Show 00 4 L brej PRE CHAPTER XIII ITEN HEN dr walker had departed the admiral packed all his possessions back into his sea chest with the exception of one little brassbound desk this he unlocked and took from it a dozen or so blue sheets of paper all mottled over with stamps and seals with very large V R s printed upon the heads of them lie he tied these carefully into a small bundle and placing them in the inner p pocket bocket of 0 his big coat he seized his stick and hat oh john dont do this rash thins thing cried mrs birs denver laying her hands hand upon his sleeve 1 I have seen so little of you john only three years since you lett left the service dont doht leave me again I 1 know it Is weak ot of me I 1 but I 1 cannot bear it theres my own brave lass said he smoothing down the irey grey shot hair we weve ve lived in honor together mother and please god in honor well die no matter how debts are made they have 0 got cot to be met and what the boy owes we owe ire he has not the money and how la Is he to find it ltv lie ire cant find it what then it becomes my business and theres only one way tor fok it but it may not be so very bad john had we not best wait until after he tees sees these people tomorrow tomorio w they may give him little time lass but ill have a care that I 1 dont go so far that I 1 cant put back again now mother theres no use holding me its got to be done and theres no sense in shirking it ile he detached her fingers from his sleeve pushed her gently back into an armchair arm chair and hurried from the house bouse in less than halt an hour the admiral was whirled into victoria station and found himself I 1 amid a dense bustling throng who jostled and pushed in the crowded dermint ills his errand which had bad seemed feasible enough in his own room began now to present difficulties in the carrying out and he puzzled over how he should take the first steps amid the 11 tream stream of business men each hurrying on his definite way the old seaman ceaman in his grey tweed suit and black soft hat strode slowly along his head sunk and his brow wrinkled in perplexity plex ity suddenly an idea oc occurred to him lie he walked back to the railway stall and bought a dally daily paper this he turned and turned until a certain column met his eye when he smoothed it out and carrying it over to a seat proceeded to read it at ai his leisure and indeed as a man fehd that column it seemed strange to him that there should still remain any one in this world of ours who should be in straits tor for want of money here were whole lines of gentlemen who were burdened with a surplus in their incomes and who were loudly calling to the poor poor and needy to come and take it off their hands here was the guileless person who was not a professional moneylender but who would be glad to correspond etc here too was the accommodating individual who advanced sums from ten to td ten thousand pounds without expense security or delay the money actually paid over within a tew few hours ran this fascinating advertisement conjuring up a vision of swift messengers rushing with bags of gold to the aid of the poor struggler A third gentleman did all business by personal application advanced money on anything or nothing the lightest and airiest promise was enough to content him according to his circular and finally he never asked for more than five per cent this struck the admiral as tar far the most promising and his wrinkles relaxed and his frown softened away as he gazed at it he folded up the paper rose from the seat and found himself face to face with charles If hullo ullo admiral always been a favorite of the seamans what are you doing here oh ob I 1 have been doing a little bustness business for or my aunt but I 1 have never seen you in london before 1 I hate the place it smothers me theres not a breath of clean air on this side of greenwich but maybe you know your way about pretty well in the city 1 well I 1 know something about it you see sec ive never lived very far from it and I 1 do a good deal of my aunts business maybe you know dread bread street it Is out of cheapside well then how do you steer for it from here you tou make me out a course coarse and ill kee keep P to it why admiral I 1 have nothing to do ill take you there with plea pleasure surg will you though well id take it very kindly it if you would I 1 have business there smith hanbury II financial agents bread street the pair made their way to the riverside 9 and so down the thames to st P pauls auls landing a mode of travel which was much more to the admirals taste than bus or cab on the way he told his companion his mission and the causes which led to it charles maeo tt knew little enough ot of city life all and d the ways of business but at least he had bad more experience in both than tho the admiral and lie he made up his mind not to leave him until the matter was st Jd these are the people said the admiral in ira twisting round his paper and pointing to th advertisement wiloh had seemed to him the most promising it sounds honest and above board does it not the personal interview looks as it if there were no trickery and then no one could couie object to five per cent no it seems fair enough it Is if nov not pleasant to have to ro go hat in hand borrowing money but there are times as you may find before you are my age when a man must stow away his pride but heres their number and their plate Is on the corner of the door A narrow entrance was flanked on either side by a row of brasses ranging upwards from the ship shipbroker broker and the solicitors who occupied the ground floors through a long iong bucce succession salon of west indian agents architects surveyors and brokers to the firm of which they were in quest A winding stone stair well carpeted and railed at first but growing shabbier with every landing brought them past innumerable doors until at last just under the ground glass roofing the names of smith hanbury were to be seen been painted in large white letters across a panel with a laconic invitation to push puh beneath it following out the suggestion the admiral and his companion found themselves in a dingy apartment III rt lit from a couple of glazed windows an ink stained table littered with pens papers and almanacs an american cloth sofa three chairs of varying patterns and a much worn carpet constituted all the furniture save only a very large and obtrusive porcelain spittoon and a gaudily framed and very somber bomber picture which hung above the fireplace sitting in front of this picture and staring gloomily at it as being the only thing he could stare at was a small sallow faced boy with a large head who in the intervals of his art studies munched sedately at an apple Is sir mr smith or mr hanbury ina in asked the admiral there aint no such people said the small boy but you have the names on the door ali ah that Is the name of the firm you see its only a name its mr reuben that you wants well then Is he in no hes bes not when will he be back cant tell im sure sate iles hes gone to lunch sometimes he takes one hour and sometimes two be two today I 1 tor for he said he was hungry afore he went then I 1 suppose we had better call again said the admiral not a bit cried charles 1 I know how bow to manage these little imps see here you young varmint heres a shilling tor for you run oft off and fetch your master it if you dont bring him here in five minutes ill clump you on the side of the head when you get back shoot shoo seat scat lie ile charged at the yo youth u th who bolted from the room and clattered madly downstairs down stairs Il hell lell fetch him said charles Ch iries let us make ourselves at home this sofa does not feel over and above sate safe it was not meant tor for fifteen stone men but this look quite the sort of place where one would expect to pick up money just what I 1 was thinking said the admiral looking ruefully about him all ah well I 1 have heard that the best furnished offices generally belong to the poorest firms lets hope it Is the OP opposite here they cant spend much on the management anyhow that pumpkin headed boy was the staff I 1 suppose ila ha by jove his voice and hes got our man I 1 As he be spoke the youth appeared in the doorway with a small brown dried up little chip ot of a man at his heels he was clean shaven and blue chinned with bristling black hair and keen brown eyes which shone out very brightly from between pouched under lids ilde and drooping upper ones he advanced glancing keenly from one to the other of his visitors and slowly rubbing together his thin blue veined hands the small boy closed the door behind him and directly vanished 1 I am mr air reuben said the moneylender was it about an advance you wished to see me yes tes for you I 1 presume turning to charles no tor for this gentleman the moneylender looked surprised how much did you desire 1 I thought ot of five thousand pounds raid eald the admiral and on what security 1 I am a retired admiral of the british navy you will find my name in the navy list there Is my card I 1 have here my pension papers I 1 get 1850 EL a year I 1 thought that perhaps it if you were to hold these papers it would be security enough that I 1 should pay you you could draw my pension and repay yourselves at the rate say of 0 a year taking your five per cent interest as well what interest five per cent per annum per annuel annu annum ml he said five per cent a month A month that would be sixty per cent a year precisely but that Is monstrous 1 I dont ask gentlemen to come to me they come of 0 their own freewill free will those are my terms and they can take it or leave it then I 1 shall leave it the admiral rose angrily from his chair but one moment sir just sit down and we shall chat the matter over yours Is a rather unusual case and we may find some other way of doing what you wish of course the security which you offer Is no security at all and no sane man would advance five thousand pennies on it no security why not sir you might die tomorrow you are arc not a young man what age are you sixty ehrp mr air alot 1 1 lurn arnd d over a long column of figur here fere Is an actuary g table said bald ho hi at your time of life the average elpe tancy of 0 life Is only a few year even in a well berva erack man do you rrean mean to insinuate that I 1 pin am not a well preserve l man well admiral it Is a trying life at sea sailors in their younger days daya are ar gay d dogs and take it out of them then when they grow older they are still hard at it and have no chance of rest or peace I 1 do not think a sailor a life a good one ill tell you what air said bald the admiral hotly if you have two pairs of 0 gloves ill undertake to knock you out under three rounds or ill race you from here to st pauls and my friend here will wil see fair ill let you see whether im an old man or riot not this Is beside the question said the moneylender money lender with a deprecatory dhru the point Is that it if you died tomor to mor row where would be the security chent 1 1 I could insure my life and make maka the P policy orley over to you your tour premiums tor for such a gum burn it any office would have you which I 1 very much doubt would come to close on five hundred a year that would hardly suit your book well sir air what do you intend to propose posea asked the admiral 1 I might to accommodate you work it in another way I 1 should send bend tor for a medical man and have an opinion upon your life then I 1 might see bee what could be done that la Is quite fair I 1 have no objection to that there is a very clever doctor in tho the at street reet here croudle Is hla his name jobs joli go BO an and d fetch doctor croudle Pro 11 the youth was dispatched upon his errand en ana while mr sat at his desk trimming his bis nails and shooting out little comments upon the weather presently feet were heard upon the stairs the moneylender hurried out there was a sound of 0 whispering and he returned with a large tat fat greasy looking man law clad in a much worn frock coat and a very dilapidated top hat doctor croudle Pro die gentlemen bald mr the doctor bowed smiled whipped oft off his hat and produced hla his stethoscope from its interior with the air of 0 a conjurer upon the stage which of these gentlemen am I 1 to examine he asked blinking from one to the other of them ali ah it Is you only your waistcoat you need not undo your collar thank I 1 you A full breath thank you ninety nine thank yo you u now hold your breath for a moment oh dear dear what Is this I 1 hear what Is it then asked the admiral coolly tut tut this la Is a great pity have you had rheumatic fever never you have had some serious illness never ali ah you are an admiral you tou hays have been abroad tropics malaria ague I 1 know 1 I have never had a days illness not to your knowledge but you have bava inhaled unhealthy air and it has left its effect you have an organic mur mur slight but distinct Is it dangerous it might at any time become so you should not take violent exercise oh indeed it would hurt me to run ahall a halt mile it would be very dangerous and a mile would be almost certainly fatal then there Is nothing else the mat terl rn fk no lut but it if the heart Is weak then everything Is weak and the life Is not a sound bound one IY you ou see admiral remarked sir mr Ale taxa as the doctor secreted his stethoscope once more in his hat my remarks were not entirely uncalled tor for I 1 am sorry orry that the doctors opinion la Is not more favorable but this Is a matter of business and certain obvious precautions must be taken of course then the matter Is at an end well we might even now do bust business I 1 am most anxious to be of use to you how long do you think doctor that this gentleman will in all probability live I 1 well well its rather a delicate question to answer sald said sir croudle Pro with a show of embarrassment not a bit sir out with it I 1 have faced death too often to flinch from it now though J 3 saw it as near me BA as you are TO BE CO CONTINUED |