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Show bbbbH (fMisix )mP PY A CON AN DO YZ.- W5 in " JblTERNATICmi "W 'ASSOCIATION. CILVl'TKR XIV. (CoitTijjunD.) Ills way now led towards tho rlvcr-Bldo rlvcr-Bldo reglonB, nnd a cleansing whlrt of tar wo to be detected In tho stagnant autumn nlr. Men with tho blue Jorsej and ponked cap of tho boatman, or lite white duck of the dockers, began to replace re-place tho corduroys and fustian of the 'aboreis. Shops with nautical Instruments Instru-ments In the windows,, rope nnd pallif fellers, and slop shops with long rows of oilskins dangling from hooks, all proclaimed the neighborhood of the docks. Tho Admiral quickened bis pace and straightened his figure ns his surroundings sur-roundings became more nautleal, until nt last, peeping between two high, dingy wharfs, he .caught a Kllmpsaoli-the Kllmpsaoli-the mud-colorcd waters of the Thnmen. nnd of the bristle of maBts and funnels which rose from Its broad bosom. To the right lay a quiet street, with many brass plates upon cither side, and wire blinds In all the windows. Tho Admiral Ad-miral walked slowly down It until "The Saint Lawrence Shipping Company" caught his eye. Ho crossed the road, pushed open the door, and found himself him-self in a low-celllnged olllce, wltha Innr nniinln. nf nnn nnil find 11 f2T?4 long counter nt one enu anu u i;re- number of wooden sections of shlpl stuck upon boards and plastered all over tho walls. "Is Mr. Henry In?" asked the Admiral. "No, sir," answered an elderly man from a high seat In tho corner. "He has not como Into town to-dny. I can manage man-age any business you may wish seen to." "You don't happen to liavo a first of second ofllcer'B place vacant, do you?" The manager looked with a dubious eye at his singular applicant. "Do you hold certificates?" ho asked. "I hold every nautical certificate thero Is." "Then you won't do for us." -- "Why not?" "Your nge, sir." "I glvo you my word that 1 can see as well as ever, and am as Good a man in every way." "I don't doubt It." "Why should my age be a bar, then?" "Well, I must put It plainly. If a man of your age, holding certificates, has not got past a second officer's berth, there must be a black mark against tilra somewhera. 1 don't know what It I. 3N!riV..tr.--mrjJManttf,Jud-aajia, but something tlBBlnust be." 'V "I assure you there Is nothing, but I find myself Btranded, and so have tij turn to the old business again." j "Oh, that's It," said the manager with suspicion In his eye. "How long1 were you In your last billet?" "Fifty-one years." "What." . "Yes, sir, one-and-fltty years." fJ "In tho same employ?" i "Yes." "Why, you must have legun as child." '. "I was twelve whon I Joined." , "It must be a strangely managed business," said the manager, "which allows al-lows men to leave It who have servt'd for fifty years, and who nre still as gool as over. Whom did you serve?" "Tho Queen. Heaven bless her!" "Oh, you were In tho Royal navy. What rating did you hold?" "I nm Admiral of the Fleet." The manager started, and sprang ilnn'n frnm hln hlr-h flfnnl. down rrom nia mgn siooi. "My name Is Admiral Hay DenVer. There Is my card. And hero are the records of my service. I don't, you understand, un-derstand, want to push another iffST from his billet; but If you should chance to havo a berth open, I should be very glad of It. I know the navigation from the Cod Banks right up to Montreal a great deal better than I know the streets of London." Tho astonished manager glanced ovur the blue papers which his visitor hrd handed him. "Won't you take n chair, Admiral?" said he. "Thank youl Hut I should bo obllggd If yqu would drop my title now. 1 foftt you because you asked me, but I've In (ho quarter deol:, and am plain Mr. Hajf Denver now." "Mny I ask." said tho manager ."are you tho same Denver who commnndsd nt one tlmo on the North American station?" sta-tion?" T did." ,' "Then It was you who got one of onr boats, the Comus, off tho rocks In the Bay of Fundy? The directors votad you three hundred guineas ns unlvattJ. and you refused them." "It wns an offer which should not havp been made," sa'ld the Admiral sternly. "Well, It reflects credit upon you that you should think so. If Mr. Henry wete hore I im sure that he would arrange this matter for you at once. As It Is, I shall lay It before the directors to-day. and I am sure that they will bo proud o have you In our employment, and, I hope. In some more suitable position than that which you suggest." r "I am very much obliged to you, sir," said the Admiral, and started off again, well pleased, upon his homeward Journey. Jour-ney. CHAPTER XV. HTir.L AMONO SlIOAt.S. f fEXT day brought cheque for 5,000 from Mr. McAdam, agreement tiy whleji hemade over his pension papers to the speculative In-entor. In-entor. It was nut until he had slgnc'd and sent It ofr tJitvL the full slcnlflcnnW of all that he had do no" broke uppli Mm- He had sacrificed tvcrythliigj ( , i His pension was gone. Ho had nothing noth-ing savo what ho could earn. Hut the stout old heart never quailed. He walled eagerly for a letter from tho Saint Lawrence Shipping Company, Com-pany, nnd In the meanwhile he gave his landlord a quarter's notice. Hundred pound a year houses would In future be a luxury which he could not aspire to. A small lodging In some Inexpensive part of London must be the substitute for his breezy Norwood vllln. So bo it, then! Better that a thousandfold, than that his name should be associated with failure and disgrace. On thnt morning Harold Denver was to meet the creditors of the firm, and to explain tho situation to them. It wib a hateful tnBk, a degrading task, but he sot himself to do It with quiet resolution. At home they waited In Intense In-tense anxiety to learn tho result of the meeting. It was lato before he returned, haggard and pale, llko a man who has done and suffered much, "What's this board In front of the house?" ho nBked. "Wo are going to try a little change of scene," said the Admiral. "This place Ih neither town or country. But never mind that, boy. Tell us what happened hap-pened In the city." "God help me! My wretched business Is driving you out of house and homel" cried Hnrold, broken down by this fresh evidence of the effects of his misfortunes. misfor-tunes. "It Is easier for me to meet my creditors thnn to see you two suffering suffer-ing so patiently for my sake." "Tut, tut1" cried the Admiral. "There's no suffering In the matter. -Slothor would rather bo near the theaters. thea-ters. That's the bottom of It, Isn't It, mother? You come and Bit down hero between us and tell us all about It." Harold sat down with n loving hand In each of his. "It's not so bad as we thought," said he, "and yet It Is bad enough. I have about ten days to find the money, but I don't know which way to turn for It. Pearson, however, lied, as usual, when ho spoke of 13,000. Tho amount Is not quite 7,000." Tho Admiral clapped his hands. "I knew we should weather It, after all! Hurrah, my boy! Hip, hip, hip, hurrah hur-rah 1" Harold gazed at him In surprise, while tho old seaman waved his arm above his head and bellowed out three stentorian sten-torian cheers. "Where am I to get seven thousand pounds from, dad?" he asked. "Never mind. You spin your yarn." "Well, they were very good nnd very kind, but of course they must have their money or their money's worth. They passed a voto of spmpathy for me, iVnd agreed to wait terj dayabe- tfPrVey tooM a"r ifaciyMHnw. Thv or them, whose claim came to 3,600, told mo that If I would give them my personal I. O. U., any pay Interest at the rate of five per cent, their amounts might stand over ns long as I wished. That would bo a charge of 175 upon my Income, but with economy I could meet It, and It diminishes the debt by one-half." Again the Admiral burst out cheering. cheer-ing. "There remains, therefore, about f3,-200, f3,-200, which has to be found within ten days. No man shall lose by me. I gave them my word In the room that if I worked my bouI out of my body every one of them should be paid. I shall not spend a penny upon myself until It Is dune. But some of them can't wait. They are poor men themselves, and must have their money. They havo Issued a warrant for Pearson's arrest. But they think that ho has got away to the states." "These men shall havo their money," said the Admiral. "Dad!" "Yes. my boy. you don't know the "xes, my ooy, you aon i Know me resources of the family. One never does know until one tries. What have you yourself now?" "I have about a thousand pounds Invested." In-vested." "All right. And I have about as much more. There's a good start. Now, mother. It Is your turn. What Is that little bit of paper of yours?" Mrs. Denver unfolded It, and placed It upon Harold's knee. "Flvo thousand pounds" he gasped. "Ah, but mother Is not tho only rich -one. Look nt this!" And the Admiral unfolded his cheque, and plnccd It upon tho other knee. Harold gazed from dlio to tho other In bewilderment. "Ten thousand pounds!" ho cried. "Good heavens! where did these como from?" "You will not worry any longer, dear," murmured his mother, slipping her nrm round him. But his quick eye hnd caught tho signature upon one of the checks. "Doe-tor "Doe-tor Walker!" be cried, flushing. "This Is Clara's doing. Oh, dnd, we cannot take this money. It would not bo right nor honorable." "No, boy, I am glad you think so. It Is something, however, to havo proved one's friend, for a real good friend he Is. It was he who brought It in, though Clara sent him. But this other money will bo enough to cover everything, and It Is all my own." "Your own? Where did you get It. dad?" "Tut.tutl See what It Is to have a city man to deal with. It Is my own, and fairly earned, nnd that Is enough." "Dear old didl" Harold squeezed his gnarled hand. "And you, mother! You have lifted the trouble from my heart. I feel another man. You have saved my honor, my good name, everything. I can not owe you more, for I owe you everything already." So while the autumn sunset shone ruddlly through the broad window these three sat together hand In band, with hoarts which were too full to speak. Suddenly the soft thudding of Iannis balls was heard, and Mrs. West-macott West-macott bounded Into view upon the lawn with brandished racket and short gklrts fluttering In the breeze. The sight came ns a relief to their strained nerves, and thoy burtt all thieo Into a fienrty flt of laughter. B "She Is playing with her nephew," P said Hnrold! at last. THe Walkers havo not como out yet. I think that It would be well If you were to glvo ma that cheque, mother, nnd I wero to re turn It In person." "Certainly, Hnrold. I think It would be very nice." ' Ho went In through tho garden. Clara and the Doctor were slttlni together In the dining-room. She sprang to hor feet nt the sight of him. "Oh, Harold. I have been waiting for you so Impatiently." she cried; "I saw you pnss tho front windows half an hour ago. I would have come In If 1 dared. Do tell us what hns happened." "I have come in to thnnk you both. How can I repay you for your kindness? kind-ness? Here Is your cheque, Dofllor. 1 havo not needed It. I find thnt I can lay my hands on enough to pay my creditors." "Thnnk God!" said Clara fervently. "Tho sum is less thnn I thought, and our resources considerably moro. We have beon able to do It with ease." "With easel" Tho Doctor's brow clouded nnd his manner grew cold. "I think, Hnrold, that you would do better to take this money of mine, than to use that which seems to you to be gained with ense." "Thank you, sir. If I borrowed from nny one It would be from you. But my father has this very sum, five thousand pounds, and, as I tell him, I owe him so much that I have no compunction about owing him more." "No compunction I Surely there aro some sacrifices which a son should not allow his parsnts to make." "Sacrifices! What do you mean?" "Is It possible that you do not know how this money hns been obtnlned7" "I give you my word, Doctor Walker, that I have no Idea. I nsked my father, but he refused to tell me." "I thought not," said the Doctor, the clonm rtpnrlnir frcm his brow. "I was Kiuum cieurinK Hum urn uiun. sure that you were not n man who, to clear yourself from a little money difficulty, diffi-culty, would sacrifice the happiness of your mother and the health of your father." "Good gracious! what do you mean?" "It Is only right that you should know. That money represents tho commutation com-mutation of your father's pension. Ho hns reduced himself fo poverty, and Intends In-tends to go to sen again to earn a living." liv-ing." 'ITo sea ngalnl Impossible!" "It Is tho truth. Charles Westmacott hns told Ida. He was with him In tho City when ho took his poor pension about from dealer to dealer trying to sell It. Ho succeeded at last, and hence tho money." "He has Bold his pension!" cilcd Harold, Har-old, with his hands to his face. "My dear old dad has sold his pension!" He rushed from tho room, and burst wildly Into the presence of his parents once more. "I can not take It, father," he cried. "Better bankruptcy than that. Oh, If I had only known your plan! We must hnve back the pension. Oh, mother, mother, how could you think me enpable of such selfishness? Give me the check, dnd, nnd I will see this man to-nlgltt, for I would sooner die like a dog In the ditch than to touch a penny of this money." , (TO UB CONTINUED.) |