gleam of dawn came in through the 
 window. It was a mere flash like the dim reflection 
 of a distanct electric light. It wavered and flickered 
 through the swaying branches of the trees. It 
 glowed and increased in brightness until Mr. Hum- 
 ble became conscious of the fact that day was break- 
 ing. He arose, went to the window and looked out 
 across the housetops. He saw the daylight faintly 
 gleaming through the dense veil of fog and knew
 
 An Early Morning Experience. 19 
 
 that he could not wait for breakfast and fulfill the 
 requirements of his taskmaster. 
 
 As he hurried along the street, under dripping 
 awnings and trees he gradually increased his pace 
 to his utmost speed for the long distance he would 
 have to go, when suddenly a shrill cracked voice 
 called out to him from an upper window of a dilapi- 
 dated building: 
 
 "Ahem! I say, Mr. Humble!" 
 
 For a moment he was startled and disconcerted 
 by the sudden summons to parley, but glancing 
 swiftly upward he beheld a fat puffy female face at 
 the window, and bowing graciously, responded in a 
 pleasant voice: 
 
 " Ah ; good morning Mrs. Sly ; good morning 
 madam! I regret to say that I am very late this 
 morning. My clock stopped during the night, and 
 the fog misled me as to the time. I could not even 
 wait for a cup of coffee, so I cannot stop now to 
 talk as usual." He made a movement to pass on, 
 when Mrs. Sly from her perch at the window again 
 called out to him, and, quite impatiently. 
 
 " But, I say Mr. Humble, did you hear the news 
 the dreadful news ?" 
 
 " No," he replied stopping short and gazing up at 
 the repulsive face in the window. "No. What start- 
 ling news have you to communicate now?" 
 
 "You will be surprised and horrified I know," 
 responded the gossip with a grunt of satisfaction.
 
 20 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "Why, if you will believe me, I was knocked dumb 
 and silly for half an hour when I first heard of it. 
 "Tis awful ! awful ! dumped out of the world in a 
 jiffy! Ah he was such a sinner! and no wife or 
 child to get his pile of dough." 
 
 " Hush ! hush Mrs. Sly," interposed Mr. Humble, 
 gently, "I cannot stand here to listen to such chatter. 
 Who on earth are you talking about?" 
 
 " I am not talking about anybody on earth," she 
 answered petulantly. "I am speaking of one who 
 has just gone from earth only the Lord knows 
 where ! Ah, he was a sinner an awful sinner, Mr. 
 Humble!" 
 
 " Will you kindly tell me to whom you refer ?" 
 he asked quite impatiently. 
 
 " Yes," responded Mrs. Sly drawlingly, "you are 
 always in such a pinch, you can never wait for me 
 to tell a yarn as it should be told. William Barnes 
 is dead." 
 
 " Dead ! " echoed Mr. Humble tremblingly, 
 " Dead ! " repeated Mrs. Sly tragically, leering down- 
 ward at the white upturned face of her listener. 
 " Died an hour ago, got out of his bed to take a bath 
 and fell dead in his room. Died of heart disease. 
 Doctor just gone away and the old housekeeper and 
 servants howling around the house. I heard the 
 racket and skipped over there and" 
 
 Joshua Humble heard no more, for he was far 
 beyond the sound of her shrill quacking voice,
 
 Jin Early Morning Experience. 21 
 
 ejaculating as he hurried along, " Dead ! Dead ! 
 William Barnes dead." 
 
 Finally he turned into a narrow business street, 
 hastened along half a square, paused in front of a 
 doorway over which was suspended a large sign 
 on which were the words in raised bronze letters : 
 " Sol Miserleigh, Dealer in Stocks and Bonds." As 
 he paused, Mr. Humble glanced hastily up and down 
 the street and an expression of relief came upon his 
 face. 
 
 " Not here in advance of me as I feared he would 
 be," he said in a low tone, "I am indeed fortunate. 
 Probably he overslept as I did, owing to the late- 
 ness of daybreak, on account of the fog." He paused 
 a moment and glanced up at the building before 
 which he stood. " Growing old," he continued 
 sadly, "J ust as I am, ageing and badly in need of re- 
 pair. The roof is about ready to collapse from de- 
 cay and the cornice lops down on the northwest 
 corner and threatens to fall upon the street. Ah 
 me! how beautiful this building was when it was 
 mine. I can hardly realize that I was once its owner, 
 it was so long so very long ago, it seems to me 
 as a dream! He stood still a few moments looking 
 down upon the pavement with an expression of in- 
 effable sadness upon his face. Suddenly the sound 
 of approaching footsteps came echoing around the 
 corner of the street, and with a quick movement 
 Mr. Humble drew from his pocket a large key with
 
 22 Joshua Humble, 
 
 which he opened the door, and as it swung back- 
 ward upon its hinges he entered the office at the 
 same moment that Sol Miserleigh turned the corner 
 of the street half a square distant, and with raised 
 hand pointed toward him menacingly with its quiver- 
 ing forefinger. A few moments later, Miserleigh 
 entered the room, paused in front of Mr. Humble, 
 glared angrily into his face silently while one might 
 count ten, and then in an insolent questioning tone 
 he said, "Well?" - w 
 
 " Well," responded Mr. Humble in a low voice. 
 
 " I say, Well !" snarled Miserleigh, threateningly. 
 
 " And I say, Very well !" replied Mr. Humble, 
 defiantly, as a scarlet flush swept over his face. 
 
 " Don't you understand me ?" demanded Miser- 
 leigh quivering with rage. 
 
 " You estimate my intelligence by a very low 
 standard if you presume that I do not understand 
 your meaning perfectly. Even the meanest cur can 
 feel a kick, and can understand the motive of his 
 inhuman master in administering the punishment," 
 replied Mr. Humble in a firm voice as he leaned upon 
 the broom which he held in his hands, and with 
 which he had begun to sweep the floor when Miser- 
 leigh entered the office. 
 
 "Well," continued Miserleigh, choking with 
 anger, "I want to know why you are late again?" 
 
 " My clock stopped in the night and of course
 
 Early Morning Experience. 23 
 
 the alarm did not act; you observe the fog and how 
 dark it yet is, I " 
 
 " Enough of that," interrupted Miserleigh. 
 "That won't do for an excuse; clean up the office 
 immediately and charge yourself with a quarter of 
 a day lost time. I've been fining you for tardiness 
 and shiftlessness for years and I should presume 
 that you might have learned by this time that I am 
 not to be trifled with. Now hurry and clean up the 
 office while I go for my breakfast. I'll be gone just 
 fifteen minutes and if you fail to have everything in 
 its proper place when I return, I'll fine you another 
 quarter of a day." 
 
 Joshua Humble smiled disdainfully and looked 
 steadily and without so much as a quivering of his 
 eyelashes, into the wavering sullen eyes of Sol Miser- 
 leigh. A moment they stood facing each other in 
 silence, each striving mentally for the mastery, each 
 endeavoring to overawe the other with silent scorn. 
 It was their first contest, and the bold and defiant 
 demeanor of Mr. Humble surprised and angered 
 Sol Miserleigh beyond expression. The former had 
 been the quiet, spiritless, obedient servant of the 
 latter nearly twenty-five years a lion subservient 
 to a coyote. The master keenly realized the over- 
 whelming superiority of his servant and hated him 
 therefor with the degree of intensity of which only 
 the moral degenerate is capable, and the latter, re- 
 membering only his obligation and his duty as the
 
 24 Joshua Humble. 
 
 protector of one who had become the victim of this 
 human monster, wavered not, complained not, but 
 with stoical indifference bore the humiliation and 
 the cruelty of actual slavery, and silently scorned his 
 cruel master. And so, as these two men stood facing 
 each other defiantly, there was an actual conflict of 
 opposing mental forces and Sol Miserleigh, being 
 the weaker, was vanquished. 
 
 " You are having your day now," said Mr. Hum- 
 ble, finally, with a quiet smile, " but it will soon be 
 over." Then he began sweeping the floor, and with- 
 out reply Sol Miserleigh turned away and passed 
 quietly out upon the street. 
 
 Ten minutes later Mr. Humble had completed his 
 task of cleaning the office, had brought from the 
 hydrant a bucket of fresh water, climbed upon his 
 stool at the tall desk, dipped his pen in the ink and 
 poised it over the page of an account book, when 
 Sol Miserleigh entered the office, walked to his desk 
 sat down before it and began picking his teeth in 
 sullen silence.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 A HUMAN CYCLONE. 
 
 Mr. Humble hesitated a moment with his pen 
 poised in position to write, but finally straightened 
 himself upright on his stool, carefully placed the 
 pen above his ear, turned his face toward Sol Miser- 
 leigh and said: 
 
 " Have you heard the dreadful news Mr. Miser- 
 leigh?" 
 
 "News? No. Dreadful news? What do you 
 mean?" demanded Miserleigh in a quivering voice, 
 half rising from his seat in alarm. 
 
 " William Barnes is dead." 
 
 "What dead? William Barnes dead? It is 
 a lie ! Who told you so? " 
 
 He had risen from his chair and advanced half 
 way between his desk and the place where Mr. Hum- 
 ble sat perched upon his stool. His face was white 
 and his hands quivered convulsively. 
 
 "When? Where? How did he die?" he de- 
 manded with a gasp, almost beseechingly. 
 
 " William Barnes died of heart disease at his 
 home at half past five o'clock this morning," replied 
 Mr. Humble calmly. 
 
 (25)
 
 26 Josuah Humble. 
 
 " William Barnes dead ? It is dreadful news, 
 Humble," responded Miserleigh. 
 
 "Yes," continued Mr. Humble sadly, "It was so 
 sudden, so entirely unexpected, and he was so strong 
 and full of life so vigorous and so joyous always, 
 and in the very fullness of his prime." 
 
 " Bah ! " interrupted Miserleigh, with a sneer. 
 " I have no patience with such sentimental drivel. 
 He was only a man and all men must die sometime. 
 He was no friend of mine and I don't care the value 
 of a button about his taking off. Sudden, eh ? That's 
 the best way to go. Fudge! I've something more 
 agreeable and important to think about just at pres- 
 ent than a dead man friend or enemy. Friend? 
 pah ! there's no such thing as real friendship among 
 men! Every man is a natural enemy of every other 
 man on earth, and all know it and act accordingly. 
 That is perfectly natural, and what is natural is right. 
 Life is a battle from birth to death and only the 
 fittest survive. That also is right, because it is en- 
 tirely natural for the strong to vanquish the weak. 
 In all but name, the masses are slaves to the classes, 
 and that also is right, because the masses are poor 
 and the classes are rich, and wealth is power and 
 poverty is weakness and weakness is contemptible." 
 
 "But Death levels all," said Mr. Humble thought- 
 fully. 
 
 Miserleigh croaked something in reply which Mr. 
 Humble did not hear and about which he did not
 
 A Human Cyclone. 27 
 
 care to inquire, and so he turned to his duties, and 
 Sol Miserleigh resumed his seat at his desk, un- 
 locked an inner drawer, took from it a scrap of paper 
 and examined it carefully. Finally he returned the 
 paper to its place, closed his desk, locked it and said 
 to himself in a low tone, but which Mr. Humble 
 heard distinctly: 
 
 " Yes, the scheme has succeeded beyond a shadow 
 of doubt. I was quite sure that it would the fel- 
 low is so pliant ! It is the usual fatal step in a rapid 
 life: Fashionable society and flummery moral 
 laxity extravagance forgery! and the last step 
 cannot be retraced. I must act at once; an hour 
 hence may be too late." 
 
 Rising hastily from his chair, Sol Miserleigh put 
 on his hat, great-coat and gloves, and as he opened 
 the front door said gruffly to Mr. Humble : " When 
 Sam Slick comes in, tell him that I have gone to see 
 George Langdon at his lodgings, and that he must 
 come there immediately." Then he went out on the 
 pavement, closed the office door and hurried away. 
 
 Joshua Humble placed his pen gently in the pen 
 rack upon his desk, clambered down from his high 
 stool, took a bunch of keys from his pocket, went 
 over to Miserleigh's desk, opened it, unlocked and 
 opened the secret drawer, drew forth the scrap of 
 paper which so deeply interested Sol Miserleigh, 
 went leisurely to his own desk, made a copy of the 
 mysterious document, and put it in his pocket; re-
 
 28 Joshua Humble. 
 
 turned the original paper to its hiding place, closed 
 and locked the desk, climbed up on his perch and 
 quietly resumed his duties. 
 
 He had not written more than a dozen words 
 when the office door suddenly opened and Sam 
 Slick entered with a bounding whirling motion, 
 caused doubtless, by vibr^t-ions in his head produced 
 by the effervescence of champagne, which he had 
 imbibed at a club banquet during the previous night. 
 In his gyrations he knocked over a chair, overturned 
 a spittoon and finally collided violently with Mr. 
 Humble's stool, almost knocking that quiet gentle- 
 man from his perch. 
 
 "Oh! I beg pardon!" ejaculated Mr. Slick in a 
 mock tone of apology as he sank down upon a chair. 
 " I'm a human cyclone this morning and it is not 
 easy for me to stop when I begin to whirl. Where's 
 old Miserleigh ? " 
 
 Mr. Humble put down his pen, turned slowly 
 around upon his stool, raised his spectacles from be- 
 fore his eyes and left them resting upon his fore- 
 head. His face was flushed, his features were rigid 
 and there was a peculiar expression in his eyes which 
 surprised and awed Mr. Slick and greatly modified 
 his hilarity. If he had been watching beside a corpse 
 which had suddenly come to life, risen and walked 
 before him, he could not have been more shocked; 
 and, as he gazed in blank amazement and bewilder- 
 ment, up into that stern and almost supernatural face,
 
 A Human Cyclone. 29 
 
 it swiftly dawned upon his mind that he was indeed 
 in the presence of a spirit that had just risen from 
 a long sleep like unto death. 
 
 " If you refer to my employer," replied Mr. Hum- 
 ble in a low voice, but every word of which sounded 
 to his listener like the sharp clang of a high-toned 
 bell, " I answer that he left this office a few minutes 
 ago, and instructed me to inform you that he has 
 gone to call on George Langdon at his lodgings, and 
 will be glad if you will join him there as soon as 
 possible." 
 
 Having delivered the message in low measured 
 tones, slowly and with peculiar emphasis, Mr. Hum- 
 ble turned around to his desk and silently resumed 
 his labors. For several minutes Mr. Slick sat still, 
 with his eyes half closed dreamily. Finally he took 
 off his hat, placed it on the floor beside his chair, 
 rubbed his head vigorously with both hands, gazed 
 out of the window upon the street and muttered re- 
 flectively : 
 
 "Just so! Just what I anticipated; gone to call 
 on George Langdon ; another turn of the screw and 
 more financial blood-letting ! Well, I presume I must 
 obey, but I don't like the scheme, for the sapling is 
 so young and green, and bleeds so easily and freely, 
 that, hardened sinner as I am, I really feel ashamed 
 to assist in skinning him ! " 
 
 He sat mute and still for a few moments, drumming 
 nervously on the arms of his chair with his fingers
 
 30 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and continued to gaze out upon the street. Finally, 
 impelled by a sudden impulse as one who has 
 screwed up his courage to perform a difficult and 
 disagreeable task, Mr. Slick arose from his chair, 
 went out upon the street and walked rapidly away. 
 At the corner of Fourth and Olive streets he turned 
 south, passing the Planter's House and the Court 
 House, and finally ascended a flight of stone steps 
 to the doorway of a residence, rang the door bell and 
 was ushered into a reception room where he found 
 Sol Miserleigh alone walking the floor impatiently.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE PLUCKING OF A GBEEK GOSLING. 
 
 " I am not too late, I observe," said Mr. Slick to 
 Sol. Miserleigh as the latter continued to walk the 
 floor of the reception room of George Langdon's 
 lodging house. 
 
 "No," replied Miserleigh as he paused and lis- 
 tened. "Just in time I think, for I hear someone 
 coming down the stairs." 
 
 A moment later the hall door opened and a young 
 man entered and exclaimed, with a slight quiver in 
 his voice : 
 
 '.'Ah, Mr. Miserleigh, and Mr. Slick!" (shaking 
 hands with each in turn) " good morning, gentle- 
 men. You called to see me?" 
 
 Sol. Miserleigh elevated his chin a trifle, shrugged 
 his shoulders, gazed coldly at the young man who 
 greeted him and replied in a harsh tone : "Well, 
 yes, Mr. Langdon, we wish to confer with you about 
 a very important matter, namely, a certain promis- 
 sory note for five hundred dollars, executed by you 
 three days ago, and on which appears as indorser 
 the name of William Barnes. There are grave 
 doubts concerning the genuineness of that signa- 
 
 (31)
 
 32 Joshua Humble. 
 
 ture; in fact it is evidently a forgery, clumsily exe- 
 cuted. 
 
 "There, enough of that, Mr. Miserleigh quite 
 enough of that kind of talk !" interrupted Langdon 
 hotly. "I understand what you refer to, but I would 
 much prefer to have you use milder and more cor- 
 rect terms. The signature to which you allude is not 
 a forgery per se and consequently it is in no respect 
 fraudulent. To simplify the matter I will admit 
 frankly, William Barnes did not personally place his 
 signature upon that note and no attempt was made 
 to imitate his peculiar handwriting. It is the name 
 of my dear old uncle, written by myself and he will 
 pay the note promptly at maturity without a word 
 of protest. He may privately lecture me therefor, 
 in a mild fashion more caressing than reproach- 
 ful God bless him ! and warn me not to practice on 
 any body else, and there the matter will end. I gave 
 the note in payment of a debt of honor; so you see 
 your mountain of accusation has shrunken into a 
 a molehill of very small proportions." 
 
 "George Langdon," responded Miserleigh in a 
 serious tone, " of course you are nothing to me 
 personally, but you are young and inexperienced 
 and it is certainly very regrettable that at the begin- 
 ning of life you are to be overwhelmed with shame 
 and disgrace. I tell you truly and solemnly that 
 unless you act at once in strict accordance with my 
 suggestions, you will be in prison under a charge of
 
 Plucking of a Green Gosling. 33 
 
 forgery in less than one hour from this moment! 
 No attempt will be made to collect your note in the 
 manner to which you refer, because your disgrace 
 would be far more satisfactory to its present holder 
 than five times the amount of money which you say 
 your uncle would give in exchange for it. Your note 
 will never be presented to your uncle for payment. 
 He will be compelled to appear in court and testify 
 that he did not sign it, and thus the crime of forgery 
 will be fixed upon you and you will go to the peni- 
 tentiary. Your uncle will be powerless to shield you 
 from the consequences of your act." 
 
 "I did not anticipate that the note would fall 
 into hostile hamds," replied Langdon thoughtfully, 
 "and I would be glad to know the name of the per- 
 son who would lose five hundred dollars that I might 
 be disgraced and imprisoned. Will you be kind 
 enough to tell me Mr. Mi'ierleigh ?" 
 
 "No," was the blunt reply, "I will not enlighten 
 you on that point, because it is a matter entirely 
 personal with me and not at all important to you, 
 except as a personal satisfaction, because you would 
 be powerless to redress any wrong of which you may 
 imagine yourself to be the victim in that connec- 
 tion ; but, coming back to the only important point 
 in this unfortunate affair in which you have become 
 involved, I will state positively for your information, 
 if you do not already comprehend it, that your act 
 in signing your uncle's name as his signature does 
 
 [3J
 
 34 Joshua Humble. 
 
 not wholly concern him, but constitutes a crime 
 against the state, the penalty for which is imprison- 
 ment in the penitentiary. 
 
 "You take a very serious view of what seems 
 to me only a trifling affair," replied Langdon, falter- 
 ingly, "but before we proceed further I will ask you 
 to tell me frankly wherein your personal interests are 
 involved. Why have you sought and obtained this 
 information? and if you propose to aid me, as I 
 infer you do, what are your plans?" 
 "Langdon," replied Miserleigh, slowly, "I will 
 answer your questions plainly and briefly as you re- 
 quest. My interest in this affair is merely for my 
 personal gain. I am a dealer in notes, mortgages, 
 stocks and bonds, and I never for one moment allow 
 sentiment to interfere with my business interests. 
 In me you have not a generous disinterested cham- 
 pion, for I would have allowed you to go to the 
 penitentiary without experiencing one pang of regret 
 unless it was to my personal interest to prevent that 
 result. I have sought and obtained the information 
 that I have communicated to you with the sole pur- 
 pose of making you pay me for my trouble in order 
 that you may escape the consequences of your folly. 
 Listen attentively, and think fast, for time is precious 
 to you, and I have no patience to repeat. You must 
 leave this city immediately. My friend Slick will 
 accompany you as your guard and assistant and will 
 put you in a safe place where you will not be mo-
 
 Plucking of a Green Gosling. 35 
 
 lested. In the meantime I will purchase the note 
 for you and you will thus be able to recover and 
 destroy the evidence of your folly." 
 
 Young Langdon had listened breathlessly to 
 Miserleigh's rude blunt statement of his objects in 
 the matter, and in the beginning, his soul burned 
 with indignation, but as Miserleigh presented his 
 plan of escape in terms so simple and lucid, his re- 
 sentment gave place to intense interest and he was 
 ready to comply with the terms offered to him, before 
 the philanthropist (?) had spoken the last words. - 
 "Mr. Miserleigh," he said, hoarsely, "I have 
 never yet seen the man I was afraid of, and I want to 
 tell you right now that nothing you can say or do 
 can intimidate me in the least. I think you know 
 something of our family enough, at least, to be 
 convinced there is not a cowardly instinct in any of 
 our clan. I have weighed what you have said con- 
 cerning your motives in this affair and I must give 
 you the distinction of being the most cold-blooded 
 and mercenary individual that I have ever known ! 
 But even the Devil, when it is clearly to his own per- 
 sonal interest, may do a good turn for an unfortunate 
 those of Satan under similar circumstances. I would 
 not trust you a hair's breath under any con- 
 ditions where your personal interests might diverge 
 from mine, but I understand perfectly that you are 
 anxious to assist me out of this difficulty for pay, 
 and as I am entirely willing to pay for your help to
 
 36 Joshua Humble. 
 
 the utmost limit of my means, I accept your offer 
 and will be guided by your counsel." 
 
 "Very well," answered Miserleigh in a tone ex- 
 pressive of relief and satisfaction, as he flashed a 
 significant glance toward Mr. Slick, receiving in re- 
 turn a glance of intense disdain which he did not 
 correctly interpret. "Very well," he repeated hastily, 
 "then we have not a moment to spare ; even now it 
 may be too late." Glancing at his watch he added : 
 "The train is due to depart in forty-five minutes. 
 The important thing for you to do is to get on that 
 train and out of this city. Mr. Slick will after- 
 wards decide as to your final destination. Your note 
 is for five hundred dollars. I will probably have to 
 pay a hundred dollars premium to get it. Further- 
 more, I must have pay for my trouble, say five 
 hundred dollars; then Mr. Slick must have pay for 
 his trouble, say five hundred dollars ; altogether six- 
 teen hundred dollars will place the note in your 
 hands; but just how soon it can be accomplished 
 will depend upon circumstances. I will take your 
 I. O. U. for sixteen hundred dollars, payable 
 ninety days from to-day and thus you will find a safe 
 way out of your troubles." 
 
 "But I cannot pay that amount within that time," 
 replied Langdan earnestly. 
 
 "Pay what you can at that time and I will give 
 you all the time you need on the balance," said 
 Miserleigh, as he took from his pocket a fountain pen
 
 Plucking of a Green Gosling. 37 
 
 and a book of blank promissory notes, which he 
 handed to Langdon, who immediately filled out and 
 signed a note for the stipulated amount. "Now make 
 a note for one thousand dollars and I will send you 
 five hundred in cash by Humble before you leave. 
 You will need money for expenses," said Miserleigh 
 in a patronizing tone. ' 
 
 "Yes," replied Langdon, as ne filled out another 
 blank with unsteady hands, "but for how long?" 
 
 "Six months." 
 
 "Very well," and a moment later Langdon handed 
 the note to Miserleigh, saying as he did so : "It must 
 be done, but that is an enormous rate of interest 
 simply cold-blooded, vulgar robbery !" 
 " "I presume it looks that way to you," replied 
 Miserleigh as he received the notes and placed them 
 in his pocket, "but it is only a plain business trans- 
 action. Remember boy, that those who dance must 
 pay the fiddler. You are buying a little experience 
 which in future will be worth a great deal more to 
 you than the price you are paying, and if I choose to 
 turn your folly to my pecuniary advantage that is 
 my affair, not yours." Then he tore a leaf from 
 the book of blank notes and wrote "on the unprinted 
 side the following: 
 
 "Slick: This is a profitable customer and we 
 must retain his patronage regardless of cost. Wil- 
 liam Barnes died of heart disease early this morning 
 and this boy is his sole heir. He must be kept as
 
 38 Joshua Humble. 
 
 long as possible in utter ignorance of his uncle's 
 death. You must help him spend money. I will 
 furnish what he needs and take his notes for double 
 the amount, and thus we will eventually absorb his 
 entire inheritance. Last night I bought the note 
 which is giving him so much trouble and there- 
 fore there can be no complications. You have only 
 to do your part with your usual skill and I will attend 
 to the rest. Hurry !" 
 
 Then Miserleigh handed the message to Mr, 
 Slick saying merely as he buttoned his overcoat 
 and prepared to go : 
 
 "Those are your instructions, and if you will fol- 
 low them faithfully, as you doubtless will, our way 
 out of this difficulty will be safe and easy. If you 
 need more money draw on me at sight and take 
 Langdon's note for double the amount of your draft. 
 That is about right as I may have to wait several 
 years for my money and may possibly lose it entirely ; 
 therefore I must be paid, at least in prospect, in pro- 
 portion to the risk. And now, Mr. Slick, good bye ; 
 and Mr. Langdon also. When we again meet I 
 trust it will be under more agreeable circum- 
 stance than those surrounding this parting." As 
 he spoke, Sol. Miserleigh grasped with his cold 
 clammy fingers the warm hands of Slick and Lang- 
 don, and as he left them he added : 
 
 "I will send Humble with the money and a car- 
 riage within fifteen minutes. Good bye I"
 
 Plucking of a Green Gosling. 39 
 
 As Miserleigh closed the door and hurried down 
 the steps to the pavement, Langdon hastened up 
 stairs to arrange his baggage while Mr. Slick sat 
 down by the front window, lighted a cigar and for 
 the first time read what Miserleigh had written on 
 the back of the blank note. 
 
 ^It's a shame !" he muttered in disgust as he 
 folded up the paper and put it carefully away in his 
 pocket. " 'Tis a burning shame to pluck a young 
 gosling in that merciless manner! Why, the boy is 
 only just out of his teens barely of age and 
 doubtless, that gambling incident and mild form of 
 forgery is his first misstep, which I see plainly was 
 the result of a vile conspiracy! I'll wager a thou- 
 sand to one that old Miserleigh was the guiding 
 spirit the very head-devil who, through the in- 
 strumentality of another person, put into the gos- 
 ling's head the idea of signing his uncle's name to 
 the note as indorser. It is simply an outrageous 
 scheme for plunder, and, while I'm no saint, but 
 on the contrary, a confirmed sinner and a contempt- 
 ible confidence man, I'm not a vulgar robber, nor a 
 corrupter of the innocent, nor a betrayer of the 
 guileless ; why the boy is as pliant and unsuspecting 
 as a pure woman fresh from a convent, and I don't 
 want to be instrumental in casting the damning 
 blight of sin upon his pure young sou), and I well, 
 I'll consider the matter more fully hereafter. A con- 
 fidence man should have no scruples no conscience,
 
 40 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and his motto should be: 'The end justifies the 
 means,' and he should live up to it." 
 
 The half audible reflections of Samuel Slick were 
 cut short by the entrance of George Langdon with 
 overcoat and hat on and a valise in his hand, and a 
 few moments later the door bell rang and Joshua 
 Humble was ushered into the room by a servant. 
 There was a troubled expression on his face as Mr. 
 Humble handed a roll of bank bills to Mr. Langdon, 
 and said: "The carriage is waiting and you have 
 barely time to reach the depot before the departure 
 of the train." 
 
 . As Langdon took the money from Mr. Humble's 
 hands he observed that they trembled, and glancing 
 up into Mr. Humble's face he was shocked by its 
 deathlike pallor, and was upon the point of asking the 
 cause, but as time was pressing he repressed his 
 sympathetic inquiry and hastened out of the house 
 and down the steps to the pavement. Mr. Slick was 
 the first to reach the carriage, and as he grasped 
 the handle of the door to open it, Mr. Humble step- 
 ped up quickly behind Langdon and whispered in 
 his ear: 
 
 ? "Barnes is dead! Miserleigh has your note be- 
 ware !" 
 
 "Langdon with one foot on the carriage step 
 glanced swiftly around over his shoulder into the 
 pallid face of Joshua Humble and Hesitated a mo- 
 ment, having failed to hear correctly and being un-
 
 Plucking of a Green Gosling. 41 
 
 able to comprehend the brief warning, but quickly 
 recovering his self-possession he merely nodded in 
 reply and stepping hurriedly into the carriage, was 
 whirled away as he waved adieu to Joshua Humble 
 standing on the curb of the pavement in an attitude 
 expressive of extreme dejection.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 A SOOTHING BALM FOB A WOUNDED SPIKIT. 
 
 "Whisht, Mick an' Denny. Whisht I say! Tis 
 a sin an' a shame t' be singin' an' blatherin' o'er yr' 
 mugs o' beer w'en that good mon lies dead o'er 
 there. Put up yr' keards noo an dhrink up yr' beer 
 in silence oot o' respect t' th' mimory o' Will'm 
 Barnes rist his soul !" 
 
 So said Mrs. Katie O'Keefe to her two sons who 
 had just returned from the corner grocery with a 
 pitcher of beer, and in their own cosy little room in 
 their home were enjoying a game of cards accom- 
 panied by good old Irish songs. 
 
 They had returned to their home from the labors 
 of the day in a neighboring factory ; it was Saturday 
 night and they were happy in anticipation of the 
 coming day of rest. Their good old widowed mother 
 had also finished her day's labor and had retired 
 to her own room which adjoined that of her son's 
 and sat there thinking of the good man whose life 
 had so suddenly terminated ; and the merry laughter, 
 jests and songs of her boys grated harshly upon 
 her nerves. 
 
 "Sure, mither," replied Mick, the elder, in a 
 
 (42)
 
 Balm for a Wounded Spirit. 43 
 
 respectful, kind tone, "we forgot that." Then they 
 silently finished their mugs of beer, went into their 
 mother's room and quietly sat down near her. 
 
 "Yis darlints," continued the mother in a low 
 sad voice, "I ha' bin wapin' in me 'art all day long 
 since I first heard o' our good friend's taken off. 
 Ah! many a poor soul'll miss him this winter w'en 
 th' snow is deep an th' wind is cold ; an' w'en Christ- 
 mas time comes, many a poor urchin '11 play wi' 
 rag dolls and ol' folks'll shiver o'er smokin' sulphur 
 lumps who in times gone by were made comfortable 
 an' happy by his kind an' blessed gifts o' coal an* 
 clothes an' food an' toys." 
 
 "Aye, mither dear," said Mick, sorrowfully, an' 
 we'll miss him too, for he niver forgot us a Christ- 
 mas morning. An' last winter, w'en th' factory shut 
 down during the coldest days o' the year, he sent us 
 a load o' coal w'en he saw me siftin' th' snow for 
 a few stray lumps in the back yard." 
 
 Suddenly, and with startling effect a shrill quack- 
 ing voice in an adjoining room broke rudely in upon 
 the sad conversation of Mrs. O'Keefe and her sons 
 with these words : 
 
 "Well, Jerusha, what's done can't be undone. 
 He lies over there in his great house cold and dead, 
 an' no wife nor child to mourn for him, an' nobody 
 else'll mourn for him, I reckon, for he was an orful 
 ol' sinner they say!" 
 "I think you're dead wrong there," responded
 
 44 Joshua Humble. 
 
 another quacking voice; "dead wrong Mrs. Sly, 
 but howsomever, it's not my place to take his part, 
 for he was no kin 't me. Jerusha Snuffer has no 
 sich highfalutin kin, but Mr. Branes was always 
 kind to me, and I am sorry that he is dead." 
 
 "They say," piped another voice that he was a 
 good deal richer than people thought him to be. 
 The lawyers were over there this afternoon huntin' 
 up his papers before he has got cold, and they found, 
 Oh, ever so much money and checks an' bonds in his 
 big iron safe in his bed room ! Leastwise so ol' 
 Betty Sommers, his housekeeper, told me this a'ter 
 noon when I went over there to see w'at was go'in 
 on. Law sakes ! how the ol' woman did sniffle an' 
 whine while she talked and groaned by turns ! It 
 just made my stomach rise to listen to her. An' she 
 says says she: 'Th' lawyers have had the police 
 a lookin' all day a'ter th' young feller, his nephew, 
 an' they can't find him nowhere ! Law sakes ! what 
 a big funeral it will be, and with no blood relations 
 as mourners if that young feller, Langdon, don't 
 turn up in time ! A big funeral, an' no mourners ! 
 How queer! ah, how " 
 
 Mrs. O'Keefe had been listening to the slan- 
 derous colloquy in the adjoining room which was 
 the home of Mrs. Sly, and where the spinster, Jerusha 
 Snuffer, and the widow, Becky Falser, were visit- 
 ors. They had called on Mrs. Sly singly and without 
 any previous arrangement to do so, but somehow
 
 Balm for a Wounded Spirit. 45 
 
 each o them intuitively knew that the other would 
 go, if alive and able to walk. Each knew that the 
 other could not resist the temptation to go and with 
 the other two congenial companions discuss the 
 horrifying details and circumstances surrounding 
 the death of William Barnes, and with minds whet 
 to the keenest possible edge of anticipation they had 
 gone there, each loaded with choice bits of neighbor- 
 hood gossip concerning the life and character of the 
 deceased. 
 
 Mrs. O'Keefe was indignant beyond expression 
 a she listened to the vile mouthings of the gossips 
 and when Becky Falser predicted that there would 
 be no mourners at the funeral, her anger swiftly 
 swept aside the restraints of her better judgment, 
 and with her clenched hand she knocked loudly on 
 the thin wooden partition between the apartments 
 and interrupted the conversation of the women with 
 these words, uttered in a voice husky with suppressed 
 rage: 
 
 "Sure there will be mourners ! hundreds o' wapin 
 ones at the funeral o' that good man that was, who 
 lies o'er yonder! God be praised that he lived so 
 long t' bless th' world wi' his gintle kindness t' the 
 poor, an' t'is but th' likes o' y'ees that would raise 
 th' voice t'spake th' way ye does." 
 
 To Mrs. O'Keefe's emphatic words of protest 
 against their gross slander of the dead the gossip- 
 ing occupants of the Sly apartments made no reply,
 
 46 Joshua Humble. 
 
 but continued in low tones to quack and jabber long 
 after the O'Keefe family had retired for the night 
 and in peaceful slumber found relief from the cares 
 
 and vexations of life. 
 
 At that same hour, Joshua Humble in the pro- 
 found stillness of his home, walked the floor of his 
 sleeping room in the dim glow of a street lamp which 
 came in through the window. His steps were slow 
 and measured, his hands were clasped behind his 
 back and with bowed head he paced to and fro while 
 tears coursed down his face. 'V 
 
 "Am I a man, with the will power and mental 
 vigor of the prime of life, or only a human derelict 
 buffeted by the waves of adversity and ready to 
 sink?" No, I am not a wreck and will never be! 
 Here I am weeping like a grieved child from sheer 
 vexation because I have a part to act and the scenes 
 do not shift fast enough! The cruel wrongs which I 
 have witnessed for many years, and my own de- 
 gradation and mental anguish come trooping through 
 my brain tonight, veritable phantoms whirling be- 
 fore the mirror of memory ; wraiths of wrecked lives 
 bearing records of ruined fortunes written in human 
 blood. But vengeance to the author of those wrongs 
 of which I have been a helpless witness is coming 
 swift and sure by the death of William Barnes. The 
 hosts of the Infernal have been fighting for Sol. 
 Miserleigh since he robbed and degraded me, and 
 vengeance has been long delayed so long that his
 
 Balm for a Wounded Spirit. 47 
 
 very soul has become intoxicated with success and 
 to him crime has become so familiar that his fox- 
 like caution has given place to silly recklessness ; 
 and so, without even a faint realization of the fact, 
 he has been weaving a web of crime about himself 
 from which he cannot escape ! He has outraged 
 humanity, and Justice will be avenged; for Justice 
 is God, and God is Law!" 
 
 "But what of that poor boy drifting helplessly 
 away into the awful whirlpool of sin? and I, who 
 alone of all his friends know his whereabouts and 
 condition I, perhaps the chosen instrument of God 
 to rescue him from his awful peril, and I stand here 
 and weep and sigh and wring my hands in impotent 
 grief, when I should be strong, resolute and brave 
 and go swift to his relief! But no, not now not 
 tonight. First let Miserleigh write and sign his own 
 death warrant, as he will do tomorrow, on that holy 
 day of rest, while the body of William Barnes is 
 being borne away to its grave ; yes, there alone in his 
 office, locked and darkened, Sol Miserleigh will with 
 his own hand decree and seal his own doom . Then, 
 when that is done, Joshua Humble will do his duty, 
 quickly and without fear !" 
 
 "Grandpa," said a little child in an adjoining 
 room, in a voice expressive of intense sympathy and 
 affection; "dear grandpa! why do you walk the 
 floor and weep and talk so sadly ? I have been lying 
 here a long, long time listening to your crying talk,
 
 48 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and though I could not understand all you said, I 
 have been crying too, for I knew you were in gretat 
 trouble and I love you so much dear grandpa, that I 
 am sorry too. May I come and put my arms around 
 your neck and kiss and pet y,ou and make you laugh 
 and forget all about the bad bad maa who makes 
 you cry?" 
 
 Joshua Humble paused and listened a moment in 
 silence to the famt pleading words of little Alice, 
 and then without reply which he could not make, 
 because of a choking sensation in his throat, he 
 walked quickly into the room where the child was, 
 and took the little one in his arms from her bed. 
 Then as the hot tears ran down his face he began 
 walking the floor to and fro and sang to her in a 
 low tremulous voice an old-time baby lullaby. An 
 hour or more he walked and sang, while the child, 
 with her tiny arms clasped lovingly around his neck, 
 and her beautiful head with its wilderness of golden 
 hair resting upon his shoulder gazed wistfully into 
 his face. Finally her eyes slowly closed and her 
 loving solicitude was forgotten in sleep. Then he 
 placed her gently on his own bed, removed his coat 
 and shoes and laid softly down beside her, and in 
 dreamless restful slumber, the remembrance of his 
 degradation and woe faded from his mind.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 A VERITABLE DANCE OF DEMONS. 
 
 N 
 
 The residence of Sol. Miserleigh was a queer old 
 structure, built of rough lime-stone, and with the 
 garden and lawn occupied an entire block in the 
 western suburbs. The surface of the lot was at its 
 original elevation, that is to say, about eight feet 
 above the streets, the edges of its four sides having 
 been terraced down to a high wall of rough stone 
 which formed the inclosure. 
 
 Originally the building and its surroundings had 
 been very attractive, but at the time here referred to, 
 an air of general untidiness and decay pervaded the 
 entire premises, and to the casual observer it bore 
 the appearance of having been long unoccupied. 
 The lawn, which originally had been a model of skill- 
 ful landscape gardening, had been wholly neglected 
 and was worn into unevenness by the rainfall of many 
 years. It was covered with a dense growth of com- 
 mon grass, and the shrubbery, from lack of pruning 
 and cultivation, had relapsed into its original wild- 
 ness. The climbing rose vines, which formerly 
 adorned a beautiful arbor, had become but a dense 
 growth of brambles and had toppled over to the 
 
 [4] (49) f
 
 50 Joshua Humble. 
 
 ground with the broken and decayed woodwork 
 which formerly held it in an upright position. 
 
 On the south side of the inclosure a heavy iron 
 gate, of recent construction, the top of which termin- 
 ated in a row of sharp iron spikes, was the only en- 
 trance to the premises ; the rear entrance and car- 
 riageway having been closed by a tall fence of rough 
 boards when Miserleigh secured possession of the 
 property^ The building was of a peculiar style of 
 architecture, a miniature castle with a single square 
 tower at one corner, flanked by the main edifice 
 which was also square and massive. It consisted of 
 two tall stories surmounted by a roof of slate with 
 two dormer windows on each side. The main build- 
 ing contained twelve rooms, six on each floor, and 
 the tower, three rooms, one on each floor. The orig- 
 inal owner had built the house for his home. He was 
 very wealthy, had traveled in Europe and had 
 planned it after an old English baronial residence, 
 and everything used in its construction was of the 
 best quality. It was indeed a palace fit for the home 
 of a prince. ; .;..-. -: 
 
 When Sol. Miserleigh became the legal owner of 
 the premises and its furnishings, everything was in 
 good condition. He simply moved in and took pos- 
 session of everything, including china and silverware. 
 The former owner and his family merely walked out 
 of the house when Miserleigh and his mother and 
 sister walked in. It was a simple process of transfer,
 
 Ji Dance of Demons. 51 
 
 requiring only one dray to bring the baggage of 
 those who came, and to remove from the premises 
 the few personal belongings of those who departed. 
 But twenty-four years of wear and neglect, the 
 ravages of insects and mildew and virtual abandon- 
 ment to the canker of Time, had converted every 
 article within the mansion into hopeless wreck. 
 Everywhere dirt and grime, ruin, decay and utter 
 desolation ! 
 
 And this was the home of Sol. Miserleigh 
 and of his mother and sister. The mother had lived 
 seventy years and had withered to a mere skeleton, 
 but she was tall and strong and walked with a quick 
 elastic tread. Her face was a mass of deep wrinkles 
 which lay in rigid folds in many different angles; 
 her mouth was large, and from her thin ashen lips 
 from either jaw two black jagged teeth protruded. 
 Her eyes cold, gray and glittering bulged outward 
 in their sockets exposing the larger portion of their 
 white surfaces interlaced with bright scarlet veins, 
 and her nose was long and slim with a slight down- 
 ward curve at the end. Her thin snow-white hair 
 was combed back from her low retreating forehead, 
 and the expression of her face was simply and wholly 
 demoniacal. Her apparel was scant and slovenly 
 in the extreme, old and worn, patched and tattered. 
 
 Her daughter was perhaps forty years old, but 
 totally unlike her mother in all respects ; her features 
 were regular; her eyes dark blue and clear; her hair
 
 52 Joshua Humble. 
 
 long, soft and golden ; her form full and symmetrical 
 and she had evidently been very beautiful in her 
 youth. But she was a hopeless, harmless maniac, 
 and her feeble mind continually wandered in a laby- 
 rinth of weird imaginings, doubtless influenced and 
 given form and substance by her horrible surround- 
 ings and associations. She occupied alone the second 
 story room in the tower and wandered over the 
 premises at will at all times of day and night and 
 talked and jabbered and jeered at the phantom forms 
 which her fevered imagination pictured to her amid 
 the gloom and stillness of night, under the deep 
 shadows of the dense foliage on the lawn. 
 
 An aged negro man and his wife occupied a build- 
 ing within the inclosure which had been constructed 
 for and used as a stable by the original owner, and 
 these two feeble minded and decrepit persons per- 
 formed the entire labors of the household for a mere 
 house in which they lived. 
 
 In the dusk of evening of that dreary November 
 day on which William Barnes had so suddenly given 
 up his life, Sol. Miserleigh hurried homeward from 
 his office where he had been detained later than 
 usual, and as the last gleam of daylight disappeared, 
 giving place to intense darkness, he swung open the 
 iron gate in front of his residence, closed and locked 
 it, hurried up the paved walk to .the entrance and rang 
 the door bell. His summons was answered by the 
 man servant who opened the door in silence, and
 
 ^ Dance of Demons 53 
 
 Miserleigh, without even a nod of recognition or a 
 word of greeting entered, and pausing in the hall 
 only long enough to deposit his wrappings on the 
 hat and coat rack, passed on into the dining apart- 
 ment. The room was large and bore traces of for- 
 mer elegance, but its frescoed walls were marred 
 and stained and its costly furniture broken and cov- 
 ered with grime the accumulation of many years. 
 The apartment was lighted by a single lamp sus- 
 pended from the ceiling, the once beautiful chande- 
 liers still remaining but broken and long unused. * 
 Mrs. Miserleigh and Aurelia were seated on either 
 side of a grate in which a few burning lumps of coal 
 hissed and sputtered, and the women were leaning 
 forward holding their hands over the feeble blaze. 
 The atmosphere of the room was damp and chill, 
 and being thinly clad, the women were very uncom- 
 fortable, although they did not seem to be conscious 
 of misery. As Sol. entered the room and closed the 
 door Mrs. Miserleigh glanced at the clock on the 
 mantel and said to him: / 
 
 "Well, you've come at last!" 
 "Yes, I am here," he replied. "What of it?" 
 "The supper is all spoiled waiting for you." 
 "A great pity! there's such a great quantity, and 
 so choice and well cooked no doubt ! But come," 
 he added in a milder tone, "let us not quarrel to- 
 night, but rather rejoice together, for success is 
 coming our way at last and our reward for long
 
 54 Joshua Humble. 
 
 years of scheming and patient waiting is upon the 
 very verge of realization !" 
 
 "What ! What has happened who is dead ? I 
 know that somebody is dead! Tell me quickly!" 
 she demanded, almost in a shriek rising from her 
 chair. 
 
 "Be quiet," replied Sol. tremulously. " I cannot 
 tell you here, at least not all only this much : Wil- 
 liam Barnes is dead !" 
 
 Mrs. Miserleigh stared vacantly at the wall as 
 Sol. talked and did not seem to comprehend his 
 words. She clutched the back of her chair and leaned 
 on it for support. She gasped as one in the throes 
 of death, and with her disengaged hand tore open the 
 dress at her throat. She tried to speak but only a 
 horrible gurgling sound came from her lips. Sol. 
 was shocked but not frightened by her peculiar 
 behavior ; he had often seen her in violent paroxysms 
 of emotion and knew that no serious consequences 
 would ensue, but he was totally unprepared for the 
 denouement. Suddenly her power of utterance re- 
 turned to her and from her shriveled lips came forth, 
 horrible laughter. With one hand grasping the back 
 of the chair her other arm was outstretched toward 
 him, her long bony fingers clutching the air. For 
 several minutes she continued to laugh and wave her 
 hands and sway her body as in the act of dancing, 
 .while Sol. stood still and speechless against the wall. 
 
 "Gone mad!" he said in a husky whisper, as his
 
 A Dance of Demons. 55 
 
 voice came back to him, and he began to tremble 
 and an expression of amazement and terror came 
 upon his face. "Gone mad stark mad with joy! 
 It is an awful sight to behold, awful ! awful !" and he 
 covered his face with his hands and shivered. 
 
 "She's just like me, now," shrieked mad Aurelia, 
 "just like me!" and springing to her feet she began 
 whirling in graceful circles, swinging her arms above 
 her head and shouting and laughing as only a maniac 
 has the power to do. 
 
 The sudden and startling demonstration of Au- 
 relia served to revive the waning reason of the 
 mother, who gradually recovered her self-possession 
 and with a wonderful exhibition of strength for one 
 so aged and emaciated, she seized Aurelia by the 
 shoulders and forced her violently down upon the 
 chair from which she had risen. "Be quiet! Sit 
 still!" said the mother harshly, and Aurelia obeyed. 
 Then Mrs. Miserleigh turned to Sol. and said pas- 
 sionately : 
 
 "Dead? William Barnes dead, did you say?" 
 Then advancing she grasped him rudely by the 
 shoulders and said tremulously in a loud whisper: 
 "It is a lie ! I say it is a lie ! You did not have the 
 courage the nerve to " 
 
 "Hush, hush! interrupted Sol. beseechingly, 
 "there are other ears than ours here. Calm yourself 
 and control your feelings. Sit down and be quiet
 
 56 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and after supper you shall know all that has happened 
 and nothing but the plain and exact truth." 
 
 Then he ordered the servants to bring in the 
 food, and as he and his mother took seats at the 
 table he turned to his sister who sat by the fire gaz- 
 ing silently at the feeble blaze, and said to her in a tone 
 in which there was a slight expression of kindness: 
 "Corae, Aurelia, supper is ready ;" and when she had 
 taken a seat at the table, he sat down by her side in 
 silence, and when the servants had brought in the 
 food and placed it before them, those three strange 
 beings sat there, and more like hungry beasts than 
 human creatures, devoured the food with almost 
 ferocious greed. Twenty minutes, perhaps, they sat 
 munching their food in silence, until the last bone 
 had been picked and licked clean, the last crumb 
 of bread had disappeared and the last drop of tea 
 had been drained from the pot, and then as they 
 arose from their chairs, Sol. ordered the servants to 
 remove the empty dishes from the table, and after he 
 and his mother had taken seats by the fire he turned 
 to Aurelia and said savagely: "Now go to your 
 room, madcap, and stay there until morning. Go!"
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 . . .A 
 
 MAD AURELIA'S MOURNFUL REMINISCENCES. 
 
 But Aurelia did not seem to hear her brother's 
 command ; at least, she did not heed it, but remained 
 standing by the table with her hands clasped across 
 her bosom. Her head drooped over on her shoulder, 
 her eyes were fixed upon a corner of the ceiling, 
 her form swayed to and fro, and, finally from her 
 parted lips came forth a low mournful wail. '*& 
 
 Sol. hastily arose from his chair, placed his hand 
 rudely upon her shoulder and pushed her violently 
 toward the door, saying: 
 
 "I told you to go to your room. Now go, and 
 cease your howling!" 
 
 "Yes yes, I am going, brother Sol; I will go 
 soon, but first tell me, oh, tell me, who is dead? I 
 heard you say somebody is dead William Barnes, 
 I think you said, but I cannot believe, no no, it 
 cannot be ! It is not mine not my own but some 
 other William Barnes that is dead. No, my William' 
 is not dead, for he was here last night out there 
 with me on the lawn. Ah ! he was so handsome and 
 so strong and full of life and hope; and we sat to- 
 gether on the bench under the rose arbor and talked 
 
 (57)
 
 58 Joshua Humble. 
 
 together in loving whispers until the moon, thinking 
 our wooing too sacred to gaze upon, covered its 
 face and vanished and then we kissed and said: 
 "Good night," and he went merrily away to his home 
 and I joyfully to my chamber, to sleep and dream of 
 my dear one !" 
 
 She had withdrawn her hands from her bosom as 
 she talked in a soft musical tone, and held them out 
 beseechingly toward her brother, and as by chance 
 her gaze rested upon them she paused and contem- 
 plated them a moment in silence and then said 
 tremulously while an expression of amazement came 
 upon her face : 
 
 "Whose hands are those? not mine, surely not 
 the hands of Aurelia whom everybody calls beautiful ! 
 No, no! not my hands, surely not mine; for last 
 night only last night my hands were soft, and 
 white, and dimpled ; and as William held them in his 
 soft, warm palms he said that they throbbed and 
 fluttered like two tiny birds in the rude grasp of the 
 poacher. And yet, they seem to be my hands for 
 they are fastened to my arms and, see ! I can move 
 the fingers ! Ah ! what will my William say when he 
 comes to-night? He w r ill not touch those withered 
 fingers for they are not human hands, but claws ! 
 horrible claws!" 
 
 As she held up her hands and spread them out 
 in the dim light of the smoking lamp, her gaze 
 chanced to rest upon the large cracked mirror of the
 
 Mad Jfuretia's Sad Reminiscences. 59 
 
 sideboard on the opposite side of the room which 
 reflected her image, greatly distorted by reason of 
 its web-like fractures, and she reeled backward in 
 terror. 
 
 "Whose face is that? Ugh! What a horrible 
 face!" she shrieked. "It is not mine it cannot be 
 mine! the face that yesterday everybody 
 called beautiful; the face that William loved 
 and called divine! No! it is the face and form 
 of a demon a female wraith who swallowed me 
 while I slept to-day, and these are her hands! But 
 when William, my brave and true one, comes, he 
 will slay the monster in whom I am entombed, and 
 will release me; and then we will be married again, 
 but this time before the whole world in spite of 
 mother, and in spite of you, brother Sol., for I will 
 convince him that your cruel insinuations concerning 
 my chastity are false ! false as Satan's words, and he 
 will joyfully take me away from this awful place to 
 his own beautiful home, where I will always remain 
 its proud and happy mistress and the idol of its 
 master's heart!" . ^ 
 
 : "She has a faint glimmering of memory and 
 reason, to-night," said Sol in a low voice to his 
 mother, who merely nodded in reply. 
 
 "Yes, I will convince my William," continued 
 Aurelia, "that the children, our beautiful babes are 
 his children, and he will go and rescue them from the
 
 60 Joshua Humble. 
 
 demon who carried them away this morning stole 
 them from my arms while I was sleeping!" 
 
 Sol. Miserleigh had evidently heard enough to 
 greatly disturb his conscience, which, although so 
 long under the deadening influence of crime had 
 apparently, for the moment, been quickened to life 
 by the sad ravings of his sister, for his face was white 
 and his lips were tightly drawn across his teeth. He 
 trembled violently and breathed like one in convul- 
 sions. 
 
 "Go!" he said hoarsely, as he seized her by the 
 arm and pushed her violently out into the hall. "Go 
 to your room and sleep!"
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A DRAMATIC TNTEBVIEW. 
 
 As Sol. Miserleigh thrust Aurelia out into the 
 nail from the dining room, his conscience, which had 
 been sorely pricked and chafed by her mournful 
 wailings, relapsed again into its former paralyzed 
 condition and the color came back to his face and the 
 keen greedy expression returned to his eyes. His 
 mind had been so thoroughly preoccupied by his 
 sister's graphic though disjointed recital of her 
 wrongs, that he had failed to observe the presence 
 of the servants in the open doorway between the 
 dining room and kitchen where they had observed 
 and heard all that had been done and said. But his 
 mind was not in the least perturbed by that discovery 
 because he believed them to be wholly incapable of 
 understanding the significance of Aurelia's revela- 
 tion; but, nevertheless, he was angry and in a harsh 
 and peremptory tone commanded them to remove 
 the dishes from the dining table, and after that had 
 been done, he closed and locked the kitchen door, 
 drew his chair close by his mother's side before the 
 few dying embers in the grate and leaning over to- 
 ward her said in a low voiee : 
 
 (61)
 
 62 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "You must be calm, else you will surely bring 
 us to destruction. Those black imps in the kitchen 
 are nearly frightened out of their wits and I will have 
 to invent some explanation for your conduct. 
 Upon my word it was a veritable dance of demons !" 
 
 "I know," she replied, "I know that I lost my self 
 control for the moment, in the mad delirium of joy 
 which swept over my soul ! Sol., my son, the death 
 of William Barnes, if accomplished by the very 
 means and in the precise manner planned by me, is 
 the perfect fruition the actual accomplishment of 
 what has been to me, many, many years the long 
 intense agony of desire for revenge ! You seem 
 to partially comprehend, but you only scratch the 
 surface in your efforts to uncover the main-spring of 
 my motives. You know but a small portion of the 
 secret of my intense hatred of William Barnes, for I 
 have kept you groping in darkness in that relation 
 all all your life. What you are soulless, cruel, cold, 
 crafty, grasping and dishonest I have made you by 
 a careful course of training upward from your very 
 cradle until now, in order that you might be a fit 
 instrument for the accomplishment of my vengeance ! 
 You think that my hatred of William Barnes dates 
 from the time of the occurrence of a certain tragedy 
 out by the lake from fear that he might succeed 
 in his life-long efforts to unravel the mystery and 
 bring the perpetrators of that crime to the scaffold. 
 I tell you no! It goes back far beyond that time,
 
 Jt "Dramatic Interview. 63 
 
 even to the early days of his father's life his 
 father wHo died you know how! Ah, even now 
 I can see him lying there under the willows on the 
 shore of Creve Coeur Lake, with that horrible wound 
 in his breast and his white hair stained with his 
 blood ! I shall never forget that night when you 
 cowered away from that spot like a hunted hyena z 
 and cast that bloody knife far out into the lake. 
 You did not even pause to wash the blood from your 
 hands, but ran away like a wounded hound and left 
 me alone with the ghastly dead." 
 
 Sol. Miserleigh's face was deathly white and he 
 trembled like one with palsy. 
 
 "Enough enough of that," he said appealingly. 
 "In God's name talk no more of that or you'll drive 
 me mad! I believe we will all go mad eventually 
 if we are not crack-brained already. I sometimes 
 think that both you and I are scarcely more sane 
 than sister Aurelia. How horribly we live, and we 
 have never lived better than we do now, save when 
 we first occupied this house twenty-four years ago. 
 The smell of the grave is everywhere within this 
 dreadful inclosure and through the halls and aban- 
 doned rooms of this great half-ruined house, phantom 
 forms wander at night, and when storms beat upon 
 it they revel in the upper room of the tower, like 
 drunken seamen and come and rattle the shutters 
 of my windows and jeer and call my name and talk 
 of murder!"
 
 64 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "Ah," she responded, scornfully, "I see you still 
 have a conscience. I thought it dead long long 
 years ago. I flattered myself that I had strangled 
 it to death while you were still in your teens. But 
 perhaps it is not your conscience which troubles 
 you, but your cowardly disposition. You do not 
 know it, but the fact remains that you are half 
 Barnes and partake of their " w 
 
 "What do you mean?" he demanded fiercely. 
 
 "I'll not tell you now," she replied after a brief 
 hesitation. "No, not now, but after you have ac- 
 complished all whei* you have faithfully executed 
 my plans and reaped your reward for your fidelity; 
 when you have secured for yourself the greater part 
 of the Barnes estate mind you, only the greater 
 part for you shall not have all of it, that boy must 
 have some then you shall kno"w all ! But one thing 
 I want to make clear to you now, what you have al- 
 ways misunderstood, and that is, the true relations 
 which existed between Aurelia and William Barnes." 
 
 "What is there about that which I do not already 
 know?" he asked eagerly. 
 
 "This : Aurelia and William Barnes were legally 
 married, in secret, the day before she became of age 
 and the following morning he would have come here 
 and taken her to his home as his wife." 
 
 "Great God!" he groaned and buried his face in 
 his hands. 
 
 "Don't call on God," she replied tauntingly, "for
 
 Jt Dramatic Interview. 65 
 
 if there is really such a Being, He would not heed the 
 prayer of a Barnes !" 
 
 Apparently he did not hear her last remark, but 
 if so, he did not heed it, for he remained in that grov- 
 eling attitude in silence several minutes. Finally he 
 raised his head and still groveling and trembling 
 pitifully he spoke in a faint voice addressing her: 
 
 "And that very night you sent me to William 
 Barnes to poison his mind against Aurelia by im- 
 peaching her chastity, and he knocked me down 
 and kicked me out of his house and into the mud 
 and filth of the street, and would have broken every 
 bone in my body but for the fortunate interference 
 of a police officer. But the poison of my slander had 
 lodged in his soul and you put more there by in- 
 trigue, by your assumed sorrowful confidences to 
 your servants who spread the vile slander abroad 
 through their associates until even the upper circles 
 of society buzzed and echoed the horrible lie, and it 
 drove the poor girl mad !" 
 
 "That is the correcet history of the affair," she 
 replied calmly. 
 
 "It was an infamous conspiracy against the very 
 life of your own daughter !" he continued, vehemently ; 
 "upon my word, I am afraid of you ! You are a hor- 
 rible monster! horrible beyond conception!" and he 
 moved his chair away from .her to the other side of 
 the fireplace.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A MOTHER'S SAVAGE WARNING TO HER SON. 
 
 A 
 
 A brief interval of silence ensued during which 
 the expression of Mrs. Miserleigh's face became, 
 if possible, more repulsive than before, and then she 
 arose to her feet and walked over to where Sol sat 
 shivering and cowering in abject fear, and grasping 
 him firmly by the shoulder she said angrily: 
 ! "I shall make no apology to you nor to anybody 
 else for anything that I have ever done. I have 
 sown and reaped and the harvest is all mine. True, 
 I did not intend to drive the girl mad, but I would 
 not have hesitated in the execution of my plans if 
 in the beginning I had foreseen that result. I would 
 have plunged a knife into her heart rather than that 
 she should have become the acknowledged wife of 
 my bitterest enemy!" 
 
 "That would have been far more merciful than 
 the wound which you inflicted within her soul ! But 
 why did you allow Barnes to visit her when you must 
 have known in advance what the final result would 
 be?" he asked as he arose and pushed her hand from 
 his shoulder. 
 
 "I did not intend that such should be the result," 
 
 (66)
 
 \A Mother's Warning. 67 
 
 * 
 
 she replied. "I only intended to allow them to bill 
 and coo for a brief space of time and then to clip 
 their wings before they could fly away together. 
 You well know that it was my purpose to get him 
 within my grasp and then to crush him crush out 
 his very life! Twice I could have sprung my trap 
 and caught my game, but you staid my hand, because 
 you had not accomplished your purpose, which you 
 presumed to be identical with mine. You wanted 
 his money, all all of it the entire Barnes estate 
 and you could not get even a farthing of it. And 
 so while we hesitated the goiden opportunity van- 
 ished and the birds came out in full feather and 
 mated, and you know the rest." ft 
 
 "And now, a few more words and I am done. 
 Did William Barnes die of disease?" 
 
 "No; he died of Amos the Fox." 
 
 "Quickly?" *. .1 ~, 
 
 "Instantly! Your potion did the work as well 
 as you could possibly wish." 
 
 She laughed, but the sound was like the snarl of 
 a wild beast. ->- -.:;> *,. 
 
 "And when will he be put in the ground?" 
 
 "At four o'clock to-morrow afternoon." 
 
 "And you will attend the funeral?" 
 
 "Yes, if you think best." 
 
 - "Go, and if you can shed a few crocodile tears, 
 do so, they will help our cause ; yes, weep and mourn ! 
 "Ha, ha, ha! Where's the boy?"
 
 68 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "This morning I sent him out of town in charge 
 of Sam Slick. Langdon does not know of Barnes' 
 death. It is a game of skin and bleed." 
 
 "Do you know who that boy is ?" 
 
 "Why, Barnes' nephew, of course." 
 
 "Nothing of the kind; now look at me, if you 
 can keep your wavering eyes in one position a few 
 minutes, and listen. You may bleed him financially 
 to the utmost limit of your desire, but you shall not 
 crush him nor shall you harm his person in any way. 
 He is lawful heir to the Barnes' estate, and were it 
 not for my promise to you he should possess and. 
 enjoy it in safety and peace. Even as it is, you shah 
 not beggar him while I live, and if you even attempt 
 it after I have plunged into the dark unknown, I will 
 come back and haunt you until you will rush head- 
 long to meet me in that awful vale of shadows ! Take 
 the greater part of the Barnes' wealth if you can get 
 it and keep out of the penitentiary, but be satisfied 
 with that for you will never need more. Remember, 
 do that boy no bodily harm and leave him enough 
 for a comfortable support. This is my command, 
 and you dare not disobey it." 
 
 "I will respect your wishes," he replied meekly. 
 
 She looked into his face searchingly a few mo- 
 ments in silence, and she could hear the beating 
 of his heart. Then she said slowly, by way of part- 
 ing: 
 
 "Very well ; now go to bed !" and without another
 
 Jt Mother's Warning. 69 
 
 word he went to his room and crept shiveringly be- 
 tween the blankets, after having removed his shoes. 
 
 As Mrs. Miserleigh covered up the few burning 
 coals in the grate, with fine ashes, she muttered to 
 herself in a hoarse whisper: 
 
 "I have lived to witness the fruition of my fondest 
 desire, but what awful sacrifices I have made for 
 its accomplishment!" 
 
 Then she put out the light, felt her way with her 
 hands along the wall to the door, passed out into the 
 hall, into the reception room, crouched down upon a 
 soft, drew a heavy woolen blanket over her, and thus 
 another score had been added to the record of her 
 wicked life.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 EARLY MORNING INCIDENTS AT THE RESIDENCE OF 
 JACOB BLUM. 
 
 "Who vas dat in the alley, Leah?" inquired 
 Jacob Blum of his bed-ridden wife, in a frightened 
 voice as he raised himself in bed and leaning partly 
 on his left elbow shaded his eyes with his right 
 hand, and endeavored to peer through the slats of the 
 blinds of a window on the opposite side of the room, 
 through which came the first gleam of early day 
 dawn. 
 
 "I don't know who dat vos, Yacob, but it 
 schleeps along like von o' de poys, aindt it?" re- 
 sponded Leah, evidently not at all frightened as she 
 raised her feeble body to a sitting posture beside her 
 spouse. 
 
 "Nein, I tinks nodt," whispered Jacob. "Shust 
 geep schtill a leedle pit, und lischten." 
 
 Creep creep! patter patter! came the sound 
 along the narrow paved alleyway, and then a brief 
 pause, and then again advancing footsteps, evidently 
 those of a very light person, shod with stockings or 
 rubber shoes. Then came another pause and then a 
 
 (70) 

 
 Early Morning Incidents. 71 
 
 light rap on the bed room door which opened upon 
 the alleyway. 
 
 "Who vas dat?" demanded Jacob, sitting up 
 straight in bed and shivering from fright. 
 
 "Open the door quick ! Jake," came the faint re- 
 ply of a man's voice accompanied by another and very 
 impatient knock on the door. 
 
 "Got in Himmel! dat vas Amos de Fox, I^eah," 
 ejaculated Jacob as he slipped out of bed, jumped 
 into his trousers almost at a single bound, hastened 
 to the door, unbolted it, swung it open and said in a 
 half whisper : "Gootness gerracious Amos ! I tinks 
 you vould'nt be here for an hour yet, come in." 
 
 "Well, I am here a little ahead of the appointed 
 time," replied Amos the Fox as he stepped into the 
 room and softly closed the door, "but you see, Jacob, 
 I had a much easier job than I anticipated, and I 
 worked fast, and here I am, safe and sound and no 
 'cops' on my trail." 
 
 "Goot, goot !" replied Jacob, patting Amos play- 
 fully on the shoulder and leering into his face, "dat 
 vas goot ; und you fixed de lemon ?" 
 
 "Well, I should remark !" 
 
 "Und he don't vake up?" 
 
 "No ; he laid there sleeping like a hog." 
 
 "Und how you know he takes de lemon?" 
 
 "Know? well enough. It is his habit every morn- 
 ing when he wakes up to suck the juice of a lemon, 
 and he puts one on a, cjmir within easy reach when he
 
 72 Joshua Humble. 
 
 goes to bed. He is a bilious cuss and imagines that 
 the lemon juice will keep him from having the ague. 
 I fixed a lemon which I put on the chair and I 
 brought away the one which he placed there before 
 going to bed, and if he ever tackles my lemon he 
 will never even kick afterwards and won't have the 
 slightest suspicion what hurt him." 
 
 He he, ho ho !" giggled the Jew, again patting 
 Amos playfully on the shoulder : "Veil dat vas goot ! 
 de ole vomans vas a rip schnorter, und don't you 
 forget im, aindt it? How you indo de house get?" 
 
 "Opened the front door with my skeleton and 
 found a clear runway. Not one of the inside doors 
 locked and everybody in the house sound asleep." 
 
 "Und you get somedings some monish?" 
 
 "No, you greedy old fool ! that would have given 
 the whole thing away. No, I did not take even a pin, 
 only a lemon, and as I left mine in its place there was 
 simply an even exchange and consequently no rob- 
 bery. I came out by the way I entered the house 
 by the front door and left it locked just as I found 
 it. There were no 'cops' in sight, not a human soul 
 on the street, for the fog is as thick and wet as ever 
 dropped down on London." 
 
 "Veil, veil !" chuckled Jacob, as he put on his vest 
 and coat and thrust his bare feet into a pair of 
 slippers: "Veil, veil Amos, you vas a schlick von 
 sure ! Go indo de kitchen und I vake up Martha to 
 cook us some preakfascht," and he led the way into
 
 Early Morning Incidents. 73 
 
 the kitchen and hastily built a fire in the stove, all 
 the while ejaculating to Amos who sat on a low stool 
 in a corner of the room ; ''Veil, veil, you vas a schlick 
 von Amos und no mischdake !" 
 
 Soon Martha came into the room and greeted the 
 Fox very pleasantly, but seemed considerably em- 
 barrassed, to hide which she began to chatter in 
 broken dialect as she hurriedly cooked the food, 
 while Jacob busied himself with keeping the stove 
 piping hot. Martha talked very fast, and upon a 
 great variety of subjects to which Amos responded 
 in monosyllables, often ridiculously foreign to the 
 subject; but Martha did not seem to notice his pre- 
 occupation of mind and did not heed his uncertain 
 and confused responses, and continued to pour forth 
 a perfect volley of words quite incomprehensible ex- 
 cept to trained ears. Finally in the very midst of her 
 rambling, guttural discourse, she paused and listened, 
 as did also her master and Amos the Fox, to the 
 sound of approaching footsteps along the brick pave- 
 ment of the alleyway. 
 
 "It vas Mose," said Jacob, to Amos in a tone of 
 evident relief, "I wonder vy he come so soon?" 
 
 "It is not too early, six o'clock," replied the Fox, 
 glancing at his watch, and that moment the door 
 opened cautiously a little way, and a bushy head of 
 curly black hair, partially covered by a ragged old 
 cap, was thrust through the opening, and a grotesque 
 Jewish face appeared, and its glittering eyes glanced
 
 74 Joshua Humble. 
 
 questioningly, first at Jacob, then at Martha and 
 finally rested upon the face of Amos the Fox. It 
 was an old face which appeared in the partially open 
 doorway, and yet it was not wrinkled, nor were there 
 any lines of age under its gleaming eyes, but its ex- 
 pression was aged an indefinable something over 
 all denoting experience, intelligence and courage. 
 
 "Vat you schtand dere und keeps open de door 
 for?" said Jacob, impatiently, as the head appeared 
 and disappeared several times in quick succession. 
 "Come in ye schneakin' varmint, come in I say und 
 schut de door!" 
 
 With a quick creeping movement the hesitating 
 form glided sidewise into the room and closed the 
 door softly behind him. It was the form of a dimin- 
 utive hunchback, neither old nor young, neither man 
 nor boy, and yet all of these in one. His arms and 
 legs were, as to length, nearly equal to those of a 
 man of medium height, and his hands and feet were 
 of enormous size as compared with his stature, while 
 the trunk of his body seemed utterly doubled up 
 within itself to barely one-fourth the usual length 
 of a human body of medium height. His head sat 
 squarely down on his shoulders which curved upward 
 from his short thin neck to their extreme points, 
 and an immense hump extended upward on his back 
 to a line nearly on a level with the tops of his ears. 
 In his right hand he carried by a strap a bootblack's 
 outfit, consisting of a box, perhaps eight inches in.
 
 Early Morning Incidents. 75 
 
 length by four inches in width and height, contain- 
 ing two brushes and a box of shoe blacking, while 
 under his left arm several copies of a morning news- 
 paper, very wet and much soiled were clasped against 
 the side of his ragged and greasy jacket. 
 
 "Veil, vat you come home so soon for?" was 
 Jacob's snarling inquiry of the human monstrosity, 
 his unfortunate brother, as that individual silently 
 deposited his shoe blacking outfit and newspapers 
 on the floor in a corner of the room. "Vat you come 
 home for I say, ven it vas more as half an hour 
 'fore daylight, Eh? I tole you to shday in front of 
 old Barnes' big house und vait until he come oudt 
 und den sell him a bapier und black his shoes. Vy 
 you not shday und do as I tole you, Eh?" 
 
 "Veil, look-a-here Yacob," drawled the hunch- 
 back with an assumption of humbleness and inno- 
 cence. "Zhust lischten a leedle, vile I exblain. Dot 
 ole moke, Barnes, don't vont no bapier, cause vy? 
 Cause he can't valk no more, und can't read no more 
 cause he's dedt fell dedt mit heart disease only 
 bout half-hour ago !" 
 
 "How you know?" demanded Jacob with feigned 
 surprise, "how you know he's dedt?" 
 
 "Veil, I vas schtandin' on de udder side o' de 
 sthreet und vaiten' for de ole moke to come oudt to 
 go for his morning pitters to de saloon aroun de 
 corner; und py und py I heard a screech in de big 
 house, und somepody runnin' aroun' und more
 
 76 Josuah Humble. 
 
 screechin' und runnin' in de house, und den a great 
 lubber of a feller come runnin' fon de house oudt 
 und down de schteps und across de sthreet to de 
 docthors, und pull de door pell like de tyful. Den 
 de ole docthor pull up de vindow up und 
 poke oudt his head oudt de vindow und 
 ax him vot he vonts, und de feller at de 
 door sez: 'Come quick dochtor, Mischter Parnes 
 falls down on de floor down!' In a few minutes de 
 dochtor come his house oudt, und goes over to de 
 big house, und in a few minutes two more docthors 
 come, und lots of beeples come de house oudt und 
 say dot Mischter Parnes ish dedt fell down on de 
 floor mit heart disease, und den I come home, dots 
 all!" 
 
 During the hunchback's disjointed recital of his 
 early morning experience, the thin yellow face of 
 Amos the Fox underwent many peculiar changes of 
 expression: from that of quiet confidence and un- 
 concern, to one of apprehension, then fear, and then 
 remorse; and his little keen gray eyes were simply 
 two glittering interrogation points, wavering across 
 the face of the decrepit little hunchback. During the 
 recital, also, Jacob and the Fox frequently ex- 
 changed significant nods and glances, and when the 
 hunchback had concluded his story, Jacob turned to 
 him and said: 
 
 "Veil dat ish all righdt Mose, of course ye 
 couldn't plack his shoes up if he had to go und get
 
 Early Morning Incidents. 77 
 
 dedt. Now go und open und svweep de store oudt und 
 hang de fine suit of cloding oudt vat I puys fon de 
 zhenteel young vomans lascht nighdt." 
 
 As Mose went out to comply with Jacob's in- 
 structions, Martha placed the last dish of cooked 
 food upon the table and the three, Jacob, Amos and 
 Martha sat down before it and devoured the food 
 in silence. Finally Jacob drew back from the table, 
 wiped the grease from the bristling beard around his 
 mouth with the palms of his hands and then rubbed 
 them upon the sides of his trousers, took up his fork, 
 and as he picked his teeth with one of the tines, said 
 to Amos the Fox: 
 
 "Veil pard, dat vas goot morning's vork. Two 
 tousand tollar, und you gets half, und de palance goes 
 to de gang: Steel, Harlip und me. Dat vas goot! 
 und now Steel shall get avay mit de kid, Harlip 
 Brown shall get avay mit ole Humble, und I shall 
 get avay mit Sam Slick, und ve shall get two tousand 
 tollar for each job, Eh?" 
 
 "That's the bargain," replied the Fox meditatively 
 as he arose from the table and put on his hat. "And 
 now I must go;" and without another word he 
 opened the back door and passed out into the alley- 
 way, while Jacob went through the bed room into 
 the store to send Mose to breakfast.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 A MABVELOUS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRANSFORMATION. 
 
 As Jacob closed the door behind him, Martha 
 paused in her work of washing the dishes and as- 
 sumed a listening attitude during which she sud- 
 denly underwent a marvelous personal transforma- 
 tion. Gradually and in detail, like soldiers perform- 
 ing military evolutions, each several feature seemed 
 to change position sufficiently to produce a radically 
 different expression of countenance until finally their 
 slightly Jewish cast wholly disappeared and the 
 peculiar posture of the body, one of the most dis- 
 tinguishing characteristics of women of the Jewish 
 race, also changed, and she stood erect and graceful 
 with an expression of mingled horror and disgust 
 upon her fair young face. She stood thus several 
 minutes looking vacantly toward the door through 
 which old Jacob had disappeared, and beat a tattoo 
 with the tines of a table fork which she held in her 
 right hand. She was evidently engaged in self com- 
 munion, and it was also evident that her thoughts 
 were not at all pleasant. At length her meditations 
 found voice, not in the broken English dialect of 
 
 (78)
 
 Jl Marvelous Transformation. 79 
 
 old Jacob, with its peculiar twang of pronunciation, 
 but in plain and vigorous American-English. 
 
 "Murder, too!" she said, "and a sneaking cow- 
 ardly murder at that ! and three more souls to travel 
 the same road it is simply horrible ! I am not 
 much good myself, and very much wicked, but this 
 wretched cold-blooded murder makes my heart sick ! 
 I can endure a burglar even a common sneak- 
 thief in a sort of a way, but a murderer, Ugh ! The 
 very thought of one makes the chills run all over my 
 body! Why did I ever come here? Why did I not 
 remain in that old crockery hogshead in the cellar 
 of the abandoned building on Commercial Alley and 
 die of starvation and malarial fever, or be devoured 
 by wharf rats ? But life is sweet, even to a homeless 
 wretch such as I was, and so I became the servant 
 of a miserable old Jew, and the nurse of his filthy, 
 vile old wife, rather than die ! But it would have 
 been far better for me to have died when Jacob 
 found me, in my nest of damp straw in the old cellar, 
 ten years a'go. Ten years of constant association 
 with old Jacob and Leah ten long years of think- 
 ing their thoughts and aping their manners, and 
 hearing only their wretched dialect, has almost trans- 
 formed me into one of their class ; why, I think and 
 talk and act like them unconsciously when in their 
 presence, and when away from them the recollection 
 of their influence over me is like the remembrance 
 of a horrible dream J"
 
 80 Joshua Humble. 
 
 A sharp clicking of the latch, and the door be- 
 tween the kitchen and the sleeping room of old Jacob 
 and Leah swung slowly backward upon its rusty 
 hinges with a creaking sound, swung a little way, 
 stopped, then wide open and Hunchback Mose came 
 ambling through the opening, silently sat down in 
 a chair by the table and without ceremony began 
 ravenously to devour the scant supply of remnants 
 of food left by the others. The creature gnawed 
 the bones like a half-famished dog and in his eager- 
 ness clawed the food into his mouth with his long 
 dirt-begrimmed ape-like fingers. Martha stood look- 
 ing down pityingly several minutes upon the pinched 
 saffron-colored face of the misshapen creature, and 
 then said to him in a kind tone, but with evident feel- 
 ings of aversion, adopting again the accustomed 
 dialect : 
 
 "You vas hungry, Mose?" 
 
 "Yaw," he answered as he gnawed a piece of 
 gristle from the end of a bone, "yaw, I vas hungry 
 now, und vas always hungry !" 
 
 "Too bad," she muttered, "too bad ! It is a crime 
 to treat any human that way!" Stoopping down she 
 opened the oven door of the cook stove, drew forth 
 a large tin plate heaping full of fried potatoes and 
 pieces of meat, and placed it on the table before 
 the hunchback saying: 
 
 "There Mose, chaw avay at dat, und fill your 
 stomach for vonce!"
 
 A Marvelous Transformation. 81 
 
 "Vat, Martha! vas all dat for me?" he asked with 
 hands uplifted in astonishment. 
 
 "Yaw," she replied with a pitying smile, yaw 
 Mose, dat ish all for you, chaw it all down und fill 
 your stomach, I save it for you." 
 
 "You vas goot to me Martha, always," he said 
 with quivering voice, "und I pays you pack soom 
 days ven you may need a frendt." 
 
 "Veil dat ish all righdt," she replied as she began 
 again to wash the dishes. "I vas poor und hungry 
 myself vonce." 
 
 "Yaw dat ish so. How long since you come to 
 live mit Yacob ? I forget." 
 
 "It vas den year." 
 
 "Yaw, yaw, und I vas a kid den, und lib mit ole 
 Mother Levy down in Carondelet. Und Yacob 
 goes aroun' den mit an ole horse un vagon und 
 buys ole rags und iron, und he found you in a cellar 
 vere he vent to schdeal some lead bipe, aindt it ?" 
 
 "Yaw," she answered gloomily. 
 
 "Und he dakes you home do his rag house vere 
 he lib mit his ole frow, Leah Eh?" 
 
 "Yaw, dat ish so." 
 
 "Und how ole vas you den?" 
 
 "Dwelve year oldt." 
 
 'Den you vas dwenty-doo now?" 
 
 "Yaw." 
 
 "Und vas so sweedt und breety! Vy you stay 
 mit ole Yacob and Leah ven you could be de
 
 82 Joshua Humble. 
 
 frow of a young and handsome man, who vood love 
 you? You vas awful sweedt und goot." 
 
 Martha colored slightly, and in silence continued 
 to wash the dishes, but with increased energy. 
 
 "Und vat ish your dthrue name ?" persisted Mose 
 as he deposited a large piece of meat between his 
 jaws and began to chew it vigorously. 
 
 "My given name vas Valentina," she replied 
 slowly and hesitatigly, drawing from her bosom a 
 tiny gold locket on which was engraved : "Valentina 
 from Mary." "I vas porn on Saint Valentine's day 
 and they name me after de day." 
 
 "Who give you de locket?'' 
 
 "A vomans mit who I lived before I became a 
 gutter urchin. She died, poor thing!" 
 
 "Und vat vas your udder name?" 
 
 "I don't know, Mose; but vy you ask me so many 
 questions ?" 
 
 "I vont to know all about you," he replied laying 
 down his knife and fork and rising from the table, 
 having devoured the last crumb. "I come here five 
 year ago ven Yacob go indo de ole cloding pisness, 
 und I find you here und Yacob say you ish a Jew 
 orphan ; but I know you ish no Jew, und you dreats 
 me goot, und Yacob dreats me mean, und so I 
 likes you und hates Yacob, dat ish all." 
 
 "Veil dat ish all righdt," replied Martha sooth- 
 ingly, "Now run along into de store or Yacob 
 gets mad und vip you."
 
 A Marvelous Transformation. 83 
 
 "Yaw, yaw," replied the hunchback with a venge- 
 ful expression on his withered face, "Yaw, but I 
 gets even mit him zoom dimes if I live. Good-py 
 breety Valentina," and he shuffled out of the room 
 bowing and grinning like a trained ape. 
 
 I
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 GHOSTS OP PAST EVENTS. 
 
 As the hunchback closed the door behind him 
 the peculiar Jewish expression again vanished from 
 Martha's face giving place to one of dreamy medi- 
 tation, and as she stood there slowly wiping the 
 dishes that she had washed she was fair, indeed very 
 fair, even beautiful. She was of niedium height, 
 with form almost perfect in every detail, full and 
 plump even to voluptuousness. Her features were 
 regular and extremely delicate, with mouth, nose and 
 chin quite perfect; large expressive brown eyes 
 shaded by full handsome eyebrows and long dark 
 eyelashes. Her head was large and symmetrical 
 and crowned with an abundance of dark silken 
 chestnut hair, and her complexion was of the warm 
 glowing tint of the inhabitants of tropical countries. 
 Her voice was soft and flute-like, the very echoes of 
 harmonious vocal music, and her every movement 
 was graceful, the very "poetry of motion." The hunch- 
 back's blunt boorish inquiries had directed her mind 
 into new channels of thought, and she was trying 
 to resuscitate her almost dead remembrances of 
 early childhood. 
 
 (84)
 
 Ghosts of Past Events. 85 
 
 Dimly there remained impressed upon her mind 
 the image of a fair young mother's face with a 
 grieved expression about its beautiful mouth and sad 
 tearful eyes; she could feel the delicate pressure of 
 loving arms around her and faintly hear the soft 
 sweet notes of a lullaby. And upon her mind was 
 another image plainly impressed : that of a cold-faced 
 angry eyed man, and also faintly in her ears echoed 
 a harsh reproachful voice, and an old feeling of abject 
 terror came back to her heart. Upon her mind also 
 was mentally photographed a great house of rough 
 stone with a tall tower at one corner, and many ir- 
 regular angles and gables, and with wide halls and 
 many large rooms within. And another image 
 floated across the image of her mind : that of a tall 
 old woman with thin white hair and withered form 
 and wrinkled face, with cold, gray, blood-shot eyes, 
 bulging out painfully from their sockets, and with 
 long black teeth protruding from between thin 
 ashen, shriveled lips. And still another woman's 
 face cold, wrinkled and threatening went flitting by. 
 
 Then came a throng of incidents, ghosts of the 
 dead past, trooping one by one through the dimly 
 lighted galleries of thA temple of her mini First, 
 the sensation of being carried in arms a long distance 
 at night in a freezing atmosphere through a blinding 
 snowstorm, of the bearer sinking down and vainly 
 endeavoring to rise, of the pitiful sounds of a pray- 
 ing voice and sighs and weeping, and then a long pe-
 
 86 Joshua Humble. 
 
 riod of silence broken only by the moaning of the 
 winds. And then the sensation of being lifted from 
 the earth and borne away in arms, and then the 
 warmth of a fire and the cheer and comfort of a 
 human habitation, and then oblivion. 
 
 Then again there passed before the mirror of 
 her mind, vague and shadowy forms and scenes, 
 such as may leave a faint impress upon a partially 
 demented brain in early childhood through a series 
 of years, and then a gradual unfolding of the mind 
 and corresponding improvement in the power of 
 comprehension; and then a vivid recollection of the 
 miseries of a homeless vagabond life, of drifting 
 around the streets and alleyways of the city with only 
 an equally homeless and friendless young bulldog as 
 companion and protector; of struggling with dogs 
 in the gutters for the possession of stray morsels 
 of food ; of a period of business adventure in the sale 
 of newspapers and matches upon the streets and 
 finally of an attack of sewer fever and the faithful- 
 ness of her dog companion in guarding her against 
 the attacks of wharf rats in her bed of straw in the 
 deserted cellar, and finally in directing old Jacob 
 Blum to her rescue. 
 
 Up to that period of her life she remembered 
 distinctly but one human face, that of a boy a hand- 
 some, brave, stout fellow, like herself a homeless 
 wanderer a bootblack by occupation who had 
 often defended her against a host of wild gutter ur-
 
 Ghosts of Past Events. 87 
 
 chins; who had supplied her with clothing, pur- 
 chased with his scant earnings, from old clothes 
 dealers, and as often himself gone hungry in con- 
 sequence. That face was indelibly stamped upon her 
 mind and heart, and every day of her life even every 
 hour by a slight effort of will she resurrected it 
 from the cold ashes of the dead years and passed 
 it in review before her mental vision, and joyed in 
 loving it to the utmost fullness. **< 
 
 Light quick footsteps along the brick pavement 
 of the alleyway broke rudely in upon her medita- 
 tions, and stepping quickly to the door she opened 
 it and looked out. One glance at the face of the 
 handsome, elegantly dressed man passing along the 
 alleyway, and her heart gave a violent throb and then 
 seemed to cease its motion. The delicate rose-tint of 
 nature vanished from her cheeks and lips leaving 
 them as white as marble. He heard the door open, 
 paused, glanced upward at the fair form and face in 
 the doorway, started, took a step toward her, hes- 
 itated an instant and then in evident confusion of 
 mind turned and walked quickly away. A few mo- 
 ments later he turned into a wide and handsome busi- 
 ness street, paused, took out his watch, glanced at 
 the dial and said reflectively: "Seven o'clock, time is 
 up, and Sam Slick always keeps his appointments 
 promptly. Three squares yet and old Miserleigh 
 waiting!" and he hurried along the street at a very 
 fast walking, muttering : "So like little Valentina ! Just
 
 88 Joshua Humble. 
 
 as she would have looked grown up. But no, it can- 
 not be, she has been dead ten years, poor little dear, 
 and long since crumbled into dust." 
 
 As Martha stood in the kitchen doorway, speech- 
 less and spellbound, looking in the direction in which 
 that familiar face had vanished, she was a perfect 
 model for a statue. Her posture was graceful and 
 elegant, and eloquently expressive of deep and thril- 
 ling emotion. Her left hand was pressed against her 
 bosom just over her heart as though to check its 
 wild pulsations, and her right arm was extended 
 partially in a beckoning manner, and partially as 
 in the act of enfolding some object within her em- 
 brace. Her large brown eyes sparkled with an ex- 
 pression of intense joy and her form quivered as 
 though under the influence of an electric current. 
 As she stood thus, utterly deprived of the power of 
 motion, an immense bull-dog crept out of his kennel 
 in the back yard, pushed open the gate, and went 
 bounding out into the alleyway, began smelling 
 along the pavement over which Sam Slick had 
 walked but a few moments before, and in low whining 
 tones gave vent to almost human expressions of 
 delight, during which Martha, having partially recov- 
 ered from the shock of surprise, sank down in a 
 chair and watched the dog with breathless interest. 
 Finally the sagacious animal glanced upward and 
 discovered his young mistress sitting in the doorway 
 and bounded toward her with profuse manifestations
 
 Ghosts of Past Events. 89 
 
 of delight. At the foot of the flight of three steps 
 leading up from the pavement of the alleyway to the 
 kitchen door, he squatted down on his haunches 
 and elevating his nose gazed upward into his mis- 
 tress' face with an expression of almost human 
 intelligence, a mute but plain inquiry and an answer 
 combined, that is: "Don't you know him? Yes 
 you do, and so do I !" 
 
 "Who is it ? dear old Hero, who is it ?" asked 
 Martha in soft tremulous tones looking lovingly 
 down into the eyes of her faithful canine friend. 
 "Paul Dyke, whom we thought long since dead? 
 Is it Paul, Hero, is it Paul?" 
 
 The human eyes of the animal assumed an ex- 
 pression of intelligent comprehension which lan- 
 guage cannot describe, as he bowed his head and 
 gave vent to a low winding bark wdiich sounded 
 very much like a human voice saying: "Yes, Val- 
 entina, it is Paul !" 
 
 Joyfully she held out her hands toward the dog 
 who instantly bounded up the steps to her feet, and 
 she sank down upon her knees and clasped her arms 
 around his neck and laid her cheek upon his head and 
 wept, while Hero whined in a caressing voice as 
 though endeavoring to talk.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 THE "THREE GRACES OF SATAN." 
 
 William Barnes had been afflicted with heart dis- 
 ease for several years and from the first manifesta- 
 tions of the dread malady he had been under constant 
 medical treatment by Dr. Hedges, the physician 
 first called by the servant who heard his master fall 
 upon the floor and hurried into his room to find 
 him prone upon his back, apparently lifeless. There- 
 fore when Dr. Hedges examined the body which had 
 been placed upon the bed and discovered all the out- 
 ward indications of death from heart disease, he 
 simply stated the facts to the other physicians who 
 had been summoned, and after a casual view of the 
 bodyby them a post-mortem examination was deemed 
 unnecessary, and was consequently dispensed with 
 in deference to the well known aversion of the de- 
 ceased to such proceeding and therefore all that re- 
 mained to be done by the doctors was to prepare a 
 certificate setting forth the cause of death, and to 
 summon an undertaker to prepare the body for 
 burial, and that matter having been duly attended to, 
 the physicians took their leave. During the forenoon 
 the undertakers accomplished their sad duties, and 
 
 (90)
 
 The "Three Graces of Satan/' 91 
 
 by direction of Judge Prye who for many years had 
 been the trusted friend and legal counselor, attorney 
 and general business representative of the deceased, 
 the body was conveyed in a handsome casket down 
 stairs into the front parlor where hundreds of peo- 
 ple came during the day and evening to look for the 
 last time upon the face of him who had ever been a 
 generous friend of the poor, and an honorable and 
 useful citizen. n 
 
 Among the first callers at the Barnes residence 
 during the morning of the day following that of the 
 death of its owner, were Mrs. Sly, Becky Falser 
 and Jerusha Snuffer. They had assembled at the 
 lodgings of Mrs. Sly as per previous arrangement, 
 and went together therefrom, chattering in coarse 
 tones the gossip of the neighborhood concerning 
 the life and character of the deceased, Mrs. Sly, as 
 usual, leading in the conversation and skillfully 
 supplying subjects for conversation. 
 
 "Jist as I said last night," remarked Mrs. Sly to 
 the others, as they walked slowly along the street, 
 "Jist as I said when that old hussy Mistress O'Keefe 
 pounded on the wall and spiled our talk. It'll be a 
 funeral wi'out mourners. People will go to look at 
 the corpse jist to see how it looks, and to git the 
 latest news right on the spot, but nobody's goin' to 
 cry 'cept the ole'oman, his housekeeper and the 
 servants, who are sorry only because they're out 
 of a job. He was a pizen old wretch and only give to
 
 92 Joshua Humble, 
 
 the poor to git his name up. Yes, there'll be no 
 mourners, not a single blood relation at his funeral, 
 for they do say that the young dandy what he 
 claimed as his nephew can't be found nowhere, and 
 I hear that some people think that there may be 
 something crooked about the old man's death, and 
 that the young feller may have helped him to 
 'shuffle off his moral pile' as the feller said in the 
 theatre the other night, meanin', that he helped him 
 to 'kick tne bucket,' or as the gamblers say, 'pass in 
 his checks/ You know what I mean, I don't like to 
 speak it, for it makes the cold chills run up an<7 
 down my back to say that ugly word ugh !" 
 
 "Ye mean," squeeked Becky Falser, "that peo- 
 ple think that William Barnes was murdered and that 
 young Langdon is the feller that had it done?" 
 
 "Aye, responded Mrs. Sly with a shiver, "aye, 
 that's what I intended to say, I hearn Sol. Miser- 
 leigh hintin' that way to a fishwoman as he was 
 buyjn' some fish to be sent home." 
 
 "Law sakes alive!" chimed in Jerusha Snuffer, 
 "how shockin! To think that his own blood kin 
 would even wish to have him put out of the way ah, 
 its dreadful! dreadful to meditate on! They do say 
 that there is a good deal of doubt in some people's 
 minds about the young feller a bein' any relation at 
 all of old Barnes. I was a talkin' with ole Mother 
 Hurt this mornin' afore breakfast about it, and she 
 says that she has knowed the Barnes family nigh
 
 The "Three Graces of Satan." 93 
 
 onto forty year, and that William Barnes never had 
 a sister, and only one brother who died more'n 
 twenty year ago and was never married and had no 
 children than nobody knows on. She says that old 
 Barnes got the kid somewhar before it had turned 
 white and tried to find another one which some- 
 body had stole, an' now he calls this un which he 
 brought up on a bottle, his nephew Pshaw !" 
 
 "For my part," said Mrs. Sly, in a half whisper 
 and with a scornful toss of her head, as she opened 
 the iron gate in front of the Barnes residence, "for 
 my part, I think that this young scamp and the lost 
 kid also are only old Barnes' love children hark! 
 there's a big crowd here already," and they ascended 
 the flight of marble steps and a few moments later 
 stood in the solemn presence of the dead. 
 
 "How nateral he looks," said Becky Falser as 
 stood at the head of the casket and looked down 
 upon the still form. 
 
 "And the red spots on his cheeks!" whispered 
 Jerusha Snuffer, hysterically. 
 
 "And his eyes closed jist as in sleep, not the 
 least sunken," said Mrs. Sly in a low tone ; looks jist 
 like he was breathin';" and then the idle venomous 
 gossips stepped backward to give place to the in- 
 flowing tide of true heartfelt mourners, among whom 
 were Mrs. O'Keefe and her two sons, all very plainly 
 but neatly dressed, apparently for the occasion. As 
 that good woman stood looking down upon the dead
 
 94 Joshua Humble. 
 
 face of her kind benefactor, her usual calmness and 
 self-control deserted her, and she broke forth in a 
 low plaintive wail of sorrow, while tears gushed from 
 her almost sightless eyes and coursed down her 
 face. 
 
 "Come, mither dear, come away!" said Mick in 
 a kind and gentle tone, as he laid his hand lovingly 
 upon her shoulder. "He is dead, mither, rist his 
 soul, and weepin' cannot bring him back to life. 
 
 "Yis, Mickey dear, I know, I know, but he was 
 a good friend t' us an' all th' poor, but he cannot 
 come back to us, he cannot come back to bless and 
 cheer an' comfort us as in days gone by. Good bye 
 dear friend, good bye," and she stooped and kissed 
 the cold dead face and was quietly led away to her 
 home. 
 
 "What an 'ole hypocrite!" said Mrs. Sly spite- 
 fully as the three gossips followed the O'Keefe fam- 
 ily along the street at a distance. 
 
 "Aye, aye," replied Becky Falser sneeringly, 
 "quite emotional quite !" 
 
 "They do say that the ole 'oman was rather too 
 intimate wi' old Barnes in all decency an* virtue," 
 squeaked Jerusha Snuffer, elevating her long slim 
 nose and snorting like a racer on the home stretch 
 of a last heat. And so the gossips gave vent to 
 vile slander, each endeavoring to outdo the other, 
 until at the doorway of Mrs. Sly they parted, and 
 each sought her own home to ponder over the events
 
 The "Three Graces of Satan." 95 
 
 of the day, and to invent new tales to be scattered 
 abroad in defamation of the pure and honorable soul, 
 that had so suddenly flitted away from its earthly 
 habitation, to a new life of glorious immortality.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 AUKELIA'S STABTLING ACCUSATIONS. 
 
 While these events were transpiring at and in 
 the vicinity of the Barnes residence, Sol. Miserleigh 
 in his office with windows closely curtained and 
 doors locked and bolted, sat by his desk earnestly 
 engaged in endeavoring to obliterate writing by the 
 application of chemicals. He had been thus employed 
 since early morning, but his work thus far had been 
 merely experimental, and evidently far from satis- 
 factory. The chemicals employed, a mixture of 
 chloride of lime and water, settled and filtered, to 
 which was added about one-eighth part of ascetic acid, 
 forming a white transparent liquid was applied with a 
 fine camel's hair pencil brush to some writing on a 
 sheet of white paper, and almost instantly the writ- 
 ing disappeared ; but traces of the action of the solu- 
 tion were plainly visible upon the enamel of the 
 paper, and Miserleigh was endeavoring to repolish 
 it with the oval end of an ivory handled ink eraser. 
 
 Finally he sat still a few moments looking down 
 upon the paper on the desk, and said reflectively: 
 "After the solution has erased the writing, I must re- 
 move the solution and let the paper get perfectly dry, 
 
 (96)
 
 Jturetia's Startling Accusations. 97 
 
 and, then spread evenly over the tarnished surface, 
 some pulverized and clarified resin (I have some here 
 in the desk), and then polish evenly." 
 
 Then he applied a small quantity of the solution 
 to some writing on another part of the sheet of 
 paper, examined it attentively with a magnifying 
 glass, and when the writing had entirely disappeared 
 absorbed the moisture remaining on the surface 
 with a clean piece of blotting paper; then he dipped 
 a tiny piece of soft silken sponge into a glass of 
 filtered water, squeezing it out almost dry and 
 passed it gentlv several times over that portion of the 
 paper from which the writing had been erased by 
 the chemical solution. Then he arose, went to the 
 stove, held the damp spot on the paper to the fire 
 until it was thoroughly dry, returned to his desk, 
 spread a small quantity of finely powdered resin 
 over the tarnished surface of the paper, polished it 
 down evenly and smoothly with the oval end of the 
 handle of the ink eraser, took the paper up in his 
 left hand, leaned back in his chair, took the magni- 
 fying glass in his right hand, held it between his eyes 
 and the paper, and carefully examined his work. , 
 
 "Not a trace," he said excitedly, "not even a 
 shadow of an erasure it is simply perfect 1" 
 
 As he put the paper and glass down upon the 
 desk, his hands began to tremble, his saffron-colored 
 face became flushed, and large bead-like drops of 
 perspiration gathered upon his brow. He sat thus 
 
 [7]
 
 98 Joshua Humble. 
 
 several movements, quivering, chuckling, grinning like 
 a very fiend, all the while rubbing his hands together 
 nervously and swaying his body to and fro in his 
 chair. Gradually, however, he regained his self- 
 possession, and when perfectly calm, he reached 
 forward and opened the secret drawer of his desk 
 and drew forth a small slip of paper on which was 
 written in Miserleigh's peculiar handwriting, except 
 the signature at the bottom, the following: 
 $3,000.00 "St. Louis, Nov. 3d, 18 . 
 
 Twelve months after date, I promise to pay to 
 the order of Sol. Miserleigh, Three Thousand Dol- 
 lars, with interest at the rate of six per cent per 
 annum, Value received. 
 
 William Barnes." 
 
 "And now," said Miserleigh tremulously, laying 
 down the promissory note upon his desk: "now 
 comes 'the tug of war.' I may not be as successful 
 with the real work as I have been with the experi- 
 ment. If I fail I simply lose three thousand dollars 
 as this is the only evidence in existence of his indebt- 
 edness to me. If I succeed, I gain at one swoop a 
 twenty seven thousand slice of the Barnes estate. 
 It is worth the trial it is worth the hazard! With 
 quick decisive movements, he smoothed down the note 
 upon the desk, and applied the chemical solution 
 to the word "three" in the body of the note, and ex- 
 citedly watched the effect through the magnifying 
 glass. The solution did the work thoroughly and 
 rapidly^ and Miserleigh sponged and polished the ab-
 
 Jlurelia's Startling Accusations. 99 
 
 rased surface as he had done during his successful 
 experiment. The result was highly satisfactory to 
 him, and as he laid down the magnifying glass, he 
 said almost joyfully : "It is, if possible more perfect 
 than the other. I have won ! The change can never 
 be detected!" 
 
 Then he proceeded to erase in like manner the 
 dividing points between the figures in the upper left 
 hand corner of the note and also ciphers denoting 
 cents, leaned back in his chair and said falteringly: 
 "Now is the supreme moment. Can I steady my 
 nerves to write naturally ? I fear not I fear not ! 
 Oh, for one moment of absolute calmness !" and he 
 rubbed his cold hands together, while an agonized 
 expression came upon his face. Several minutes he 
 sat thus, shivering with nervous ague and then with 
 a quick movement he arose and went to a small 
 closet in the opposite corner of the room, unlocked 
 the door, took out a bottle labeled "Brandy" poured 
 about two teaspoonfuls into a small graduating glass, 
 added a little water, drank it, smacked his lips and 
 said: 
 
 "Not too much! not too much! although I am 
 sorely tempted to take more. I could drink the 
 whole of it and still not feel satisfied ! I love liquor 
 better than anything else on earth, and even a slight 
 taste of it drives me almost mad from thirst for 
 the accursed liquid of hell! But I have work to do 
 now, fine steady work, so back you go into your
 
 100 Joshua Humble. 
 
 hiding place," and he returned the bottle and glass to 
 the closet, locked the door, returned to his desk, sat 
 down in the chair, took up the pen, dipped it care- 
 fully into the ink, and with steady hand wrote 
 "Thirty" where the word "Three" had formerly ap- 
 peared in the body of the note. A few skillful dashes 
 of the pen which added two dots, a cipher and the 
 fractional marks denoting cents to the figures in 
 the upper left hand corner, and the work was 
 finished. 
 
 "That will do" he said quietly, as he returned 
 the magnifying glass and note to the secret drawer 
 in his desk and carefully closed it. "It is well exe- 
 cuted and the alteration cannot be detected !" Then 
 he arose, locked his desk, put on his overcoat and 
 hat, unbolted the front door of his office, stepped 
 out upon the pavement, closed and carefully locked 
 the door, and then walked quickly away. A brisk 
 walk of half an hour brought him in the vicinity of 
 the Barnes mansion which was only about eight 
 squares distant from his own residence and glancing 
 at his watch he observed that it lacked only about 
 three quarters of an hour of the time appointed for 
 the funeral cortege to start from the residence to 
 the cemetery. As he returned the watch to his 
 pocket and started forward, he saw Joshua Humble 
 enter the mansion in company with Judge Prye and 
 the two evidently in close conversation, and instantly 
 his guilty conscience smote him with the scorpion lash
 
 Karelia's Startling Accusations. 161 
 
 of dire forebodings of impending disaster, and his 
 first impulse was to turn and flee with all possible 
 speed from the awful presence of a just and pitiless 
 avenger. ) 
 
 A moment only did Miserleigh hesitate and then 
 his better judgment overcame his fears, and with 
 a low, light laugh he muttered as he again moved 
 forward: "Met merely by accident it signifies 
 nothing. Humble dare not betray me! He is my 
 dog and wears my collar. I have his head upon 
 the block and hold the ax in readiness to decapitate 
 him the moment that he betrays the slightest evi- 
 dence of insubordination or treachery!" 
 
 Pressing his way through the silent throng of 
 sad-faced people, upon the pavement, upon the steps, 
 and within the spacious hallway of the mansion 
 and into the parlor where William Barnes lay still 
 and cold in death, Sol Miserleigh paused beside the 
 casket and glanced timidly down upon the face of his 
 victim. As he stood in that awful presence, look- 
 ing down upon that calm, cold face, the dead eyes 
 seemed to open and the lips seemed to move and 
 the familiar voice of William Barnes in a faint 
 whisper echoed in his ears the terrible words : 
 "Slanderer ! Forger ! ! Murderer ! ! !" and he cow- 
 ered backward through the throng of mourning peo- 
 ple toward the open doorway. After several frantic 
 but ineffectual efforts to escape from the building, 
 he paused amid a throng of factory operatives, among
 
 102 Joshua Humble. 
 
 whom were Mrs. O'Keefe and her two stalwart 
 sons, and the chief gossips of the neighborhood, the 
 Sly, Snuffer and Falser women, the Three Graces of 
 Satan Falsehood, Hypocrisy and Slander. 
 
 In his eagerness to escape from the mute accus- 
 ing presence of the dead, Sol Miserleigh had riot 
 noticed the commotion amid the throng of people 
 around the casket at the further end of the room, 
 but as he paused and wiped the cold perspiration 
 from his face, a woman's voice in soft, sad, sweet 
 tones echoed through the room, and with a startled 
 horrified expression upon his face, which instantly 
 changed from its sickly saffron to a deathly ashen 
 hue, he clasped his hands together in an attitude 
 expressive of despair and exclaimed in a low fright- 
 ened tone : 
 
 "My God! Aurelia!" 
 
 "I have come to see," said mad Aurelia, "if this 
 is indeed my William, my husband, who lies here 
 dead. My brother Sol said last night, that William 
 Barnes, my husband was dead, but I could not be- 
 lieve it, for he was so young and strong, so full of 
 warm, rich blood and of buoyant, joyous life, that 
 even the Angel of Death would pause and weep to see 
 him die. No, he is not dead, for only two nights 
 ago we sat together in the deep shadow of the myrtle 
 upon the rustic seat on the lawn at my home, and 
 whispered to each other sweet confidences with 
 many precious words of endearment, coupled with
 
 Jlurelia's Startling Accusations. 103 
 
 vows of eternal constancy; and the stars twinkled 
 and winked their pleased approval of our lovemak- 
 ing, and the zephyrs joyfully fluttered the soft 
 green leaves above our heads; and the moonlight 
 came glimmering down between the swaying 
 branches and joyfully danced in golden circles upon 
 the soft green sward beneath our feet. We had been 
 married months before, but Mother and Sol did not 
 know it, and we kept the sweet secret between us, 
 because they were opposed to our marriage and I 
 was not quite of age. But yesterday was my birth- 
 day, my glorious day of emancipation, and my hus- 
 band was to have come and taken me to his home, 
 and we were to have had a grand wedding and a 
 joyous remarriage, but he did not come, for Brother 
 Sol" 
 
 By a tremendous effort Sol Miserleigh had forced 
 his way through the crowd and grasping Aurelia 
 rudely by the shoulder, he said to her in a husky 
 tremulous voice: "Hush Aurelia! Be quiet! Stop 
 talking!" Then addressing the people, awed into 
 painful silence by the sad revelations of mad Aurelia, 
 he said: 
 
 "Good people, this is my insane sister. Her mind 
 is a total wreck; she is wholly irresponsible and her 
 words are but the weird imaginations of a mind 
 wholly diseased. I beg you to make way that I may 
 remove her from the house." 
 
 "Not yet, not yet!" said mad Aurelia dreamily,
 
 104 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "no, not yet! I must first see who it is that lies 
 dead here," and she pushed his hand from her 
 shoulder with considerable violence, approached the 
 head of the casket, and looked down upon the face 
 of the dead. 
 
 "Why ! Why !" she said in a tone of intense re- 
 lief accompanied by a low hysterical laugh, "why 
 this is an old man! At least middle-aged! See his 
 gray hairs and the wrinkles on his forehead and 
 cheeks ! My husband is young and beautiful and 
 much smaller than this corpse, and yet it iooks like 
 my William grown old. Ah, it must be the corpse 
 of his father! Why, I remember now, he was mur- 
 dered down by the lake over yonder! Yes, yes, 
 this is the body of William's father I" 
 "Come," said Sol. Miserleigh, in a tone which 
 sounded like a wail of agony, and again placing 
 his hand upon her shoulder, even more rudely than 
 before, "Come, Aurelia, let us go home!" 
 fc- "Yes, Sol, ' she answered writhing with pain 
 under his grasp. "Yes, Brother, I will go now for 
 I am satisfied. But why did you say that my hus- 
 band is dead, when you knew it to be false? and so 
 I came here only to look upon the face of his father 
 whom you murdered. But it is just like you to talk 
 that way simply to grieve me. Ah you are a heart- 
 less, cruel brother, always plotting plotting, and 
 you never pray. Ah ! I remember now why my 
 husband did not come yesterday to take me to our
 
 Karelia's Startling Accusations. 105 
 
 beautiful home! Was it yesterday? It seems much 
 longer ago than that ; now that I think of it, it seems 
 like an age an eternity of years of anguish!" \ 
 
 "Come !" repeated Miserleigh fiercely, grasping 
 her by both arms behind and rudely endeavoring to 
 push her through the crowd toward the main en- 
 trance; but again she shook herself free from his 
 grasp, and facing him said in a defiant tone as her 
 eyes flashed indignantly: 
 
 "Yes, I will go Sol but first, here before all these 
 people I want to know why you poisoned my hus- 
 band's mind against me by impeaching my chastity, 
 and then why did you permit the demons to carry 
 away my children, my beautiful twins, and William's 
 children also, half mine, half his to steal them from 
 my arms while I slept last night ; why did you wrong 
 me so? cold, cruel, heartless brother !" 
 
 Sol Miserleigh again laid his hand upon her 
 shoulder, but Judge Prye stepped hastily to his side 
 and said in a cold stern tone of command: "Take 
 your hand from her shoulder Miserleigh ! I will con- 
 duct her from the house. You will go with me 
 madam?" he added gently, addressing Aurelia. 
 
 "Oh, yes," she replied with child-like simplicity, 
 "yes, I will go with you, for you have a kind, good 
 face and will conduct me safely to my home;" and 
 she followed him quietly out of the mansion, and 
 was placed in a carriage, and accompanied by Sol 
 Miserleigh and Judge Prye was driven rapidly away.
 
 106 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "What does this mean, Miserleigh?" asked Judge 
 Prye sternly as the carriage dashed swiftly along the 
 street. 
 
 "Nothing, absolutely nothing! She is hopelessly 
 insane," was the hesitating reply in a feeble voice. 
 
 "I am not as crazy as you think, Sol.," said 
 Aurelia, angrily, and then addressing Judge Prye in 
 a sofe beseeching tone she said: "Good friend, 
 will you kindly see my husband, William Barnes, and 
 tell him that I am and always have been good and 
 pure, and that I fondly love him, and that I go every 
 day and every night and kiss the ground where his 
 feet once trod, and kiss the seat where he last sat 
 by my side out on the lawn beneath the myrtle?" 
 
 "Yes, if you do not first see him, Aurelia, I will 
 meet him 'when this mortal shall put on immortal- 
 ity' and I will faithfully deliver your message," re- 
 plied Judge Prye feelingly. 
 
 At that moment the carnage halted at the front 
 gate of the Miserleigh residence and Sol assisted 
 Aurelia to alight and as she sauntered dreamily away 
 up the paved walk toward the front entrance, Judge 
 Prye said to Sol Miserleigh : 
 
 "As you doubtless know, I have been William 
 Barnes' attorney and general business representa- 
 tive for many years. It therefore becomes my duty 
 to investigate the matters of which your sister talks 
 in a manner so rationally. That is all I wish to say 
 now, and I bid you good day."
 
 Karelia's Startling Accusations. 107 
 
 Then the carriage was rapidly driven to the 
 Barnes residence where Judge Prye found the casket 
 already in the hearse and the cortege ready to start. 
 An hour later the procession entered the cemetery, 
 the casket was lifted from the hearse and placed 
 over the open grave. Then the beautiful Episcopal 
 burial service was read, a brief eloquent prayer was 
 uttered, and all that remained in this world of William 
 Barnes was lowered into the bosom of "mother 
 earth" and covered up forever from mortal sight.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 A CONFIDENCE MAN'S VlETUOUS RESOLUTION. 
 
 "What was it that Joshua Humble said to you?" 
 was the pointed and abruptly inquiry of Samuel 
 Slick of George Langdon as the carriage in which 
 they were seated rolled away from the lodgings of 
 the latter, on the morning of the death of William 
 Barnes, leaving Joshua Humble standing upon the 
 pavement in an attitude of eloquent appeal. 
 
 "Oh, nothing very especial, certainly not of in- 
 terest to you Mr. Slick, a mere private matter be- 
 tween Mr. Humble and myself," replied Langdon, 
 coloring slightly. 
 
 "Ah, I beg pardon," continued Slick, "but you 
 see my boy, Mr. Humble is rather inquisitive some- 
 times, and I did not know but he might have been 
 saying something not very complimentary of me, 
 for the truth is he does not feel very friendly toward 
 me, because I am rather too flashy to correspond 
 with his ideas of what a young man should be. On 
 the other hand, while I do not always treat Mr. 
 Humble with the respect and deference which his 
 age and accomplishments ought to command, be- 
 cause he reprooves and snubs me when I am rudely 
 
 (108)
 
 A Virtuous Resolution. 109 
 
 jovial, (for which I am not wholly responsible, be- 
 cause it is my nature to be so), at bottom, I esteem 
 him very highly for he is an upright, honest, old 
 gentleman, the very soul of honor, and I have often 
 wondered why he remains in Miserleigh's employ 
 and endures his abuse, and grinds himself down 
 under the hardest and most wearisome toil for a 
 mere pittance. Mr. Humble is a man of fine intelli- 
 gence, and is cultivated and refined in the highest 
 degree, and under favorable circumstances might 
 have become one of the foremost men of the city. 
 But somehow, long ago, Miserleigh got a grip on 
 him, and so to speak, has been slowly strangling 
 him to death. I have heard that the residence in 
 which Miserleigh now lives, once belonged to Mr. 
 Humble, and by some hook or crook (probably by a 
 very crooked crook) Miserleigh hooked him out of 
 it, and crooked himself into it, and in the process 
 of hooking and crooking, Mr. Humble not only lost 
 his home and his entire fortune, which Miserleigh 
 absorbed as quickly and easily as a sponge takes up 
 water, but also lost his personal liberty, and ever 
 since has been Miserleigh's slave in all but name." 
 "It was the common gossip on the streets twenty 
 years ago, when I was a gutter urchin, blacking boots 
 and sellings newspapers, that Joshua Humble, the 
 ex-stockbroker, had become Miserleigh's dog and 
 wore his collar. Why, Miserleigh is merely Humble's 
 successor in business, except the money lending
 
 110 Joshua Humble. 
 
 part of it which Miserleigh added and which is in fact 
 the source of the largest profits of his business. He 
 loans small amounts to impecunious people at the 
 rate of from seventy-five to one hundred per cent per 
 annum, secured by mortgage on personal property, 
 such as household effects; and many a poor family 
 he has left without even a bed to sleep on or a stove 
 in which to build a fire, in mid-winter. Humble was 
 a stockbroker twenty-five years ago, and occupied 
 the same office where Miserleigh now holds forth; 
 and somehow Miserleigh got a twist on him in a 
 business way, in the stock market I presume, and 
 in a financial sense twisted the very life out of him, 
 and not only so, but he got some other twist on 
 him, something invovling Humble's personal honor 
 and integrity. For fifteen years I have been trying 
 to find out what it is, and have never been able to 
 discover the slightest clew to it until yesterday, and 
 then by the merest accident." 
 
 "You interest me very much, for what you have 
 said concerning Mr. Miserleigh and Mr. Humble is 
 all news to me," said Langdon. "I have known both 
 gentleman all my life. Mr. Miserleigh, simply by sight 
 and reputation and Mr. Humble quite intimately, and 
 I esteem him very highly, while on the other hand I 
 have always feared Mr. Miserleigh. I have always re- 
 garded him as a very cold, calculating, selfish man 
 quick to take advantage of and to profit by another's 
 misfortunes, but I did not even dream that he would
 
 Jl Virtuous Resolution. Ill 
 
 come down to the level of a common robber as he 
 seems to have done in his dealings with Mr. 
 Humble." 
 
 The conversation was interrupted by the arrival 
 of the carriage at the railway depot, and ten minutes 
 later they were seated in the train traveling east- 
 ward at the rate of thirty miles an hour. As they 
 journeyed, they were both ill at ease, especially Sam 
 Slick who paced the aisle of the car almost con- 
 stantly, went out on the platform at every station 
 and promenaded the entire length of the train even 
 into the baggage car. He bought capdy and fruit of 
 the news agent, and gave it to some dirty and ragged 
 emigrant children in the smoker; scraped acquaint- 
 ance with a long nosed, pockmarked widow in weeds 
 in the ladies' coach and joked with and flattered her 
 for amusement, but finally tiring of her foolish sim- 
 pering, he went again into the smoker and exchanged 
 anecdotes with the jolly news agent and finally 
 dropped into a conversation with a grizzled old gran- 
 ger with manure on his boots and hayseed on his 
 clothing and in his hair and beard, concerning the 
 cultivation of turnips and potatoes and the breeding 
 and raising of hogs. 
 
 Again, becoming weary of his ineffectual efforts 
 to "kill time" and divert his mind from some dis- 
 agreeable subject, he returned to the coach where 
 he found young L,angdon poring over a newspaper
 
 112 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and turning its pages nervously, evidently not read- 
 ing understandingly. 
 
 After exchanging a few commonplace remarks 
 with Langdon he passed on into the smoking com- 
 partment, sat down, lighted a cigar and gave way 
 to a train of reflections from which he had been vainly 
 endeavoring to escape. These were his thoughts : 
 
 "I have known this boy only about three years 
 and yet when I look upon his face, it is strangely 
 familiar, and it seems to me that I must have known 
 him in his early childhood at least he bears a strong 
 resemblance to someone whom I have known in- 
 timately when I was a gutter urchin. He is the ex- 
 act counterpart of of who on earth does he so 
 srikingly resemble? I cannot remember and yet I 
 ought to recollect easily, for whoever it was, was 
 very near and dear to me ah, Great God! how 
 could I have forgotten her? George Langdon is 
 the exact image of my poor lost Valentina!" 
 
 "Now I understand why I have never been able 
 to look upon that boy's innocent and honest face 
 without experiencing a thrill of pleasure an almost 
 irresistible desire to be near him. I have resolutely 
 fought down that impulse, and have almost hated 
 myself for indulging in it even for a moment. How- 
 ever, the explanation is easy now, and I am glad to 
 have at last unraveled the mystery." 
 
 "And Sol Miserleigh has charged me with the 
 task of corrupting his young soul; of plunging him
 
 SI Virtuous Resolution. 113 
 
 4 ' 'V 
 
 into a vortex of debauchery and crime; of robbing 
 him of his fortune and casting him adrift upon the 
 world a hopeless human wreck ! Merciful saints ! 
 The very thought is a monsterous crime ! The very 
 Devil himself would violate his contract with Miser- 
 leigh if brought to such a test, and bad as I am, I am 
 neither a burglar, a common thief nor a murderer, 
 and I will not be a party to the commission of all 
 these crimes in one, and especially upon an innocent 
 and defenceless boy whom I cannot but lovel" 
 
 "It is fortunate," he thought almost aloud, that 
 I preserved these written instructions of Sol Miser- 
 leigh, for with this as unimpeachable evidence of his 
 criminal proceedings in this matter, in my possession, 
 I have him wholly within my power if he dares to 
 indulge in any retaliation upon me for my failure 
 to carry out his scheme of robbery, debauchery and 
 ruin against this boy." 
 
 At this juncture the train stopped at the dinner 
 station and throwing out of the window a cigar which 
 he had just lighted, he went to where Langdon was 
 seated, and arm in arm they walked out to dine, 
 chatting pleasantly together, Slick putting forth his 
 best efforts to please and amuse his companion.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 SAD MEDITATIONS OF Two TRAVELERS. 
 
 The afternoon was dreary and uneventful to the 
 travelers, being an exact counterpart of their ex- 
 perience of the forenoon after their departure from 
 St. Louis, each endeavoring to amuse himself inde- 
 pendently of the other, and each failing in the 
 attempt most miserably. And so the time, in languid 
 spiritless flight passed wearily on from hour to hour, 
 and the train went grinding along the rails of steel 
 with many meanings and complainings like human 
 distressful voices, and rain splashed threateningly 
 upon the windows, and poured in sheets from the 
 roofs of the cars, and dead leaves fell in showers 
 from the trees as snowflakes fall upon the earth in 
 mid-winter; and the dying grass on the meadows 
 drooped lower, and the cold wind whistled and 
 moaned, and all natrue seemed to be sinking down 
 into the dread vortex of death. 
 
 To Langdon, it seemed as though the day would 
 never end, and a sad, sickening^ sensation crept into 
 his heart as he gazed at the dreary landscape through 
 the falling raindrops and listened to the grinding 
 of the wheels of the cars, and his thought went sadly 
 
 (114)
 
 Meditations of Two Travelers. 115 
 
 backward to his dear home and to the kind old man 
 whom he called uncle, and he experienced many 
 pangs of regret because of the foolish and to him, 
 heinous act of sin and folly which had brought him 
 to his deplorable condition that of a fugitive from 
 Justice and his tender sensitive young heart was 
 overwhelmed with emotion and he covered his face 
 with his hands to hide the hot tears which gushed 
 from his eyes and flowed down his face. 
 
 As he sat there weeping silently, utterly oblivious 
 to all that was passing around him, he did not hear 
 the footfall of Sam Slick upon the velvet carpet of 
 the aisle of the car, nor did he see that usually rol- 
 licking individual as he paused by his side and looked 
 down upon him with mournful pitying eyes. A 
 moment only did that person pause, and then he 
 passed on to the smoking compartment of which he 
 was the sole occupant at that time, sat down, lighted 
 a cigar and began again to commune with his own 
 thoughts, puffing paerly clouds of smoke from his 
 lips, which arose above his head and floated away in 
 waves and circles. 
 
 "I cannot remain in the presence of that boy and 
 continue to be Sam Slick," he said to himself in a 
 half whisper. "When he is near me I am Paul 
 Dyke of old the bootblack and newsboy with a 
 good name and a pure heart, ere the light went out 
 from the beautiful eyes of dear little Valentina and 
 left me groping in sin and despair. But I am not
 
 116 Joshua Humble. 
 
 \ 
 
 yet wholly depraved, for there is a pure and tender 
 spot in my heart, in which is enshrined the image of 
 my beautiful darling, and whatever there is of good 
 in me may be wholly attributed to the influence of 
 her presence there. The question has often come 
 to my mind, 'What do I live for?' and then it has 
 gone flitting away leaving in its place only the sad 
 answer, 'I know not.' But now the question comes 
 to me again emphasized a thousand fold and the 
 answer comes to my soul in trumpet tones, 'to guard 
 that boy from the awful perils of youth, and to guide 
 him in the way of truth, purity and honor !' " 
 
 "From this moment I begin a new life and I put 
 the old behind me forever. Oh, spirit of my beauti- 
 ful, dead Valentina! have you returned to earth in 
 the person of this good boy, to exercise the power and 
 charm of your pure and loving presence to draw me 
 away from the awful whirlpool of sin and moral 
 degradation, in which I have been helplessly drift- 
 ing since I came within the accursed influence of Sol 
 Miserleigh? Why,- what have I been doing? Simply 
 working schemes which he could not carry out alone 
 because of his lack of smooth and agreeable speech 
 and because of the positive and absolute repulsive- 
 ness of his presence. Schemes of stock speculation, 
 plans of peculation in many lights and shades, just 
 barely within the realm of legal safety, but morally 
 the grossest of vulgar robbery: I have been for 
 him during all these years since I weakly yielded
 
 Meditations of Two Travelers. 117 
 
 to his vile temptation, his cat's paw to pull the hot 
 chestnuts from the fire, his all around confidence 
 man, to seduce the unwary and inexperienced into 
 his net to be robbed and ruined, and his stool pigeon 
 to divert attention and bear the blame of his in- 
 iquities. And now he imagines that he has gotten 
 me so firmiy within his grasp so hopelessly en- 
 tangled within the meshes of his criminal intrigues, 
 that I dare not break away from him." 
 
 "Well, we will see about that, Sol Miserleigh! 
 we will see about that! and if you again attempt 
 to work upon me your oft-repeated process of in- 
 timidation, with Joshua Humble as a brave and 
 faithful ally, I will hold you down and press the keen 
 sword of Justice against your throat until you will 
 cry aloud in terror and piteously beg for mercy!" 
 
 The passing of the transfer and baggage check- 
 man through the train warned him of their near 
 approach to the city and throwing into the spittoon 
 his half consumed cigar he stepped out of the smok- 
 ing compartment and joined L/angdon at his seat. 
 He was much gratified to find that the young man 
 had recovered his equanimity and cheerfulness and 
 engaged him in light and amusing conversation until 
 the train rolled into the Union Depot in a great city, 
 from which they took a carriage direct to a hotel, and 
 after supper repaired to their apartments which con- 
 sisted of a parlor and two sleeping rooms, very hand- 
 somely furnished and communicating by folding
 
 118 Joshua Humble. 
 
 doors which had been opened, practically converting 
 the three rooms into one elegant and spacious apart- 
 ment. A fire of coal had been lighted in the grate 
 in the parlor merely to add to its cheerfulness, for the 
 rooms were heated by furnace and were very com- 
 fortable.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 AN ALLIANCE OF FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 "Well, Langdon, isn't this cozy and nice?" said 
 Sam Slick as he sank down gracefully into an easy 
 willow rocker and puffed away vigorously at the 
 cigar which he had lighted but a few moments be- 
 fore in the hotel rotunda. 
 
 "Yes," replied Langdon dreamily, also seating 
 himself in an easy rocker on the opposite side of 
 the fire place and gazing steadily at the yellow blaze, 
 as it roared and hissed up the chimney. "Yes, Mr. 
 Slick, this is indeed delightful, but alas, it is not 
 home!" 
 
 "Well, no," responded Slick with hesitation. "It 
 is not home to you, but to me it is, for all places 
 are alike in that respect. My home is wherever I 
 chance to be a convenient portable affair, my skin, 
 and whether I be in America, Europe or Van Die- 
 men's Land, like a tortoise my home is always with 
 me." 
 
 "Ah, how sad !" responded young Langdon look- 
 ing intently into his face with a grieved expression 
 about his mouth. 
 
 Something in the tone of Langdon's voice thrilled 
 
 (119)
 
 120 Joshua Humble. 
 
 Sam Slick like an electric shock, and, glancing 
 quickly into the face of the boy he caught the 
 pathetic expression of his mouth and ejaculated in 
 a voice of deep emotion "My God Valentina !" 
 
 Slick's emotional exclamation startled Langdon 
 who hastily arose and inquired anxiously: "Why, 
 Mr. Slick what is the matter?" 
 
 "Eh?" replied .Slick in a dazed fashion. "Eh? 
 Why ha ha ! nothing very serious only a 
 couple of fleas playing leap-frog on my back 
 there !" Reaching around with one hand he pinched 
 the clothing on his back vigorously, in the exact spot 
 where the merry invaders were supposed to be at 
 that moment. "There !" he repeated as he moved his 
 shoulder up and down, "I think they are done for 
 at least I don't believe they will be able to renew 
 the game this evening." 
 
 Slick's droll and bungling attempt to be funny 
 impressed Langdon as exceedingly comical and he 
 laughed heartily; but his quick perception enabled 
 him to discern the subterfuge and aroused within 
 him a desire to ascertain the cause of his companion's 
 sudden and sensational emotion. Slick also laughed, 
 but his voice sounded more like a wail of anguish 
 than a human expression of pleasure, and his face 
 grew white and he trembled. But Langdon was ap,- 
 parently unconscious of his friend's emotion, and 
 having resumed his seat before the fire, leaned back 
 in his chair and continued to laugh.
 
 Jin Alliance of Friendship. 121 
 
 " 'Tis a roaring farce to you, my boy," said Slick, 
 dolefully, as he also resumed his seat and began to 
 smoke his cigar. " 'Tis very funny, to you doubtless, 
 but to the fleas it is a bloody tragedy and to me a 
 painful experience." 
 
 '"Probably," said Langdon, "the fleas emigrated 
 from the person of the granger with whom you were 
 conversing on the train, about how to raise hogs. 
 Probably you now realize that fleas are raised on 
 hogs and you can so inform the granger when you 
 again meet him. But why did you shriek (Valentina) 
 in a voice so very emotional?" 
 
 The question was a poser to Slick who had 
 leaned back languidly in his chair and with eyes 
 elevated seemed to be intently examining an ex- 
 ceedingly complex figure of the fresco work of the 
 ceiling in which Cupid was represented as endeavor- 
 ing to inspire a mermaid with human impulses and 
 passions. But Slick's silence and abstraction was only 
 momentary of just sufficient time for him to re- 
 cover his lost wits, and then he straightened himself 
 to an upright position in his chair and with an ex- 
 ceedingly comical expression upon his face he blurted 
 out in a drawling tone : 
 
 "Eh, why did I call out Valentina? Why my 
 boy, the scratching of the fleas playing leap-frog on 
 my back produced identically the same sensation 
 which I experienced when I received my first valen- 
 tine from my first sweetheart!"
 
 122 Joshua Humble. 
 
 Again Langdon burst forth in a merry peal of 
 laughter, and again Sam Slick settled back in his 
 chair with an agonized expression upon his face, 
 which he carefully shaded with his hand. While 
 Langdon was laughing in childish glee, the soul of 
 Sam Slick was weeping, for to him the merry voice 
 of the light-hearted boy was a voice from the grave, 
 the echo of sounds from lips which he had often 
 kissed in holy reverence and pure affection of soft 
 warm, rosy lips long since cold in death and long 
 since crumbled into ashes. 
 
 "Yes, she has returned to me in the person 
 of this dear boy," he thought as he listened to the 
 familiar, musical trill of Langdon's voice, as it ran 
 up and down the scale in gentle undulations of sound 
 and died away in a musical ripple. "Yes, she has 
 returned to me thus and the good Lord has brought 
 us together under circumstances which will unite 
 us firmly for life in bonds of true affection, and may 
 God help me to watch over and to guard him from 
 dangers and from evil!" 
 
 Finally young Langdon stopped laughing and 
 after exchanging a few commonplace remarks with 
 Slick, said to him quite seriously: 
 
 "My dear Mr. Slick, you are certainly a very joy- 
 ous soul and I feel quite sure that we will become 
 good friends. But tell me truly, is Sam Slick your 
 real name? I ask this question because the name 
 seems not suited to your handsome form and face,
 
 Jtn Alliance of Friendship. 123 
 
 to your pleasant and cultivated manners to your 
 genial and affectionate disposition and to your noble 
 and generous nature. I do not like the name, for it 
 is suggestive of trickery and fraud, and I would re- 
 joice to know that it is not yours by right, and to be 
 able to address you by some other and more appro- 
 priate name." 
 
 Sam Suck did not reply immediately to Langdon's 
 blunt inquiry, but sat perfectly motionless in his 
 chair and looked steadily into the fire. Although to 
 a close observer, he would have seemed to be 
 slumbering lightly, for he breathed like one who 
 has just dropped into a gentle doze, in reality 
 he was wide awake and his mind was in a state of in- 
 tense activity. All the more interesting scenes and 
 incidents of his checkered life passed with lightning- 
 like rapidity before his mental vision, and in memory 
 he lived again the life of an abandoned child in a 
 great city ; of a youth with only the education of ex- 
 perience of the street ; of attendance at night school 
 while he sold newspapers and blacked boots for a 
 livelihood during the day; of his natural inclination 
 to do right; of his pure and joyous association with 
 Valentina, and of the respect for and confidence in 
 him of all classes of people with whom he came in 
 contact ; of the coming of the tempter in the person 
 of Sol Miserleigh; of his gradual descent from his 
 high moral position, and the consequent changing of 
 his riame, in accordance wth Miserleigh's sugges-
 
 124 Joshua Humble. 
 
 tion. All this passed through his mind in a flash, so 
 quickly indeed that his abstraction and delay in 
 answering was scarcely noticed by the anxious and 
 earnest inquirer on the opposite side of the fire. All 
 this, and then with a quick movement Sam Slick 
 took the cigar from his mouth, blew out a cloud 
 of white fragrant smoke, and turning toward Lang- 
 don and looking him full in the face, replied gravely 
 as he cast the cigar into the fire. 
 
 "No, my dear boy, Sam Slick is not my correct 
 name. It was assumed by me for business reasons 
 at Miserleigh's suggestion soon after I became as- 
 sociated with him in business. Not that I have 
 been guilty of any wrong doing, necessitating a 
 change of name to conceal my identity, but it was 
 simply a freak of Miserleigh's which I thought best 
 to humor at the time, and I am now glad that I did 
 so, as it may serve me a very good purpose in future 
 by enabling me as far as may be to blot out the record 
 of the past and begin life anew. My dear boy, my 
 correct name is Paul Dyke." 
 
 With an exclamation of intense gratification Lang- 
 don hastily arose from his chair and went over to 
 the side of his companion, placed one hand gently 
 upon his head and the other upon his shoulder and 
 said affectionately: 
 
 "My dear friend, I knew that that horrid name 
 with its vile alliteration could not be your own ex- 
 cept by adoption, and I am rejoiced to find that my
 
 Alliance of Friendship. 125 
 
 impression was absolutely correct. Dyke Paul 
 Dyke, that is a beautiful name, so smooth and 
 euphonious. Dyke means a strong barrier raised to 
 stop floods and it signifies a strong and steadfast 
 protector. I feel that you are all that your noble 
 name implies and I give you my confidence and 
 affection freely and joyfully ! Let us be friends and 
 stand together if need be against the world; let us 
 be honorable, pure and just and life will indeed be 
 worth living. My dear friend, discard that name ab- 
 solutely henceforth and be your own brave, true self. 
 Let us both from this night live life anew and put 
 the past behind us forever. Paul, will you join me in 
 that high and noble resolve?" 
 
 "Yes, yes, God help me!" It was all that he 
 could say for his heart was full and his voice was 
 gone, and so, with a simple grasping of hands and 
 a voiceless adieu, each retired to his own apartment 
 to think over the many strange events of the day, 
 and amid the darkness and silence of night to evolve 
 new plans for the future and then, "to sleep per- 
 chance to dream."
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 "HAIKLIP" BROWN'S BRUTE COMPANION. 
 
 On a narrow paved street in the south-eastern 
 portion of the city was a large building of rough 
 limestone, consisting of two stories and a basement. 
 It had been constructed for storage purposes and 
 had been so used for many years, but it had subse- 
 quently been remodeled and converted into a tene- 
 ment house of ten apartments of three rooms each 
 and had been occupied by the poorest of the poor 
 of that wretched quarter. But the owner, finding 
 it impossible to collect his rents and becoming weary 
 and disgusted with being compelled to eject there- 
 from by legal process, a dozen or more families 
 every month, and being unable to rent the building 
 for any other purpose, locked and boarded up the 
 doors and windows and abandoned it altogether to 
 wharf rats and pigeons. Eventually, however, the 
 building and ground became the property of heirs 
 and was sold at auction to Sol. Miserleigh for a mere 
 pittance compared with its original cost and actual 
 value. 
 
 To all appearances the premises were wholly un- 
 occupied, but nevertheless there were tenants in the 
 
 (126)
 
 "Hairlip" Brown's Companion. 127 
 
 three rear basement rooms, although the fact was un- 
 known to any living soul except themselves, Sol 
 Miserleigh and one other person. The former owner 
 had inclosed with a tight, strong and high, board 
 fence the entire space in the rear comprising about 
 thirty feet in depth by the entire width of the build- 
 ing, so that people passing along the alleyway were 
 unable to discover the presence of tenants and no- 
 body would have suspicioned the fact, as the gate 
 had been nailed up very securely with strong iron 
 spikes after the former owner had ejected the few 
 remaining tenants. 
 
 Apparently the building could not be entered 
 except by violence, and yet the fact remained that 
 the lone tenants of the basement went in and out 
 at all times of night without experiencing the slight- 
 est difficulty, through an underground passage-way 
 from an old cistern in the back yard, to another old 
 cistern in the back yard of the adjoining premises on 
 the west side, also owned by Sol. Miserleigh and oc- 
 cupied by Jacob Blum for the storage of old iron 
 and rags. 
 
 The three rooms were very comfortably furn- 
 ished, the two smaller as sleeping apartments, and 
 the other immediately in the rear end of the base- 
 ment for all other purposes of living. These rooms 
 were occupied by three men, and it is but truth to 
 say that they were villians in all which that word 
 implies, their occupation, burglary, being pursued
 
 128 Joshua Humble. 
 
 - * 
 
 as much for the satisfaction of securing by stealth 
 that to which they had neither moral nor legal right, 
 as for the gain which they derived therefrom. To 
 them their occupation was a science, and each ad- 
 venture contemplated was a separate problem re- 
 quiring a different method of solution. Hence while 
 they were not scientists in the common acceptation 
 of the term, they were nevertheless very scientific 
 in the execution of their work, which was always 
 conducted upon the triangle plan, namely: two to 
 guard and one to work, in imitation of the great 
 Napoleon in his military operations. 
 
 The chief of this gang of precious rascals was 
 Hairlip Brown, a man of powerful frame and gigan- 
 tic stature, with a large head covered by a dense 
 growth of coarse black hair, and a face of rugged 
 prominent features covered nearly up to the eyes 
 with a heavy, wiry black beard, which failed to hide 
 the horrible expression of his mouth, occasioned by 
 a cleft upper lip and jaw. His two "pals" or pro- 
 fessional partners, Lafe Steel and Amos the Fox, 
 were slim, light men, very strong active and courage- 
 ous. It must not be inferred that because these men 
 were ruffians they were either rough or uncouth in 
 speech or manners, for on the contrary they were 
 singularlv polished and suave in language and de- 
 portment, for they had originally been circus men 
 and had acauired, to the very point of perfection the 
 elegance and fluency of speech, the gracefulness of
 
 "Hairlip" Brown's Companion. 129 
 
 gesture and poise of body, which people of that 
 profession acquire so quickly and so thoroughly. 
 
 It was late at night, or rather very early in the 
 morning, probably about two o'clock, and the noisy 
 turbulent crowd of human wrecks which always 
 floated up and down that street after nightfall, had 
 each found a resting place somewhere, and no sound 
 broke the stillness save the occasional echo of the 
 footsteps of a belated reveler, or the startling whir of 
 a police rattle and its distant responses. Hairlip 
 Brown was alone in the living room of his quarters 
 and sat before a fire of blazing coal in a grate, and at 
 his feet on a soft Turkish rug lay a large white sav- 
 age-looking bull dog, the silent intelligent and faith- 
 ful guardian of the premises. The others had gone 
 out as usual, sigly, to reconnoitre a prospect for 
 plunder and were not expected to return until near 
 daylight and Brown had been reading a book ex- 
 planatory of circus and gambling tricks and devices 
 in which he had become much interested; but as the 
 night wore away and the chickens in the neighbor- 
 hood began to crow, he put down the book, leaned 
 back in his chair and dropped into a gentle doze. 
 
 During the night, the rats, which swarmed every- 
 where in the building except in the three occupied 
 rooms from which they were held in abeyance by 
 the bull dog, had been restless and turbulent at in- 
 tervals, rushing here and there, up and down, shriek- 
 ing and squeaking and then relapsing into silence 
 
 w
 
 130 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and then renewing the uproar, much to the annoy- 
 ance of the two occupants of the rear room in the 
 basement, especially to the bull dog, who when the 
 rodents became excessively demonstrative would 
 rouse from his slumber, open his eyes, gnash his 
 teeth savagely and growl in a fierce and threatening 
 manner. 
 
 A long interval of quietness and the monotonous 
 ticking of a clock on the wall which sounded like 
 the pattering of horses feet on a race course at full 
 speed, had served to lull to repose both man and 
 beast, when suddenly another, and if possible more 
 violent uproar occurred among the rats, which 
 aroused the sleeping man who awoke with a sudden 
 start, and disturbed the sleeping dog who sprang 
 to his feet and snapped and snarled viciously. 
 
 "You don't like it, Brave !" said Brown to the 
 dog in a tone of annoyance; "you don't like it, old 
 boy, and neither do I. What do you say to clean- 
 ing 'em out? You're spoiling for a fight, I see, for 
 your eyes are red and you look ugly. Shall we have 
 a scrap with them a regular jamboree, Eh ?" 
 
 Brave, who had crouched upon his haunches at 
 his master's feet looking wistfully upward into his 
 face with an expression of wonderful brute intelli- 
 gence, raised his right foot and placed it upon his 
 master's knee, elevated and lowered his nose slightly 
 in a motion resembling a nod, and uttered a sound 
 between a growl and a bark which very much re-
 
 " Hairlip" Brown's Companion. 131 
 
 sembled a human voice saying: "All right, old 
 chum, sail in, I'm ready!" 
 
 "So you want to clean 'em out, Brave, do you?" 
 inquired Brown in a tantalizing tone, "you want 
 to clean 'em out, Eh?" and in response the dog 
 placed his other foot upon Brown's other knee and 
 raised himself until his nose was almost upon a level 
 with that of his master's eyes and again uttered a 
 peculiar growl which sounded very much like : "You 
 bet I want to clean 'em out ! You bet !" 
 
 "Well, well old boy you shall have a scrap, a 
 regular pitched battle," said Brown, laughingly, 
 "we'll teach that noisy fighting rabble that there is 
 such a virtue as decency, even among rats." 
 
 The word "rats," uttered in a whirring rasping 
 voice, aggravated Brave into a condition of great 
 nervous excitement, and he rushed around the room 
 smelling and snuffing along the cracks between the 
 floor and base boards, and into the corners and un- 
 der the furniture and finally stationed himself close 
 to a spot on the floor covered with a small piece of 
 sheet iron and fixing his gaze intently upon it stood 
 quivering from excitement awaiting his master's or- 
 der to battle.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 MISEKLEIGH'S ROOKERY. 
 
 In the mean time while the uproar of the rodents 
 was simply deafening, Brown had risen from his 
 chair, taken down a violin which hung on a string 
 looped over a nail on the wall, tightened and rosined 
 the bow and screwed the strings into tune, and then 
 stamping his foot upon the floor to attract the at- 
 tention of the rats who instantly paused in their wild 
 orgies, doubtless anticipating an attack from some 
 invisible enemy, he stepped over to where th.e dog 
 crouched upon the floor in an attitude of assault, 
 and removed the piece of sheet iron which worked 
 upon a slide, disclosing a small hole which had been 
 gnawed through the floor by rats. Then he placed 
 a flat-bottomed chair in the center of the room, 
 stamped again with his foot upon the floor, placed 
 the violin against his left breast and shoulder, pressed 
 his chin down upon it to hold it firmly in position, and 
 with a swift graceful upward and outward movement 
 of his right arm, he dropped the bow gently down 
 upon the strings, and the instrument answering to 
 the touch gave forth a sudden wail of soft, sweet 
 harmony. .Up and down the scale it ran, hither and 
 
 (133)
 
 Miserteigh's Rookery. 133 
 
 thither, here and there, rippling, trilling and vibrat- 
 ing in soft harmonious waves of sound, finally end- 
 ing in a gentle quiver, and then a dashing sweep like 
 the final blast of a bugle in battle sounding a charge ; 
 then he paused and listened while he gazed intently 
 at the hole in the floor near which the bull dog was 
 crouched like a panther prepared to spring upon its 
 prey. 
 
 "Look out for Carlo and Cora, Brave, don't 
 hurt them old boy, for we couldn't keep house with- 
 out the darlings," said Brown to the dog in a low 
 tone of admonition, and then he again placed the 
 violin in position against his shoulder, drew the 
 bow gently over the strings, ran up and down the 
 sacle in soft gushes of melody, and then with a few 
 shrill piercing notes like a bugle call to "boots and 
 saddles," and then a brief pause, he inclined his head 
 a little more toward his left shoulder, elevated the 
 end of the fiddle bow slightly and with a quick sweep- 
 ing outward movement brought it down upon the 
 strings of the instrument, and dashed away upon 
 "The Devil's Dream." 
 
 The music was soft, quick, harmonious and thrill- 
 ing, and its effect upon the rodents was wonderful. 
 First, a white nose appeared within the hole in the 
 floor, then a white head and finally out sprang a 
 large rat with fur as soft as silk and as white as snow, 
 quickly followed by another rat a trifle larger, and 
 ^black and glistening as jet. Immediately they arose
 
 134 Joshua Humble. 
 
 upon their hind feet, like trained dogs with their fore 
 paws drooping at the first joint, and began moving 
 around in circles close together and always facing 
 each other like plantation negroes at a hoedown. 
 
 Their gyrations, gestures and grimaces were ex- 
 tremely comical and Brown laughed and chuckled as 
 they went whirling around in exact time with the 
 music, and even the dog seemed highly amused as 
 with ears erect and eyes fixed intently upon the hole 
 in the floor he indulged occasionally in sidelong 
 glances toward them, and grinned in imitation of a 
 human smile revealing two rows of glittering sharp 
 white teeth. The dog and the dancing rats were 
 Brown's pets and had been trained and exhibifed 
 together by him in a side show of a circus in which 
 he appeared as a Samson balancing heavy weights 
 and toying with cannon balls ; consequently the ani- 
 mals were companions and friends, and the rodents 
 in their circlings fearlessly capered around and over 
 the dog who diligently continued his watch without 
 paying the slightest heed to the bobbing puppets. 
 Now they were upon his back, now between his 
 forepaws within six inches of his mouth, now creep- 
 ing under his belly and squealing complainingly be- 
 cause of the scant space; now pulling away at his 
 ears with their forepaws and then at his tail like 
 sailors hauling in a cable on ship-board and then 
 whirling away together upon their hind feet. 
 
 Finally, in the very midst of their revels, a loud,
 
 Miserteigh's Rookery. 135 
 
 shrill, screeching and scratching sound issued from 
 the hole in the floor and the next instant a large 
 brown rat sprang out througk the opening and was 
 caught in mid air and crushed between the vice-like 
 jaws of Brave, and cast aside stone dead in a twink- 
 ling. Then came another rat and still others in 
 quick succession, each sharing the fate of its prede- 
 cessor, while the uproar within the hole was some- 
 thing terrific, those in advance evidently having be- 
 come alarmed and desiring to retreat but being 
 pushed forward to certain death by their music- 
 charmed companions far in the rear. 
 
 All over the building there was a rushing sound 
 of many tiny feet like the pattering of rain drops 
 upon an iron roof. It was a swift gathering of hosts 
 of fierce and dangerous foes to the lone inhabitants 
 of the basement, and they came on, squirming up- 
 ward through the opening in the floor like the swift 
 rush of water through a fire hose, and the noble dog 
 piled up the slain around him on every side and 
 pawed them away with his feet, while with unerring 
 precision he caught and crushed them as they 
 leaped into the room through the opening, his red 
 eyes gleaming fiercely and his jaws dripping with the 
 blood of his victims. Finally, seeing that the dog 
 was beginning to tire, Hairlip Brown began playing 
 slower and still slower, lower and still lower in 
 tone, until the violin gave forth a low wailing sound 
 like the distant notes of a funeral dirge.
 
 136 Joshua Humble. 
 
 The effffect upon the surging mass of rats in the 
 hole underground was simply magical ; instantly they 
 ceased to issue from the opening, and those in front, 
 imitating the sound of the violin, it was taken up in 
 regular order by those in their rear and echoed back- 
 ward along the line like soldiers repeating commands 
 in battle, until everywhere throughtout the building 
 there was sounded a plaintive wail of sorrow and 
 defeat. 
 
 The effect upon the two trained rats, Carlo and 
 Cora, was quite as marked as upon their wild com- 
 panions, for they instantly ceased their waltzing 
 movements and climbed up the legs of the chair 
 and did not cease their upward fight until they 
 reached the shoulders of Hairlip Brown, where they 
 crouched flown trembling close to his ears and 
 whined piteously. Then Brown with a few loud shrill 
 notes upon his violin, like bugle blasts recalling a 
 charging column of troops in battle, stepped down 
 from his perch on the chair and returned his violin 
 to its place on the wall, and then taking hjs pets 
 from his shoulders he caressed and talked to them 
 a few moments and finally placed them gently on the 
 floor. Instantly they scampered away and down into 
 the hole to rejoin their less favored companions, 
 and to relate to them the thrilling incidents of the 
 bloody fray. Then Brown carefully replaced the 
 strip of sheet iron over the opening in the floor, and 
 removed the slain in a basket to the back yard v/h-sre.
 
 Miserleigfi's Rookery. 137 
 
 he piled them in a great heap, returned to the room, 
 closed and bolted the door and sponged the blood 
 from the dog's mouth and body, and after caressing 
 and complimenting the noble animal, who gave many 
 evidences of keen appreciation of his master's satis- 
 faction and praise, he returned to his seat before the 
 fire, and the dog returned to his rug, and soon amid 
 dead silence both man and beast relapsed into pro- 
 found slumber, the man dreaming of successful ad- 
 ventures of intrigue and robbery, and the beast of 
 other thrilling and bloody conflicts and glorious! 
 victories.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 TKATPEBS OF MEN IN COUNCIL. 
 
 An hour they slept, while the little Swiss clock 
 upon the wall ticked out the passing moments, and 
 then, just as its hands pointed to four, there came 
 a gentle rap on the door. Then there was a brief 
 pause and then three raps, a pause and then a single 
 rap, and silence. When the first rap sounded upon 
 the door, Brave sprang to his feet and stood in a list- 
 ening attitude as though counting the raps, and 
 when the final pause came he raised his right foot 
 and brought it down smartly upon the knee of his 
 slumbering master. With a violent start Brown 
 straightened up in his chair, rubbed his eyes, glanced 
 down at the upturned face of his faithful and silent 
 brute companion, and in an anxious tone whispered 
 to him the inquiry: "What's the matter, Brave? 
 what's up old boy?" In answer the dog pricked up 
 his ears, ruffled his back until the hair stood upright 
 in a bristling row, and looking intently toward the 
 door he wagged his head threateningly as though in 
 the act of rending a foe and brought his jaws to- 
 gether like the clash of a steel trap. 
 
 "Ah ha! I see; somebody at the door, Eh?" 
 
 (138)
 
 Trappers of Men in Council. 139 
 
 said Brown, watching the dog intently. "Who is it, 
 Brave?" 
 
 In reply the dog settled down upon his haunches, 
 at his master's feet, and raising his right foot tapped 
 him upon the knee lightly in exact imitation of the 
 knocks upon the door, and then wagging his tail 
 vigorously he sat looking up into Brown's face 
 with an anxious impatient expression in his eyes. 
 
 "Ah!" said Brown in a gratified tone, "all right old 
 boy, "we'll let him in," and he arose and went to 
 the door, and without hesitation or a word of in- 
 quiry undid the fastenings and swung it open, and 
 Amos the Fox stepped quickly into the room, fol- 
 lowed by Lafe Steele, Jasob Blum and Sol Miser- 
 leigh. 
 
 The surprise of Hairlip Brown at seeing so many 
 of his companions enter at one time, accompanied 
 by Sol Miserleigh was simply overwhelming, and 
 with a muttered exclamation of astonishment he 
 stepped backward several paces and raised his hands 
 in a gesture of expressive of consternation. By 
 special understanding between them, as a precau- 
 tionary measure cleemed vitally essential to their 
 safety, never before had more than one of them 
 entered the premises at the same time, and their 
 presence there together seemed to portend some im- 
 minent danger. Sol Miserleigh had barely crossed 
 the threshold when Brown pushed the door quickly 
 shut, and with trembling hands locked and bolted it,
 
 140 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and turning toward the others was about to demand 
 an explanation of the cause of their appearance col- 
 lectively, when Steele placed his hand upon his 
 Shoulder and explained that they had entered the 
 adjoining inclosure singly, and by chance had met 
 there and consequently had applied for admittance 
 at the same time. Then elevating his nose he began 
 snuffing the air and looking around the room in 
 search of the cause of the decidedly pungent odor 
 which pervaded the atmosphere. 
 
 "Rats !" said Brown laughingly, as he observed 
 the expression of disgust upon the face of Steele, 
 "only rats, we had to clean 'em out again, and the 
 bodies of the slain are piled in a heap out in the 
 yard." 
 
 "Yaw-yaw, dat ish vat I schdumbled over, un 
 tought it vas a fedder ped!" ejaculated Jacob, at 
 which the others, except Sol Miserleigh laughed 
 immoderately. 
 
 "And what on earth brought you here at this time 
 of night Mr. Miserleigh," asked Brown anxiously. 
 "Surely something of extraordinary urgency and im- 
 portance ?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Sol Miserleigh as they sat down 
 before the fire. "Yes, a matter of considerable im- 
 portance, and" glancing up at the clock) "I must ex- 
 plain briefly, as it is near daybreak and I must get 
 away from here as soon as possible. I went to 
 Jacob's house and brought him with me that I might
 
 Trappers of Men in Council. 141 
 
 explain matters to you collectively. Now this is 
 the situation. The circumstances attending the 
 death and burial of William Barnes, have disturbed 
 and perplexed me greatly and I now perceive that I 
 cannot safely carry out my original plans. In brief, 
 we cannot put out of our way at once, Sam Slick and 
 Joshua Humble, unless circumstances are favorable 
 to a fatal accident to both at different times and in 
 widely different places. Slick, as you know, is with 
 L,angdon in Cincinnati. As previously explained to 
 you, he knows too much concerning my affairs and 
 quite recently I have observed in him unmistakable 
 evidences of reformation; therefore he is a living 
 and constant menace to me, and his removal has 
 become an imperative necessity." 
 
 "Old Humble, since the death of William Barnes, 
 and also influenced by the near approach of the day 
 of his release from financial obligations to me, has 
 become very peculiar in his manner, and has excited 
 my suspicion that he intends to betray me as soon 
 as he is safely out of my clutches. When aroused 
 he is a very firm and resolute man and consequently 
 dangerous to trifle with. I do not know positively, 
 but I suspect that he is conniving with old Prye 
 to ruin me, and I want to throttle him effectually 
 before he can possibly accomplish his purpose. If 
 I can get these two men out of the way, I shall have 
 no fears of old Prye and I can manipulate the boy 
 with ease. I want to keep a constant watch on
 
 142 Joshua Humble. 
 
 Humble from the time he leaves my office at night 
 until he returns to it in the morning. There will be 
 no need to watch him during the day while at my 
 office as he will be powerless to harm me right under 
 my eyes. I also want to have Sam Slick watched, 
 and as soon as a favorable opportunity presents itself, 
 it will be decidedly in order to have him meet with a 
 fatal accident. The details of the work I leave wholly 
 to you, but begin at once, and when you have ma- 
 tured your plans explain them to me fully before 
 you begin in order that I may understand and if 
 need be second all your movements. As for your 
 pay, it shall be liberal and in proportion to your suc- 
 cess. Give your time wholly to my affairs until I am 
 safely through my difficulties, and you will find it far 
 more safe and profitable than any other enterprise 
 in which you can engage. And now I must go. 
 Report to me through Jacob who can safely come to 
 me at my office or elsewhere- at any time." With 
 a final "Good morning, gentlemen," he opened the 
 door and passed out, leaving the four precious ras- 
 cals in silent communion with their own thoughts.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 A STRANGE VISITOR. 
 
 On a dark and stormy night, an aged man, whose 
 bowed and trembling form was clad in rags, limped 
 painfully along a street in a quarter of the city in- 
 habited chiefly by laboring people; entered an alley, 
 ascended a flight of steps to the back door of a 
 residence, tapped gently on the door with his hand, 
 and then leaning heavily upon his cane, waited in 
 silence for the coming of the person whose foot- 
 steps he could hear within. A few moments later, 
 Joshua Humble with a lamp in his hand opened 
 the door and said in a surprised though kind voice, 
 "Well my good man, what do you wish?" 
 
 "I am cold, weary and hungry," replied the 
 stranger in a loud shrill voice, "and " 
 
 "And such a wretched night," interrupted Mr. 
 Humble sympathetically. "Well, come in, my good 
 man and we will endeavor to make you comfort- 
 able." As the stranger entered, Mr. Humble 
 closed and bolted the door, and as he turned around 
 to invite his vistor to follow him into the sitting 
 room where a glowing fire of coal in a grate gave 
 an air of coziness and comfort to the room, he stag- 
 
 (143) *
 
 144 Joshua Humble. 
 
 gered backward in amazement, for there before him 
 stood Judge Prye, holding in his hand a snow-white 
 wig, and an old wool hat. 
 
 "Merciful Saints !" ejaculated Mr. Humble, hold- 
 ing up his disengaged hand in astonishment, "merci- 
 ful " but Judge Prye with a quick gesture checked 
 his further speech, and silently entered the sitting 
 room, and as the Judge glanced quickly around and 
 observed that the window curtains were all down, he 
 turned to Mr. Humble and asked: 
 
 "Have you a watch dog?" 
 
 "Yes, one with whom it is not safe to trifle." 
 
 "Can you put him outside without being discov- 
 ered?" 
 
 "Yes, through the side basement window." 
 
 "I would advise you to do so at once, as your 
 house is being watched both front and rear." 
 
 "Watched?" queried Mr. Humble with surprise. 
 "Watched? and pray by whom and for what pur- 
 pose ?" 
 
 "That I will explain after you have put that dog 
 outside, and you cannot do so too soon," replied 
 Judge Prye in a decisive tone which was almost a 
 command, and as without further speech, Mr. Hum- 
 ble hurried out of the room to comply with his sug- 
 gestion, Judge Prye hastily removed his wet and 
 tattered outer garments, and when Mr. Humble re- 
 turned, he found him seated complacently before 
 the fire dressed in his usual every day apparel, evi-
 
 A Strange Visitor. 145 
 
 dently enjoying the warmth and comfort of the 
 room. As Mr. Humble drew a chair near the fire, 
 and was in the act of sitting down upon it, he was 
 startled by the savage growl of the dog immediately 
 under the front window, and the sound of retreating 
 footsteps, and hastening into the hall, he quickly 
 opened the front door, and observed a man in rapid 
 flight turn the corner of the street half a square dis- 
 tant with the dog in close pursuit snapping savagely 
 at his legs. Closing the door, he returned to the 
 sitting room, and was describing what he had seen, 
 when there was a rushing sound in the alley in the 
 rear of the building, accompanied by a fierce snarl 
 of the dog, and then again the echoes of fleeing foot- 
 steps. 
 
 "That will settle them for the present, and doubt- 
 less for the night," observed Judge Prye with a smile 
 expressive of amusement and gratification," and I 
 may now explain the object of my visit without fear 
 of being overheard by Miserleigh's spies." 
 
 "Miserleigh's spies?" echoed Mr. Humble. 
 
 "Whom your dog has put to flight," responded 
 Judge Prye. "The truth is, Mr. Humble, I have 
 earnestly desired a conference with you for several 
 days past, but could not contrive a way to accom- 
 plish it without Miserleigh's knowledge, which I 
 especially desired to avoid. I neither dared to send 
 for you nor to meet you on the street and I was 
 really at my wits ends. But when it began to rain 
 
 [10]
 
 146 Joshua Humble. 
 
 tonight, I conceived the idea of coming here in dis- 
 guise, and remembering that there was an old suit 
 of clothes in my tool house belonging to my gardener, 
 I went out and drew them on over my other cloth- 
 ing, found a stick for a cane, and at once began my 
 pilgrimage. My first intention was to enter here by 
 the front door, but as I hobbled along the street 
 half a square distant, I observed a man standing 
 under the gas light just across the street from your 
 front door whom even at that distance I recognized 
 as one of Miserleigh's blood hounds, and making a 
 detour of the block, I came in by the rear entrance. 
 As I entered the alley, I observed a man standing 
 within twenty-five feet of your rear door, who as I 
 advanced, retreated slowly before me, and as I 
 knocked on the door, I observed that he halted and 
 listened, and that most positively confirmed my sus- 
 picions, which is the reason why I spoke in a loud 
 tone and in such piteous accents, when you opened 
 the door/' 
 
 "And now, concerning the object of my visit: I 
 have lived in St. Louis about eighteen years, and first 
 formed your acquaintance about fifteen years ago. 
 During the past five years, I have known you quite 
 intimately, and have been utterly unable to under- 
 stand how it could be possible, that a man of your 
 fine intelligence and excellent culture, of your large 
 and varied experience in all of the avenues of busi- 
 ness, could be in daily association with Sol. Miser-
 
 A Strange Visitor. 147 
 
 leigh under any circumstances. Of course, I cannot 
 but conclude, nay, I know, as positively as it is pos- 
 sible to conceive without possessing an intimate 
 knowledge of all the facts, that you are not his will- 
 ing accomplice. In the first instance, your associa- 
 tion with a man of his character under any circum- 
 stances is a matter of wonder to me, to say nothing 
 of your continuance in his service in a very obscure 
 position, for a period of twenty-five years ; therefore 
 I readily comprehend that there must be some reason 
 of vital importance for the existance of such a con- 
 dition, of a noble human life being deliberately wreck- 
 ed, and yet not making the slightest effort to save 
 itself though the means of self-preservation are easily 
 within its grasp. I have pondered over this matter 
 for years, and have earnestly endeavored to solve 
 the mystery, in the hope that I might be able to ac- 
 complish your emancipation, and at the same time 
 enable you to escape Sol. Miserleigh's vengeance. 
 But all of my independent efforts to fathom the 
 mystery have been utterly fruitless, while your con- 
 dition has steadily been growing worse from day to 
 day, until it seems to me that it must now be simply 
 and utterly intolerable. By careful inquiry I have 
 obtained a slight inkling concerning your business 
 standing and character before you became associated 
 with Miserleigh, but that information which I reject 
 as unreliable is founded chiefly upon the feeble re- 
 collections of old men very tame and gossipy re-
 
 148 Joshua Humble. 
 
 miniscences and furnish not the slightest clew to the 
 cause of your virtual enslavenemt. I am thoroughly 
 in earnest in my purpose to befriend you, and at the 
 same time defeat the wicked machinations of a 
 scoundrel. Will you not give me your perfect con- 
 fidence and permit me to aid you in recovering your 
 personal freedom, your home and your fortune?" 
 
 When Judge Prye began to speak of Sol. Miser- 
 leigh's cruel intrigue, Joshua Humble seemed slightly 
 displeased, and as the Judge proceeded his face be- 
 came flushed, and with bowed head and folded arms 
 he sat mute and motionless, gazing steadily upon the 
 carpet at his feet. He was evidently in a condition 
 of great nervous excitement, for he trembled and 
 breathed with heavy laborious respiration like one in 
 slumber. As Judge Prye uttered the last words and 
 paused for a reply, Joshua Humble started as though 
 suddenly aroused from sleep, arose quickly to his 
 feet, straightened himself to his full height, and for 
 several moments looked vacantly upon the wall, ev- 
 idently unable to command his thoughts or to utter 
 a single word. His mind was in a tumult of conflict- 
 ing emotions in a condition of chaos, and he began 
 to walk the floor and to wring his hands and moan. 
 Finally he paused and pressed his hand to his fore- 
 head as though striving to recall something to mem- 
 ory, and then, as though unable to collect his thoughts, 
 he began again to pace the floor still wringing his 
 hands. His face grew white until it assumed the dull
 
 ./? Strange Visitor. 149 
 
 leaden pallor of the dead, and to his eyes came that 
 awful fixed stare which is ever the forerunner of 
 mortal dissolution. As he walked to and fro like 
 a somnambulist, Judge Prye became extremely an- 
 xious, evidently fearing that the mind of Joshua 
 Humble had lost its balance, and he arose and step- 
 ping quickly to his side placed his hand upon his 
 shoulder and said to him in a kind voice : "My good 
 friend, try to be calm and to collect your thoughts. 
 You are a strong, brave man, and can surmount every 
 difficulty that may beset you, if you will only ex- 
 ercise your will power. See ! it is your friend who 
 stands before you your faithful friend, Andrew 
 Prye!" 
 
 "Ah !" said Joshua Humble dreamily as he turned 
 and looked into the face of Judge Prye, "Yes, I 
 know I know " and then the light of intelligence 
 suddenly came back into his eyes and he covered 
 his face with his hands and wept like a child, while 
 Judge Prye gently guided him back and seated him in 
 his chair before the fire.
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 ME. HUMBLE'S STATEMENT OF FACTS. 
 
 A long interval of silence ensued, a silence ex- 
 tremely painful to Judge Prye, broken only by the 
 sobs of the strong man seated on the opposite side 
 of the fire. But gradually the violence of Mr Hum- 
 ble's emotion abated, and he arose to his feet, wiped 
 the tears from his face, and said in a natural voice: 
 ".The struggle is over, Judge Prye, and I have gained 
 a victory over pride. Permit me to walk a few mo- 
 ments to steady my nerves and then I will be the 
 Joshua Humble of twenty-five years ago, before the 
 blight of Sol. Miserleigh's wicked intrigues fell upon 
 me to poison my life and to wreck my dear boy." 
 Then he began to walk the floor with head bowed 
 and hands clasped behind his back. Ten minutes 
 he paced the floor with quick nervous tread which 
 gradually grew steadier and slower until it became 
 as regular as the ticking of the clock. It was the 
 firm elastic step of a man conscious of his strength 
 and full of hope and faith, and he seemed to grow 
 taller and broader and stronger until he paused be- 
 fore Judge Prye with clear eyes, steady nerves and 
 
 (150)
 
 Mr. Mumble's Statement. 151 
 
 calm face. He was absolutely handsome and his bear- 
 ing was graceful and dignified. 
 
 A moment he stood in that peculiar position look- 
 ing down upon the face of his friend and then in a 
 firm natural voice he said as he extended both of his 
 hands to Judge Prye : "God bless you, my friend ! 
 You have resurrected me from a living death, and 
 you will find me a faithful, discreet and courageous 
 assistant in your endeavors to bring Sol. Miserleigh 
 to justice, and in every other good cause. I am in 
 the twilight of the evening of life and night is coming 
 swiftly on, but the day is not quite ended !" 
 
 Judge Prye arose and warmly grasped the 
 hands of Joshua Humble and replied: "Why my 
 dear friend, you are now the man my imagination 
 has always pictured you to have once been, and I 
 am rejoiced beyond measure." 
 
 i * With these and many more kindly expressions 
 of mutual friendship, Judge Prye and Joshua Hum- 
 ble resumed their seats before the fire and Mr. Hum- 
 ble said: v 
 
 "Briefly, this is the history of Sol. Miserleigh's 
 intrigue, of which I have been the victim : Twenty- 
 five years ago, the residence in which Sol. Miserleigh 
 now lives was my property and my home. My wife 
 was then living, and we had one son and one 
 daughter, the latter then but five years old, and my 
 son twenty-two. I was entirely free from debt, and 
 by the exercise of unusual prudence and by careful
 
 152 Joshua Humble. 
 
 attention to business I had accumulated about one 
 hundred and forty-five thousand dollars in stocks, 
 bonds and cash. My real estate holdings consisted 
 of my residence, my office building, and this little 
 home which I deeded to my widowed sister before 
 Sol. Miserleigh accomplished my ruin. My business, 
 that of stock brokerage, was very safe and profitable, 
 as I never engaged in speculation on my own ac- 
 count, and after my son Claude had, at the age of 
 eighteen graduated from the High School I gave 
 him employment in my office which was the same 
 which Sol. Miserleigh now occupies, and carefully 
 trained him in my business, so that when he be- 
 came of age, I gave him a partnership in my business 
 equal with myself. A year previous to that, Sol. 
 Miserleigh, who was then a common note broker 
 and the leaner of money in small amounts on chattel 
 mortgages, and who had just begun to dabble in 
 stocks, rented desk room in my office, and as I after- 
 wards ascertained immediately began to poison the 
 mind of my son by suggesting to him and encourag- 
 ing him in illegitimate speculations in a small way, 
 which Miserleigh manipulated and always reported 
 immense gains, and paid over to Claude his share 
 of the profits with strict injunctions of secrecy. This 
 speculative disposition Miserleigh carefully cultivated 
 in Claude, until he attained his majority and became 
 an equal partner with me in my business, and then 
 Miserleigh began to lay his snares to entrap my son
 
 Mr. Humble's Statement. 153 
 
 and to accomplish our financial ruin and absorb my 
 entire estate. It is a long and painful story and mi- 
 nute details are unnecessary ; suffice to say that with- 
 in a year and a half from the time when Claude be- 
 came my business partner, he had, without my 
 knowledge or slightest suspicion encumbered our 
 firm with a debt of one hundred and sixty-five 
 thousand dollars, and Miserleigh was our sole cred- 
 itor. Furthermore, Claude in a last desperate effort 
 to retrieve his misfortunes, had added crime to the 
 folly of his speculative ventures by forging the name 
 of Sol. Miserleigh to a sixty days promissory note 
 and had realized thereon and lost the entire amount 
 in a single deal with Miserleigh." 
 
 "The first intimation I had of anything wrong in 
 our affairs was the entrance to our office of an 
 officer of the law accompanied by Miserleigh with a 
 warrant for Claude's arrest upon a charge of forgery. 
 Fortunately my son was out in the city at the time 
 and consequently escaped arrest. After the officer 
 had departed, Miserleigh explained to me the de- 
 plorable condition of my financial affairs, through 
 Claude's speculations, and for the moment I was 
 tempted to dash Miserleigh's brains out with a chair, 
 but my better judgment prevailed in the struggle 
 within me, between inclination to wreak vengeance 
 upon him for his treachery to my boy, and his sys- 
 tematic robbery of myself, and overwhelming desire 
 to save my son whom I loved better than my own
 
 154 Joshua Humble. 
 
 life, from disgrace, and so, I repressed my rage and 
 indignation, and locking the door I held Sol. Miser- 
 leigh virtually a prisoner from noon until the fol- 
 lowing morning. 
 
 "During that time, to me an age of mental agony, 
 I endeavored by arguments and entreaties to soften 
 Miserleigh's heart, and thereby avert disgrace and 
 ruin, but with dogged persistency he held firmly to 
 his purpose, and finally I was compelled to yield to 
 his demands. It was a choice between my fortune 
 and my boy, and I yielded the former to save the 
 latter ! 
 
 When I unlocked the door, just as day was 
 breaking, I was utterly penniless, having transferred 
 to Sol. Miserleigh everything of value of which I had 
 been in possession but a few hours before, and in 
 compliance with his demands had even emptied my 
 pockets and delivered to him their contents, money, 
 pocket book, watch, and even my knife and he took 
 them all with the fiendish satisfaction of a miser 
 gloating over his ill-gotten gains. 
 
 "The conditions of the compromise were the 
 transfer of all of my property to Miserleigh, which 
 was to constitute payment in full of the firm's in- 
 debtedness to him, except the forged note which he 
 agreed to honor, and to allow me to repay to him 
 in installments, provided I would enter his employ at 
 twenty-five hundred dollars a year. The agreement 
 as to that was merely verbal (as otherwise, as he
 
 Mr. Mumble's Statement. 155 
 
 urged, and tn which he was correct) to have put it 
 in writing would have constituted the compounding 
 of a felony on his part and when he raised that point 
 of objection, I could not of course insist upon a 
 written agreement, and so, accepting his receipt in 
 full on account of all other indebtedness, I unlocked 
 the door and handed him the key, and stepped forth 
 into the gray light of day-dawn, Sol. Miserleigh's 
 Slave !
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 FBOM OPULENCE TO PEXURY. 
 
 "It was a terrible fall from a dizzy height," con- 
 tinued Mr. Humble, "and a week later my dear wife 
 died of a broken heart, and then with only our per- 
 sonal clothing we came here to live and Sol. Miser- 
 leigh and his mother and sister stepped into our 
 home, Mrs. Miserleigh, in her fiendish eagerness to 
 be sole mistress of the premises even hurrying our 
 dparture." 
 
 "And now my sorrowful tale is nearly ended, 
 for it will be impossible for me to detail the terrible 
 humiliation and suffering of my life since then. It 
 is sufficient to say that eventually my daughter mar- 
 ried and died leaving an infant daughter, and her 
 husband being a shiftless fellow went away, I know 
 not where, leaving the child to the care of my sister 
 and myself. Claude's life, though for a time blasted, 
 was not utterly wrecked. He did not dare to remain 
 where Miserleigh could reach him legally and so 
 drifted into the far west, and eventually into old 
 Mexico, where for years he worked in the silver 
 mines as a common laborer and saved from his wages 
 
 (156)
 
 From Opulence to Penury. 157 
 
 enough money to enable him to develop a very rich 
 mine, recently, which he discovered soon after his 
 arrival in that country. Every month he has written 
 me a long affectionate letter, and sent me a small 
 remittance, else we should have suffered for the 
 common necessaries of life, and yesterday I received 
 from him a draft on New York for seven thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 "During the first six months Sol. Miserleigh paid 
 me promptly the salary he had promised, retaining 
 a certain sum per month to apply in payment on the 
 forged note, and then he utterly repudiated the agree- 
 ment and cut my salary down to one hundred dollars 
 per month. Of course I was wholly within his power 
 and could not but submit to his terms, and so, at 
 intervals he has continued to reduce my salary, al- 
 ways retaining a portion of it to be credited on the 
 note, until now there remains but ten dollars of that 
 indebtedness and when that is paid I shall be a free 
 man if Sol. Miserleigh does not concoct some other 
 villainous scheme to prolong my enslavement! 
 
 "Having an intimate knowledge of his business 
 affairs in every detail of his roguery and pecula- 
 tions in all their lights and shades, he fears me, know- 
 ing that I have carefully avoided all personal connec- 
 tion with his nefarious schemes, and that I have re- 
 mained uncorrupted amid the sore temptations which 
 during all these dreadful years he daily cast in my 
 way, hoping that the pinchings of poverty might de-
 
 158 Joshua Humble. 
 
 grade my soul, and deliver me again and for life to 
 his enslavement. Failing utterly in every attempt 
 to keep me within his grasp, and knowing that my 
 day of emancipation is fast approaching, it is but 
 natural that he should hate and fear me, and hence 
 the employment of spies to watch my movements, 
 which fact my good dog has demonstrated to-night." 
 
 Throughout Joshua Humble's recital of the cir- 
 cumstances of Sol. Miserleigh's monstrous crime 
 against him, and the heinous wrongs and cruelties 
 which Miserleigh had inflicted upon him, Judge Prye 
 sat motionless and almost breathless looking stead- 
 ily pitying into the grave and handsome face of Mr. 
 Humble, and when the sad story was ended, he arose 
 to his feet trembling with excitement and indigna- 
 tion, and stepping quickly to the side of his friend 
 he said: 
 
 "My admiration for you is inexpressible. Yours 
 has indeed been a noble slavery, and none but a good 
 man could have passed through that terrible ordeal 
 unscathed!" Drawing his chair close to the side of 
 his friend, Judge Prye sat down there and the con- 
 versation was continued late into the night, during 
 which Joshua Humble explained the mysterious dis- 
 appearance of George Langdon and many other mat- 
 ters of interest and importance, not the least of which 
 was the disappearance at the age of two years of the 
 twin children of William Barnes and Aurelia Miser- 
 leigh.
 
 From Opulence to Penury. 159 
 
 "They were secretly and legally married by a 
 magistrate who is still living," he added in conclu- 
 sion, giving the name and address, "and who can 
 doubtless produce the record. You will stay here 
 to-night, will you not?" 
 
 '"Yes," replied Judge Prye, "I had planned to 
 remain until eight o'clock in the morning. The 
 house will not be watched after your departure and 
 I can safely leave without the disguise in which I 
 came. Go to Miserleigh's office at the usual hour 
 and conduct yourself in your accustomed manner. 
 So continue from day to day until I notify you to 
 the contrary. I must have time to think to mature 
 plans to fortify our position with facts which cannot 
 be controverted. I must have time to mature a gen- 
 eral plan of attack upon his most vulnerable point, 
 for he is a wily and dangerous antagonist. We must 
 make sure of his capture and total disarmament at 
 the first dash or he will certainly cheat the gallows 
 or the penitentiary. Our trap must be skillfully con- 
 structed, and if we fail to entangle this snarer of men 
 within the meshes of his own net and draw him to 
 destruction, it will certainly be because we are not 
 his equals in shrewdness and courage, for the means 
 for its accomplishment seem to be already within our 
 grasp. If you can, with entire safety, collect any fur- 
 ther evidence against him, do so, and in the mean- 
 time I will prepare the way for his complete unmask- 
 ing."
 
 160 Joshua Humble. 
 
 With the simple words: "It is well," Joshua 
 Humble conducted Judge Prye to a sleeping apart- 
 ment and kindly bade him good night, and then 
 himself retired to rest, first kneeling by his bedside 
 and returning fervent, heartfelt thanks to God, for 
 his deliverance from bondage, so near at hand, and 
 for the first gleams of the light of a day of happiness 
 after a long night of years of toil and anguish.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 OLD MOTHER HURT AT HOME. 
 
 Mrs. Sly, Becky Falser and Jerusha Snuffer were 
 visiting old Mother Hurt at her home. It was a 
 comfortable and handsome brick dwelling of eight 
 rooms, nicely furnished, and was the sole property 
 of Mother Hurt; but sad to relate, its value repre- 
 sented many moral and legal offences of which 
 its owner would have been adjudged guilty if brought 
 to trial therefor before any court of justice in the 
 land. 
 
 Old Mother Hurt was making a bed quilt, the 
 cover of which consisted of many different kinds and 
 colors of silks sewed together. She called it "a 
 crazy quilt," and indeed it was very appropriately 
 named, the design being remarkable chiefly for its 
 irregularity and complexity, the beginning and end 
 of which could not have been easily discovered. It 
 was symmetrical as a whole, but consisted of a laby- 
 rinthian combination of stripes and crosses running 
 in every conceivable direction, each of different color 
 and each different also in size and form, leaving the 
 impression upon the mind of the beholder, that in 
 
 111] (161)
 
 162 Joshua Humble. 
 
 its construction the maker had worked without a 
 plan or measure and in accordance with varying 
 whims and fancies. 
 
 This ingenious article of handiwork represented 
 in gross many days of labor a few moments at 
 a time during many years, and that day, the 
 seventy-fourth anniversary of her birth, Mother Hurt 
 had fixed as the time for the completion of that 
 antique specimen of her skill in needle work; there- 
 fore in celebration of two important events, the finish- 
 ing of her quilt and the anniversary of the beginning 
 of her life, she had invited the "Three Graces of Satan" 
 to assist her in finishing the demented article upon 
 which she had toiled so long. The visitors had gone 
 to the residence of Mother Hurt early in the after- 
 noon, and as it was their first meeting since the day 
 of the funeral of William Barnes, the dramatic inci- 
 dents of that sorrowful occasion were the subjects 
 uppermost in their minds. Mrs. Sly seemed ex- 
 tremely anxious to discuss the Barnes Miserleigh 
 scandal in minute detail, and made several attempts 
 to direct the conversation into that channel, while 
 Mother Hurt was equally as anxious to avoid its 
 discussion and hence the crazy-quilt and matters of 
 ordinary neighborhood gossip occupied their time 
 and attention. 
 
 The abundance of sap, which always oozed from 
 the nostrils of Jerusha Snuffer, had been largely in- 
 creased by a recent cold which had settled in her
 
 Old Mother Hurt at Home. 163 
 
 head, and notwithstanding her frequent wiping with a 
 large gingham handkerchief, the crystal drop which 
 always clung to the end of her nose was much larger 
 than usual, that day, and as it continually threatened 
 to fall upon and soil Mother Hurt's sacred crazy 
 quilt, it caused the old dame much uneasiness of 
 mind; therefore when the drop of nasal mucilage 
 would sag down like an inverted baloon and betray 
 evidences of separation from the end of the spinster's 
 scarlet nose, Mother Hurt's nervousness greatly in- 
 creased and she would call out hysterically: "Ah 
 ah ! it's going to drop, Jerusha ; catch it qui quick, 
 before it soils the quilt !" at which the spinster would 
 gore her weak watery eyes with her knuckles, 
 elevate her nose and snuff back into her nasal pas- 
 sages the threatening drop, without pausing in her 
 needle work or her cackling gossip. 
 
 Becky Falser, having eaten a pickle after hav- 
 ing taken a large dose of calomel, two days previ- 
 ously, had from necessity, laid up her talking apparatus 
 for repairs, and Mrs. Sly, being afflicted with asthma 
 so that she weezed continually like a wind-broken 
 horse, was unable to do more than suggest subjects 
 for discussion between old Mother Hurt and Jerusha 
 Snuffer; hence those two interesting individuals, 
 when not wrestling with the threatening drop on the 
 end of the latter's nose, were uttering in hoarse 
 croaking tones, choice bits of scandal, each going a 
 little further into particulars than the other, until the
 
 164 Josuah Humble. 
 
 subject was exhausted and another subject had been 
 suggested by the ingenious Mrs. Sly. 
 
 Each of these four viragos was a scientific special- 
 ist in a different sphere of scandal, and unitedly they 
 constituted a gratuitous detective agency which could 
 discover the true inwardness of all domestic mys- 
 teries and miseries by the simple process of putting 
 together this and that, and by their keen sense ot 
 smell could arrive at definite conclusions concerning 
 all matters of individual honor and chastity. For 
 instance: Mrs. Sly was a fabricator of long and 
 varied experience and marvelous skill, an inventive 
 genius as a scandal monger without a model and 
 without an equal. Becky Falser was extremely 
 imaginative and could always be depended on, not 
 only to clearly and positively substantiate, but to 
 greatly magnify and describe in minute detail all of 
 Mrs. Sly's wonderful discoveries. Jerusha Snuffer 
 was extremely analytical and could, by a very simple 
 process of logical deduction discover most complex 
 problems and could always "point an appropriate 
 moral to adorn the tale." Old Mother Hurt's mouth 
 was but a network of venom ducts from which ex- 
 uded streams of false and slanderous words which 
 poisoned the very fountains of the lives against 
 which they were directed ; and she was very skillful 
 in the art of wounding desperately the feelings of 
 everybody with whom she came in contact. It was 
 a matter of record that she had never been known to
 
 Old Mother Hurt at Home. 165 
 
 say one kind or charitable word concerning any 
 human being living or dead, and that she could in- 
 dulge in false and cruel insinuations even in the very 
 presence of the person alluded to, with an air of such 
 perfect innocence, and apparently so unpremedi- 
 tated, that they were thrown into a state of mental 
 paralysis for the moment, and so utterly speechless 
 from rage thereafter, that she wholly escaped their 
 just retalliation. Furthermore, unlike "The Three 
 Graces of Satan," she was an educated woman, and 
 her superior command of language and invective 
 gave her great advantage of them in discussion; 
 consequently they never presumed to differ with her 
 in opinions upon any subject. In brief, they stood 
 in mortal fear of her cruel, terrible tongue, and there- 
 fore when she bowed, they wagged their heads, and 
 when she smiled,, with one accord they shouted in 
 boisterous laughter. 
 
 In early life, Mother Hurt had been educated for 
 the practice of medicine, but her career as a regular 
 physician was of brief duration and eventually she 
 became a professional nurse of exceptional skill and 
 was always profitably employed. Finally, when 
 younger woman, such as Mrs. Sly and Becky Fal- 
 ser became her successful competitors in that busi- 
 ness, she abandoned it altogether having accumulated 
 sufficient means to enable her to live without labor in 
 ease and comfort. 
 
 Tne Jones, the Brown, the Thompson, the Smith
 
 166 Joshua Humble. 
 
 families, and indeed every other family within the 
 range of their extensive acquaintance had been dis- 
 cussed by Mother Hurt and her visitors, and the 
 conversation lagged from want of other subjects, as 
 Jerusha Snuffer took the last stitch, and as she 
 snorted back into her yawning nostrils the trembling 
 crystal drop on the end of her nose, she said in a 
 thick slobbering voice: "Well, women, the crazy 
 quilt am done !" Mrs. Sly and Becky Falser mur- 
 mured enthusiastic congratulations to Mother Hurt, 
 who chuckled and simpered in girlish glee as she 
 folded up her treasure and put it carefully away in 
 a bureau drawer just as the servants announced that 
 "tea" was ready. 
 
 Mother Hurt sat at the head of the table and 
 poured the tea into large china cups, and it was very 
 strong and hot. At her right hand sat Mrs. Sly, 
 at her left Becky Falser, and at the foot of the table 
 Jerusha Snuffer wrestled with the ever-appearing and 
 ever-vanishing drop on the end of her nose, and 
 smiled benignantly upon the hostess.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 COMPLETION OF A CRAZY QUILT. 
 
 For a quarter of an hour this interesting com- 
 pany attended strictly to the business of eating and 
 drinking, during which only words complimentary 
 of the food and tea were spoken, and then, the more 
 pressing demands of their voracious appetites hav- 
 ing been satisfied they began to sip their tea and 
 chew their food with more deliberation. Finally, Mrs. 
 Sly laid down her knife and fork, grasped her tea 
 cup by its handle, raised it to her lips, sipped the 
 stomach-paralyzing liquid slowly a moment and said : 
 
 "As I was a sayin' folkses, when Jerusha was 
 workin' on the quilt, that Miserleigh and Barnes' 
 business is the worst tangled mess I ever hearn on." 
 
 Old Mother Hurt turned and glared angrily in 
 into the face of Mrs. Sly, but the latter seemed wholly 
 unconscious of the displeasure of the hostess, and 
 looked away toward the foot of the table and bowed 
 three times. 
 
 "Yes," responded Jerusha Snuffer with a gulp 
 and a snort, "and that old O'Keefe woman a cryin' 
 over the corpse and a kissin' it. Ugh ! It makes the 
 
 (167)
 
 168 Joshua Humble. 
 
 cold chills run up my back to even think of touch- 
 ing a dead body, specially with one's lips." 
 
 "Oh, drat the O'Keefe woman and the corpse!" 
 retorted Mrs. Sly sharply, "I was a talkin' 'bout 
 Mad Aurelia and old Bill Barnes and their kids." 
 
 "I've hearn say that some people think that old 
 Mother Miserleigh was at the bottom of the whole 
 difficulty. She's a pizen old wretch and would mur- 
 der her own kin without so much as winkin' her eyes, 
 to carry her pint," said Becky Falser suggestively. 
 
 "An* law sakes alive women !" said Jerusha 
 Snuffer with a gurgling snort, "all that ravin' of crazy 
 Aurelia 'bout bein' married to Barnes unbeknown to 
 anybody 'cept the magistrate is too funny for any- 
 thing. Bill Barnes never married her no, not he; 
 and her ravin' 'bout Sol. and the old woman accusin' 
 her of bein' bad, to pizen Bill Barnes' mind against 
 her, is all blather. Oh, no ! It'll take a more reason- 
 able story than that to account for the twins and Bill 
 Barnes' failure to claim 'em eh?" 
 
 "Jes' so!" responded Mrs. Sly delightedly. 
 
 "And what became of the kids is what gets me, 
 and that is what I would like to know!" said Becky 
 Falser, blubberingly, as she held a napkin to her 
 swollen and blistered mouth. 
 
 "Yes, that's the important pint," wheezed Mrs. 
 Sly. 
 
 "I hearn tell that old Mother Miserleigh hired 
 somebody to get away with the kids when they were
 
 Completion of a Crazy Quilt 169 
 
 about two years old, 'cause Aurelia was crazy a 
 mournin' for Barnes and the old woman didn't want 
 to be bothered with 'em," said Jerusha Snuffer, "but 
 I 'spect that's not so, for sh's too stingy to pay any- 
 body for doin' what she could do herself; so likes as 
 not she just slipped 'em away one at a time and 
 dropped 'em on the street at night eh?" 
 
 "Likes as not," responded Mrs. Sly, gleefully. 
 
 While this interesting conversation was in prog- 
 ress, old Mother Hurt wriggled uneasily in her chair 
 and supped scalding hot tea with utter indifference 
 as to consequences. She was evidently very much 
 worried, and the keen analytical mind of Mrs. Sly 
 fathomed the cause of her trepidation and deter- 
 mined to encourage the others to continue the dis- 
 cussion of the Barnes Miserleigh mystery until 
 Mother Hurt would be compelled to unload her 
 overburdened mind of secrets pertaining thereto, 
 which Mrs. Sly had long suspected her of possessing. 
 
 "And likes as not the old woman drownded 'em 
 in the river?" added Mrs. Sly questioningly, bowing 
 her head toward Mother Hurt with innocent assump- 
 tion. It was a true shot and went straight to the 
 mark, resulting in an immediate capitulation, for in 
 response to Mrs. Sly's affirmative inquiry, old 
 Mother Hurt elevated her chin, and wrinkled her 
 nose and forehead and sneered. 
 
 "And why not, Mother Hurt?" persisted Mrs. 
 Sly, "why might not Mother Miserleigh have slipped
 
 170 Joshua Humble. 
 
 the twins into the river one at a time? Surely she's 
 none too good, I'll be bound, and she might easily 
 have got rid of them in that way without bein* found 
 out Eh?" 
 
 "You talk nonsense! Mrs. Sly," replied Mother 
 Hurt vehemently, "utter nonsense ! Old Mother Mis- 
 erleigh did nothing of the kind, and I know what I 
 am talking about which is more than you do, for 
 you only guess while I speak from experience 
 actual personal knowledge. Now, woman, you have 
 been chattering foolishness and guessing about what 
 you can never know even the smallest part, of your 
 own knowledge, because you have only rambling 
 gossip to guide you. I don't like to talk about the 
 Barnes-Miserleigh affair, because, to me, it is a very 
 unpleasant subject and for very good reasons. But 
 as you are all my confidential friends, and as this is 
 my seventy-fourth birthday, and as you have helped 
 me finish my crazy quilt, which I have been working 
 on for many years, and as we are all together here, 
 very quiet and very comfortable, and all happy and 
 contented eating these good things and drinking this 
 bracing-up tea, I'll tell you all about the twins and 
 what became of them, for as I said before, I know 
 what I am talking about from personal experience. 
 But first you must promise me never to tell." 
 
 "Never oh no! we'll never tell!" chimed the 
 "Three Graces of Satan," as with one voice. 
 
 "But I'm particular about this, women," re-
 
 Completion of a Crazy Quilt. 171 
 
 sponded Mother Hurt dubiously, "very particular in- 
 deed, because I fear that the Miserleigh's will have 
 trouble about their dealings with Aurelia and her 
 children, and I don't want to be mixed up in it. It 
 takes me all the time now to keep clear of trouble 
 on account of other matters with which I have been 
 connected, and I don't want a settlement of old 
 scores on the Miserleigh account for it is a crooked, 
 troublesome business from beginning to end, and 
 I'm sorry that I ever had anything to do with it, 
 because it is getting to be rather dangerous on ac- 
 count of so much being found out about it, by reason 
 of Aurelia's wailings over the body of William 
 Barnes. Everybody who heard her mournful story 
 believes it from beginning to end, and they are all 
 wondering what became of the twins, and that has 
 caused me a great deal of uneasiness, because I 
 know all about the matter." 
 
 "Well, women, to begin with, the first I knew of 
 there being anything wrong with Aurelia, and at 
 that time I had known her for ten years, was one 
 night after William Barnes quit going to see her, 
 old Mother Miserleigh came to my house alone, 
 and said that Aurelia was sick that she had been 
 married to Barnes unknown to her, but that she 
 would rather that Aurelia would die than be his wife, 
 and that she and Sol. had succeeded in breaking up 
 the marriage by making Barnes believe that Aurelia 
 was not of good character. She wanted me to nurse
 
 172 Joshua Humble. 
 
 Aurelia, and I went with her that very night but found 
 the girl raving crazy, and that ailment I could not 
 cure. Well in due time the twins were born, and my 
 professional services in that connection soon ended. 
 Aurelia had been crazy several months, but when the 
 twins were born she recovered her reason sufficiently 
 to realize what had happened to her, and I never saw 
 anybody so delighted as she was with her children. 
 But she soon began to mourn because Barnes had 
 deserted her, and raved furiously at her mother and 
 Sol. for being the cause of it, and she soon lost her 
 reason again. However, she clung to the children 
 and fought so desperately whenever we attempted 
 to take them from her that we were compelled to 
 abandon that scheme temporarily. Barnes knew 
 about the birth of the children and tried to get pos- 
 session of them in a quiet way, but Mrs. Miserleigh 
 foiled him and finally he gave up the idea. The 
 children were born on the I4th of February, and it 
 was just two years to an hour from that time when 
 we succeeded in slipping away one of the children, 
 the boy, whom I took from her side as she lay asleep 
 in bed. The child was also asleep and I brought 
 him here in a carriage and went back after the other 
 child, a girl. As I entered Aurelia's room she awoke 
 and discovered that the boy was gone and before I 
 could get beyond her reach she knocked me down 
 and undoubtedly would have killed me had not Sol. 
 and his mother come to my assistance. Her grief
 
 Completion of a Crazy Quilt. 173 
 
 at the loss of her boy was simply terrible. She raved 
 and tore her hair and prayed and cursed and wept. 
 I shall never forget her awful grief. Well, as we 
 could not get the child away from her we left her 
 alone in her room, and while we were in the back 
 parlor talking the matter over, we heard the front 
 hall door slam and we hurried out just in time to see 
 Aurelia, dressed only in her night clothing, with her 
 child in her arms going swiftly out at the front gate. 
 The weather was very cold and fine damp snow was 
 falling fast. Sol hurried on his overcoat and hat. 
 My carriage was standing by the pavement in front 
 of the gate, Sol. and I got into it and were driven 
 rapidly in the direction which Aurelia had gone, due 
 westward. Half an hour afterward we found her by 
 the roadside, a mile beyond the city limits nearly 
 covered with snow and apparently dead, the child 
 still clasped in her arms. We lifted her into the 
 carriage and took her back home, put hot bricks to 
 her feet and dosed her with brandy, and in about 
 half an hour she revived, but her memory was en- 
 tirely gone even the recollection of her children 
 had vanished utterly. I took the other child home 
 with me that night and on the following day I 
 farmed them out to an old negro woman, at three 
 dollars a week each, telling her that they were or- 
 phan children of poor people. For several weeks 
 I paid her promptly and then irregularly, and finally 
 not at all. She was a drunken beast and abused
 
 174 Joshua Humble. 
 
 the little ones shockingly, and one cold stormy day 
 they wandered away and became separated from 
 each other in the crowd on the street. The boy 
 traveled at least a mile and finally strayed into the 
 office of a wealthy man who recognized him, but for 
 very good reasons did not communicate the fact to 
 anyone, but took the child to his home and cared for 
 him as his own child. But the girl drifted into a 
 saloon, one of the lowest dens of the city, and was 
 adpoted as daughter of the establishment and was 
 cared for by the wife of the proprietor. Aurelia was 
 dangerously ill for more than three months, but 
 finally regained her health with her mind in about 
 the same condition as it was before she lost her 
 children. Now women, I have given you the straight 
 of the story and don't you even lisp it to any living 
 soul!" 
 
 "Oh, never ! of course we won't !" chimed the 
 "Three Graces of Satan" in chorus. 
 
 "But what became of the twins finally?" wheezed 
 Mrs. Sly. 
 
 "Ah, yes," sputtered Becky Falser, "That's the 
 most important pint." 
 
 "They do say," said Jerusha Snuffer drawing 
 back the crystal drop from the end of her nose, 
 "that both on 'em went to the bad." 
 
 "Who says so?" demanded Mother Hurt sharply, 
 emphasizing the inquiry by a blow on the table with 
 her hand, which made the dishes rattle.
 
 Completion of a Crazy Quilt. 175 
 
 "Ah, oh well ah anybody who would think 
 about it a minute would say that they couldn't help 
 goin' to the bad," stammered the Snuffer nervously. 
 
 "Well they would be dead wrong, concerning one 
 of them, and I know it !" replied Mother Hurt bow- 
 ing vigorously toward Jerusha, and glaring angrily 
 upon her. 
 
 "Ahem! it's getting late nearly dark, I de- 
 clare," said Mrs. Sly rising hastily, "and really I must 
 hurry home." 
 
 "And so must I," sputtered Becky Falser. 
 "Really I must go." 
 
 "Why, how very late it is to be shore," blubbered 
 the Snuffer tremulously, glacing timorously toward 
 the angry Hostess. "I oughter ha bin home half an 
 hour ago." 
 
 And so, without another word concerning the 
 Miserleigh-Barnes affair, but with many soothing 
 compliments and congratulations to the hostess, the 
 "Three Graces of Satan" departed, each to her own 
 home in different directions, each building in their 
 elastic minds, huge mountains of fiction from the 
 atoms of fact, brushed from the crumbling store- 
 house of the memory of old Mother Hurt.
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 BARGAIN AND SALE OF OLD RAGS. 
 
 Sol. Miserleigh's acquaintance with Jacob Blum 
 began in this manner: 
 
 Soon after old Jacob found Martha in the cellar 
 of the abandoned building, almost in a dying condi- 
 tion, and carried her in his arms to his home, he 
 was driving his old lame horse, hitched to his rick- 
 ety old wagon along the street in front of the Miser- 
 leigh residence, and calling out lustily in his rasp- 
 ing dialect: 
 
 "Any old rags bottles ? Any old iron rags ?" 
 
 Mrs. Miserleigh heard his cry and having a large 
 quantity of paper rags to dispose of, called to him 
 from an upper front window of the mansion and 
 old Jacob alighted from his wagon and walked 
 around to the kitchen door to examine what she 
 wished to sell. The old woman was a shrewd bar- 
 gainer and haggled with Jacob over the gfice which 
 he offered for the rags, and after much parleying 
 and many offers and rejections, a compromise was 
 effected and Jacob paid over the money for his pur- 
 chase. As he proceeded to tie up the bundle, he com- 
 
 (176)
 
 Bargain and Sale of Old Rags. 177 
 
 plained bitterly of his poverty with vehement earn- 
 estness, and explained how he was compelled to 
 travel the streets early and late, through heat and 
 cold, sunshine and storm, day after day, and year 
 after year for a meager subsistence. He ended 
 his pathetic complaint by saying that he had a 
 sick wife to provide for, and also an orphan girl 
 whom he had found in a nest of straw in an old hogs- 
 head in an abandoned cellar, suffering from malarial 
 fever and had taken her to his home. 
 
 Mrs. Miserleigh, for some reason which she could 
 not have explained even to herself, immediately be- 
 came much interested concerning the child and ques- 
 tioned old Jacob closely as to its age, color of hair, 
 eyes, complexion and in fact elicited from him a 
 minute description of the girl, together with the in- 
 teresting and startling information that she wore a 
 gold chain around her neck to which was attached 
 a small gold locket, on which was engraved her 
 name: "Valentina." But, said Jacob in conclusion: 
 "She shall be my daughter und I name her Marthe." 
 
 While Jacob talked in a whining tone and care- 
 fully tied up his bundle, Mother Miserleigh was 
 thinking very fast. She had unexpectedly obtained 
 a clew to what she had long and earnestly desired 
 to know, and she was planning how she could ascer- 
 tain to a certainty whether or not her suspicions 
 were correct, and at the same time keep Jacob in 
 utter ignorance of her purpose. As he tied the last 
 
 [12]
 
 178 Joshua Humble. 
 
 knot in his bundle her face brightened, for she had 
 matured her plans in that brief moment, and as he 
 lifted the bundle to his shoulder she said to him: 
 
 "What is your name?" 
 
 "Yacob Blum," he replied balancing the bun- 
 dle on his back, and leering up at her from under the 
 brim of his old Scotch cap. 
 
 "Where do you live?" 
 
 "On Biddle between Fifth and Sixth." 
 
 "You say that you are very poor?" 
 
 "Yaw Madam, very poor." 
 
 "And you have a sick wife?" 
 
 "Yaw, yaw very sick." 
 
 "How long has she been sick?" 
 
 "Tree year." 
 
 "And you are not able to employ a physician?" 
 
 "Nein, Madam." 
 
 "I know a lady physician," said Mother Miser- 
 leigh reflectively, "who is very skillful and I will 
 send her to attend your wife at my own expense, 
 if you wish me to do so. It is a pity and a shame 
 that anybody should suffer from want of medical 
 attendance in this land of plenty." 
 
 Jacob was not only willing that Mrs. Miserleigh 
 should send the doctress to attend his wife, but ex- 
 pressed his gratitude for the kind offer, and then 
 departed calling out with renewed energy and vehe- 
 mence as he mounted the seat of his wagon and rat- 
 tled along over the rough macadamized street :
 
 Bargain and Sale of Old Rags. 179 
 
 "Any old rags bottles ? Any old iron rags ?" 
 
 He had not driven a dozen squares before a 
 messenger was dispatched by Mrs. Miserleigh to 
 Mother Hurt and within an hour thereafter the two 
 women were seated close together in the front par- 
 lor of the Miserleigh residence, talking in low tones 
 very earnestly. Mrs. Miserleigh had repeated to 
 Mother Hurt in minute detail her conversation with 
 Jacob, and in conclusion said: 
 
 "And now, Mrs. Hurt, I need not make any 
 further explanations to you, for you will readily 
 understand that I desire to obtain certain informa- 
 tion of great interest and value to me and that I 
 require your assistance in the matter. You will visit 
 Jacob's wife professionally?" 
 
 "Most assuredly I will." 
 
 "And you will continue your visits until you ob- 
 tain positive information concerning the gril's 
 identity?" 
 
 "With pleasure, and an interest second only to 
 your own." 
 
 And then you can pronounce the old wonman's 
 case incurable when you have attained your object 
 and discontinue your visits, with some general in- 
 structions as to diet, cleanliness and so forth." 
 
 "Precisely." 
 
 "Well then, Mrs. Hurt, the matter is settled. 
 You will go at four o'clock this afternoon when 
 Blum will be at home, and do not leave there until
 
 180 Joshua Humble. 
 
 you have seen the girl and obtained as much in- 
 formation as possible concerning her, without excit- 
 ing old Blum's suspicion. You will not need to re- 
 main there more than an hour and can return here 
 before six o'clock. Sol. will return home from his 
 office at seven and may ask some very embarrassing 
 questions if he finds you here. Go now, and return 
 as soon as possible." 
 
 "I can return by half past five, I think," replied 
 Mother Hurt as she hurried away. 
 
 Promptly at four o'clock the doctress was ushered 
 into the squalid apartments of the Blum's family 
 which was separated from Jacob's rag store-room 
 only by a thin board partition through which came 
 the fumes of the filth which the rags contained, fill- 
 ing the room with a sickening odor. Jacob met her 
 at the door and escorted her through a narrow pass- 
 ageway into a dark bed room where she found old 
 Leah bolstered up in bed and in great agony. The 
 usual examination of the tongue, skin, eyes and 
 pulse of the patient followed and then, after a few 
 moments of reflection, Mother Hurt pronounced the 
 disease liver complaint, and was in the act of open- 
 ing her medicine case when Martha entered the 
 room, bearing in her hands a tray on which were 
 some dishes containing food which she had just pre- 
 pared for Leah. She had closed the door behind 
 her and advanced half way to the bed when she ob- 
 tained a full view of the face of Mother Hurt, and
 
 Bargain and Sale of Old Rags. 181 
 
 she started and recoiled in terror and the tray al- 
 most fell from her hands. Old Leah's quick eyes 
 took in the situation at a glance, and she called out 
 sharply to Martha who advanced and placed the 
 tray upon a stand at the head of the bed, and hast- 
 ened toward the door through which she had en- 
 tered; but old Leah called her back and explained 
 to Mother Hurt that Martha was a queer, timid child. 
 
 The doctress looked into the face of the trembling 
 girl searchingly a few moments and traced out every 
 feature of mad Aurelia. These were her thoughts: 
 "How beautiful she is, and how pure. How has she 
 passed through the fire unscathed? It is a wonder 
 of wonders, but it is true, for I can read a human 
 soul at a glance. How like Aurelia! her very 
 image, only her hair and complexion which are those 
 of her father." 
 
 "How old are you, dear?" inquired Mother Hurt, 
 in a soothing tone, addressing Martha who stood at 
 the foot of Leah's bed, with white face and down- 
 cast eyes. 
 
 "Twelve years," she replied tremulously in a 
 voice barely audible. 
 
 "What is your name?" 
 
 "Jacob and Leah call me Martha." 
 
 "But what was your name before you came 
 here?" 
 
 "Valentina." 
 
 "What was your father's name, I mean?"
 
 182 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "I don't know, I never saw him, at least I don't 
 remember him." 
 
 "With whom did you live before you came here ?" 
 
 "I lived alone with Hero, my dog, anywhere that 
 we could find shelter, sometimes in a dry goods 
 box, sometimes in an unoccupied building and finally 
 in a cellar where Jacob found me sick and brought 
 me here." 
 
 ''But how did you get clothing?" 
 
 "Paul Paul gave it to me!" replied Martha as 
 a grieved expression, which was very pathetic came 
 to her mouth. "Paul who is dead he must be dead 
 or he would find me!" and she began to weep and 
 sob. 
 
 "My God, Aurelia!" thought Mother Hurt, as 
 she noted the expression of the child's face and list- 
 ened to her pathetic sobs. 
 
 With a great effort Martha suppressed her 
 emotion, wiped the tears from her face, turned and 
 looked boldly into the eyes of Mother Hurt and 
 said: 
 
 "And who are you? W r here have I seen you be- 
 fore ? I have known you well, but where or when I 
 cannot remember ! When I was very young when 
 I was a baby in a great house with a tall tower at one 
 corner! or have I been dreaming of it all my life?" 
 
 "It was only a dream, child only a dream," 
 replied the doctress in an unsteady voice as she 
 opened her medicine case. "Only a dream dear, and
 
 Bargain and Sale of Old Rags. 183 
 
 dreams are sometimes very like reality. Go now," 
 and as Martha passed out into the kitchen and 
 closed the door softly, Mother Hurt dealt out some 
 medicine, gave the necessary directions for admin- 
 istering it, and departed leaving Jacob alone with 
 Leah. He had not uttered a word after Martha 
 entered the room, and cowered back in terror as 
 she came into the presence of Mother Hurt. His 
 little bead-like, rattish eyes sparkled with intelligence 
 and so utterly absorbed was his mind in its efforts 
 to discover the mysterious link of circumstances 
 which united the lives of the old doctress and the 
 child, that for the time being he was absolutely 
 dumb. As the conversation between Martha and 
 Mother Hurt progressed he read the truth from the 
 minds of each, long before they could utter it, and 
 when Mother Hurt confusedly dismissed the child, 
 his shrewd mind had penetrated and explored the 
 whole mystery. He was familiar with the Miser- 
 leigh-Barnes affair from first to last, having obtained 
 his information from one of the Miserleigh's, serv- 
 ants, from whom he purchased valuable articles 
 filched from the house of his employer, from time 
 to time, and therefore Jacob's identification of 
 Martha was as complete as was that of Mother Hurt. 
 In a twinkling he comprehended the marvelous gen- 
 erosity of Mother Miserleigh in sending the doc- 
 tress to attend Leah, and he also, by a line of reason- 
 ing, discovered the part which the doctress had
 
 184 Joshua Humble. 
 
 taken in the abduction of the child from its mother. 
 The precise reasons for the cruel and unnatural con- 
 duct of Mrs. Miserleigh he also correctly surmised 
 knowing of her bitter hatred of William Barnes. 
 All this came before his mind in regular order, with 
 the clearness of a vision, as Mother Hurt ques- 
 tioned the child, and when the scene ended, he was 
 as fully in possession of all the facts necessary to a 
 thorough understanding of the situation and the 
 exact circumstances of the case as was Mother Hurt, 
 and he resolved to profit by his knowledge to the 
 fullest extent. 
 
 That night Jacob Blum lay awake and planned 
 how to accomplish his purpose. He went over the 
 whole ground, step by step, now forward, now back- 
 ward, now this way and then that way, until his sur- 
 very was thorough and complete. Carefully he stud- 
 ied the motives of Mrs. Miserleigh in turning adrift 
 the helpless young children of mad Aurelia in so 
 heartless a manner, and he easily fathomed the 
 mystery. Finally his eyelids grew heavy and at 
 length closed in slumber, but his brain went right on 
 with its work of thinking out the problem and when 
 late into the night he awoke, his plans were all 
 formed and perfected and with a sigh of satisfaction 
 he turned over on his side and sank into a dream- 
 less sleep.
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 THE DETECTION OF A DETECTIVE REVEALS AN 
 INFAMOUS SCHEME. 
 
 .When Mother Hurt entered her carriage In 
 front of the apartments of Jacob Blum she was in 
 high glee because of her success in identifying 
 Martha, and yet she was much agitated because of 
 Martha's partial identification of her. Still she did 
 not fear that the child would be able to positively 
 identify her as her abductress, and hence gave her- 
 self no serious concern. While she was still revolv- 
 ing these thoughts in her mind, her carriage drew up 
 in front of the Miserleigh residence and she alighted 
 and hurried through the gate and up the paved walk, 
 and was met at the front hall door by Mrs. Miser- 
 leigh, who immediately conducted her to the front 
 parlor. 
 
 "Well, what success?" inquired the hostess in an 
 anxious tone as they sat down close together. 
 
 "Excellent!" replied Mother Hurt confidently. 
 "Your surmises were correct. It is Valentina." 
 
 "You are quite sure?" 
 
 "Perfectly. There is not even the shadow of a 
 
 (185)
 
 186 Joshua Humble. 
 
 doubt in my mind. Her resemblance to Barnes is 
 very marked, and to Aurelia, why it is simply start- 
 ling! Strange as it may seem, it is nevertheless true 
 that she recognized me, although she could not re- 
 member where or when she had known me." Then 
 Mother Hurt proceeded to give in detail an account 
 of the incidents of her visit to the Blum family, and 
 when she had concluded her narative Mother Miser- 
 leigh said: 
 
 "You have done well, Mrs. Hurt, and have again 
 placed me under great obligations to you. Of course 
 Valentina is corrupt?" 
 
 "Indeed no! She is as pure and guileless as a 
 babe." 
 
 "A thousand wonders !" eclaimed Mrs. Miser- 
 leigh excitedly. 
 
 "Yes," responded Mother Hurt earnestly, "ten 
 thousand thousand wonders! but it is neverthe- 
 less true. She is pure and innocent, and very very 
 beautiful. But I must go now for it is nearly time 
 for Sol. to return home." 
 
 "Yes, he will be here very soon. Drive one 
 square west and then south and east around the op- 
 posite block and you will avoid meeting him." 
 
 As Mrs. Miserleigh talked, they had passed out 
 of the parlor and along the hall to the front door, 
 and in the vestibule they parted without ceremony 
 or further speech between them. 
 
 About ten o'clock on the following morning,
 
 Jin Infamous Scheme. 187 
 
 Jacob Blum rang the door bell of the Miserleigh 
 residence and was admitted by the servant but left 
 to stand in the front hall until the mistress came to 
 him. 
 
 "Goot mornin' Mischtress Miserleigh," said 
 Jacob, doffing his cap and pulling his scalp lock in 
 obeisance as Mrs. Miserleigh approached him. 
 
 "Why," she responded sharply without returning 
 his salutation, "why, what are you doing here? I 
 have no rags to sell today I sold you all I had 
 yesterday." 
 
 "Yaw, madam," he replied, again pulling his 
 scalp lock, "but I vant no rags dis mornin', I vant 
 somedings petter, I cooms on udder peeschness." 
 
 "What business? What are you talking about?" 
 she demanded sternly. 
 
 "Dis!" he replied straightening himself to his 
 full height and flushing with anger. "I cooms to 
 talk mit you about Martha." 
 
 "You mean the girl whom you found in a cellar 
 on Commercial Alley?" 
 
 "Yaw madam, und you must not talks to me in 
 dat done." 
 
 "I'll have none of your insolence !" she responded 
 threateningly, "I know nothing of your pauper girl 
 and care less. Because I took pity on your sick wife 
 and sent a physician to attend her at my own ex- 
 pense, you presume to return to me and demand
 
 188 Joshua Humble. 
 
 something for the girl. What does she want? A 
 seal-skin sacque, a silk dress and diamonds?" 
 
 "Nein, madam, Martha wants noddings mit you, 
 und you ought do know somedings 'bout her for 
 she vas de daughter fon your daughter Aurelia und 
 Bill Barnes, und you knows it !" 
 
 Mrs. Miserleigh was amazed by Jacob's blunt 
 avowal. She perceived that in some manner, which 
 she could not even conjecture, he had obtained all 
 of the essential facts concerning the conjugal rela- 
 tions of Aurelia and William Barnes and the birth 
 of their children and their abandonment, but she 
 resolved to put his knowledge to a severe test, and 
 therefore responded quickly in the same tone: 
 
 "You talk nonsense utter nonsense ! You find 
 a pauper girl and conclude that she resembles 
 Aurelia. You remember the false gossip of years 
 ago, and you arrive at conclusions in accordance 
 with it, and you come here to insult me with them in 
 return for my kindness to your sick wife." 
 
 "Nein, madam," replied Jacob slowly and re- 
 spectfully. "You vas all wrong in vat you say, und 
 you knows you vas wrong. I cooms not do. insult 
 you madam, in any vay, und if you will lischden 
 batiently do vat I say, you vill see dat vat I schpeak 
 vas drue. I vas your friendt, und I cooms to talks 
 mit you, cause vy? Cause you vas in a bad fix for 
 vat you do mit Aurelia und her schildther. If I vas 
 your enemy I goes to William Barnes und he gief
 
 Jin Infamous Scheme. 189 
 
 me much monish for de girl und he gief you trou- 
 bles. Veil now, I found out all aboudt William 
 Barnes und Aurelia und de twins, fon Jim Boyle 
 who vas your servant und vas deadt now. He used 
 to schdeal silver schpoons und clodings fon you 
 und I buys 'em. Veil, he hears you and Sol. talk 
 about de two schildthen fon Barnes und Aurelia und 
 so he tole me all aboud idt. Veil, ven de ole vomans 
 doctor coom do see Leah yeschterday und talks 
 mit Martha, I remember vot Jim Boyle tole me, und 
 I see how frightened Martha vas und knows de ole 
 vomans, but can't remember ven she first knows 
 her, und I remember dat someone schdole de 
 childthen fon Aurelia, und I know dat de ole vomans 
 vas de theif. Und den I knew vy you sent de ole 
 vomans doctor to Leah vas because I tole you 
 yeschterday dat I found a girl named Valentina und 
 took her to lib mit Leah und me. Lascht night I lays 
 avake und dinks him all oudt und I say to mine 
 self: 'I vill go to Mischtress Miserleigh und tells 
 her vat I knows, und if she makes some peeschness 
 for me mit Sol. den I schday her friendt. If not, 
 den I go to Bill Barnes und get much monish for 
 de girl."
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 A CBIMINAL ALLIANCE. 
 
 As Mrs. Miserleigh listened to Jacob's blunt but 
 concise statement of facts which she had believed 
 were known only to herself and Mother Hurt, she 
 became greatly alarmed, for she realized that she 
 was wholly at the mercy of a person quite as un- 
 scrupulous and vengeful as herself, and that her only 
 course of prospective safety lay in the direction of 
 a compliance with his demands, and when he had 
 concluded his explanations, she had fully decided 
 relative to the course she would pursue in the mat- 
 ter, and inquired in a tone of calm unconcern and 
 utter indifference: 
 
 "What kind of business do you want to do with 
 Sol?" 
 
 "I vas poor und needy, I have no monish only 
 enough to buy a vew rags, und I vant to do a big 
 pesschness in ole cloding und iron und rags." 
 
 "And you want Sol. to furnish the money?" 
 
 "Yaw madam." 
 
 "Very well, he shall do so," she said patronizingly. 
 "Sit down there (pointing to a servant's stool) while 
 
 (190)
 
 A Criminal Alliance. 191 
 
 I arrange the matter as you desire," and as he 
 slouched down upon the seat with a triumphant, self- 
 satisfied air, she passed into the dining room, took 
 writing material from the mantel, sat down by the 
 table and wrote : 
 
 "Sol: Jacob Blum wants to engage more ex- 
 tensively in the purchase and sale of old clothing, 
 iron and rags. Loan him, without interest, whatever 
 amount of money he may require for that purpose, 
 and make him a present of two hundred dollars and 
 ask no questions. You well know how charitable 
 I am, and will readily understand that I am influ- 
 enced only by pity for his forlorn condition. Culti- 
 vate close and confidential business relations with 
 him and under no circumstances offend him ! Do 
 not mention this subject when you return home to- 
 night, nor ever afterward. 
 
 "CELESTINE MISERLEIGH." 
 This she read over carefully and corrected its 
 punctuation and emphasis, enclosed it in an en- 
 velope, which she sealed with wax stamped with her 
 monogram, addressed the envelope: "Sol. Miser- 
 leigh," arose from the table, passed into the hall, 
 and approached old Jacob who had risen from the 
 stool when he heard her open the dining room door, 
 and began pulling his scalp lock in obeisance, after 
 the manner of people of foreign birth of low de- 
 gree, at the approach of their superiors. 
 
 "Here Blum," said Mrs. Miserleigh patronizingly, 
 handing him the letter which she had just written
 
 192 Joshua Humble. 
 
 to Sol. "I have in this instructed Miserleigh to 
 make you a present of two hundred dollars in money, 
 and to loan you without interest, whatever sum you 
 may require for the business in which you wish to 
 engage ; and I have also told him to render you 
 whatever other assistance you may need. I know 
 you are a consummate scoundrel and would not 
 hesitate for one moment to commit murder in order 
 to accomplish your purposes ; and doubtless for very 
 good reasons you entertain a similar opinion of me. 
 Such being the case, you will do well to remember 
 that rogues among themselves never forget or for- 
 give a traitor, and do not for one moment forget 
 that it will be greatly to your advantage to deal 
 honestly with me, and in good faith. On the other 
 hand, if you deal treacherously with me in the slight- 
 est degree, the world will not be large enough to 
 contain us both ! What you want is money, and you 
 can get more of it through my influence than by 
 any other human agency. I know your nature. It 
 is that of the serpent; you may by careful handling 
 become in a manner docile, but may never be im- 
 plicity trusted. If you will remember that serpents 
 often sting themselves to death in their efforts to 
 poison their masters, you will never even dream of 
 betraying me. As you doubtless know, Sol. is pre- 
 cisely one of your kind : as treacherous as an Indian, 
 as cunning as a fox, and as dangerous as a serpent ; 
 but for all that he is an honorable rogue and will
 
 Jl Criminal Alliance. 193 
 
 never deceive nor betray one of his confederates. 
 Go now, and never come to me again unless you 
 have important information which you know I will 
 not otherwise obtain, or unless I send for you." 
 
 As she uttered the last words, Mrs. Miserleigh 
 placed her hand rudely upon Jacob's shoulder, pushed 
 him out into the vestibule, opened the front hall 
 door and thrust him out upon the front steps and 
 pulled the door shut in his face. So overawed was 
 he by her mastery, and so utterly confused by her 
 vehemence that his lips were powerless to utter the 
 reply which his mind had suggested and matured, 
 that he could only murmur his thanks to the closed 
 door and then silently depart. He was a conquered 
 hyena. He walked down the flight of stone steps 
 and along the paved footway across the lawn to the 
 front gate, carrying the letter in one hand and his 
 cap in the other, before he realized that his smooth 
 bald head was exposed to a freezing atmosphere, 
 and then he quickly put on his cap, passed out of the 
 enclosure upon the street and hurried away toward 
 the business center of the city. 
 
 An hour later Jacob Blum stood in the presence 
 of Sol. Miserleigh in his office, and handed Mrs. 
 Miserleigh's letter to him. To say merely that Sol. 
 was greatly surprised and bewildered thereby would 
 but imperfectly explain his mental condition, as he 
 recognized his mother's handwriting on the en- 
 velope; and as he broke the seal and proceeded to 
 
 [13J
 
 194 Joshua Humble. 
 
 read the letter, his hands trembled so violently that 
 the paper rattled and he was compelled to lay it down 
 upon the desk before him and finish its perusal, 
 while his head wagged and nodded like one with the 
 palsy. He was a pitiable object as he sat there bend- 
 ing over the letter on his desk a cringing grovel- 
 ing human cur, in abject terror of its stern uncom- 
 promising master! 
 
 When Sol. Miserleigh had perused the letter for 
 the third time, he slowly returned it to its original 
 fold, replaced it in its envelope, placed his hand upon 
 it, invited Jacob to be seated and then said to him 
 confidentially : 
 
 "Well Blum, I have known you by sight for 
 let me see! at least fifteen years; but as we have 
 never had any dealings together this may be re- 
 garded as our first acquaintance. I have heard a great 
 deal concerning you and from my knowledge of 
 your peculiar characteristics you and I ought to get 
 along very well together. We can be of great assist- 
 ance to each other in many ways : you need a moneyed 
 friend who will help you when you need pecuniary 
 assistance in your business, and I need a man of 
 your personal peculiarities to help me in my busi- 
 ness. You well know that we cannot always go 
 straight in our dealings with people in general; in 
 fact we are often compelled to go very crooked in 
 our ways to success, and I need you to manipulate
 
 A Criminal Alliance. 195 
 
 the crooked part of my business. Now what do you 
 say? Shall we become allies upon those terms?" 
 
 Jacob winked knowingly at Sol. Miserleigh, 
 leered and grimaced until his rainbow-like nose and 
 chin almost met, and the wrinkles went rippling 
 away from his beetling brows up over his forehad 
 and across his smooth bald head and disappeared 
 in the little fringe of coarse gray hair at the rear 
 base of his cranium. With gleaming eyes and 
 dilated nostrils he drew closer and still closer to Sol. 
 Miserleigh, wagging his head from side to side, until 
 his garlic-tobacco perfumed breath was snorted into 
 Sol's face, suggesting to his mind the unutterable 
 horror of the fumes of the inferno, and old Jacob 
 as an arch-devil. Nearer and nearer he approached 
 until barely six inches of space separated his nose 
 from that of Sol. Miserleigh, when, suddenly he 
 raised his right hand and brought it down upon Sol's 
 shoulder and hissed forth in a satanic tone the single 
 word: 
 
 "Yaw!" 
 
 It came to Miserleigh like an electric shock and 
 he sprang half out of his chair and appeared to be on 
 the point of precipitate flight, but as Jacob drew 
 back and resumed his former position, so also did 
 Sol. A few moments of silence ensued during which 
 Miserleigh regained his composure and finally re- 
 sumed the conversation, by saying, as though noth- 
 ing unusual had occurred: 
 
 ".Well, Blum, we understand each other perfectly,
 
 196 Joshua Humble. 
 
 I think, and I trust that our relations will be both 
 pleasant and profitable to us both. You want to 
 engage extensively in the old iron and rag business ?" 
 
 "Yaw!" replied Blum decisively. 
 
 "How much money will you need for that pur- 
 
 pose 
 
 "Doo dthousand dollar." 
 
 "I will let you have that amount upon your sim- 
 ple promissory note for one year without interest, and 
 as much longer as you may need it, renewing the 
 note every twelve months." As Sol. talked he filled 
 out a note for the amount which Jacob signed, and 
 then Miserleigh filled out a blank bank check for 
 twenty-two hundred dollars and handed it to Blum 
 who merely murmured his thanks and then de- 
 parted, leaving the scheming stock-broker revolving 
 in his mind the important question as to how he 
 might utilize his new acquaintance so as to recover 
 indirectly the money which he had just loaned to 
 him and which he knew would never be repaid. 
 
 Thus did the two scoundrels, each an accom- 
 plished specialist in his own particular and peculiar 
 line of villiany, become partners in crime; Jacob, 
 a human brute with beastly courage and instinct, 
 and Miserleigh a human mental monstrosity with 
 satanic heartlessness and cunning avarice.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 AN INGENIOUS SNABE WHICH FAILED TO CATCH THE GAME. 
 
 It was Saturday night, and people were hurrying 
 homeward from their offices, stores and workshops, 
 and each face was brighter and each heart was lighter 
 and happier than it had been on the morning of 
 that day. The pleasing anticipation of a day of 
 rest for both mind and body, had cleared away the 
 shadows from each brow and smoothed down the 
 lines of care upon each face. As the blacksmith 
 struck the last blows upon the glowing iron on 
 his anvil, as the baker, the brewer, the butcher, the 
 machinist and mechanics and laborers of all grades 
 and occupations put away the implements of their 
 toil; as the merchant, the professional man, the 
 clerk, the saleswoman and the seamstress abandoned 
 their occupations for the night and the following day 
 and the night following, they also put down their 
 burdens of mind, and only indulged in pleasant an- 
 ticipations of the rest and peace and comforts of 
 home. 
 
 As twilight came and deepened and street lamps 
 flashed out their lights one by one, as the busy swift- 
 
 (197) 

 
 198 Joshua Humble. 
 
 footed lighters hurried along, Joshua Humble closed 
 his account book, on his desk in Sol. Miserleigh's 
 office, took away his spectacles from his nose, care- 
 fully wiped the ink from his gold pen, descended from 
 his high stool, put on his great coat and hat, walked 
 over by the stove, turned his back to it, and leaning 
 upon the handle of his umbrella, looked out of the 
 window upon the street filled with an eager hurrying 
 crowd of people of all ages, conditions and 
 occupations. "Thus are we all hurrying to our 
 Eternal Home! How many of that vast throng of 
 people will be alive one ye?r from today?" thought 
 he sadly as he observed the impatient crowd jostle 
 each other rudely in their efforts, each to outstrip 
 the other in their race for that blessed goal : "Sweet 
 home." 
 
 "Humble!" 
 
 It was the cold, harsh voice of Sol. Miserleigh, 
 and that interesting individual turned around in his 
 seat by his desk as he spoke, and held out a bank 
 note which Joshua Humble took from his hand. It 
 was his week's salary. 
 
 "I wish to pay the balance due on that note Mr. 
 Miserleigh, and thus cancel my entire indebtedness 
 to you," said Joshua Humble in a voice 
 which startled the stock-broker a voice which he 
 had not heard for twenty-five years ; and through his 
 troubled mind in quick succession came trooping the 
 ghosts of the dead past phantoms of his cruel
 
 Jin Ingenious Scheme. 199 
 
 wrongs and heartless robbery of the brave and hon- 
 est man who stood calmly before him. Sol. Miser- 
 leigh was silent because he could not answer. His 
 mind was in the midst of an emotional tempest, 
 drifting here and there and for a moment he could 
 not direct his thoughts. 
 
 Joshua Humble stood still and silent. He was 
 a patient soul and merciful and observing his 
 employer's utter confusion of mind he resolved to 
 await the issue without further speech. Sol. Miser- 
 leigh turned around to his desk, fumbled some pa- 
 pers in his fingers, opened and shut drawers without 
 even looking into them, and finally remarked in a 
 tone of surprise: 
 
 "Why, it is getting dark !" 
 
 "Yes," replied Mr. Humble, "it is nearly six 
 o'clock." 
 
 "Ah, yes, Mr. Humble, you made some remark 
 about that note. I was thinking of something else 
 at the moment and did not clearly comprehend your 
 meaning." 
 
 "I want to pay the balance due on my note, and 
 to receive from you all of the evidences of Claude's 
 indebtedness." 
 
 Sol. Miserleigh arose from his chair, lighted the 
 gas, resumed his seat, opened a drawer in his desk, 
 took out the note, figured a few moments and finally 
 said, while he drummed nervously on the desk with 
 his fingers j
 
 200 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "Ten dollars, Mr. Humble." ' 
 
 "That is correct, and here is the money." 
 
 "Why, how did you know so readily? You can- 
 not have kept the account in your mind during all 
 these years." 
 
 "No, not in my mind wholly, but here," produc- 
 ing a memorandum book. 
 
 "Ah! Mr. Humble, you have been counting the 
 days also doubtless." 
 
 "Yes, and even the moments." 
 
 "And why?" 
 
 "I am surprised that a person of your intelligence 
 should ask such an absurd question," replied Mr. 
 Humble slowly and with peculiar emphasis. "The 
 past sir, cannot be lived over again, else many 
 wrong might be righted and many iniquities easily 
 atoned for and eventually forgotten." 
 
 "Do you allude to your son's misdemeanor?" 
 
 "Nor sir ! I will not discuss that subject. Furth- 
 ermore, I must positively refuse to discuss our past 
 relations in any manner. Many years ago, I prom- 
 ised to pay you a certain sum of money in monthly 
 installments and to serve you as an employe until 
 that obligation was discharged, in consideration of 
 which you agreed to deliver to me certain written 
 evidences of Claude's indebtedness to you. I have 
 fulfilled my part of the contract to the very letter, 
 and now I am prepared to pay to you the amount
 
 An Ingenious Scheme. 201 
 
 of the last installment, and thus to relieve myself 
 forever from all obligations to you. Of course you 
 will fulfill your part of the contract here and now. 
 Certainly you cannot do otherwise than to keep 
 your promise as faithfully as I have kept mine. I 
 am growing old," added Mr. Humble sadly, "and I 
 want to get even with the world before I am called 
 hence. I do not want to leave behind me any un- 
 filled obligations." 
 
 "Sixty-five is not old for you," said Miserleigh, 
 "your physical development and constitution are sim- 
 ply magnificent, your health is excellent, your mind 
 fresh and vigorous, and there are twenty years of 
 good service in you yet. Why not begin life anew?" 
 
 "I will, from this day !" 
 
 Sol Miserleigh had taken the money for the last 
 installment, and as he talked, had made the endorse- 
 ment of credit on the note and handed it and the 
 other papers to Mr. Humble, as he uttere.d the last 
 words ; and Mr. Humble was placing the note in his 
 pocket book as he replied, and his words were literal 
 truth, for the years of his bondange were forever 
 ended and a new life was before him. 
 
 "Yes, Mr. Humble," said Miserleigh reflectively, 
 "but you cannot begin again like a young man you 
 must have means. Of course you will resume your 
 former business, and I tell you frankly that with 
 your knowledge and experience, taken away from
 
 202 Joshua Humble. 
 
 my service, and probably used against me in the 
 way of competition, I shall not feel so sure of suc- 
 cess in the future as I have felt in the past. Now 
 what do you say to a partnership with me? a silent 
 partnership on your part, of course. I will loan you 
 five thousand dollars without interest and put in an 
 equal amount, and we will share equally in the 
 profits." 
 
 "I appreciate your offer fully and in its proper 
 sense, and I also fully understand it in all its bear- 
 ings," said Mr. Humble slowly, measuring his words, 
 "but I cannot decide now. I must have time to 
 weigh the subject more carefully. In the mean- 
 time I should like to continue in your employ." 
 
 "Well, consider the matter at your leisure," re- 
 plied Miserleigh delightedly, evidently surprised out 
 of his wits. "So long as you remain with me of 
 course I shall not urge the matter. We have been 
 so long and so intimately associated in business, 
 that I would scarcely know how to continue without 
 you. Hence my offer to you of a partnership with 
 me, which is certainly very fair and liberal. You 
 can remain in the office and manage the business 
 here in all its details and I will attend to outside 
 matters just as heretofore. But of course, if you 
 accept a partnership, our relations will be quite dif- 
 ferent from what they have been in the past; it will 
 be my duty and certainly my pleasure tQ treat you
 
 Ingenious Scheme. 203 
 
 with due respect and consideration. You will find 
 Sol. Miserleigh the partner, quite a different man 
 from Miserleigh the employer." 
 
 "For the present, I prefer to remain in your 
 service as heretofore," replied Mr. Humble as they 
 went out upon the street and locked the office door. 
 "I must have time to become accustomed somewhat 
 to my new condition and to gradually drift back to 
 my former self, and then I will be prepared to en- 
 gage in business on my own account." 
 
 "I appreciate your ideas in the matter," said 
 Miserleigh, "and upon reflection I think the course 
 you have decided to adopt ,the wisest. I realize that 
 your long service as an employe has, for the time 
 being, in a masure, deprived you of the ability to 
 think and act independently, and that you will re- 
 quire rest of both mind and body. Your salary here- 
 after will be fifty dollars a week and you will be at 
 perfect liberty to fix your office hours to suit your 
 own convenience. I will employ another man to 
 do the laborious part of the work which you have 
 heretofore performed, and you will take the desk 
 formerly occupied by Sam Slick. Good night." 
 
 "Good night," responded Mr. Humble and each 
 walked away in different directions.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 A PLIANT MENIAL TRANSFORMED INTO A MAJESTIC BEING. 
 
 A fine heavy mist was falling which was imme- 
 diately converted into ice, and the pavements were 
 very slippery, rendering walking difficult and dan- 
 gerous. And yet Joshua Humble managed to make 
 good speed homeward, passing on the way hundreds 
 of young people going in the same direction. He 
 walked, not in the former stooping, crouching, glid- 
 ing manner of Sol. Miserleigh's menial, but with 
 the upright manly bearing of Joshua Humble the 
 stock broker of old; and as he strode along, a very 
 giant in stature, bulk and power compared with the 
 tallest and heaviest and strongest of the people 
 whom he met, all of them marveled at his speed and 
 strength in comparison with their own, for although 
 they were straining every nerve in the effort they 
 were unable to keep pace with him even for a mo- 
 ment. As he hurried along he revolved Sol. Miser- 
 leigh's propostion in his mind and smiled grimly. 
 "IS it possible," he thought, "that Sol. Miserleigh 
 does not know me yet? that he deems me capable 
 of such consummate weakness and folly, as to pre- 
 
 (204)
 
 A Pliant Menial. 205 
 
 cipitate myself headlong into his pitfall? No, no, 
 Mr. Miserleigh, not today, nor tomorrow nor ever 
 afterward ! I shall remain in your employ for the 
 time being in order to blind you as to my purposes 
 until I can fully accomplish them, and then well, 
 then I will engage in business on my own account 
 I presume." .While his mind was still busy with 
 these thoughts he drew near to his home, even with- 
 in half a square before he realized that fact. Sud- 
 denly he became conscious of the locality and paus- 
 ing on the street corner out of the gas-light, he 
 looked carefully around him and up and down both 
 streets. "No spies out tonight, the hounds called 
 off," he muttered, "what can it mean? Ah, I com- 
 prehend, called in for conference. I must profit by 
 my respite." Then he moved forward at a quick 
 pace, ascended the steps of his residence, closed his 
 umbrella and placed his hand upon the knob, but 
 before he could turn it, the door swung quickly open 
 and a beautiful little face peered out from behind it 
 and a sweet little voice which trembled with joy said 
 to him : 
 
 "Come in, grandpa dear! I have been watching 
 for you so so long at the front window of the 
 sitting room and saw you coming half a square down 
 the street. Oh, I am so glad that you have come 
 grandpa !" 
 
 Joshua Humble did not reply to the joyous prat- 
 tle of little Alice, but hastily putting down his um-
 
 206 Joshua Humble. 
 
 brella, and relieving himself of his hat and great coat, 
 he stooped down and clasped the child in his arms. 
 As he arose to an upright position and the light of 
 the hall lamp fell full upon his face, little Alice ex- 
 claimed surprisedly: ".Why grandpa! how beautiful 
 you look tonight ! The wrinkles are all gone from your 
 face, and your eyes are so bright and clear, and you are 
 so tall and large ever so much taller and larger 
 than you were this morning! Did you meet some 
 good fairy on your way home who made you young 
 again ?" 
 
 Again he did not answer because his heart was 
 full of joy and his lips were sealed by its sweet spirit, 
 and as little Alice nestled her head upon his shoulder 
 and put her arms around his neck, he walked into the 
 sitting room to receive the usual loving welcome of 
 his good sister. 
 
 "Why, Joshua!" she said delightedly as he 
 paused under the hanging lamp and turned his radi- 
 ant face toward her : "Hew young you look tonight ! 
 Something unusually pleasant must have happened 
 you today!" 
 
 "Yes, sister," he replied joyfully, "this is to me a 
 bright and beautiful day-dawn of happiness after a 
 long night of humiliation and woe! It is the day 
 of my emancipation." 
 
 "And is it indeed ended ?" she asked joyfully. 
 
 "It is finished to the very fullness and I am free !"
 
 A Pliant Menial. 207 
 
 "Thank God!" and his faithful loving old sister 
 put her arms around his neck and wept for joy. 
 
 "Now Auntie why do you do so ? Why do you 
 cry when grandpa is so happy and bedlutiful?" ex- 
 claimed little Alice reproachfully. A good fairy met 
 him on his way home tonight and made him young 
 again. So do not cry Auntie dear, because he does 
 not look as he did this morning." Then she con- 
 tinued to laugh and prattle until the evening meal 
 was eaten, and then Joshua Humble announced that 
 he would be compelled to go out to attend to some 
 important business that night, and would probably 
 not return before ten o'clock. To that proposition 
 little Alice demurred most positively, saying: 
 
 "Now grandpa, here I've been waiting all all 
 day long waiting for the night; and oh, how 
 glad I was when I saw the darkness coming, for I 
 knew that you would soon be home ! And I sat by 
 the window with my nose pressed against the glass 
 until it was nearly frozen, looking out at the falling 
 sleet, and watching to catch the first glimpse of you 
 at the corner down there. And then at last you 
 came, and walked so fast and proud and strong, 
 while other people went slipping along as though 
 they were afraid of falling. And then you came 
 bounding up the steps and I opened the door before 
 you could turn the knob, and then you were home 
 at last and I was so glad ! And now you are going
 
 208 Joshua Humble. 
 
 away again, and what will I do all the evening but 
 sit by the fire and watch the blazing coal and think 
 of you, dear grandpa and wish for your return ?" 
 
 Joshua Humble was silent. He could never re- 
 ply to the child when she began to plead with him, 
 for she filled his very soul with herself and took his 
 heart captive. His sister, who knew him so thor- 
 oughly, always went to his relief on such occasions, 
 and as he stood there in speechless confusion look- 
 ing down regretfully into the sad eyes of the pleading 
 child, she observed the necessity of her mediation, 
 and with a few kind words to little Alice she ef- 
 fected a satisfactory compromise, conditional upon 
 the making of an entire new suit for her favorite 
 dolly, and her being allowed to sit up and wait for 
 her grandpa's return. And thus the matter stood 
 as Joshua Humble departed, after many kisses and 
 caresses from little Alice.
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 A WOLF CONQUEBED BY A LAMB. 
 
 A quarter of an hour later, Mr. Humble rang the 
 door bell of a stately residence and was ushered into 
 the library and cordially welcomed by Judge Prye. 
 
 It was their first meeting since the night of Judge 
 Prye's visit in disguise to the home of Mr. Humble, 
 although in the meantime they had been in constant 
 communication by letter through the post office, 
 whereby they had been enabled in perfect safety to 
 concert and mature plans for Sol. Miserleigh's over- 
 throw and punishment. During that correspond- 
 ence, Mr. Humble had informed Judge Prye of the 
 circumstances of George Langdon's enforced de- 
 parture from the city, but was unable to furnish any 
 information concerning his whereabouts. However, 
 on that very day, the day of his emancipation from 
 bondage to Sol. Miserleigh, that information had 
 come to him in a startling manner, it being no less 
 than a letter from Paul Dyke, alias Sam Slick, and 
 the most surprising information which the letter 
 contained was, that the wolf had been conquered by 
 the lamb, and that Sam Slick the confidence man 
 
 [14] (209)
 
 210 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and confederate of Sol. Miserleigh, had, through" 
 some powerful and mysterious agency, undergone 
 a thorough moral revolution and purification, and 
 had become Paul Dyke the honest man and gen- 
 tleman. 
 
 Joshua Humble had read the letter carefully over 
 and over again many times, and studied its diction 
 and its thoughts expressed and implied, had weighed 
 every motive with the delicate precision of an ex- 
 perienced and cultivated mind, and had finally ar- 
 rived at the gratifying conclusion that Sam Slick 
 had indeed and in truth undergone a thorough moral 
 regeneration. Then in silence he bowed his head 
 and thanked God for the deliverance of George 
 Langdon from his awful peril. "In this wonderful 
 accomplishment, I see Thy power and goodness and 
 mercy, O, God, and unto Thee do I render the 
 honor, and the glory, and the praise, Amen !" These 
 were the concluding words of Joshua Rumble's silent 
 prayer, and the Great Recorder jotted them down in 
 His eternal records of the just. 
 
 After Judge Prye had greeted Joshua Humble 
 and had warmly congratulated him on his final de- 
 liverance from bondage to Sol. Miserleigh, Mr. Hum- 
 ble handed Paul Dyke's letter to him saying: "This 
 will doubtless be as interesting and gratifying to you 
 as it is to me. Truly, 'when God is with us who can 
 stand against us?' I received this letter today."
 
 A Wolf Conquered. 211 
 
 Judge Prye took the letter from Mr. Humble's 
 hand and perused it slowly and carefully to the last 
 word, looked down upon the carpet a few moments 
 thoughtfully, began and read the letter again, evi- 
 dently weighing each word and analyzing each 
 thought with the care and precision of an experienced 
 jurist, and finally, when his mind had thoroughly 
 digested every portion of it, he took his spectacles 
 from his eyes, and holding them in one hand and the 
 open letter in the other hand, he turned to Mr. Hum- 
 ble and said: 
 
 "Well, what do you make of it?" 
 "I believe his statements implicity." 
 "And so do I," responded Judge Prye. "Who will 
 say that there is no God?" 
 
 "None but those who are hopelessly afflicted with 
 moral leprosy, or stricken with mental paralysis!" 
 replied Joshua Humble fervently. Then taking from 
 the inside pocket of his coat a package of papers, 
 and also a package of photographs, he proceeded to 
 show the papers to Judge Prye one by one and to 
 explain them to him in careful detail. They con- 
 sisted of copies of promissory notes in favor of Sol. 
 Miserleigh and paid to him by estates against which 
 they were held. These notes had originally been 
 drawn for hundreds of dollars, and after the decease 
 of their makers their amounts had been changed 
 to thousands, and yet upon their face they showed 
 not the slightest indication of abrasion, the erasures
 
 212 Joshua Humble. 
 
 having been performed with chemicals, and the 
 enamel of the paper restored by the application of 
 a resinous substance. These copies of the notes 
 were in Mr. Rumble's hand writing, but each of them 
 was accompanied by two photographs of them, one 
 being of the note as originally made and the other 
 after the alteration had been effected. The latter 
 showed the alterations with marvelous distinctness, 
 although upon the note itself, the fact could not 
 have been detected with the naked eye, or even with 
 an ordinary magnifying glass with any degree of cer- 
 tainty. Judge Prye was deelpy interested in the ex- 
 amination of these photographs, and marveled much 
 at the wonderful skill of the forger, who had imitated 
 the several styles of hand writing in every particular. 
 The photographs of the altered notes showed not 
 only the abrasion and re-enameling, but also the lines 
 of the original writing were faintly visible to the 
 naked eye and under a powerful magnifying glass 
 which Mr. Humble had brought with him, its every 
 dot and hair line could be clearly traced.
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 A POACHER CAUGHT m His OWN TOIL. 
 
 When Judge Prye had examined each of these 
 photographs several times, he was about to lay 
 down the magnifying glass, when observing that 
 Mr. Humble still held two photographs in his hand, 
 he was upon the point of asking the privilege of 
 examining them also when Mr. Humble, anticipating 
 his request said : 
 
 "First let us estimate the amount of money that 
 Sol. Miserleigh has obtained by these forgeries and 
 then we will examine these photographs, the most 
 interesting of all of them." 
 
 By a simple process of addition and subtraction, 
 Judge Prye ascertained the amount, which was in 
 the neighborhood of one hundred and forty thousand 
 dollars, and as he put down the pencil and leaned 
 back in his chair, he said: 
 
 "I cannot understand how thirteen executors, 
 all of them shrewd and experienced business men, 
 could have been so thoroughly and grossly deceived. 
 Why, their schedules of liabilities would have un- 
 covered the frauds." 
 
 (213)
 
 214 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "They were not deceived," replied Joshua Hum- 
 ble slowly and positively. "They were all in collu- 
 sion with Sol. Miserleigh, and fixed the schedules to 
 correspond with the forged amounts, else as you 
 have said, the schemes would have failed miserably; 
 Sol. Miserleigh got one-half and the executors the 
 other half of the plunder!" 
 
 "Monstrous !" exclaimed Judge Prye indignantly. 
 "I wonder that heirs ever get anything!" 
 
 "It would seem a matter of extreme uncertainty," 
 replied Mr. Humble, "if this evidence may be taken 
 as a criterion for the manner in which executors 
 generally discharge their trusts, but I think that 
 such a conclusion would be rather unjust. I believe 
 that there are many honest men in the world yet." 
 
 "And so do I believe," responded Judge Prye 
 looking intently into Joshua Humble's face. "I 
 know of at least one honest and brave man." 
 
 "And so do I know of a man of the same char- 
 acter," responded Joshua Humble with a quiet smile. 
 " 'What compliments pass when gentlemen meet !' 
 You are probably aware that that is not original 
 with me, but it fits the present circumstances pre- 
 cisely;" at which the two old gentlemen laughed and 
 nodded their heads toward each other, as much as to 
 say : "Thou art the man !" 
 
 "But how did you get these photographs?" in- 
 quired Judge Prye in the usual tone of an attorney 
 interrogating a witness, and then observing a scarlet
 
 A Poacher Caught. 215 
 
 flush coming upon the face of Joshua Humble, he 
 added quickly, and in a regretful tone: "But don't 
 construe that question as a doubt, even in the slight- 
 est degree. I have faith in you my dear friend 
 perfect confidence. For the moment, I presume, I 
 imagined myself in court interrogating a witness." 
 
 Joshua Humble smiled and the scarlet flush faded 
 from his face. 
 
 "Yes, I know," he responded with slight confus- 
 ion, "and I do not wonder that the thought came to 
 you in the nature of a surprise, for under ordinary 
 circumstances it would have been impossible for me 
 to have secured these photographs. As you know, 
 there is a photographer next door to Sol. Miser- 
 leigh's office, the little old Frenchman De Baun. 
 Well, I befriended him when he first came to this 
 city direct from the old country, with a large family, 
 in destitute circumstances, by loaning him money 
 to enable him to engage in business on his own ac- 
 count and he has been my steadfast friend ever since. 
 Well, De Baun took these photographs for me as 
 per previous arrangements, when Miserleigh was 
 out. He came to the office for the notes, photo- 
 graphed them and brought them back, one at a time, 
 during eighteen years. And the strangest part of 
 the whole matter is this: Although there is an ex- 
 cellent fire and burglar proof vault in the office 
 my office if you please Sol. Miserleigh uses it only 
 for the storage of his account books and kept these
 
 216 Joshua Humble. 
 
 notes and many other valuable papers in what he 
 pleases to term a secret drawer in the desk which 
 he occupies my desk also in the days of my pros- 
 perity. The drawer, while not discoverable except 
 upon close examination, was no secret to me and 
 hence I experienced no difficulty in getting the pa- 
 pers, which was accomplished in every instance when 
 Miserleigh was at the Exchange, between eleven and 
 one o'clock in the day. These do not comprise all 
 of the forgeries ; there are many more of various 
 kinds which he successfully accomplished, before the 
 idea occurred to me to obtain evidence against him 
 in this manner. Hence, whenever he took a note I 
 had it photographed, thus obtaining a faithful copy 
 of the original and when he raised the amount I 
 had the note again photographed as you see." 
 
 "Wonderful ! You are a wonderful man, Joshua 
 Humble !" said Judge Prye in a hushed voice. 
 
 "No, my friend, only an ordinary man who sim- 
 ply performed his duty faithfully and without fear," 
 was the modest reply of the man who always trusted 
 in God and never faltered in the path of duty. "But 
 here," he added, presenting to Judge Prye the two 
 photographs which he had retained in his hand, "here 
 is the surprise which I promised you." 
 
 "Judge Prye took the photographs from the hand 
 of Joshua Humble and at the first glance gave vent 
 to an exclamation of intense amazement. They 
 were copies of the note of William Barnes to Sol.
 
 A Poacher Caught. 217 
 
 Miserleigh, originally for three thousand dollars and 
 changed to thirty thousand dollars, and as Judge 
 Prye examined the one which had been taken after 
 the amount had been changed, he said: "Why, Mr. 
 Humble, this is bunglingly executed;" and then as 
 he laid down the photograph and glass he added: 
 "But tell me, what do you think. Is he man or 
 Devil?" 
 
 "He is simply a man, devil-possessed," replied 
 Mr. Humble. 
 
 "You are correct," responded Judge Prye. "The 
 Devil would not be guilty of such folly, he never 
 gets caught in his own trap." 
 
 "True," said Mr. Humble thoughtfully," with this 
 evidence against him in our possession it seems to 
 be utterly impossible for Miserleigh to escape the 
 penitentiary; and when murder may be added to his 
 other crimes, the gallows may be his fate." 
 
 "Murder?" demanded Judge Prye. 
 
 "Yes, my friend, murder! Have you forgotten 
 what Aurelia said over the body of William Barnes? 
 how she charged Sol. Miserleigh with the murder 
 of William Barnes' father?" 
 
 "No, Mr. Humble, I can never forget that sad 
 and thrilling scene, nor the words of that wronged 
 and unfortunate woman. I believed all else she 
 said but have never thought seriously of that por- 
 tion of her indictment of her brother. But now, with' 
 this indisputable evidence of his villainy before me,
 
 218 Joshua Humble, 
 
 I am prepared to beleive him capable of committing 
 any crime, even murder." 
 
 "Yes, even murder in order to accomplish his 
 purposes," said Mr. Humble, and then he proceeded 
 to explain to Judge Prye, Sol. Miserleigh's criminal 
 relations with Hairlip Brown, Amos the Fox, Lafe 
 Steele and Jacob Blum, and finally the conversation 
 drifted back to George Langdon, and it was decided 
 that Mr. Humble should answer Paul Dyke's letter 
 immediately in a friendy spirit and instruct him to 
 remain with Langdon until otherwise advised. Then 
 Judge Prye accompanied Joshua Humble down stairs 
 to the front door of the hall and with the simple 
 grasping of hands, and the utterance of "those kind 
 old words : Good night," they parted.
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 A GREAT CITY AT SUNBISE. 
 
 It was early morning and white crisp snow which 
 had fallen during the night lay deep over the entire 
 city. The sky was cloudless, and the sun which was 
 just peeping above the horizon sent up bright shafts 
 of crimson and golden light, even to the zenith. In 
 the residence portion, a few human toilers were 
 abroad, struggling along knee-deep leaving furrows 
 behind them like those turned by the plow of the 
 husbandman upon the level fields of the white lands 
 of Eastern Texas. Save those few early pedestrians, 
 all else of throbbing, breathing life lay still in sleep, 
 and the great world seemed to pulsate in space. 
 "The witching hours when churchyards yawn and 
 graves give up their dead," had glided away before 
 those charm-laden moments when even "perturbed 
 spirits" are lulled to rest, when slumber weighs 
 heaviest upon human eyelids and death hath its most 
 perfect counterpart in still and dreamless repose. 
 
 The "Three Graces of Satan" were abroad very 
 early that beautiful Sabbath morning. Having en- 
 tered into a copartnership as professional nurses, and 
 
 (219)
 
 220 Joshua Humble. 
 
 having received a call to attend a member of the 
 family of the fishwoman of the city market, and the 
 patient being very feeble, their united skill and wis- 
 dom was deemed necessary, and hence all of them 
 had responded to the summons, which came in the 
 dead hour of night and in the midst of a furious 
 snow storm. Inasmuch as they had not accum- 
 ulated sufficient means for the purchase of a convey- 
 ance for their professional use, and by reason of the 
 lateness of the hour and the furious storm, it being 
 impossible to obtain a conveyance, they were com- 
 pelled to go on foot. To the three viragoes the way 
 was long and difficult, and the journey very fatiguing, 
 for the snow, which fell in clouds from the black 
 sky, beat violently into their faces and sifted up un- 
 der their skirts and sheathed their shoes with ice 
 and balled up under their feet; and the wind twisted 
 them around and knocked them together as ten pins 
 are dashed against each other in a bowling alley. 
 At the half way point of their journey of twelve 
 long squares, Mrs. Sly declared that she must rest, 
 and sat down on a doorstep with her back to the 
 storm and wheezed like a wind-broken horse, while 
 Becky Falser and Jerusha Snuffer formed them- 
 selves into a windbrake around her. By reason of 
 the intense cold, the halt was brief, and as they 
 started onward Jerusha Snuffer slobberingly de- 
 clared that she had become a mere walking icicle, and 
 at that instant, as if in confirmation of her declaration 
 and in spite of her utmost efforts to prevent the
 
 A Great City at Sunrise. 221 
 
 catastrophe, the crystal drop slipped from the end 
 of her nose and was forever lost in the deep snow. 
 Nevertheless, three hours thereafter as she sat in 
 the warm sitting room of the fishwoman by the 
 bedside of the patient and sipped hot brandy and 
 water, another drop appeared on the end of Miss 
 Snffer's proboscis and her consolation was complete. 
 
 It then lacked three hours of daylight and the 
 fishwoman, in anticipation of her visitors' require- 
 ments ' having prepared a luncheon of cold meats, 
 bread and butter, cake and pie to which she had 
 added at the proper time a large quantity of strong 
 hot tea, the three professors sat down with her at 
 the table and bolted large quantities of food into 
 their capacious stomachs. This they did in silence 
 until they could contain no more without loosening 
 their clothing, and then they laid down their knives 
 and forks and began to sip scalding hot tea and to 
 gossip. 
 
 To the three nurses the fishwoman was a valuable 
 mine of interesting information concerning people 
 high and low, rich and poor, sick and well, alive and 
 dead; and contrary to their usual wont, they were 
 content to gather in and coin in their brains the 
 wealth of information which she yielded up to them 
 without so much as an effort on their part, while 
 they tanned their stomachs with tea. After a long 
 rambling dissertation concerning the Miserleigh- 
 Barnes affair, during which she astonished them
 
 222 Joshua Humble. 
 
 with her intimate knowledge of the circumstances of 
 the case, and from which they gathered many new 
 and valuable items of information, the fisherwoman 
 paused to take breath, Mrs. Sly, evidently jealous of 
 her knowledge of the subject, turned to her associ- 
 ates and said: 
 
 "I guess, women, we know something about that 
 matter too Eh?" 
 
 "In course we does," they both responded as 
 with one voice. 
 
 "And what do you say to my opening her peepers 
 a bit, Eh?" 
 
 The propostion was agreed to unanimously, and 
 then Mrs. Sly proceeded to repeat Mother Hurt's 
 narrative complete and ended by saying: "But the 
 greatest mystery of the whole affair is, what became 
 of the children afterwards?" 
 
 The fishwoman smiled derisively. She could "go 
 them one better on that" she said and rocked her 
 huge body from side to side in her very excess of 
 gratification. Then she proceeded to tell the story 
 of the boy's adoption and education by a wealthy 
 gentleman whom she named, and then she tolcf of the 
 girl's wanderings and wretched life and of her rescue 
 by Jacob Blum, and ended by saying: 
 
 And now women, I got all this information my- 
 self at my fishstall, a little bit at a time, from this 
 one and from that one, who came to buy fish; and 
 I figured it all out by myself, and put it all together,
 
 Jt Great City at Sunrise. 223 
 
 and now you have the whole story complete and it 
 isn't second handed either. And now I'll go you one 
 better still. Now hold your breath, everyone of you, 
 or you'll bust wide open with surprise. Are you all 
 ready? Well them:" 
 
 "William Barnes was murdered!" 
 
 "Murdered?" they all exclaimed in chorus. 
 
 "Yes, murdered by that boy Langdon." 
 
 "How do you know?" they all demanded in 
 unison. 
 
 "Know? Well enough! As well as it is possible 
 to know anything which I do not actually see. I 
 got it from one of the richest men in the city." 
 
 "What is his name?" demanded Mrs. Sly wheez- 
 ingly, in a half whisper. 
 
 "Well, I'll tell you women, but you mustn't tell, 
 for I promised him not to connect his name with the 
 story. He said I might tell the tale as often as I 
 liked, but to keep his name out of it; and so must 
 you, will you?" 
 
 "In course we will!" said Mrs. Sly, and her two 
 associates, murmured approval. 
 
 "Well then," said the fishwoman, "his name is 
 Sol. Miserleigh!" 
 
 While yet they talked, daylight began to appear 
 in a faint flush upon the eastern sky which was 
 visible from a window of the room in which they sat, 
 and the patient requiring the attention of her 
 mother, the "Three Graces of Satan" took their de-
 
 224 Joshua Humble. 
 
 parture, and hence, they were abroad very early that 
 quiet Sabbath morning. As they struggled along 
 through the snow, they were too busy with their own 
 thoughts concerning the fishwoman's revelations 
 with reference to the Miserleigh-Barnes affair to en- 
 gage in conversation, and so they walked along in 
 silence. But when they arrived at the residence of 
 Mrs. Sly, Becky Falser and Jerusha Snuffer went in 
 with her to warm by the fire which she had covered 
 with ashes before her departure and only required 
 to be stirred with a poker to burst into flame. As 
 they sat before the fire enjoying its warmth, Mrs. 
 Sly brought from the cupboard a bottle full of am- 
 ber colored liquid and three glasses; also a pitcher 
 of water and a bowl of sugar, drew a stand up be- 
 fore the fire, placed the articles upon it and said: 
 
 "Here women, take a sniff of 'oh-be-joyful' and 
 a big one at that, or you'll have a death cold from 
 this night's doin's." 
 
 Falser and Snuffer required not a second invita- 
 tion, and so they mixed and drank, and mixed and 
 drank again and continued to mix and drink the soul- 
 destroying potion ; and in the meantime they talked, 
 first in their ordinary tones, then louder and still 
 louder, going over in detail and discussing at length 
 the fishwoman's revelations coupled with the story 
 of Mother Hurt, until both the subject and their 
 voices were completely exhausted, and then Falser 
 and Snuffer departed and went staggering home- 
 ward and Mrs. Sly went staggering to bed.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 A MARVELOUS PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION AND 
 ITS KISTOBT. 
 
 Mrs. O'Keefe, in her own bedroom separated 
 from the Sly apartments only by a thin board parti- 
 tion, had heard the entire conversation, and she was 
 surprised and shocked beyond measure, especially 
 by that portion of it relative to the cause of the death 
 of William Barnes ; therefore after she had attended 
 mass, accompanied by her two stalwart sons and had 
 washed and put away the breakfast dishes, accom- 
 panied by her eldest son, Denney, she repaired to 
 the residence of her steadfast friend and former 
 employer, Joshua Humble, and related to him in 
 every particular the conversation of her neighbor 
 and associates. 
 
 Joshua Humble listened gravely and in silence 
 to his former housekeeper's recital, and when she 
 had concluded he said: 
 
 "This is important, Katie very important, and 
 may furnish a clew to a speedy solution of this dread- 
 ful mystery. It is possible that William Barnes was 
 murdered, for as you know, there .was no post- 
 
 [15] (325)
 
 226 Joshua Humble. 
 
 mortem examination of his remains, it being taken 
 for granted that he died of heart disease as he had 
 been under medical treatment for that malady for 
 several years. But if he was murdered, George 
 Langdon is guiltless of the crime, and Barnes was 
 the victim of a conspiracy against his life and fortune. 
 As for the girl, whom these women believe to be 
 the daughter of Aurelia, her identity may be easily 
 established if even one-tenth part of what these gos- 
 sips say concerning her be true." As he followed her 
 to the door and kindly took her hand in parting he 
 added: "Do not mention this subject to anyone. 
 It is important that the fact that you having over- 
 heard this conversation should not be known." 
 
 About eight o'clock on the following morning, 
 Joshua Humble appeared at the office of Sol. Miser- 
 leigh dressed, not in his usual business suit of coarse 
 material, but in a handsome suit of Scotch tweed, 
 new glistening silk hat of the best quality and style, 
 and brown English melton great coat, with fur 
 muffler and gloves of otter skin. These articles had 
 been presented to him by his loving old sister and 
 little Alice, jointly, on his return from his interview 
 with Judge Prye on the previous Saturday night, 
 and represented the savings of years, penny by 
 penny, of the two loving donors saved for that very 
 purpose the purchase of that identical suit of 
 clothes, to be presented to him on that day, the glor- 
 ious day of his emancipation!
 
 A Marvelous Transformation. 227 
 
 It was ten o'clock, and the great bell in the lofty 
 tower of a church a few squares distant was solemnly 
 tolling the hour, as Joshua Humble stepped into the 
 sitting room of his home that memorable Saturday 
 night, and, much to his surprise, found little Alid? 
 sitting in her willow rocker before the fire, her large 
 eyes wide open and very bright, holding in her arms 
 her favorite dolly arrayed in the new dress which 
 her good auntie had made during her grandpa's ab- 
 sence. She had not heard him enter the hall from 
 the street and therefore her first intimation of his 
 rturn was the sound of the opening door as he enter- 
 ed the sitting room. Turning quickly, she beheld 
 her grandpa standing just within the doorway, with 
 his hand still on the knob, and with joyous cry she 
 sprang toward him, and was enfolded in his arms. 
 His good sister sat still in her easy chair on the op- 
 posite side of the fire and smiled, as only she could 
 smile, with more of heaven than earth in the ex- 
 pression of her lovely old face so like the noble face 
 of her brother, and after the first joyous greeting 
 was over and little Alice had nestled her head upon 
 his shoulder, with her arms clasped about his neck, 
 Joshua Humble sat down by his sister's side and be- 
 gan to marvel about little Alice being able to remain 
 awake, as the usual hour for her retirement was 
 eight. 
 
 "But this is an unusual occasion, Joshua," re-
 
 228 Joshua Humble. 
 
 plied his sister, still smiling; "it is the beginning of 
 a new life for us all." 
 
 "Yes," .he said, and could say no more. , 
 
 "And Alice has a little surprise for you," said his 
 sister, looking aside to hide her tears. 
 
 "Oh yes, grandpa dear," said Alice, as she crept 
 down out of his arms, and ran to the opposite side 
 of the room where two chairs had been placed to- 
 gether with a snow-white counterpane thrown over 
 them, "look here what Auntie, my dear good Auntie, 
 has had made for you." Then with quick nervous 
 hands she dashed the counterpane aside, and there, 
 carefully folded upon the chairs lay the suit of cloth- 
 ing, in the making of which an expert tailor had been 
 employed. The scene which followed is indescrib- 
 able: the joyous caperings of little Alice as she 
 brought the articles of clothing one by one and 
 placed them on her grandpa's knees, for his inspec- 
 tion; his tremulous responses to her questions while 
 tears coursed down his face; the silent joyful weep- 
 ing of his loving sister who had been unable to rise 
 from her chair to assist little Alice in the presenta- 
 tion of the gifts. Finally, when the two old people 
 had, in a measure, regained their usual calmness, 
 little Alice succeeded in her efforts to induce her 
 grandpa to try on the clothing, and, much to the 
 gratification of all of them, the fit was perfect. 
 
 "Ah, how beautiful you are now! and how great 
 and grand you look!" exclaimed the child gleefully,
 
 Jt Marvelous Transformation. 229 
 
 clapping her tiny hands and stepping backward to 
 obtain a better view of him; and then after a mo- 
 ment's hesitation, she ran to him and placing one of 
 her hands in his and the other upon his arm, she 
 looked up into his face tenderly and added in a low 
 emotional voice: "but I love you, Grandpa, in your 
 old worn clothes just as dearly as in the new." 
 
 And thus it happened that Joshua Humble was 
 enabled that Monday morning to appear at Sol. Mis- 
 erleigh's office in that handsome new suit of clothes, 
 much to the astonishment of his employer, who at 
 first glance wholly failed to recognize him, and who 
 was so surprised by Mr. Humble's wonderful trans- 
 formation that, for some moments, he was speech- 
 less with amazement. Finally, however, he found 
 voice, but it was not of that rasping insolent tone in 
 which he had so long been accustomed to address 
 the majestic man who stood calmly before him, but 
 it was in a pleasing deferential voice that he said : 
 
 "Ah, Mr. Humble, I must congratulate you on 
 your improved your greatly improved appearance. 
 That is just as it should be." 
 
 "Simply the first movement in putting off the 
 old and taking on the new," was the quiet dignified 
 answer. 
 
 "Ah, yes, Mr. Humble, you see I have a man al- 
 ready in your old position," pointing jpver his 
 shoulder with the thumb of his right hand to the tall 
 desk where a long, lank, withered individual was
 
 230 Joshua Humble. 
 
 perched upon a high stool bending over an account 
 book and industriously scratching away upon it with 
 a steel pen. "A Mr. Grubb ahem! here are some 
 papers for you to look over and dispose of at your 
 leisure Mr. Humble, and here are the keys to your 
 desk." 
 
 With a polite bow, so like his old self, Mr. Hum- 
 ble took the papers and keys from the hands of Sol. 
 Miserleigfh, went quietly to his desk, opened it, sat 
 down and at once proceeded to examine the papers.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 AN ELASTIC CONSCIENCE SCOURGED BY ITS OWN GUILT. 
 
 Thus began Joshua Mumble's first day of labor 
 as a free man, and he applied himself to the perform- 
 ance of his new duties with the same patient earnest- 
 ness as he had done in the days of his bondage, 
 in the performance of the duties of a mortgaged 
 menial. He was simply doing his whole duty hon- 
 estly earning the money which he expected to re- 
 ceive in compensation for his services. During the 
 forenoon while Sol. Miserleigh was temporarily ab- 
 sent from the office, a young man whom Mr. Hum- 
 ble had observed standing on the pavement in front 
 of the office looking wistfully in at the window, en- 
 tered the office hurriedly and approaching Mr. Hum- 
 ble's desk, handed him a sealed addressed envelope, 
 saying merely : "This is for you sir," and immediately 
 departed. When Joshua Humble broke the seal, 
 great was his surprise to find that the envelope con- 
 tained a Stock Exchange certificate of membership 
 in his name, of recent date, and the following scrib- 
 bled in a cramped handwriting on a scrap of wrap- 
 ping paper: 
 
 "Dear Friend, Joshua Humble The enclosed 1 
 
 (231)
 
 232 Joshua Humble. 
 
 certificate is from the man whom you befriended 
 when he had no friends on this side of the ocean, and 
 no money. Accept this as a gift from me, not only 
 as a token of my gratitude to you, for your gener- 
 ous kindness to me when there was nothing for you 
 to gain thereby, but of my faithful friendship for you, 
 and my earnest desire to contribute in some degree 
 to your future success and happiness which I pray 
 God to send to you speedily. 
 
 Gratefully and faithfully yours, 
 
 L. Vincent De Baun." 
 
 "What an honest, faithful and grateful soul!" 
 said Mr. Humble as he folded up the letter and its 
 enclosure, returned them to the envelope and put it 
 in his pocket. 
 
 "Did you speak to me sir?" inquired Mr. Grubb, 
 turning around on his high stool. 
 
 "No, Mr. Grubb, I was only thinking aloud," 
 replied Joshua Humble glancing around at the long 
 lank form upon the stool and smiling, as for the first 
 time he observed that peculiar individual's redicu- 
 lous make up. He was indeed a most comical ap- 
 pearing person. His face was long and thin, his nose 
 was long and large and very red, his eyes were small 
 and bright, or at least so was the one visible, and 
 little tuft of wiry blonde beard about three inches 
 in length grew upon the extreme point of his peaked 
 chin; over his left eye suspended by a string around 
 his head, was a flap of dark green oil cloth and his 
 hair, which was fiery red z and about one inch in
 
 A Guilty Conscience Scourged. 233 
 
 length stood literally on ends. Mr. Humble's smile 
 broadened as he gazed upon that singular creature, 
 and as he did not wish to laugh in the man's face, 
 he turned around to his desk to resume his labors. 
 
 "Ahem! What do you think of my make up 
 anyhow?" inquired Mr. Grubb as he slipped down 
 from his stool and glided over to Mr. Humble's side. 
 "My hair is colored and so is my nose, and this patch 
 over my eye is not at all necessary for that optic 
 is as good as its mate, and these whiskers are merely 
 stuck on with wax and lastly my name is not 
 Grubb." 
 
 . "Well then, who are you, and why are you mas- 
 querading in that fashion?" demanded Mr. Humble 
 sternly, as he swung around in his chair. 
 
 "Hush! not so loud Mr. Humble, if you please," 
 was the quick reply. I am here at the instance 
 of Judge Prye, so that the crimnal may not escape. 
 It is necessary for me to enlighten you on the sub- 
 ject, that is all," and he returned to his desk and 
 climbed up on his stool, and not a moment too soon, 
 for he had not written a dozen words before Sol. 
 Miserleigh entered the office. . 
 
 At noon precisely, Joshua Humble closed his desk, 
 arose from his chair, put on his great coat and hat, 
 went out upon the pavement and sauntered leisurely 
 down the street until he came to an old and popular 
 restaurant which he entered, sat down at a table 
 and ordered his dinner, just as he had done twenty-
 
 234 Joshua Humble. 
 
 five years before on that very day of the month and 
 the same month of the year, the last day of his free- 
 dom, and which he had done on every business day 
 for many years previous to that time. As he sat 
 waiting for his dinner to be served he glanced around 
 the room to note the changes which had taken place 
 during the long period of his absence. The room 
 and its arrangement were apparently unchanged; 
 the tables, the chairs, the dishes and cutlery, and 
 even the servants seemed perfectly familiar to him, 
 although he well knew that those who had served 
 him there in the days of his prosperity had long 
 since gone away, and many of them long since dead 
 and forgotten. But as he glanced over at the office, 
 there at his desk sat the old proprietor, but little 
 changed only grown a trifle heavier and grayer but 
 still fresh and rosy as in the days of the long ago. 
 While these thoughts were passing through his mind 
 the servant came with his dinner, and at that mo- 
 ment also Sol. Miserleigh entered the room and 
 observing Mr. Humble he stopped short, evidently 
 greatly surprised. He could account for Mr. Hum- 
 ble's new suit of clothes and forgive him therefor, 
 but a dinner at the price of one dollar! that was 
 too much for him to comprehend on such short 
 notice. However, after his shock of astonishment 
 had somewhat subsided, Sol. Miserleigh bowed to 
 Mr. Humble and sat down at a table on the oppo-. 
 site side of the room and in a low voice ordered his
 
 A Guilty Conscience Scourged. 235 
 
 dinner. While he was waiting for it he glanced at 
 Mr. Humble from the corner of his eye and observed 
 him eating in the manner of a cultured gentleman, 
 and evidently with great satisfaction, and a fierce 
 tempest of jealous anger raged in his heart. 
 
 "He is evidently far beyond my grasp. At a sin- 
 gle bound he has passed the limits of my power and 
 influence and now scornfully defiies me. He is in- 
 deed a wonderful man, powerful in both mind and 
 body, and henceforth will be to me a constant source 
 of danger. While he lives I shall never be safe even 
 a single moment. Why have I delayed so long? 
 Curses on my cowardice! Why do I tremble with 
 fear in his presence and can scarcely refrain from 
 getting down on my knees to him?" The the waiter 
 came with his dinner and he began to eat more like 
 a beast than a human, as indeed beast he was, dip- 
 ping into the food with his fingers and gnawing and 
 crunching the bones like a famished dog. He was 
 endeavoring to get the full value of his dollar! 
 
 While Miserleigh was in the midst of his dinner 
 Joshua Humble arose from the table, sauntered leis- 
 urely to the office counter, paid for his dinner, ex- 
 changed a few pleasant words with the proprietor 
 who instantly recognized and warmly congratulated 
 him, and then Mr. Humble passed out upon the 
 street. As he walked slowly along with the dignified 
 bearing and leisure of a gentleman of opulence, his 
 old and natural manner, he met several of his former
 
 236 Joshua Humble. 
 
 business acquaintances and accepted their kind greet- 
 ings and congratulations with the ease and grace of 
 one who receives what is justly his due, and yet 
 with a kidly and delicate appreciation of the same. 
 At one o'clock Mr. Humble entered the Stock Ex- 
 change and was immediately recognized by the older 
 members who gathered around and congratulated 
 him warmly on his reappearance there as a member, 
 and freely offered him pecuniary assistance to en- 
 able him to operate again on his own account. To 
 all, he gave the same answer : * % 
 
 "Not now, my good friends, not now, but after 
 a time when I can fully grasp the new order of busi- 
 ness. You must remember that in a business sense 
 I have been sleeping a quarter of a century and 
 therefore, in that relation, I am a veritable Rip Van 
 Winkle." 
 
 While Joshua Humble was the center of interest 
 and attraction for all of the older and many of the 
 newer members of the exchange, Sol. Miserleigh en- 
 tered and beholding Mr. Humble surrounded by and 
 receiving the congratulations of all of the more 
 wealthy members present, his astonishment was be- 
 yond limit or measure. At the first glance he com- 
 prehended the situation and paused as though un- 
 decided whether to retreat precipitately, or to boldly 
 advance and brave the trying ordeal which he knew 
 awaited him in the form of sneers and scornful 
 glances from all those who knew the history of
 
 Jl Guilty Conscience Scourged. 237 
 
 Joshua Humble's downfall and humiliation. Finally 
 he chose the middle course, and went sneaking 
 around, attending to his business here and there, 
 with this person and then with that person, and all 
 in nervous haste as though fleeing from some fright- 
 ful danger, with every limb shackled. His mind was 
 a steed in flight at its utmost speed and his guilty 
 conscience was its pitiless rider, urging it onward 
 with the whip and spur of vengeance through a 
 mental night of storm and darkness.
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 PUTTING TOGETHER THIS AND THAT. 
 
 A mysterious and startling rumor came from the 
 lowest level of society and echoed through the vari- 
 ous grades thereof, until it reached the upper circles 
 where it buzzed into every ear and echoed from 
 every lip. It was an accusation against a mere boy, 
 who, as the story ran, had fled from the city imme- 
 diately after the commission of the crime the mur- 
 der of his uncle by poisoning. But, strange though 
 it may seem, nevertheless it is true, that nobody, 
 even of the lowest social level believed for one mo- 
 ment that George Langdon was guilty of the crime, 
 while none doubted that William Barnes had been 
 murdered, notwithstanding the verdict of the physi- 
 cians that his death was occasioned by heart dis- 
 ease. Therefore when the rumor reached police 
 headquarters through a burley Irish policeman who 
 had heard it in a low grogshop on the Levee, the 
 chief leaned back in his chair, took the cigar from 
 his mouth, blew a pearly cloud of smoke above his 
 head and laughingly replied: 
 
 "Nonsense nonsense McGinnis, that's old, very 
 
 (238)
 
 Putting Together This and That. 239 
 
 aged indeed mere rot! I investigated that fish- 
 woman's gossip, and know that there is nothing in 
 it except the possibility that William Barnes was 
 poisoned. As for Langdon being guilty of the crime 
 that idea is absolutely absurd. Why, Mack, he had 
 not been at home for two weeks previous to the 
 death of Barnes. He had been dissipating a little 
 and being a 'tenderfoot' in that line was ashamed 
 to go home and face his uncle, who had been in- 
 formed concerning some of his trifling irregularities. 
 So you see at once that that part of the story is ab- 
 solutely false; and now all that remains to be con- 
 sidered is its origin. Ahem! let me see a h, Sol. 
 Miserleigh ! Why he should originate and circulate 
 that cock and bull story and especially to that old 
 fishwoman is what knocks me silly. Ah ha ! unless 
 ahem ! You may go now McGinnis, it's all bosh !" 
 and as the officer waddled out of the room the cap- 
 tain rocked back in his chair, put his feet on top of 
 his desk, gazed at the ceiling intently, twisted his 
 nose with the fingers of his left hand, wrinkled his 
 brow thoughtfully and in a low tone gave utterance 
 to his meditations in these words: 
 
 "Sol. Miserleigh whew ! Why didn't I think of 
 that before? I beleive I've struck a lead. He first 
 told the story to the old fishwoman with strict in- 
 junction not to tell who told her, but with permis- 
 sion to scatter the lie broadcast among the gossips. 
 To presume that Sol. Miserleigh had no special mo- 
 tive in the invention and circulation of the slander
 
 240 Joshua Humble. 
 
 '" * 
 
 against young Langdon would be ridiculously ab- 
 surd, for the villainous old rascal is always fright- 
 fully in earnest and hews straight to the line. 
 Furthermore, he is a skillful strategist and works his 
 schemes by indirection and when he fixed the crime 
 upon young Langdon and endeavored to use against 
 him the fact of his departure from the city on the 
 morning of his uncle's death, it was but the shadow 
 of a deep laid scheme in which he himself was the 
 prime actor. What that scheme is its character 
 and motive remains for Grubb to discover, and we 
 can only watch and wait and weave our snare as the 
 thread of circumstance is reeled off to us straight 
 and strong from the tangled skein of facts. That 
 William Barnes was poisoned to death was ascer- 
 tained beyond doubt by the autopsy of his remains 
 yesterday. It seemed cruel to drag the poor fellow 
 from his grave, and carve him up, but this ugly rumor 
 rendered an investigation necessary, and thus the 
 truth was brought to light." 
 
 At that moment the Coroner and the Judge of the 
 Criminal Court in their respective offices, and Judge 
 Prye in his library at his home, were indulging in the 
 same train of reflection, and Joshua Humble and 
 Mr. Grubb were each silently employed with their 
 respective office duties, and Sol. Miserleigh stood 
 at the counter of the telegraph office writing this 
 message to Sam Slick, namely: 
 
 "Fix Langdon safe and come here immediately 
 for conference."
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 STABTLING IKFOBMATIOST BY AMOS THE Fox. 
 
 With nervous haste and trembling hands he scrib- 
 bled the words with the stump of a pencil upon a 
 telegraph blank, prepared the message to Sam Slick 
 and hurried away. His face was flushed and his eyes 
 bloodshot and as he ambled along the crowded thor- 
 oughfare, he reeled like one under the influence of 
 an intoxicant. He moved along, first on the right 
 and then on the left side of the pavement, now en- 
 deavoring to stem the human tide flowing in the 
 opposite direction and being buffeted and cast aside 
 like a floating log at the head of an eddy in a swift 
 flowing river, and then gliding along with the cur- 
 rent, in and out, here and there, shivering, panting, 
 crouching as in great mental anguish and excite- 
 ment, as though endeavoring to escape observation, 
 as though fleeing in hot haste from the presence 
 of a just and relentless avenger. 
 
 He had just heard the rumor which had been 
 floating over the city: the ugly rumor concerning 
 the cause of the death of William Barnes, and he in- 
 stantly perceived that he had sown a gentle breeze 
 
 [16] (241)
 
 242 Joshua Humble. 
 
 of suspicion only to reap a terrible tempest of accu- 
 sation which threatened the utter destruction of its 
 creator, leaving all else unharmed. The rumor had 
 been brought to him on the street, by Amos the Fox, 
 who by signs, drew him into an unfrequented alley- 
 way, and in nervous haste told him the story in mi- 
 nute details and also communicated the additional 
 information, that by direction of the Judge of the 
 criminal court the body of William Barnes had been 
 secretly exhumed and exaimned by the coroner, 
 aided by skillful physicians, resulting in the discov- 
 ery that death was occasioned by poison. This latter 
 information Amos the Fox had just obtained from a 
 servant of the coroner, who was present at, and 
 assisted in the autopsy a new recruit and outside 
 member of the gang of rogues of which Hairlip 
 Brown was the chief. All this was news to Sol. Mis- 
 erleigh as he had not heard even the rumored accu- 
 sation against George Langdon with which his own 
 name was associated in connection with those of the 
 fishwoman, and the "Three Graces of Satan," and he 
 was speechless with amazement, and stricken with 
 terror, and before he could command his voice to 
 answer, Amos the Fox had hurried away and disap- 
 peared amid the crowd of people on the street, hurry- 
 ing homeward to rest from the toils and vexations 
 of the day. 
 
 For ten minutes Sol. Miserleigh paced up and 
 down the dark alleyway utterly bewildered and un-
 
 Startling Information. 243 
 
 X 
 
 nerved. His usual insolent aggressiveness and self- 
 confidence had entirely vanished, the ground seemed 
 to be sinking beneath his feet, and visions of prison 
 and gallows floated across his brain. Two cold dead 
 faces those of the father and son whom he had 
 murdered, seemed to be pressed against his own, 
 and each with an arm clasped about his neck, seemed 
 to be endeavoring to drag him down into the awful 
 chasm which was opening beneath his feet. Ten 
 minutes longer he paced to and fro, moaning and 
 blaspheming, and then, having in a measure regained 
 his composure, he passed out of the alleyway and 
 down the street to the telegraph office where he 
 wrote the message to Sam Slick. It was nearly six 
 o'clock when Sol. Miserleigh entered his office. 
 Joshua Humble had gone home and Mr. Grubb, 
 having put away his books and lighted the gas, was 
 perched upon his stool awaiting his employer's re- 
 turn. 
 
 "Go!" said Miserleigh roughly, nodding his head 
 impatiently toward Mr. Grubb and pointing with the 
 thumb of his left hand over his shoulder toward the 
 door. Mr. Grubb did not require the second invita- 
 tion to lay down his burden of toil, nor did he love 
 his master sufficiently to wish to remain in his pres- 
 ence one moment more than necessary, and hence he 
 obeyed with alacrity. 
 
 Five minutes Sol. Miserleigh stood still in the 
 center of his office looking down upon the floor and
 
 244 Joshua Humble. 
 
 breathing heavily. Like a general in battle sur- 
 rounded by his enemies and upon the point of cap- 
 ture, he was thinking planning a bold dash for 
 safety and liberty. Finally, with a sigh of relief, he 
 removed his gloves and thrust them into the pockets 
 of his great coat, went to his desk, opened his secret 
 drawer, took from it a large roll of bank notes, 
 cloesd and locked his desk, turned out the gas, 
 passed out upon the street, locked the office door 
 and hurried away. Half an hour later he entered 
 the second-hand clothing store of Jacob Blum where 
 he found the old Jew walking the floor in nervous 
 haste, and evidently in great mental distress.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 PARTING OF CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 "Come," said Miserleigh to Jacob Blum nodding 
 his head toward the door. 
 
 "Vere?" querried Jacob tremulously. 
 
 "To the warehouse," and without another word 
 Miserleigh turned and walked out upon the street 
 followed by Blum. 
 
 They walked rapidly in silence ten squares when 
 Jacob touched Miserleigh 's arm and said : 
 
 "Ve vas in a dight blace und you makes all de 
 droubles yourself by talking mit dat fishwoman." 
 
 "Yes, cursed idiot that I was. I only intended to 
 render the boy's return impossible. I was afraid that 
 Sam Slick would go back on me the tender-hearted 
 booby but I overreached myself and now I will 
 have to strain every nerve to stem the tide which is 
 setting strong against me. However money will 
 do anything, and I have resolved to use it freely. 
 We must carry out our original intentions concern- 
 ing Sam Slick and Joshua Humble and must add to 
 the list that miserable old snoop, Judge Prye. Be- 
 fore he is done with me he will learn to his sorrow 
 
 (245)
 
 246 Joshua Humble. 
 
 that it is neither wise nor safe to pry into my busi- 
 ness affairs; we must kidnap kill anything to get 
 them out of the way, and I shall depend upon you to 
 do your part. Do you know that the authorities 
 have exhumed the body of William Barnes and as- 
 certained the fact that he was poisoned?" . 
 
 "Nein!" replied the Jew in a frightened voice, 
 stopping short while his face blanched, and he be- 
 gan to shiver like one with an ague. 
 
 "Yes, come on! don't stop every moment is 
 precious !" and seizing the trembling Jew by the arm 
 Sol. Miserleigh hurried him along, and twenty min- 
 utes later they entered the enclosure used by Blum 
 for the storage of old iron. After carefully recon- 
 noitering the place to be sure that no enemy lurked 
 therein, they descended into the old cistern, groped 
 through the passageway, clambered up the ladder 
 into the yard of the warehouse, found the basement 
 door and gave the usual signal. A faint light 
 gleamed through the keyhole, but to their surprise 
 there was no response to their summons and no 
 sound within. Again old Jacob rapped the signal 
 sharply upon the door, with the same result as be- 
 fore, and finally in his impatience he seized the knob 
 and rattled it violently, when the door sprung ajar, 
 and they pushed it open and entered the room. 
 
 A lamp was burning dimly on a table; a few 
 lumps of burning coal where smouldering in the 
 grate, but there was no living soul within. As old
 
 Parting of Conspirators. 247 
 
 Jacob closed the door, Sol. Miserleigh walked over 
 and turned up the light and there upon the table 
 before him lay an envelope addressed in the bold 
 round handwriting of Hairlip Brown: "To M. or 
 B." With trembling fingers he broke the seal and 
 drew forth the letter and as old Jacob hastened to 
 his side Sol. Miserleigh read in a low tone the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 5 '30 P- m. 
 
 "The cops are on to us and the jig is up. At 
 seven o'clock we will be fifty miles from the city and 
 will not return. Get away from here the moment 
 you read this or you will be gobbled and run in. 
 The whole scheme has been discovered by the 
 slopping over of a fool's mouth." 
 
 "Come, let us go," said Miserleigh tremulously 
 as he threw the letter upon the fire and turned out 
 the light. 
 
 "Yaw, hurry!" responded Jacob impatiently as 
 they passed out and softly closed the door. At a 
 street corner half a square distant from the ware- 
 house, Blum and Miserleigh parted in silence.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 AN IGNOMINIOUS BANISHMENT. 
 
 It lacked a quarter of ten o'clock when Sol. en- 
 tered the front door of his home, having gone there 
 direct from his office where he had transacted im- 
 portant legal business. A single gas jet was burning 
 dimly in the hall, and without pausing to remove 
 his coat or hat he passed on into the dining room 
 where he found his mother seated in a low willow 
 rocker bending over a feeble sputtering fire in the 
 grate. At that instant, the storm which had been 
 gathering in the heavens all the afternoon, swept 
 furiously over the city, and the rattle of the rain 
 droops upon the slate roof, and the rush of the wind 
 around the sharp angles of the building, created a 
 unison of sounds dismal in the extreme. 
 
 A storm had also been brewing in the home of 
 Sol. Miserleigh that afternoon a tempest of human 
 rage more violent and terrible than the conflict of 
 elements without and the two storms began at the 
 same moment. That day Mrs. Miserleigh had heard 
 the rumor for the first time. 
 
 As Sol. closed the door behind him, his mother 
 
 (248)
 
 Jin Ignominious Banishment. 249 
 
 put down the poker with which she had been punch- 
 ing the reluctant fire, arose from her chair, advanced 
 and confronted him in the middle of the room and 
 demanded sternly: "Why are you here?" 
 
 Her face was white as marble and her lips were 
 tightly drawn, revealing at full length those frightful 
 protruding jagged teeth. Sol. was silent. Her ter- 
 rible vehement anger overwhelmed him with fear, 
 and he turned his face aside because he could not 
 endure the blinding glare of her wicked eyes. 
 
 "Why are you here?" she again demanded in a 
 sharp, fierce tone, like the snarl of an enraged tigress, 
 while flecks of foam came forth from between her 
 thin and bloodless lips. "Idiot 1 Dolt! Scoundrel 1 
 Murderer! Liar! Do you know that at this mo- 
 ment you are in the very jaws of death, almost within 
 the grasp of the law? Don't you know that your 
 vile mouthing to a low fisherwoman has brought you 
 swiftly to the end which you so richly deserve?" 
 
 "Yes, I know I know all," he replied in a faint 
 tremulous voice. "I know that the end has come, 
 and not only to me but also to you, for you are the 
 author of all my misery and crime. If I am heart- 
 less, false and vile, you made me so and therefore 
 you are the real criminal, and I but the faithful 
 creature of your will." . i ; 
 
 "Yes," she replied, "that is true, too, but you 
 are an accursed Barnes and deserve no better fate! 
 The man whom you murdered one night over by
 
 250 Joshua Humble, 
 
 the lake yonder was your own father! ^Vhen I was 
 a mere child he wronged me and you are the fruit 
 of that wrong. When you were born I hid you away 
 in a poor family of many children in an obscure 
 village and two years afterward I married Miserleigh 
 who lived but three years; then I came to this city 
 with you and Aurelia and you know the rest. Now 
 go, and put as many miles as possible between your- 
 self and this city before daylight, or you will never 
 enjoy another day of liberty ! Go !" and she pushed 
 him rudely toward the door. "Go !" and she grasped 
 him by the arm and hurried him along the hall, and 
 out into the vestibule, opened the front door and 
 violently thrust him out into the night and storm. 
 
 At that moment a strong gust of wind wrenched 
 the door from her grasp and swung it violently shut. 
 "It is an omen," she said as she turned the key in 
 the lock and slipped the bolt forward into its socket. 
 "Even the elements conspire to thrust him forth, 
 and he will never cross this threshhold again." Then 
 she turned and passed through the vestibule, locked 
 the inner door, returned to the dining room, re- 
 sumed her seat before the fire, leaned her elbows on 
 her knees, covered her face with her hands and wept. 
 It was a storm of grief as violent as her anger a few 
 moments before, and as she swayed to and fro in 
 her chair her moaning was pitiful in the extreme. 
 
 "Gone! gone! forever gone! and the darkness 
 of death settling down upon my soul!" These were
 
 Ignominious Banishment. 251 
 
 her words in pitiful, tremulous accents, and more, 
 many more in faint whispers, as the night wore on, 
 while the rain beat furiously upon the roof and 
 dashed against the windows. Finally as the hands 
 of the clock on the mantel pointed to twelve and its 
 bell slowly chimed the hour, she straightened up in 
 her chair, wiped the tears from her face, clasped her 
 hands together upon her lap and gazed intently upon 
 the last glowing ember in the grate as it settled 
 slowly down and melted away into ashes. 
 
 When the clock chimed "one," she arose from 
 her chair, took writing material from the mantel, 
 sat down by the table, and for five minutes wrote 
 rapidly, having evidently thought the whole matter 
 out while sitting by the fire and gazing at the dying 
 embers. At length with a sigh she put down the 
 pen, folded the sheet of paper on which she had 
 written, placed it in an envelope and addressed it: 
 "To whom it may concern." Then she arose, put 
 out the light and went directly to the room of 
 Aurelia in the tower, which she entered softly. In 
 the dim light of a single gas jet in a chandelier of 
 five large burners, Mrs. Miserleigh paused by the 
 bedside of Aurelia and listened. The poor soul was 
 sleeping soundly and a sweet smile rested upon her 
 face lovely in its calm repose. She was evidently 
 dreaming doubtless of her children and her hus- 
 band, and in fancy she was living over again the 
 only joyous hours of all her life. Bending down,
 
 252 Joshua Humble. 
 
 Mrs. Miserleigh kissed the fair warm face of her 
 daughter and whispered : "Sleep on, poor demented 
 soul, to whom life has been only a torture and death 
 will be a joyous emancipation! Sleep on until you 
 awake in the presence of your loved one in the other 
 world. Oh, Aurelia ! how I have wrecked your pure 
 young life I, your own mother, who never since my 
 first mad love, loved ought but you! But fate so 
 ordered and I have been only the instrument for 
 the accomplishment of its purpose. Good-bye 
 Aurelia! good-bye forever! I am vile and you are 
 pure, and we shall never meet in the other world!" 
 For several minutes she stood looking down upon 
 the calm, beautiful face of her daughter, and then she 
 drew a large willow rocker close by the bedside, 
 turned out the light and then turned the thumb 
 screws of all of the five burners so that the gas 
 would flow with its full force into the room. Then 
 she sat down in the chair, leaned her head backward, 
 folded her arms across her bosom, closed her eyes 
 and gently sank into eternal sleep.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 VULGAR PLUTOCBACT. 
 
 % 
 
 During their brief sojourn in the city to which 
 they had gone at the suggestion of Sol. Miserleigh, 
 George Langdon and Paul Dyke had been very 
 pleasantly employed. They had taken long carriage 
 drives through the fashionable residence portion of 
 the city and often going at considerable distances in- 
 to the country ; they had strolled through the beauti- 
 ful parks, had attended many nice places of amusement, 
 and in their cosy apartments at the hotel where they 
 had remained since the night of their arrival they 
 had experienced great pleasure in each others soci- 
 ety ; and also during that time they had formed many 
 agreeable acquaintances through the social aggres- 
 siveness of Paul Dyke who smiled and chatted with 
 everybody with whom he came in contact a,nd had 
 always at his tongue's end, pleasant words, even for 
 the servants. Hence, he soon became immensely 
 popular about the hotel and his fame as a gentleman 
 of elegant manners and interesting characteristics 
 spread abroad, and the rumor ran hither and thither, 
 until finally he became an interesting subject of con- 
 
 (253)
 
 254 Joshua Humble. 
 
 versation in the upper circles of extreme fashionable 
 society which might be properly termed shoddy- 
 ocracy. 
 
 The rotunda of the hotel was a popular lounging 
 place for the males of that class of people known as 
 "swells ' fellows of large financial resources and 
 very small mental endowments, and its parlors were 
 favorite places of resort for the former's feminine 
 counterpart. 
 
 By chance, while promenading the hotel corridor 
 of the floor on which his apartments were located, 
 to walk off a little of his surplus energy, Paul Dyke 
 met a dainty little woman tripping lightly toward 
 him, followed by a dainty little poodle dog with silken 
 snow white hair and pink eyes, decorated with a baby 
 blue silk ribbon around its neck to which was sus- 
 pended a chime of silver bells which jingled merrily 
 as it ran. The aforesaid dainty little lady was none 
 other than Miss M. Marie Whiffle, (formerly plain 
 Mehetable Mary) daughter of a millionaire ex-soap 
 maker, which fact, the character of the business 
 whereby her father amassed his immense fortune, 
 probably accounted for her extreme neatness and 
 cleanliness, as she was born amid the stifling odors 
 of boiling soap, and therefore the irresistible desire 
 to be eternally scrubbing her person was doubtless 
 but the effect upon her mind of early constant asso- 
 ciation with the chemical ingredients necessary to 
 produce cleanliness.
 
 Vulgar Plutocracy. 255 
 
 As the diminutive female approached Paul Dyke, 
 he lifted his glistening silk hat, smiled and bowed 
 with courtly grace, and in pleasing acknowledge- 
 ment of the courtesy, Mis Whiffle bowed, smiled, 
 blushed and passed on into the parlor, while Paul 
 Dyke continued his promenade, wondering why on 
 earth women were ever constructed upon the fragile 
 and fraudulent plan of which Miss Whiffle was a true 
 representative. 
 
 "She is not larger than a twelve-year-old child, 
 and yet she is not less than twenty-five," he mut- 
 tered, as with hands clasped behind his back, and 
 head erect, he resumed his promenade. "And, 
 furthermore, there are many evidences of unreality 
 about her of manufactured beauty and voluptuous- 
 ness a bleached, washed-out appearance combined 
 with a stifling odor of starch, soap and cologne. 
 I'll bet no I wont do anything of the kind; I wont 
 bet, for I've sworn off but I'll guarantee oh, guar- 
 antee is good, that's the word! I'll guarantee, then, 
 that she lisps and titters and simpers and uses all 
 of the swell slang and writes spring poetry and reads 
 novels that would corrupt an angel; that she is in- 
 sanely passionate and romantic and quick to engage 
 in any sort of adventure that may promise excite- 
 ment or pleasure. Though extremely prudish and 
 fastidious in public, she is vulgar and reckless in pri- 
 vate, and though wealthy, and cultured by the hot- 
 bed process of education and experience, she is of
 
 256 Joshua Humble. 
 
 plebian origin of the lowest degree, and to conclude 
 that her father amassed his fortune in the scavenger 
 business would be a very natural and doubtless cor- 
 rect presumption. Still, I must endeavor to culti- 
 vate her acquaintance and thereby obtain entrance 
 to the peculiar circle of society of which she is a cor- 
 rect representative. I need a litle practice in that 
 particular sphere to complete my education of ex- 
 perience. I have lived in the gutters among the 
 human pigs of that social level, and never got down 
 to wallow with them in the mire of debauchery and 
 crime. I have hob-nobbed with blue bloods for 
 years and been counted as one of their set, and did 
 not acquire their vices, but I have never had any 
 experience with the shoddy variety of uppertendom 
 and I cannot afford to neglect the present oppor- 
 tunity." 
 
 As he walked and thought and smiled and gazed 
 at the fresco work on the ceiling, he suddenly be- 
 came aware of an approaching human form, and 
 turning quickly, he was confronted at close quarters 
 by a little active man whom he immediately recog- 
 nized as W. Potter Stunner, to whom he had been 
 introduced on the previous day in the hotel rotunda 
 by the obliging chief clerk of the house, who bowed 
 very gracefully between them and placed the index 
 finger of his left hand against his own shirt front in 
 close proximity to his diamond pin, as he repeated 
 their names severally and then in turn patted them
 
 Vulgar Plutocracy. 257 
 
 upon the shoulder with his disengaged hand and 
 assured them that they were "birds of the same 
 feather." 
 
 "Awh, Misto Dwyke awh, sah, I bweg youh 
 pawdon awh ! But how do youth pwospah this awf- 
 tanoon?" said W. Potter Stunner with a low bow 
 and a pretty little courtesy as he lifted his cunning 
 little derby hat and disclosed his round little head 
 covered with silken blonde curls. 
 
 "I prosper well indeed thank you, Mr. Stunner," 
 replied Paul Dyke, smiling. 
 
 "Awh, glad to heah it Misto Dwyke, vewy glad 
 indeed awh ! But have youh seen Miss M. Marie 
 Whiffle paws along the hall wecently awh?" 
 
 "I have not the honor of the lady's acquaintance, 
 and consequently am unable to reply to your ques- 
 tion definitely, but I presume the lady you seek en- 
 tered the parlor a few moments ago." 
 
 "Awh, she was amall?" 
 
 "Very srriall." 
 
 "And vewy pwetty?" 
 
 "Quite interesting." 
 
 "And stylish?" 
 
 "Very stylish indeed." 
 
 "And has bwown eyes?" 
 
 "The same." 
 
 "And curly blonde hair?" 
 
 "Beautiful blonde curls." 
 
 "That's M, Marie Whiffle ! I must haste to join
 
 258 Joshua Humble. 
 
 her. I bv/eg pwadon awh, Misto Dwyke I bid 
 you good day!" and the dapper dandy bowed and 
 courtesied again and moved on with a hop and a skip 
 and entered the parlor twirling his little derby hat 
 nervously in his hands, while Paul Dyke continued 
 his promenade, muttering disgustedly: "Two of a 
 kind and a very amusing pair. Ah me ! what were 
 such creatures ever created for?" 
 
 George Langdon opened the door of his apart- 
 ment, and approaching Paul Dyke began to ex- 
 press his dissatisfaction with a book which he had 
 been reading, when W. Potter Stunner emerged 
 from the parlor, and approaching them with a play- 
 ful little hop and skip, courtesied before them, ad- 
 justed his monocle, elevated his chin until his nose 
 pointed toward the edge of the ceiling, stared va- 
 cantly a moment at Paul Dyke and then turned and 
 stared at Langdon in the same manner, and finally 
 with another and even prettier bow and courtesy 
 opened his mouth and gurgled : 
 
 "Awh, Misto Langdon awh sah! delighted to 
 meet you again sah, Misto Dwyke I believe youh 
 said a few moments ago awh, that you ahad nevah 
 been itwoduced to Miss M. Marie Whiffle awh?" 
 Eh?" 
 
 "Yes, Mr. Stunner, I made that statement." 
 "Awh. And you, Misto Langdon?" 
 "I have never been honored by the lady's ac- 
 quaintance."
 
 Vulgar Plutocracy. 259 
 
 "Awh. Gentlemen, you must pvvemit me to 
 pwesent you to her now, if agvveeable to you." 
 
 "With pleasure," they both replied as they glanc- 
 ed significantly at each other, and were immediately 
 ushered into the parlor where they were introduced 
 to Miss Whiffle and also to a half score of other fe- 
 males of her kind. A spirited and vivacious con- 
 versation ensued and was continued a quarter of an 
 hour, and then Paul Dyke and George Langdon 
 politely withdrew, leaving W. Potter Stunner and 
 the females chattering like magpies, with decided 
 ultra foreign accentuation.
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 A CARNIVAL OP SHODDYITES. 
 
 The following morning Paul Dyke and George 
 Langdon were the recipients of elegant and strongly 
 perfumed invitations to a ball and banquet to be 
 given at a "swell" club house in the city, and accord- 
 ingly, at the hour designated, they were in attend- 
 ance, and with much ado were introduced to the 
 company, and at once became the center of attrac- 
 tion, and for the moment the leading sensation. One 
 of the last of the guests to arrive, was Count Von 
 Schultzenblocken, whose name indicated very noble 
 and ancient ancestory. He was tall and painfully 
 thin and his feet and hands were broad and long. 
 His slim neck, which terminated in the rear in a 
 sharp peak at the top of his head, resembled strik- 
 ingly the neck of a giraffe, while his forehead began 
 at his eyebrows and sloped backard at an angle of 
 forty-five degrees, terminating at the front base of 
 the peak, on the top of his head, with barely three 
 inches of coarse gray-black hair, intervening be- 
 tween the upward termination of the forehead and 
 the summit of the aforesaid peak. His eyes were 
 
 (260)
 
 SI Carnival of Shoddyites. 261 
 
 small and wide apart, and into one of them was 
 wedged a single eye glass, very large and glittering. 
 His nose was of rainbow form and of extremely 
 florid color, and at the lower extremity it was flat- 
 tened and spread outward, covering a large portion 
 of his upper lip, which was adorned by a long coarse 
 black mustache waxed at the ends and curled up- 
 ward a la Napoleon. His mouth was wide and sin- 
 ister and his chin retreated so precipitously that his 
 face seemed to be wholly devoid of that feature, the 
 neck appearing to terminate upward at his lower lip. 
 His speech was a mixture of the whirring accent of 
 the Swiss, the guttural of the German and the pecul- 
 iar nasal twang of the French. But Lord bless you ! 
 his name was very imposing, and his title attractive, 
 and those two important considerations completely 
 obliterated the great multitude of his physical and 
 intellectual defects. His step was measured and 
 spasmodic, like that of a horse with the springhalt, 
 and his bearing was lofty to the very point of grand- 
 eur. To the females, his physical peculiarities (with 
 title included) constituted a new and interesting 
 type of beauty, and in his presence they smiled and 
 simpered, and put forth their best efforts to attract 
 his attention, and to win his admiration. On the 
 other hand, Count Von Schultz-and-so-forth, was 
 calm, collected and self-possessed and prosecuted 
 his matter of money conquest with the methodical 
 precision of a mathematician solving a difficult prob-
 
 262 Joshua Humble. 
 
 lem. The focus of his magnified eye seemed to be 
 continually fixed upon the ceiling in close examina- 
 tion of the fresco work, to which he seemed to ad- 
 dress his rasping gradiloquent' words, intended as 
 responses to the compliments of the bevy of female 
 admirers who clustered around him. Occasionally, 
 however, he would suspend his examination of the 
 ceiling and slowly lower his gaze until the rugged 
 peak of his cranium attained an upright position and 
 his nose pointed toward the floor, and then with a 
 slow sweep of his magnified eye around the circle of 
 pretty upturned anxious faces, he would bow and 
 prance like a victorious rooster in a barnyard, among 
 a group of admiring hens. 
 
 As to the other males in attendance, with the ex- 
 ception of Dyke and Langdon, they were simply 
 green-eyed with jealousy. Being left wholly to the 
 entertainment of a number of wallflowers of doubt- 
 ful ages and angular forms, their indignation was 
 simply inexpressable ; and a hundred angry eyes 
 glared at him through a hundred single eye glasses ; 
 and a hundred noses were pointed at him like so 
 many interrogation points ; and a thousand fingers 
 were clenched and deeply buried into the palms of 
 two hundred hands; and a hundred mouths of as 
 many males in attendance hissed forth in hoarse 
 whispers, deep and damning imprecations upon the 
 head of the lofty and scornful scion of nobility. 
 
 It was clearly apparent that the most ardent and
 
 Jl Carnival of Shoddyites. 263 
 
 favored worshiper at the shrine of Count Von 
 Schultz-and-so-forth, was M. Marie Whiffle, whose 
 father had died, leaving to her a goodly portion of 
 his immense estate, and hence the alleged Count, 
 with a shrewd brain and a keen eye to business, had 
 decided to annex her hand and fortune to his money- 
 less alleged title, and in evidence of his settled pur- 
 pose in that relation, he drew her arm within the 
 sharp bony crook of his own and clung to her tenac- 
 iously, while she in turn, in evidence of her entire 
 satisfaction with the Count's decision, clung to his 
 skeleton crook with both of her hands as though 
 fearful that he might escape from her grasp and 
 bear away from her forever the alleged title which 
 she hoped to purchase with her clean and perfumed 
 person, and her immense fortune. 
 
 And it was also clearly apparent that W. Potter 
 Stunner, who was deeply enamored of M. Marie 
 Whiffle, and whose fortune and credit had been 
 totally wrecked by his senseless extravagance, was 
 the most indignant individual in the assembly, and 
 he could scarcely repress his rage when he beheld 
 the titled usurper leering grossly into the face of 
 the woman he idolized. And so he paced the floor 
 and bit his lips and nursed his anger and longed 
 for revenge, though he knew not that it was coming 
 with s\vift and steady sweep, of its own free will 
 and motion.
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 A BEWILDERING "Hop." 
 
 Paul Dyke and George Langdon watched Count 
 Von Schultz-and-so-forth, strutting and swaggering 
 around among his silly female admirers, and each to 
 the other whispered witty comments and enjoyed the 
 scene immensely. Finally, the band struck up a 
 march and the company in pairs, male and female, 
 began to promenade Paul Dyke and George 
 Longdon among them, each with a simpering wo- 
 man clinging to his arm, awhing and bandying swell 
 slang and state compliments, until at length the 
 music changed to a waltz, and away they whirled like 
 the spokes of a wheel in rapid motion. Every where 
 the single eye glass glittered, and diamonds flashed 
 from ears and shirt bosoms, and tall white collars, 
 stiff and rigid as sheet iron, girdled the necks of the 
 males, and cut deep furrows into their retreating 
 chins, and soft creamy laces and brilliant silk robes 
 fluttered around female forms. 
 
 Away they floated, round and round, here and 
 there, up and down, until the room seemed to them 
 like a great round plain in rapid circling motion and 
 
 1364)
 
 Jt Bewildering "Hop." 265 
 
 the lights like myriads of far off meteors flashing 
 athwart a moonless sky. It was a scene of grotesque 
 comicality, a grave and earnest burlesque, a sober, 
 mournful farce, in which Count Von Schulten- 
 blocken was the star performer, and M. Marie 
 Whiffle the female leader in his support. 
 
 Finally, in the very midst of the wild whirl and 
 excitement of the waltz, Count Von Schultz-and-so- 
 forth and W. Potter Stunner came into violent col- 
 lision with each other, and instantly each parted 
 company with his female companion and went 
 sprawling in opposite directions, with a swift hop- 
 ping skipping motion, ending in an ungraceful drop 
 into a sitting posture and a rapid glide backward 
 along the waxen floor. Finally, when stopped by 
 the walls on opposite sides of the room, the two 
 hostile rivals, arose to their feet slowly and pain- 
 fully and began moving toward each other in the 
 peculiar manner of fighting cooks going to battle. 
 Though eager for the fray, they did not meet, be- 
 cause they could not by reason of the solid wall of 
 people between them, and they could only stand 
 on opposite sides of the obstruction and gnash their 
 teeth the growl. The ladies, almost unanimously, 
 united in earnest expressions of sympathy for the 
 Count, and innocently appeared not to observe the 
 gaping rent in one knee of his trousers which he 
 himself had not yet discovered. 
 
 It was a trying ordeal for the maidens to stand
 
 266 Joshua Humble. 
 
 thus, all unconscious of what, even the man in the 
 moon could not have failed to observe through the 
 clear plate glass window, but the s\yeet innocent 
 little dears were fully equal to the requirements of 
 the occasion, and calmed his angered soul with sweet 
 spoken words of sympathy, while W. Potter Stunner 
 was left alone to rub his bruises and console himself 
 with the comfortable reflection that his limbs were 
 unfractured and his garments whole. 
 
 Though decidely sensational, the interruption 
 was but brief and the music began again, and away 
 the dancers whirled and continued to spin, until 
 again the lights seemed to them like so many streaks 
 of fire and the room like a swiftly moving circular 
 space. At length the dance was finished and the 
 music ceased, and Count Von Schultz-and-so-forth, 
 escorted the panting and blushing Miss Whipple to a 
 seat and bowed before her very courteously but 
 horror of horrors ! while in that stooping position 
 his magnified eye discovered the rent in his trousers, 
 and with a half uttered compliment, which his par- 
 alyzed lips refused to finish, he turned and fled pre- 
 cipitately to the dressing room. As he entered 
 therein with a flying leap like a sprinter passing un- 
 der the wire at the end of the home stretch, a num- 
 ber of young men were in the act of correcting the 
 parting of their thin hair, and in otherwise arrang- 
 ing their toilets, in which they were dexterously as- 
 sisted by a wheezy little German, the servant in
 
 A Bewildering "Hop." 267 
 
 charge of the apartment. When the horrified Von 
 Schultz-and-so-forth came bounding into the room, 
 the little German servant, who was in the act of 
 brushing a coat, reeled backward until he came into 
 contact with the opposite wall, threw tip his hands in 
 a gesture of astonishment, and exclaimed : 
 
 "Mine Gott! mine old friendt, Hans Schultz, ze 
 pawn broker fon Metz." 
 
 "Pawn broker of Metz?" echoed the crowd in 
 chorus. 
 
 "Sure!" responded the little German, "sure 
 zhentlemens, mine old friendt, Hans Schultz, ze 
 pawn broker fon Metz. His fodder vas a pawn 
 proker und I know him since a ledle poy, forty year 
 ago in Metz Ah Hans !" he continued with out- 
 stretched hand toward the alleged Count, "ah 
 Hans! how you do, mine old poyhood friendt?" 
 
 "Ah! Who? Oh! ejaculated the frightened 
 Schultz cowering backward as the litte German ad- 
 vanced, "ah! who vat vas dat?" and he retreated 
 through the open doorway far more hastily than he 
 had entered the room, while the male guests hurried 
 out also to spread the news among the females, and 
 to rejoice together over the complete overthrow of 
 their haughty and hated rival. 
 
 The stampede of Hans Schultz, alias Count Von 
 Schultz-and-so-forth, was signal and complete. He 
 rushed to the cloak room, snatched his cane, over- 
 coat and hat rudely from the hands of the servant,
 
 268 Joshua Humble. 
 
 hurried down stairs to the pavement, sprang into 
 his carriage and was driven rapidly away. 
 
 The banquet which followed the startling episode, 
 was a gloomy and mournful affair. It was simply a 
 funeral feast to the females who mourned incon- 
 solably over fond vanished hopes, but to the males 
 it was a season of delightful calm and peace after 
 a fearful tempest of anger and humiliation a happy, 
 even joyous realization of complete victory, and 
 they were too busy with their own pleasing thoughts 
 to indulge in the senseless gossip usual with them 
 on such occasions. Therefore, they too munched 
 their food in silence, broken only by the jingle of 
 sliverware, the rattle of china and the shuffling of the 
 servant's feet upon the polished floor. 
 
 At an early hour, carriages were ordered, and 
 the guests departed for their homes as slowly and 
 sadly as mourners return from a funeral, leaving the 
 wheezy little German of the gentlemen's dressing 
 room at the club house, explaining to a group of 
 fellow servants, his sensational, though on his part, 
 innocent expose of the true character of the titled 
 fraud. 
 
 "Vy, Hans Schultz bees no count, an no noddings 
 but a pawn proker," he said vehemently, and with a 
 display of intense indignation when one of the serv- 
 ants suggested that he might have been mistaken 
 concerning the man's identity. "No saire, no count ! 
 I know him veil since he vas sex year oldt und I
 
 Jt Bewildering "Hop." 269 
 
 vas eight. His fodder vas a half Jew und his mudder 
 vas a Swiss vomans, und ze old man kept a pawn 
 proker shop in Metz, und ven ze old man died Hans 
 kept ze shop un vas dere ven I coom to America 
 four year ago. Count noddings; hump! He bees 
 no Count at all but only Hans Schultz, ze pawn 
 proker fon Metz."
 
 CHAPTER XUI. 
 THE IMAGE OF A DEAD FRIEND REVEALED. 
 
 Paul Dyke and George Langdon were among the 
 last of the guests to order their carriage, and during 
 the journey of twenty minutes from the club house 
 to their hotel, they discussed the comical and in- 
 teresting incidents of the night and commented 
 humorously upon the lofty bearing and the subse- 
 quent accidental unmasking of the bogus Count. 
 They were still discussing the matter when they en- 
 tered their apartments at the hotel, but as George 
 Langdon turned up the gas light, Paul Dyke stopped 
 short in the middle of a sentence as he observed 
 upon the center table a telegram addressed to "Sam 
 Slick." With a dazed expression of countenance, he 
 took the envelope in his hand, broke the seal, drew 
 forth the message and read the following: 
 
 "Fix Langdon safe, and come here immediately 
 for conference. 
 
 "Sol. Miserleigh." 
 
 "What is it Paul, a love letter ?" inquired Langdon 
 carelessly as he punched the fire with a poker, sat 
 down before it and help up his hands to the cheer- 
 ful blaze. 
 
 (270)
 
 The Image of a Dead Friend. 271 
 
 "A telegram from Sol. Miserleigh," replied Paul ; 
 "read it my boy it is of interest to you also," and he 
 held out the message to Langdon who took it, read 
 it carefully twice and returned it to Paul with the 
 inquiry uttered in an anxious tone. "What does it 
 portend Paul, more trouble Eh?" 
 
 Paul Dyke did not reply at once but paced the 
 floor nervously a few minutes and then sat down by 
 Langdon's side, grasped both his hands and silently 
 gazed upon his fair young face. 
 
 "What is the matter, Paul ? you tremble and seem 
 greatly agitated," said Langdon. "Remember you 
 are my trusted friend and should keep nothing from 
 me which concerns my welfare. Do not keep me 
 in suspense do not treat me like a child, but tell 
 me all truly and frankly all you know of Miser- 
 leigh's purposes concerning me." 
 
 "I will my dear boy," replied Dyke earnestly, "I 
 will tell you now what I have shrunk from telling 
 you heretofore from fear of creating suspicion in 
 your mind concerning the quality and motives of 
 my friendship for you. Every day since we came 
 here, I have resolved to unmask Sol. Miserleigh to 
 you, and as often my courage has failed me and I 
 have hesitated from day to day until now. But at 
 last the crisis, which I have dreaded so much 
 which I knew must come eventually, is upon us, 
 and I can no longer delay the revelation, for I have 
 never deceived you George, and I will not begin
 
 272 Joshua Humble. 
 
 to do so now." Taking a large wallet from the in- 
 side pocket of his vest, he opened it, drew forth a 
 slip of paper, handed it to Langdon and said : "Read 
 that, my dear boy, and you will know all." 
 
 With trembling hands George Langdon took the 
 slip of paper from Paul Dyke, held it up to the light 
 and read: 
 
 "Slick: This is a profitable customer and we 
 must retain his patronage regardless of cost. Will- 
 iam Barnes died of heart disease early this morning, 
 and the boy is his sole heir. He must be kept as 
 long as possible in utter ignorance of his uncle's 
 death. You must help him to spend money; I will 
 furnish what he needs and take his note for double 
 the amount, and thus we will eventually absorb his 
 entire inheritance. Last night I bought the note 
 which is giving him so much trouble and therefore 
 there can be no complications. You have only to 
 do your part with your usual skill, and I will attend 
 to the rest. Hurry." 
 
 He went over it carefully word by word, down 
 to the end and then began again and read to the 
 finish, and then the slip of paper dropped to the floor 
 and he turned away his head and wept. Paul Dyke 
 sat still with bowed head and hands tightly clasped 
 together upon his knees, waiting for the storm of 
 grief to subside and it was the saddest wating of all 
 his life. A dead cold pain came into his heart as he 
 thought that a storm of reproach might come from 
 the lips of George Langdon when the tempest of 
 grief which was sweeping over his soul had spent its
 
 The Image of a Dead Friend. 273 
 
 force. Finally the silent weeping of Langdon changed 
 to passionate sobs, and Paul Dyke arose and began 
 to pace the floor, with one hand clasping his forehead 
 and the other pressed just over his heart. The weep- 
 ing of George Langdon recalled from the sad and 
 shadowy past his dear lost Valentina, for those were 
 the very echoes of her sobbing when grieved, in the 
 long ago. The moments seemed to him as hours 
 and every sob which came from the lips of his young 
 friend brought a thrill of pain to his own heart and 
 lessened his ability to preserve his composure; 
 therefore he would not remain in the room he 
 would go out into the corridor and walk there where 
 he could not hear the weeping voice of his boyhood 
 friend and sweetheart. Hastily he approached the 
 door, grasped and turned the knob which gave forth 
 a sharp clicking sound, but the door did not open, 
 for Langdon had locked it when they entered the 
 room. 
 
 "Paul!" It was the grieved voice of Valentina. 
 "Paul, do not go away, I cannot endure my sorrow 
 alone," and George Langdon arose from his chair 
 and held out his hands appealingly. 
 
 "And you shall not be left alone, for I will help 
 you to be strong and brave. I only thought to leave 
 you for a little while. I was only going to walk in 
 the corridor and strive to recover my composure, for 
 your grief is mine also." While they talked, Paul 
 Dyke had returned to his seat by George Langdon's 
 
 f!8]
 
 274 Joshua Humble. 
 
 side, grasped his outstretched hands and gazed pity- 
 ingly into his tearful eyes. "But tell me, truly," he 
 continued, in a tremulous tone, "that you do not 
 blame me for the part that I have acted in this dread- 
 ful affair, or at least that you will forgive me. I 
 have wronged you my dear boy, only in having kept 
 you in ignorance of the death of your uncle. In all 
 else, I have been honest, frank and sincere with you, 
 and as God is my judge and witness, my motives 
 have been only those of an honest and faithful 
 friend, and protector." 
 
 "I see I see it all now!" replied Langdon, "and 
 I do not blame you in the least Paul, not in the 
 slightest degree. If you had told me of the death 
 of my dear uncle I would have returned home imme- 
 diately regardless of consequences, and would thus 
 have placed myself wholly witnin the power of that 
 scheming, dangerous man, Miserleigh, and would 
 have gone straight to disgrace. I appreciate the 
 wisdom of your course in the matter and implicitly 
 believe in your honor and friendship, and therefore 
 I have nothing to forgive. I have been vexed be- 
 cause you would not permit me to pay any of your 
 expenses, in accordance with my arrangement with 
 Miserleigh, but now I understand you in that matter 
 also. You would not apply the lancet God bless 
 you ! and thereby you have brought Sol. Miserleigh 's 
 wicked schemes concerning me to naught."
 
 The Image of a Dead Friend. 275 
 
 "How straight you go to the bottom of my de- 
 signs in this affair," replied Paul, "and you gener- 
 ously relieved me of a very painful and difficult ex- 
 planation, because I could not say to you concerning 
 myself what you have discovered by a very simple 
 process of reasoning. And now my dear boy, how 
 do you propose to act?" 
 
 "I am willing to trust you implicity Paul, and 
 yield myself wholly to your guidance," replied Lang- 
 don earnestly. 
 
 "I accept the responsibility, George," said Paul, 
 "but I must have time to think. Let us retire for 
 we are both weary. Good night." 
 
 "Good night Paul," responded Langdon, "do not 
 worry all will come out right in the end. There is 
 a God and He is good and just." And so they 
 parted for the night.
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 A STILL HUNT WHICH FAILED. 
 
 Savages, in all parts of the world, select the few 
 charmed moments of early day dawn when all of 
 human life are deaf, dumb and still in restful slum- 
 ber, as the most favorable time for an attack upon 
 their enemies; and remembering this fact, and in 
 imitation of the savage custom, the Chief of Police 
 had selected that hour of the morning for his raid 
 upon Sol. Miserleigh's old warehouse. He had not 
 deemed it necessary to place a watch upon the prem- 
 ises because of the storm which had threatened all 
 the afternoon and violently burst forth in the early 
 evening and continued in a steady pour of rain all 
 night. The storm, he reasoned, would drive the 
 birds to cover during the night and the entire covey 
 could in the early morning be easily snared by a 
 single cast of the net. Therefore at the proper time, 
 just as the gray light of dawn began to appear in 
 the east, a covered patrol wagon containing a dozen 
 stalwart and heavily armed police officers in charge 
 of a captain, left the Central Station and was driven 
 rapidly along the street toward the river through 
 
 (276)
 
 A Still Hunt Which Failed. 277 
 
 a perfect deluge of rain. Ten minutes later the 
 patrol wagon dashed into the alley and stopped in 
 rear of Sol. Miserleigh's old warehouse, and by a 
 few well directed blows with an ax, an opening was 
 made in the fence through which the officers gained 
 entrance to the yard and in a body, with weapons 
 ready for instant use, boldly advanced to the attack. 
 Greatly to their surprise, they found the basement 
 door slightly ajar and pushing it open they entered. 
 
 "Gone !" said the captain as he paused in the 
 middle of the floor and flashed his bull's-eye lantern 
 around the room. "Gone!" he repeated dolefully 
 and assumed a listening attitude. Only the steady 
 pour of rain on the metal roof broke the profound 
 stillness. "But search the house," he added as he 
 sat down in a chair by the table and as the men 
 hastened to obey his orders he drew a cigar from the 
 inside pocket of his coat, placed it in his mouth and 
 felt in his vest pocket for a match which he did not 
 find. Glancing toward the grate, he observed a 
 spark of fire amid the ashes and a piece of folded 
 paper upon the dead embers, and stepping over to 
 the grate he picked up the piece of paper and was 
 upon the point of converting it into a lighter for his 
 cigar, when observing wrting on it he straightened 
 it out, went over to the table, sat down in the chair 
 and in the light of his bulls-eye lantern read the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 "5 30 p. m. To M. and B. The cops are on to
 
 278 Joshua Humble. 
 
 us, the jig is up and at 7 o'clock we will be fifty miles 
 from the city and will not return. Get away from 
 here the moment you read this, or you will be gob- 
 bled up and run in. The whole scheme has been dis- 
 covered by the slopping over of a fool's mouth." 
 
 "It is a case of skip" he said reflectively as he 
 folded up the paper and put it in the inside pocket 
 of his coat. "The birds have flown, and I, like a 
 greenhorn on a false snipe hunt, am left to hold the 
 empty sack; the only difference being the fact that 
 the birds were actually here, but by resorting to 
 barbarian methods of capture I suffered them to es- 
 cape. Stupidity, thy name is Burns ! This note is 
 the warning of the gang to Blum and Miserleigh, 
 who evidently came here during the night, found 
 the note upon the table here, cast it upon the grate 
 and hurried away. Contrary to their expectations it 
 did not burn because the draft of the chimney 
 sucked it away from the fire. But we'll get the head 
 devils, Miserliegh and Blum, for doubtless they are 
 now at their homes sound asleep. It is a dark morn- 
 ing and, thanks to the storm, they will be in no 
 hurry to get away because they do not imagine that 
 we have uncovered the whole plot." 
 
 At that the officers returned from their search 
 and reported the house deserted. "Well, let us go," 
 replied the captain and they passed out, closed the 
 door, got into the wagon and were driven direct to 
 the residence of Jacob Blum. '
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 COMPLEX PROBLEMS. 
 
 In response to a heavy knock upon the door by 
 the chief, Hunchback Mose appeared, and without a 
 word of inquiry or explanation the officers pushed 
 him aside and entered the house. Passing along the 
 dark and narrow hallway, they came to the door of 
 the sleeping apartment of Jacob and Leah, which, 
 without knocking they opened and entered. The 
 room was dark; its one small window which looked 
 out into a narrow alleyway, with a tall brick build- 
 ing on the opposite side, gave within the room only 
 a glimmering twilight even in bright clear weather, 
 at midday, and on this dark and stormy morning 
 it ushered into the partment but a faint glow of light. 
 
 Just within the doorway the officers paused, be- 
 ing unable to advance by reason of the darkness, 
 and the captain drew the slide from the front of his 
 bulls-eye lantern and flashed its brilliant light around 
 the room. It contained three chairs, a round top 
 table and a bed, on which, propped to a hal f sitting 
 posture, was the gaunt withered form of a woman 
 with long snow white hair, unloosed and brushed 
 
 (279)
 
 280 Joshua Humble. 
 
 back from a high bald forehead, on which great 
 beads of perspiration gathered in quick succession 
 and trickled down her face. Her large brown eyes 
 were wide open and bore the peculiar expression 
 of those of a soul in the throes of mortal dissolution, 
 and bordering upon that condition of unconscious- 
 ness which immediately precedes the last grasp for 
 the breath of life. As the brilliant light of the lan- 
 tern flashed upon her face, it roused her from the 
 dreadful stupor into which she had fallen an hour 
 before, and with a sudden convulsive movement she 
 clasped her thin hands together, raised herself to an 
 upright sitting posture, peered around wildly into 
 the darkness and moaned in a faint tremulous voice : 
 
 "Oh, Yacob, Yacob, vy did you go avay, ven I 
 vas so sick ! so sick ! so sick ? Oh, Yacob, mine hus- 
 band, we live together tirty year, und I vas alvays 
 good to you und love you, und now ven I grows 
 blind und cold you goes avay und leave me to die 
 all alone. Oh, Yacob, Yacob, vere vas you now? 
 Don't you know dat your Leah vas dying dying? 
 Oh, Yacob, Yacob, come back, come back! Oh 
 ah!" The terrible death-rattle in her throat cut 
 short her words, and with a convulsive shudder she 
 sank backward upon her pillow dead. 
 
 Martha, who when the officers entered the room 
 was sitting in a chair by the bedside, arose as Leah 
 began to moan and talk and endeavored to sooth 
 her with kind words and caresses. Old Leah had
 
 Complex Problems. 281 
 
 always been gentle and kind to Martha and she in 
 turn loved the poor, suffering old woman, and for 
 years had nursed her with gentle care and anxious 
 solicitude, and now in her last moments, with gentle 
 pathetic words she endeavored to deaden the pangs 
 of death. When all was over, and the last breath had 
 left the frail body of old Leah, Martha gently kissed 
 the cold face, folded the pulseless hands across the 
 still bosom, closed the dead eyes, and then sank 
 down in the chair by the bedside and wept. 
 
 "Come!" said the captain to his men, and in 
 silence they withdrew from the chamber of death, 
 leaving Martha alone in the darkness. In the hall- 
 way the captain detailed an officer to watch the prem- 
 ises, and at the outer door he encountered Hunch- 
 back Mose, of whom he inquired gruffly: 
 
 "Are you Blum's brother?" 
 
 "Yaw," replied Mose quiveringly. 
 
 "Where is he?" 
 
 "I don't know. He vent avay mit Sol. Miser- 
 leigh about dark last night und he don't come back 
 any more." 
 
 "With Sol. Miserleigh!" echoed the captain 
 "ah!" and without further speech he joined his men 
 in the patrol wagon which was driven rapidly away. 
 Ten minutes later they turned into a business street 
 and went dashing at full speed by the office of Sol. 
 Miserleigh, where the captain, as he looked from 
 the rear window of the patrol wagon, beheld a most
 
 282 Joshua Humble. 
 
 >M 
 
 comical scene. In the wide open doorway sat Mr. 
 Grubb in Miserleigh's leather cushioned office chair 
 which he had wheeled into that position. His feet 
 were placed high up on the door casing and he had 
 rocked back to a half reclining posture. His hat 
 was tilted over on the left side of his head almost 
 covering his ear. In his mouth was a huge cigar, 
 four inches in length freshly lighted and from his 
 lips issued a stream of white smoke which circled 
 above his head and floated away in dense whirling 
 clouds. As the patrol wagon went dashing by, Mr. 
 Grubb merely raised his head from its comfortable 
 rest on the back of the chair, lifted his hat with his 
 left hand, bowed twice with a comical air of self- 
 confidence and satisfaction, and finally, by way of 
 a parting salute, swung aloft a pair of bright steel 
 handcuffs which he held in his right hand. 
 
 "Go it, old boys, dash around in the rain and 
 mud after the imps, but I'll capture the head devil 
 here in his den !" ejaculated Mr. Grubb with a broad 
 grin and a succession of chuckling sounds as he 
 settled back into his former comfortable position.
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 AN EARLY MORNING VISIT. 
 
 It then lacked a quarter of seven o'clock, and at 
 seven precisely the patrol wagon drew up in front 
 of the Miserleigh residence where the officers 
 alighted and surrounded the building. The captain 
 went direct to the front door and rang the bell vio- 
 lently but there was no response. Again and again 
 he rang with the same result and finally he went 
 around to the rear, where he found the kitchen door 
 unlocked, and the old negro man servant in the act 
 of kindling a fire in the range. The sudden appear- 
 ance of the police officers struch terror to the soul 
 of old Pompey, who immediately began to quiver 
 and chatter like an ensnared ape in his native wilds, 
 and was utterly unable to answer a single question 
 intelligently, and hence, they left him groveling in 
 a corner of the room, vehemently protesting his in- 
 nocence of any misdemeanor, and tried the dining 
 room door. It was unlocked and they pushed it 
 open and entered the room. 
 
 "A leaking gas pipe !" said the captain, as he went 
 to the window and raised the sash to let in fresh 
 
 (283)
 
 284 Joshua Humble. 
 
 air. In the hall the odor of gas was stifling and they 
 opened the front door wide. A careful search of 
 every room and closet in the main portion of the 
 mansion failed to discover the presence of any per- 
 son and finally they came to the apartment of Aurelia 
 in the tower. The door was unlocked and they 
 pushed it open and entered the room. Quickly, they 
 raised the windows and turned the thumb screws of 
 the burners so as to stop the flow of gas into the 
 room, and then the captain advanced and placed his 
 hand upon Mrs. Miserleigh's face. "Dead!" said 
 he in a hushed voice, and then he touched the hand 
 of Aurelia. "Dead !" he repeated, "stone dead poor 
 soul! A deliberate suicide and a cruel murder. 
 Merciful God! What an unpardonable sin for a 
 human soul to burden itself with in its last moments 
 on earth!" 
 
 An officer, who had been detailed to search the 
 dining room and its closets, entered the room at that 
 moment. "Here, Captain," he said holding out a 
 letter, "I found this on the table in the dining room." 
 
 The captain took the letter from the officer's 
 hand and read aloud the superscription : "To whom 
 it may concern." Turning it over in his hand he 
 contemplated it a few moments thoughtfully and 
 finally said: "This will doubtless explain this mys- 
 tery; let us see." With that he broke the seal, drew 
 forth the letter from its envelope and read the fol- 
 lowing :
 
 Jin Early Morning Visit. 285 
 
 "To the police officer or coroner, 
 or whoever may find this : 
 
 "I Celestine Miserleigh, being of sound mind and 
 in perfect bodily health, and being about to pass to 
 another stage of existence, concerning which I know 
 nothing and care not, because it cannot be more 
 wretched than the life which I have lived on earth 
 am directly and wholly responsible for my own 
 death and also for the death of my daughter, Aurelia. 
 
 "Years ago, a Barnes was found dead over by 
 Creve Coeur Lake. He wronged me when I was 
 a mere child, and when I became a woman I took 
 away his life. His son secretly married my daughter 
 Aurelia, but I kept them apart because I hated the 
 accursed name of Barnes and I turned his children 
 adrift upon the street and eventually I took his life 
 also. This completed my earthly mission, and now 
 I am ready to try another world. 
 
 "Sol. is not worth searching for, because he was 
 merely a helpless instrument in my hands for the 
 accomplishment of my revenge. He is only an 
 accursed Barnes let him go ! Tonight I drove him 
 forth into the storm and he will never return. 
 
 "Celestine Miserleigh." 
 
 "Come, " said the captain to his men, "let us go. 
 Surely we have had horrors enough for one day," 
 and in silence they departed, leaving a watch over 
 the dead and guards at the front and rear doors of 
 the mansion.
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 JOSHUA HUMBLE'S PKOPHECY. 
 
 At eight o'clock on that eventful morning, Joshua 
 Humble entered the office of Sol. Miserleigh where 
 he found Mr. Grubb, transformed into quite a re- 
 spectable looking individual, seated in Miserleigh's 
 office chair and smoking a very large and fragrant 
 cigar, with evident relish and satisfaction. 
 
 "Ah, good morning, Mr. Humble!" said Grubb 
 lowering his feet from their lofty perch on the door 
 casing and creeping upward in his chair until his 
 body assumed an upright position. "Glad to greet 
 you this morning, Mr. Humble, although I would 
 much prefer to welcome the individual for whose 
 adornment these are intended," he added with a 
 comical wink and nod displaying the handcuffs. 
 
 "He is late this morning" said Mr. Humble 
 thoughtfully. 
 
 "Yes," responded Grubb, "bad weather, but he'll 
 turn up presently and then I'll turn him down to 
 the police station ! Eh?" 
 
 "You'll catch him first?" 
 
 "To be sure ah! pray excuse me, there's a 
 
 (286)
 
 Joshua Humbte's Prophecy. 287 
 
 letter from him on your desk over there, perhaps 
 that will explain his tardiness this morning." 
 
 Mr. Humble walked over to his desk and took 
 the letter in his hand. It was a large official en- 
 velope and addressed in Miserleigh's round bold 
 handwriting : 
 
 "To Hon. Joshua Humble." 
 
 "Honorable !" repeated Mr. Humble with em- 
 phasis. "He's insolently facetious and grossly in- 
 sincere. I'm weary of his sickening fawning and 
 flattery. But let us see what it contains." 
 
 "Ah, yes, that is important !" replied Mr. Grubb, 
 anxiously as he walked over to Mr. Humble's side. 
 
 Joshua Humble leisurely took a pair of scissors 
 from his vest pocket, clipped off the end of the en- 
 velope, drew forth its enclosures which consisted of 
 a legal document and a sheet of paper on which was 
 written the following, which Mr. Humble read aloud : 
 "Honorable Joshua Humble. 
 
 "In view of the fact that I can no longer remain 
 in this city, and must immediately and speedily go 
 elsewhere, never to return, I hereby restore to you 
 as completely as it is possible for me to do in the 
 limited time at my disposal, the value equivalent of 
 the property which you transfered to me twenty- 
 five years ago, in order to save your son from ruin, 
 and your own honorable name from disgrace. After 
 reimbursing yourself from the proceeds of my estate, 
 I desire that the residue shall be transferred by you 
 to my mother and sister. 
 
 "If you will calmly and dispassionately consider
 
 288 Joshua Humble. 
 
 the fact that I am voluntarily restoring your own 
 to you when you could never recover it by any other 
 means, I think you will be willing to believe that 
 I am not wholly lost to all sense of Justice; and if 
 you will further consider the fact that I am unre- 
 servedly placing 1 in your hands my entire estate, 
 which is many times more valuable than the prop- 
 erty which you conveyed to me, and trusting to you 
 to take therefrom simply your own, I think you 
 will also be willing to believe that I have unbounded 
 confidence in your integrity and honor. 
 
 "I go hence, a homeless, friendless wanderer, 
 with the brand of crime upon my brain and heart 
 and its awful stain upon my soul. Whatever I have 
 been and whatever I now am, may be truly regarded 
 as the simple result of a careful course of training 
 from early infancy, for one specific purpose, the ac- 
 complishment of which ended my mission as an in- 
 strument of vengeance 
 
 "Sol. Miserleigh." 
 
 "True and clear cut,*' observed Mr. Grubb lacon- 
 ically, as Joshua Humble laid down the letter and 
 took up the legal document. 
 
 "Yes," replied Mr. Humble, it is at least clear 
 and concise. Let us see what this is," and then as he 
 unfolded the paper and glancing at the printed head- 
 ing, he read slowly, aloud: 
 
 "General Power of Attorney." 
 
 "I must go," said Mr. Grubb, starting toward the 
 door. I am tired of carrying these bracelets, 
 (jingling the handcuffs in his overcoat pocket) "and 
 I am anxious to transfer them to the wrists of the
 
 Joshua Mumble's Prophecy. 289 
 
 gentleman for whom they are intended." 
 
 "You will never capture Sol. Miserleigh alive, 
 Mr. Grubb," said Joshua Humble impressively, "but 
 if you are determined to go in search" of him, I ad- 
 monish you to be extremely careful and discreet. 
 In him you have no ordinary man to deal with, and 
 if hard pressed he will turn and hunt his pursuers 
 to the death." 
 
 "Eh?" queried Mr. Grubb derisively. 
 
 "Don't make light of my warning, Mr. Grubb," 
 responded Joshua Humble reproachfully. 
 
 "By no means, Mr. Humble, only you underes- 
 timate my abilities. But I must go; every moment 
 is precious now Good-bye," and Mr. Grubb glided 
 out of the door and hurried away. 
 
 A few moments later Judge Prye entered the 
 office and greeted Mr. Humble warmly, but added 
 quickly as a troubled expression came upon his 
 face: 
 
 "But Sol. Miserleigh has escaped after all?" 
 
 "Yes, for the present he is beyond the reach of 
 the law, but the justice of the Almighty will event- 
 ually overtake him," was the confident reply,. 
 
 Judge Prye remained silent, looking down upon 
 the floor, evidently waiting for Mr. Humble to con- 
 tinue his observations, but as he also relapsed into 
 silence, after an awkward pause of a few moments, 
 Judge Prye glanced upward into Joshua Humble's 
 face and said in .a hushed voice : 
 
 [19]
 
 290 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "And have you not heard of the dreadful discov- 
 ery by the police at the Miserleigh residence this 
 morning ?" 
 
 "No;" replied Mr. Humble. 
 
 Judge Prye then related to him the experience of 
 the captain and his men, from the time of their de- 
 parture from the Central Station, until their return, 
 and finally added: "And thus the Miserleigh estate 
 is suddenly surrounded by very grave legal compli- 
 cations." 
 
 "But perhaps this may simplify matters," replied 
 Mr. Humble as he produced Sol. Miserleigh's letter 
 which Judge Prye perused with great surprise and 
 interest, and then Mr. Humble unfolded the legal 
 document and read aloud as follows: 
 "Know all Men by These Presents: 
 
 "That I, Sol. Miserleigh, of the City of St. Louis, 
 in the State of Missouri, have made, constituted and 
 appointed, and by these presents do make, constitute 
 and appoint Joshua Humble, of the City of St. Louis, 
 State of Missouri, my true and lawful Attorney in 
 fact for me and in my name, place and stead, to bar- 
 gain, sell and convey, any or all of the real or per- 
 sonal property of which I am possessed, and to de- 
 vote the proceeds thereof to whatsoever purpose he 
 may elect, and to conduct and control, continue or 
 discontinue my present business as he may elect, 
 and to collect my dues by legal or other processes, 
 and pay my debts and sign my name in receipt and 
 in obligation ; and hereby giving and granting to my 
 said Attorney full power and authority to do and 
 perform all and every act and thing whatsoever re-
 
 Joshua Mumble's Prophecy. 291 
 
 quisite and necessary to be done in the matters afore- 
 said as fully, to all intents and purposes as I might 
 or could do if personally present at the doing thereof, 
 with full power of substitution or revocation, here- 
 by ratifying and confirming all that my said Attor- 
 ney, or his substitute, may or shall lawfully do, or 
 cause to be done by virtue hereof. 
 
 "In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my 
 hand and seal, this I7th day of November, 18 , at 
 10 o'clock p. m. 
 
 "Sol. Miserleigh. 
 Witnesses : 
 
 "L. Vincent De Baun. \ 
 "Phil H. Ryan." J 
 
 Then followed a notary's certificate, with his seal 
 of office affixed in groper form. 
 
 As Joshua Humble concluded the reading of the 
 document and laid it down upon his desk, Judge 
 Prye grasped him by the hand and earnestly con- 
 gratulated him upon the marvelous events, which 
 within the space of three days had restored him to 
 liberty and affluence, and then they arose and went 
 out upon the street, locked the office door and 
 walked away arm in arm conversing together in low 
 and earnest tones. 
 
 At three o'clock that afternoon, the Coroner held 
 an inquest .over the remains of Aurelia and her 
 mother, and on the following day, all that remained 
 on earth of those two unhappy beings was borne 
 away in silence under a weeping sky, and lowered 
 into graves, scarce a dozen yards from the last rest- 
 ing place of William Barnes and his father.
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 AFTERMATH OF A CONSPIRACY. 
 
 When Jacob Blum parted from Sol. Miserleigh 
 at the street corner near the old warehouse on Pop- 
 lar Street, he was trembling with exictement and 
 apprnhension, and, without noticing the direction, 
 he walked rapidly two squares during which he was 
 utterly unable to command his thoughts. His mind 
 was in a state of chaos, and his heart throbbed so 
 violently that it sounded in his ears like the beating 
 of a bass drum close by his side. He walked in 
 the middle of the street and could scarcely refrain 
 from casting himself prone upon the ground when- 
 ever he heard the sound of human footsteps upon 
 the brick pavement. The single idea uppermost in 
 his mind was that he must escape observation, and 
 the one purpose by which he was governed, was swift 
 and immediate flight. Finally when the idea of direc- 
 tion came to his mind, he observed that he had 
 walked two squares due west, and there under the 
 awning of an unoccupied store building he paused, 
 out of the light of the street lamp, and gazed out- 
 ward and upward to the heavy masses of whirling 
 
 (293)
 
 Jtftermath of a Conspiracy. 293 
 
 clouds drifting across the sky, and listened to the 
 mournful sigh of the wind through the leafless 
 branches of the trees along the pavement. 
 
 Removing his hat from his head, he ran his 
 fingers like a comb through the heavy tangled mass 
 of wiry hair, and then with the fingers of his left 
 hand he beat a tattoo upon his low retreating fore- 
 head, while with his right hand he stroked his long 
 coarse beard, frequently chucking his first under his 
 chin and making his teeth snap together like the jaws 
 of a steel trap suddenly released from the confine- 
 ment of its spring. It was one of his peculiar habits 
 when greatly perplexed. 
 
 Finally his resolution was formed, and he moved 
 at a quick pace almost a run passing through the 
 dark alleys and across vacant lots, until in the west- 
 ern suburbs he came to a broad highway leading in 
 a southwesterly direction, along which he hurried in 
 frantic haste. 
 
 Finally he ascended a high rocky ridge, and when 
 he reached the summit he turned and looked back- 
 ward. In the distance the thousands of lights of 
 the city gleamed and scintillated in the darkness, like 
 jack-o-lanterns floating over a vast swamp, and he 
 covered his face with his hands and wept. *<>>- 
 
 "Poor Leah!" he moaned between convulsive 
 sobs, "poor old vife, perhaps you vas dying now. 
 Oh, voe, voe! vat shall I do? O' Gott vat shall 
 I do?"
 
 294 Joshua Humble. 
 
 His appeal* to Deity was quickly answered; at 
 that moment the roar of the advancing storm at- 
 tracted his attention and immediately there came a 
 deafening peal of thunder and a blinding flash, and 
 he knew no more. Lightning had struck the tall 
 tree under which he was standing, shivering its 
 boughs, plowing a deep furrow down its trunk and 
 expending its force in the ground beneath his feet. 
 
 A market gardener going to the city with a wagon 
 load of vegetables in the early morning, found him 
 there, prone upon the ground dead, and reported 
 the fact to a mounted police officer whom he met 
 soon afterward. At eight o'clock the body of Jacob 
 Blum was placed upon a marble slab in the city 
 morgue, but it was nearly noon before it was posi- 
 tively identified by a police officer- whose beat in- 
 cluded that quarter of the city where the deceased 
 had lived for fifteen years. After the Coroner's in- 
 quest the remains were prepared for burial by an 
 undertaker and conveyed to the Blum residence. In 
 accordance with previous arrangement the casket 
 containing the remains of old Leah was placed in 
 the hearse beside those of her husband, and in the 
 dull twilight of a stormy evening they were borne 
 away to the cemetery and lowered into graves, by 
 strange rude men, who piled the cold wet earth 
 above them and left them there to sleep until the 
 coming of the Lord.
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 CHANGE IN A HUMAN LIFE. 
 
 When Martha and Mose returned to their home 
 from the burial of Jacob and Leah, they found Judge 
 Prye and Joshua Humble awaiting them there. In 
 a very courteous and pleasant manner Mr. Humble 
 introduced himself and Judge Prye to Martha, and 
 then briefly explained the object of their visit. In 
 a few well chosen words Mr. Humble gave Martha 
 an outline of her early history and then kindly in- 
 vited her to his home. "I will be a father to you, 
 dear child," he said, "and my good sister will be a 
 mother to you in affection. Come and join our fam- 
 ily circle and be one of us." And so, amid tears of 
 mingled joy and grief and many kind words of part- 
 ing to Hunchback Mose, who stood alone on the 
 doorstep of his silent and desolate home, Martha 
 was escorted to the carriage in waiting for that pur- 
 pose and conveyed to the home of Joshua Humble, 
 where she was warmly welcomed by its kind and 
 generous mistress. 
 
 - Little Alice was especially delighted with the 
 prospect of having a young, beautiful and sympa- 
 
 (295)
 
 296 Joshua Humble. 
 
 thetic companion and went immediately to Martha, 
 climbed upon her lap and said: 
 
 "Auntie says that the Blum people called you 
 Martha, but that your sure enough name is Valen- 
 tina, because you were born on St. Valentine's day. 
 And so I will always call you Valentina Sister Val- 
 entina, because you have no real sister, you know;" 
 and then she began relating fairy stories and in many 
 charming ways endeavored to render herself agree- 
 able and amusing. 
 
 And so the evening passed pleasantly away, and 
 the following day was spent by the two ladies and 
 little Alice in shopping, during which a good supply 
 of wearing apparel was purchased for Valentina. In 
 her childish anxiety to see how her new friend would 
 look in the new dress which the child had been per- 
 mitted to select, little Alice could scarcely wait for 
 Valentina to remove her wraps, on their return home 
 about six o'clock in the evening, and while the good 
 mistress was superintending the preparation of the 
 evening meal, Valentina to please the child, put on 
 the favorite dress, put up her hair in the latest style 
 and in many other respects added to her beauty and 
 personal attractiveness. 
 
 "Oh, Sister, how beautiful you are now!" ex- 
 claimed Alice after Valentina had completed her 
 toilet. "Come, let us go down to the sitting room 
 and hear what Grandpa and Auntie will say ;" and so, 
 hand in hand,, they went down the stairs, gently
 
 Change in a Human Life. 297 
 
 opened the door of the sitting room and noiselessly 
 entered. 
 
 Joshua Humble, who sat by the fire reading the 
 evening newspaper, glanced toward the door as it 
 swung open, and as Valentina appeared he took the 
 spectacles from his eyes, arose to his feet, and bowed 
 courteously. For an instant he did not recognize 
 the very stylish and handsome young lady before 
 him, but the joyous, rippling laugh of little Alice 
 quickly enabled him to fathom the mystery, and 
 advancing with an amused smile upon his face, he 
 placed his hand upon Valentina's head and said to 
 her in a soft gentle tone : 
 
 "Ah, that is right, daughter, that is as it should 
 be ! You are an heiress and the daughter of a noble 
 man and a pure good woman. If you remain as 
 good and pure as you are beautiful, which I doubt 
 not, your life will be but a succession of joys." 
 
 He would have said more, but at that moment 
 the servant announced supper and they repaired to 
 the dining room where the mistress warmly compli- 
 mented Valentina on her improved appearance, and 
 then they sat down to the evening meal. The con- 
 versation at the table was very pleasant and enter- 
 taining, especially that of little Alice, who on this 
 occasion, given full liberty of speech, embraced the 
 opportunity to relate very charmingly a new fairy 
 story which 'her grandpa had not heard, and then,
 
 298 Joshua Humble. 
 
 * * 
 
 fcs usual, clrew a moral of her own conception, which 
 greatly excited the mirth of her listeners. 
 t "Why, she is a bright little sunbeam!" said Val- 
 entina, patting her affectionately upon the head. 
 ' "She is the light of our home," replied Joshua 
 Humble earnestly.
 
 CHAPTER XUX. 
 A JOYOUS REUNION. 
 
 At that instant the front door bell rang and the 
 servant was hastening to answer the summons, but 
 Mr. Humble recalled her, saying: "Never mind, 
 Katie, I will go," and rising from the table he passed 
 out into the hall closing the door behind him. 
 
 [When the door bell rang, Valentina paused and 
 listened, and then as Mr. Humble arose from the 
 table she laid down her knife and fork, and leaned 
 back in her chair in an attitude of wrapt attention. 
 
 A strange sensation came to her heart, a feeling 
 of blissful expectancy a joyous thrill which she 
 could not did not try to understand only she 
 knew that the sweet spirit of an old love had taken 
 possession of her soul, and in breathless silence she 
 waited for the joyous consummation of a hope with- 
 out form or substance. 
 
 Voices echoed in the hall the voice of Joshua 
 Humble in kindly greeting and other voices in joy- 
 ous response, but Valentina heard but one voice, and 
 it sent the warm blood coursing through her veins 
 with lightning speed. Slowly she arose to her feet 
 
 (299)
 
 300 Joshua Humble. 
 
 and mechanically she moved toward the sitting room 
 door, with the peculiar gliding motion of one walk- 
 ing in sleep. The door had been left open, and in 
 the doorway she paused trembling with excitement, 
 her face white as marble, her eyes beaming with a 
 strange soft light. Her attitude was that of eloquent, 
 pathetic appeal for recognition, and it was not long 
 delayed. A moment and Joshua Humble, accom- 
 panied by George Langdon and Paul Dyke, entered 
 the room. 
 
 "Paul!" 
 
 He glanced up and beheld Valentina standing in 
 the doorway. 
 
 "Paul!" 
 
 And she held out both hands toward him and 
 moved slowly forward, her head thrown backward 
 in a beautiful pose, and her face radiant with joy. 
 
 "Valentina! in God's name are you in the flesh, 
 or only in spirit ?" was all he could say as he shaded 
 his face with his hand. 
 
 In the flesh ! dear Paul, in the flesh, thank God !" 
 she answered joyfully as she reached his side and 
 grasped his outstretched hands. 
 
 It was a joyful meeting and Joshua Humble 
 modestly turned away his head and George Barnes 
 instantly discovered something very interesting in 
 the fire, and a few moments later they both silently 
 withdrew, leaving the lovers alone together in 
 speechless happiness.
 
 J} Joyous Reunion. 301 
 
 Half an hour afterwards, the meeting of brother 
 and sister, though less demonstrative, was not less 
 joyful. Twenty years before they had drifted away 
 from each other upon the street and even that fact 
 had long since vanished from their minds. 
 
 Little Alice seemed very favorably impressed 
 with George Barnes. In the excitement of the meet- 
 ing of brother and sister, of lover and sweetheart, 
 after many years of separation, the little lady had 
 been quite forgotten, and there she stood, close by 
 George Barnes' side, casting sly and timid glances 
 up into his face and nervously twining her nimble 
 fingers together. Her eyes were very bright and 
 expressive ; a delicate rose-tinted spot had come upon 
 either cheek and her lips were slightly parted, be- 
 traying the intense preoccupation of her mind. 
 Finally, her earnest scrutiny of his countenance at- 
 tracted his attention, and putting out his hands to- 
 wards her he said: 
 
 "This I presume is Miss Alice, is it not?" 
 
 "Yes," she replied in a half whisper, and in a 
 confidential tone, "I am Alice Snow, grandpa's only 
 daughter. And you are George Barnes, Valentina's 
 only brother. I thought you would never see me I 
 stood here so long looking up into your face, and 
 you looked another way all the time." 
 
 "Ah, I did not intend to slight you, little lady," 
 he said as he lifted her to his lap and added with a 
 smile, "how old are you, dear?"
 
 302 Joshua Humble. 
 
 "Eight years," she replied, archly, glancing up 
 into his face. But Grandpa says I will soon be a 
 young lady, and Av.ntie says not very soon, and so 
 I can't find out just when I will be grown, but it 
 doesn't matter now, I suppose, for I will know when 
 that time comes." 
 
 "Doubtless you will," he replied laughingly. 
 
 "Do you know I dreamed of you last night? 
 Funny, isn't it? And I thought I lived with Grand- 
 pa and Auntie in a very large and beautiful house, 
 and I was a young lady and wore a long dress of 
 pale blue silk, and I wore a diamond necklace and 
 had beautiful diamond rings on my fingers and in my 
 ears, and my skin was white and soft as velvet, and 
 my hair was the color of gold and dressed some- 
 thing in style of Valentina's now. And my eyes 
 were very blue and clear and my lips were soft and 
 red." 
 
 "A very true likeness of what you will be ten 
 years hence," said George admiringly. 
 
 "Perhaps so. Well (as I say in my fairy stories), 
 in my dream last night, you came to me in the parlor 
 of my beautiful home and said that a good fairy had 
 told you to come and ask me to love you. You said 
 that you wanted to be with me all the time and that 
 you wouldn't try to live without me any longer, and 
 there was no fun for either of us in living alone. 
 Well, I don't know what I said in fact I don't be- 
 lieve I said anything, but just looked down upon the
 
 *& Joyous Reunion. 303 
 
 floor and blushed and smiled and my heart went pit- 
 a-pat! and then you kissed me, and I awoke to find 
 it only a dream." 
 
 .When she had finished, the face of George Barnes 
 was scarlet and he bowed his head and kissed her on 
 the lips. She sat still a moment looking up into his 
 face wonderingly, her large blue eyes wide open and 
 her lips slightly parted, and then with a sudden and 
 graceful movement she put her arms around his 
 neck, and as a charming flush came upon her face, 
 she kissed him twice upon the lips soft Idaintyi 
 kisses, and then she crept down from his lap, and 
 tripped lightly away in search of her auntie who at 
 that moment was occupied with her domestic duties 
 in another part of the house. 
 
 Joshua Humble had been an attentive observer 
 of the interesting scene between George Barnes and 
 little Alice, and when she had gone, George turned to 
 him and inquired in a tremulous tone; 
 
 "Is she an angel or a child?" 
 
 "Only an angelic child," replied Mr. Humble, 
 softly.
 
 CHAPTER L. 
 OCCURRENCES OF AN EVENTFUL YEAR. 
 
 A year had passed, during which Paul Dyke had 
 taken to wife his boyhood sweetheart, Valentina 
 Barnes. It was a natural sequence and provoked 
 no comment. It was a simple matter of course, for 
 they had been one in spirit in the days of their un- 
 happy childhood when he was her unselfish friend 
 and valiant protector, and so in the day of their pros- 
 perity their marriage was but the 'consummation of 
 that which had been ordained from the beginning. 
 
 It was a pure and holy alliance, a genuine heart 
 union, and to them the world seemed a thousand- 
 fold more beautiful and life infinitely more precious. 
 The Barnes estate had, under the excellent manage- 
 ment of Judge Prye, passed safely through the peri- 
 lous process of settlement, and had been equally di- 
 vided between George and Valentina as the only 
 heirs-at-law. By mutual consent the Barnes residence 
 had fallen to Valentina, and so after the quiet wed- 
 ding at the home of Joshua Humble on a beautiful 
 morning in May, they went immediately to their 
 home and there quietly began to live a new and 
 beautiful life. 
 
 <304)
 
 Occurrences of an Eventful Year. 305 
 
 During the year also, Joshua Humble had re- 
 occupied his old home after a thorough renovation 
 and refurnishing, and the old mansion had been fully 
 restored to its former elegance and comfort. After 
 an earnest though friendly contset between little 
 Alice and Valentina for the possession of the person 
 of George, the former gained the victory, and so 
 he had removed all of his personal belongings to the 
 Humble residence and permanently became one of 
 that happy family circle. 
 
 And also during the year Joshua Humble had, in 
 accordance with his power of attorney from Sol. 
 Miserleigh, converted the entire Miserleigh estate 
 into cash, and taken from it his own, and then re- 
 purchased his former residence and office building 
 from L. Vincent De Baum, to whom he had sold it 
 to clear the title. The residue of the proceeds of 
 the Miserleigh estate he had transferred to Valen- 
 tina and George as the sole legal heirs of Aurelia 
 and Mrs. Miserleigh, and thus it happened that in the 
 end, the untied blood of Barnes and Miserleigh in the 
 persons of brother and sister joined also the two 
 estates, and love filled forever the place which hatred 
 and vengeance had long usurped. 
 
 The old office building had, during the year, 
 been thoroughly renovated and refurnished, and over 
 the door a new sign had been placed, on which in 
 large letters appeared the name of the new firm. 
 "Humble, Barnes & Dyke." 
 
 [20]
 
 306 Joshua Humble. 
 
 When all had been completed, and the new firm 
 had been well started upon its career of prosperity 
 and honor, Joshua Humble said to his partners, 
 George Barnes and Paul Dyke: 
 
 "Now that we have removed the last relic of the 
 sorrows and humiliations of the past, let us begin 
 life anew, and with God's help and guidance may we 
 be prosperous and happy." 
 
 On a beautiful May morning Mr. Humble found 
 among the many letters upon his desk, one addressed 
 to him in familiar handwriting, which bore a foreign 
 stamp and postmark. Although his curiosity to 
 know its contents was greatly excited, he did not 
 open it, but sat gazing at it dreamily as he turned it 
 over in his hands saying softly to himself : 
 
 "Ah ! from Mr. Grubb Phineas Starley a queer 
 comical genius, but a brave and brilliant man. Edu- 
 cated for the Christian ministry he turned detective, 
 and has been far more successful in the capture of 
 criminals than in the conversion of human souls." 
 
 At that juncture, Paul Dyke and George Barnes 
 entered the office with their usual cheerful and re- 
 spectful morning greeting, to which Mr. Humble re- 
 sponded in his usual happy voice and pleasant 
 manner.
 
 CHAPTER LI. 
 EXPERIENCES OF MB. GBUBB. 
 
 "I have a letter here," said Mr. Humble; "it is 
 from Phineas Starley, and I will read it aloud, as it 
 will doubtless be interesting to you as well as to 
 myself." With that he broke the seal of the envelope, 
 drew forth the enclosure, unfolded it, and read as 
 follows : 
 
 "Republic of Mexico, State of Chihuahua. 
 
 Janos, September 8th, 18 . 
 Joshua Humble, Esq. : 
 
 My dear sir: When I parted from you in your 
 office fourteen months ago, I firmly resolved not to 
 communicate with anybody in St. Louis nor to return 
 there until I could bring with me the slanderer, 
 forger and murderer Sol. Miserleigh. But I did 
 not reckon on a long and perilous pursuit, and hence 
 my long silence. However, now that the chase is 
 ended, and realizing from experience the grave un- 
 certainty of life in this wilderness, I have decided, 
 for business reasons of great importance to you, 
 to give you herewith a detailed account of my wan- 
 derings in search of Sol. Miserleigh: 
 
 (307)
 
 308 Joshua Humble. 
 
 Two months after my departure from St. Louis, 
 I located him in the wilderness of the Ozark moun- 
 tains, where he had taken refuge in a cabin with a 
 trapper, whom I chanced to meet, and from whom, 
 by adroit questioning, I obtained a complete descrip- 
 tion of his guest, but I failed to find the cabin until 
 the following afternoon, and approached it across an 
 open space a hundred yards in width. The cabin 
 door stood wide open and a cheerful fire was blazing 
 in the chimney, but there was no person within. I 
 was about to enter when a peculiar sound attracted 
 my attention, and glancing to the right I beheld Sol. 
 Miserleigh in trappers costume standing beside a 
 large tree. In his hands was a heavy repeating rifle 
 which was leveled at my head and his finger was 
 moving nervously toward the hair trigger. 
 
 "Good evening, Mr. Grubb," he said in a tone of 
 mock courtesy. "Will you do me the favor, sir, to 
 hold up your hands?" 
 
 His eyes gleamed wickedly ; I saw that resistance 
 would result in instant death to me, and up went 
 my hands above my head, and, imitating his insolent 
 tone of voice, I replied : 
 
 "Ah! good evening Mr. Miserleigh; happy to 
 nleet you sir !" 
 
 "Not under the present circumstances, I judge," 
 he rsponded angrily. "I've a mind to send a bullet 
 through your brain, but it would be a shame to kill 
 a harmless silly cur. You imagine yourself a detec-
 
 Experiences of Mr. Grubb. 309 
 
 tive and have started out to capture a man. Abandon 
 that foolish purpose, puppy, and go home and re- 
 sume your business of Bible pounding and ex- 
 pounding, for which you were educated. As a re- 
 ligous crank you may be successful, while as a hunter 
 of men you ar.e a ridiculous failure. Now clasp your 
 hands behind your back and turn your face to the 
 left." 
 
 I complied instantly and in silence. 
 
 "Now, sir," resumed Miserleigh, "when I give the 
 word, move straight forward until sunset. I will fol- 
 low within rifle range, and if you turn to look back- 
 ward I'll riddle your body with bullets ! March !" 
 
 I obeyed his command and moved forward in a 
 straight line. For an hour I could hear his measured, 
 stealthy tread close in my rear and then it grew more 
 and more distant and finally only my own footfall 
 broke the profound stillness; but I did not dare to 
 pause until twilight came and then I sat down upon 
 a rock, free and beyond danger.
 
 CHAPTER LIT. 
 A SLEUTH ON A. LONG COLD TBAIL, 
 
 That nig-ht I returned to the cabin and captured 
 the harmless old trapper, but Sol. Miserleigh had 
 fled. The net day about noon I struck his trail about 
 ten miles west of the trapper's cabin, at a mineral 
 prospector's camp where he had purchased a quan- 
 tity of food, and for six months I followed him in 
 that direction, through the Indian Territory and on- 
 ward into Texas, where I finally lost his trail, in the 
 bleak and treeless wilderness of the "Staked Plains." 
 He traveled entirely on foot, and I was compelled to 
 do the same. He avoided every human habitation, 
 but could not wholly escape observation, and hence, 
 from information obtained from cattlemen and 
 hunters, I was enabled to follow him at a distance 
 of from two to six days' travel. I could have ob- 
 tained assistance, which was freely offered to me on 
 many occasions, but I craved the satisfaction of cap- 
 turing him alone and single-handed, for ' he had 
 deeply wounded my pride and grievously insulted me, 
 and I was possessed of an insane desire for revenge. 
 For months I wandered over that trackless waste, 
 
 (310)
 
 Jt Sleuth on a Long Cold Trait. 311 
 
 on foot and on horseback, often accompanied by cow- 
 boys in search of stray cattle, and finally I located 
 him again on the bank of the Rio Grande river, thirty 
 miles above Eagle Pass in a camp of cattle-skinners, 
 a class of petty thieves, whom the cattlemen hunt to 
 death. I was in company of a troop of cowboys 
 who had followed the trail of the. mauraders three 
 days and nights, and one morning just at daydawn, 
 we raided the camp and captured the entire gang, 
 with the exception of Sol. Miserleigh and the leader, 
 a gray sun-browned old villian who plunged into the 
 river and escaped to the Mexican side. Even amid 
 the excitement and confusion of the battle, Sol. Mis- 
 erleigh recognized me, and when he reached a point 
 of safety on the opposite shore, he shouted back 
 defiance accompanied by frightful blasphemy and 
 violent menacing gestures. 
 
 That night, regardless of the warnings of my 
 brave companions, I swam the Rio Grande, and the 
 following day on foot tracked the two fugitives to 
 a hacienda twenty miles distant in Mexico. Fortu- 
 nately, the owner of the hacienda, a handsome, 
 princely old gentleman, was at home, and to him I 
 frankly disclosed the object of my visit. He listened 
 attentively and in grave silence, and when J had 
 finished he responded slowly and with the peculiar 
 Spanish accent, as he stroked his long white beard 
 thoughtfully : 
 
 "Yours is a perilous venture my young friend,
 
 312 Joshua Humble. 
 
 very difficult indeed, and ten to one are the chances 
 that you will lose your life if you persist in your 
 endeavors to capture that bold bad man. Two hours 
 ago your enemy and his evil companion went west- 
 ward toward that mountain wilderness which you 
 see in the distance. They went in great haste, evi- 
 dently anticipating pursuit. You must not follow 
 them alone, I will furnish you a guide a man of 
 courage and discretion, whose advice you must not 
 fail to heed. But do not attempt to capture your 
 man on Mexican soil, for that would be a gross vio- 
 lations of our laws. Follow him carefully, prudently, 
 skillfully and eventually upon American soil you may 
 accomplish your purpose. I bid you God speed." 
 
 An hour afterwards, accompanied by my guide, 
 I started westward on foot on the trail of the fugitives 
 who were mounted on burros, which they had pur- 
 chased at the hacienda. For six days we followed 
 them without difficulty, along a plain highway, but 
 on the morning of the seventh day, at a hacienda in 
 a narrow mountain valley my guide suddenly refused 
 to accompany me in any direction, and thus I was 
 left alone in a strange land. Fearing treachery I 
 appealed to the owner of the hacienda for protection, 
 which was freely and generously granted, but he pos- 
 itively refused to furnish me a guide to enable me to 
 advance, saying merely: 
 
 "It would be useless young man, utterly useless, 
 and more than that it would be criminal, as it would
 
 A Sleuth on a Long Cold Trail. 313 
 
 speedily result in the sacrifice of so many lives. The 
 mountains westward are swarming with banditti and 
 you would all be massacred before you had advanced 
 ten miles. I will escort you safely to the American 
 frontier but not one miles into the interior. Accept 
 my affectionate hospitality as long as you may desire 
 to remain upon my estate. I give you faithful pro- 
 tection."
 
 CHAPTER LIU. 
 FUGITIVE AND SLEUTH IN A FOREIGN LAND. 
 
 On the following morning, while seated in the 
 shade of the broad veranda of the mansion which 
 faced westward toward the beetling cliffs, whose 
 summits were lost in a heavy bank of pearly clouds, 
 I remembered your parting words, Mr. Humble, 
 namely : 
 
 "You will never capture Sol. Miserleigh alive; 
 but if you are determined to go in search of him, 
 I admonish you to be extremely careful and discreet. 
 In him you have no ordinary man to deal with, and 
 if hard pressed he will turn and hunt his pursuers 
 to the death." ' 
 
 ;. All that day I revolved your words in my mind 
 and resolved to continue the pursuit and to press him 
 close until he should turn hunter, when I would re- 
 treat before him and lure him across the northern 
 border upon American soil, where I would ambush 
 and capture him either alive or dead. At the first 
 favorable opportunity I would go forward on foot at 
 night, to the next hacienda in the interior thirty 
 miles distant, where I believed that Miserleigh and 
 
 (314)
 
 Fugitive and Sleuth. 315 
 
 his companion had taken refuge. I had ascertained 
 that the hacienda was a station of a stage line run- 
 ning far into the interior and connecting with an- 
 other line running north through the State of Chi- 
 huahua to the American frontier at Paso del Norte, 
 and I conjectured that Sol. Miserleigh would en- 
 deavor to return to the United States by that route, 
 with the purpose of hiding in the mountain fastness 
 of New Mexico to engage in mining. * * . 
 
 On the following night, about nine o'clock, after 
 the murderous peons had all retired to their quarters, 
 I bade adieu to my kind and generous host just out- 
 side the main entrance to the hacienda and walked 
 away in the darkness. The following morning at 
 daydawn I reached my destination and learned that 
 the westbound stage had passed that point during 
 the night, and that Sol. Miserleigh had taken passage 
 in it leaving his companion at the hacienda to shift 
 for himself. There I rested during that day and em- 
 ployed a servant, a man who could talk both Spanish 
 and English fluently, and on the night following we 
 took passage in the stage and followed in pursuit of 
 Miserleigh. I found my servant a most competent 
 and faithful man, and through him I easily gained all 
 the information necessary to enable us to follow the 
 fugitive. Finally, at a stage station within two days' 
 journey of Paso del Norte, we learned that Miser- 
 leigh had left the stage at that point and gone west- 
 Ward on horseback, accompanied by a single man as
 
 316 Joshua Humble. 
 
 guide and servant. There, also, we alighted and ac- 
 companied by a trusty guide, we followed in pursuit 
 of the fugitive, being only six hours in his rear. At 
 a point, sixty miles west of the station where we had 
 left the stage, we ascertained that Miserleigh was only 
 about one hour in advance of us, and there I 
 dismissed and sent back our guide and sent 
 my servant forward to decoy Miserleigh in pur- 
 suit of me, while I turned north upon a broad 
 highway leading across the American border fifteen 
 miles distant. My servant, a shrewd and faithful 
 man, easily accomplished his task, and two hours' 
 later I had the extreme satisfaction of beholding Sol. 
 Miserleigh and servant, accompanied by my servant, 
 following me at a rapid pace about two miles distant. 
 I gave my horse the rein and he cantered swifly 
 along, while Miserleigh, evidently greatly angered, 
 crowded his horse to its utmost speed. However, 
 my horse, being much the best and comparatively 
 fresh, I easily maintained the distance between us, 
 and just as the sun was sinking behind the mountains 
 I crossed the line into New Mexico. At that point 
 I reined in my horse and was revolving in my mind 
 how I might ambush and capture my pursuer, when 
 a voice in clear ringing tones called out from a dense 
 thicket of thorn bushes on my left : 
 
 "Halt!" .-, 
 
 Instantly I obeyed the command, and then in 
 compliance with further orders, I rode over and dis-
 
 Fugitive and Sleuth. 317 
 
 mounted in the midst of a company of revenue 
 officers of the United States, to whom I hastily ex- 
 plained my business and circumstances, and after a 
 brief examination of my credentials the commander 
 expressed his willingness to assist me in the capture 
 of my pursuer. 
 
 Our place of concealment was on the west side 
 of the road, and upon the east was a sheer precipice 
 into a rocky gorge a hundred feet in depth. We 
 had barely time to make good our concealment, when 
 Sol. Miserleigh, bareheaded and covered with dust, 
 his long gray hair in tangled masses floating back 
 in the wind, his horse panting from exhaustion and 
 white with foam, which dripped from its flanks and 
 mouth, came dashing over the gentle hillock a hun- 
 dred yards distant, and down the slope like a fiend in- 
 carnate upon a mission of terrible vengeance. 
 
 "Make ready!" commanded the chief, and nine 
 glittering rifles were leveled upon the man and horse, 
 who had reached a point directly opposite the am- 
 buscade. 
 
 "Halt !" rang out the voice of the chief, and Sol. 
 Miserleigh reined in his horse so powerfully that it 
 reared into the air and went reeling backward upon 
 its haunches. Even in that moment of confusion 
 his quick glance had penetrated the thicket and esti- 
 mated the number and character of his captors and 
 discovered that I was one one of them, and instantly 
 there came upon his fact an expression of scorn and
 
 318 Joshua Humble. 
 
 hate which I shall never forget. As the horse stag- 
 gered into an upright position on its feet, Sol. Miser- 
 leigh straightened himself in the saddle and shaking 
 his clenched hand toward me shouted defiantly : 
 
 "Trapped ! Curse you, Phineas Grubb ! Trapped, 
 but not captured !" 
 
 "Throw up your hands Sol. Miserleigh!" I com- 
 manded, stepping out into the opening and leveling 
 my rifle at his head. "You are now on American 
 soil, and as an officer of the law and the bearer of a 
 warrant for that purpose, I arrest you upon the 
 charge of murder and command you to surrender!" 
 
 "Never!" he shouted as with a quick movement 
 which I did not anticipate, he reined his horse to 
 the opposite side of the road. "Never !" he repeated 
 savagely as he plunged the sharp Spanish spurs up- 
 on his heels, deep into the quivering sides of his 
 horse, which with a cry of pain and terror, sprang 
 upward and forward and went crashing over the 
 precipice upon the tree tops and rocks below. 
 
 At the bottom of the gorge we found him dead, 
 and horribly disfigured, and there upon the spot 
 where he plunged to death, we dug a grave, wrapped 
 him in his blanket and covered him up with earth and 
 stones. 
 
 I am now enroute homeward, and stopping here 
 for a few days' rest. I cannot say just when I will 
 be able to reach St. Louis, but you may expect me 
 at any time after you receive this.
 
 Fugitive and Sleuth. 319 
 
 Wishing you good health and the full enjoyment 
 of your old time prosperity, I remain Sir, 
 
 Yours very truly and faithfully, 
 
 Phineas Starley. 
 
 alias Grubb." 
 
 "An appropriate ending of a life of violence and 
 crime," said Joshua Humble sadly, as he folded the 
 letter, returned it to its envelope and calmly turned 
 to his morning duties.
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 GLEANINGS FROM THE FIELD OF LIVES. 
 
 The passing of the old; the advent of the new; 
 the balancing of accounts of human acts, the pure 
 against the vile; the ravages of the canker of time 
 upon all things of earth. These were the entries in 
 the record of years as with swift and silent motion 
 they floated by. And also "Father Time" had been 
 busy swinging his keen blade with resistless sweep, 
 reaping, and with careful hands separating the evil 
 from the good and saving only the best for the 
 garner of the Almighty. 
 
 And gleaners had followed the grim reaper, 
 gathering the tares and burning them, until the 
 field had been cleared of all that had been marked 
 for the harvest; but here and there had been left 
 to ripen, a few souls which the Master desired to 
 preserve for future use in the economy of His hu- 
 man husbandry. 
 
 During the eleven years which had passed since 
 the important events which immediately followed 
 the flight of Sol. Miserleigh, Time had dealt kindly 
 and gently with Joshua Humble and Judge Prye, 
 
 (320)
 
 Cleanings From the Field. 321 
 
 for, although many additional lines had come upon 
 their faces, and their hair and beard had changed 
 from mottled gray to pure white, in all other respects 
 they were apparently unchanged. 
 
 The firm of Humble, Barnes and Dyke, Dealers 
 in Financial Securities, under the wise and careful 
 guidance of Mr. Humble, had advanced to a com- 
 manding position in the world of finance and gained 
 in wealth and influence as the years came and de- 
 parted. 
 
 Having accumulated a comfortable competence 
 in the practice of law, Judge Prye had put aside all 
 affairs of business and had given himself up wholly 
 to the enjoyment of well-earned ease and comfort. 
 He had traveled in foreign lands for nearly six years 
 and, on his return to St. Louis he had become the 
 guest of Mr. Humble, and the two genial old gen- 
 tlemen were supremely happy in each others society. 
 
 As they sat before a glowing fire of coal in an 
 open grate, in the smoking apartment of the Hum- 
 ble mansion, Judge Prye talked interestingly about 
 his travels. He had journeyed through every civil- 
 ized country of the Eastern hemisphere, even through 
 far-off Siam, China, Japan, Turkey and India. In 
 Egypt he had floated down the sluggish Nile along 
 whose dream-enchanted shores are strewn the 
 -crumbling monuments of the greatness and power in 
 the dim and distant past of a now conquered and 
 dying country. He had stood in the shadows of the 
 
 [21]
 
 322 Joshua Humble. 
 
 lofty Pyramids and had even climbed upon the great 
 head of the Sphynx and from thence beheld the en- 
 chanting wonders of the mirage of the great desert. 
 
 Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Italy and the 
 British Isles he had visited and delved amid their 
 ruins for mementoes of their ancient civilization, and 
 he described what he had experienced and seen with 
 the eloquence force and intelligence of a true sci- 
 entist. 
 
 The sweet, sparkling wine which these two com- 
 panionable old gentlement sipped, and the choice 
 fragrant cigars which they smoked while they talked, 
 not only contributed to their comfort and increased 
 their vivacity, but rendered them somewhat remin- 
 iscent in mind. Gradually, therefore, their conver- 
 sation drifted from the subject of the journeying of 
 Judge Prye to the many marvelous improvements, 
 expansive and industrial development of St. Louis 
 during his absence, until finally some casual remark 
 recalled to memory the Miserleigh-Barnes affair of 
 the long ago, and Mr. Rumble's wonderful deliver- 
 ance from bondage and poverty and his restoration 
 to wealth, power and happiness. 
 
 "During my long absence from St. Louis," said 
 Judge Prye, to Mr. Humble, as he again filled his 
 glass with wine and lighted a fresh cigar, "I have 
 often wondered what has become of the minor per- 
 sonages who figured in the infamous intrigue of 
 which you were the victim, and I shall be much in- 
 terested if you will tell me."
 
 Cleanings From the Field. 323 
 
 A very sad expression came upon the face of 
 Mr. Humble as he replied slowly: "I dislike to re- 
 cur to that gloomy subject, my good friend, espec- 
 ially on this occasion, our reunion after years of 
 separation. I wish I could bury it in the graves of 
 those who have gone hence, but I cannot do so it 
 will not down, but like Banquo's ghost it will rise 
 and come forth to vex my soul with the remembrance 
 of those years of darkness and woe. But I do not 
 reproach you for making the inquiry," he added 
 quickly, as he observed an expression of regret upon 
 the face of his friend; "no, your desire for that in- 
 formation is entirely natural and right and I will 
 give it to you as briefly as possible and then let us 
 dismiss that subject forever." 
 
 "Hunchback Mose, who was the sole heir of 
 Jacob Blum has continued his brother's business and 
 amassed a comfortable competence. He has also be- 
 come noted for his honesty and truthfulness, and 
 for scrupulous promptness in the fulfillment of every 
 obligation, and for his generosity, philanthropy and 
 public spirit, and his excellent moral character." 
 
 "And Phineas Starley, (alias Grubb), having se- 
 cured the reward of five thousand dollars offered 
 for the capture of Sol. Miserleigh, alive or dead, has 
 abandoned the detective business, altogether, and 
 has become a lawyer of considerable ability and 
 prominence." 
 
 "And old mother Hurt, and the fishwoman, and
 
 324 Joshua Humble. 
 
 the 'Three Graces of Satan' have gone the way of 
 all the earth, the former having died of old age, and 
 the others of beastly dissipation. As for 'Amos the 
 Fox/ Ivafe Steele and 'Hairlip Brown,' they have 
 never been heard of since the day of their flight from 
 their quarters in the basement of Sol. Miserleigh's 
 old warehouse, and their fate may only be con- 
 jectured as that of all people of their class whom 
 the Lord is sure to overtake and overwhelm in due 
 rime." 
 
 "And the kind and faithful old soul, Mrs. O'Keefe, 
 has passed beyond the realm of mortal pain and sor- 
 row, to the inheritance of 'the just made perfect,' 
 leaving forever upon the minds and hearts of her 
 children the impress of her wise precepts and pure 
 example." 
 
 With that brief statement, the subject was dis- 
 missed abruptly and the conversation drifted to other 
 and more agreeable matters and it was long past 
 midnight before they became aware of the lateness 
 of the hour and reluctantly parted for the night. 
 
 And now, it becomes necessary for the author to 
 acquaint the reader with what Mr. Humble did not 
 tell to Judge Prye, because of this bit of personal 
 history of which he had been informed during his 
 journeyings, by correspondence with Mr. Humble, 
 namely : 
 
 Claude Humble had returned to his old home 
 and engaged in a profitable business, and was a con- 
 stant source of pride to his father.
 
 Cleanings From the Field. 325 
 
 '," i 
 
 And Paul Dyke and his beautiful and loving wife, 
 Valentina, had in their luxurious home experienced 
 but a succession of joys, for to them each day had 
 brought new happiness, and each year had but mul- 
 tiplied and strengthened the ties which bound them 
 together in common interest, sympathy and affection. 
 
 And during these eleven years, the Lord had 
 blessed them with three beautiful children, and with- 
 in the old Barnes mansion, all day long were sounds 
 of childish glee, and when the loving husband and 
 father returned to his home at night, three pairs of 
 little feet went tripping joyfully to meet him at the 
 gate, and three pairs of white dimpled little hands 
 were clasped about his knees, and three pairs of 
 sweet childish lips were pouted for the loving kisses 
 which he always gave them. And a calm, sweet-faced 
 woman stood just within the twilight of the door- 
 way, waiting, silently, modestly in deep and thrill- 
 ing emotion, to welcome him home not with empty 
 words and profuse manifestations of affection, but 
 with the silent eloquent language of the human soul, 
 which may be read only in the eyes waiting for the 
 kisses which on each occasion were as new and 
 sweet and wonderful as the kisses of their betrothal 
 eleven years before, 'v .*. . < { 
 
 ' And those eleven years had wrought great 
 changes in the persons and characters of little Alice 
 and George Barnes, the former "little" Alice no 
 longer, but the fair and accomplished Miss Alice
 
 326 Joshua Humble. 
 
 Snow, granddaughter of the wealthy stock-broker, 
 Joshua Humble. As for George Barnes, he had 
 changed from a mere beardless boy to a man of 
 magnificent mental endowments and physical de- 
 velopment an exact likeness and image of his noble 
 father, and under Joshua Rumble's careful training 
 he had acquired a business knowledge and experi- 
 ence and a confident self-reliance which enabled him 
 to meet successfully the requirements of every 
 emergency. 
 
 i And so, in the full tide of perfect manhood and 
 womanhood, George and Alice were married, and 
 their wedding at the Humble mansion was one of 
 the grandest events of the kind that had ever trans- 
 pired in the city. All of the old friends were present 
 on that interesting occasion, inclduing Hunchback 
 Mose, .Lawyer Starley, (alias Grubb), and the mar- 
 riage ceremony was beautiful and impressive, and 
 the wedding feast was sumptuous, and the presents 
 numerous and elegant. But the gift which attracted 
 the most attention of all, was one to the groom from 
 Joshua Humble, an American clock in a frame of 
 solid wrought gold, two feet in height, inclosed in an 
 oval case of plate glass on which was traced in in- 
 laid letters of gold the following quaint old stanza: 
 "Here my master bids me stand, 
 And mark the time with faithful hand. 
 What is his will, is my delight 
 To serve him well by day and night.
 
 Cleanings From the Field. 327 
 
 Master, be wise and learn of me, 
 To serve thy God, as I serve thee." 
 
 The present of Joshua Humble to the bride was 
 contained in a letter addressed to her, which read 
 as follows: 
 
 "Light of our home Treasure of our hearts ! All 
 we have is thine; but that you may not be wholly 
 dependent on your husband, I give you herein my 
 bank order for fifty thousand dollars, to supply your 
 individual wan,ts until the Master calls me hence. 
 
 Grandpa." 
 
 And thus the dream of little Alice was literally 
 fulfilled, and thus the cup of Joshua Humble's hap- 
 piness was filled to the brim. Years have passed 
 since then, but Joshua Humble, with eyes undimmed 
 and mind unclouded, still lives and performs his daily 
 duties with the same care and skill as in his early 
 life. And in his home may be heard the prattle of 
 children the children of George and Alice, and the 
 low, sweet lulaby of the fair young mother crooning 
 her baby on her bosom. And at the window are 
 beautiful baby faces peering out into the gathering 
 twilight watching for the first glimpse of papa and 
 grandpa returning home from the business of the 
 day. 
 
 And Joshua Humble's good sister, Almira, still 
 lives, but she has grown feeble and childish, and sits 
 all day by the fire, knitting knitting knitting, and 
 looking steadily down into the glowing embers; 
 thinking thinking of the past. Her noble brother
 
 328 Joshua Humble. 
 
 is her favorite theme of conversation, and these are 
 always her concluding words: 
 
 "The good Lord has lengthened the days of 
 Joshua Humble, far beyond the limit of human life, 
 in compensation for the long years of his woe and 
 humiliation as the slave of Sol. Miserleigh." 
 
 THE END.
 
 S 
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRA Y FACIUT 
 
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