CHAPTER IX.
SUNLIGHT.
Our scene shifts back to Mrs. Grimgriskin's elegant establishment,where poor Travers' affairs are once more in a very dilapidated state,as may be inferred from the conversation now progressing.
"People as can't pay," said the now curt landlady, smoothing down analready very smooth apron, "needn't to have no objections, I think, toturn out in favor of them as can. I'm a woman of few words--very fewindeed. I don't want to make myself at all disagreeable; butimpossibles is impossibles, and I can't provide without I have themeans to do so with."
"My good lady," interposed Travers, "do pray give me a little time; myfriend Sterling has again applied to Mr. Granite"----
"Pooh! I'm sick of all such excuses; one word for all--get your trunksready. I'd rather lose what you owe me than let it get any bigger, whenthere's not the remotest chance, as I can see, for its liquidation;and, dear me, how lucky--I declare there's the very truckman who camethe other day. I'll tell him to stop, for I don't mind giving you allthe assistance I can, conveniently with my own interest."
So saying, she hailed Tom Bobolink, who was indeed looking somewhatwistfully towards the house. He was just cogitating within his mindwhat excuse he could make to get into the place, and so rid himself ofhis unfortunate good fortune at once.
"Yon trunks, I presume from appearance, won't take a long time to getready," said the delicate Grimgriskin. "Here, my man; just come inhere," she continued, as Tom, in a state of considerable trepidation,entered the room; "this young man will have a job for you." The poorwife now joined Travers, and on inquiring the cause of the slighttumult, was told by Henry that she must prepare to seek an asylum awayfrom the hospitable mansion which had recently afforded them a shelter.
"Come, my love," said he, with a tolerable effort at cheerfulness, "letus at once leave this mercenary woman's roof."
"Mercenary, indeed!" the landlady shrieked after them, as they enteredtheir own room. "Because a person won't suffer themselves to be robbedwith their eyes open, they're mercenary. The sooner my house is clearedof such rubbish, the better. Mercenary, indeed!" and with an indignanttoss of her false curls, she flounced out of the room.
"Now for it!" cried Tom; "the coast is clear; what the deuce shall I dowith it? I dare not give it openly; suppose I say I found it under thesophia. Egad, that will do famously; here goes." So saying, he plungedhis hand into his bosom, and to his horror and consternation it was notthere; his blood froze in his veins for an instant, then deluged himwith a perfect thaw of perspiration. "Oh, miserable, miserable wretch,I've lost it, I've lost it; what is to become of me!" In vain hesearched and searched; it was clean gone. "Oh, how can I face Pollyagain?" he groaned. "My life is made unhappy for ever; cursed, cursedluck. That ever my eyes fell upon the thing at all: ha!" a shadowy hopeflitted across him, that he might have left it at home. "Could I havebeen so drunken a fool as to leave it behind me? if so, where is itnow? At all events, I must go back as fast as I can, for if I cannotrecover it, my God! I shall go mad." With a few big jumps he reachedthe street, and hastily mounting his truck, drove rapidly home,unmindful of the public observation his demented look and unusual hasteproduced.
A short time after Tom's sudden departure, which was a perfect mysteryto Mrs. Grimgriskin, and also to Henry and his wife, a timid ring washeard at the hall-door, and soon Travers, to whom every sound broughtincrease of apprehension, trembled as he became aware of an altercationbetween his irate landlady and the new comers, whoever they were.
"I tell you I must see 44, the man that had the thrunks, goin' away afew days agone," said an unmistakably Irish voice, rich and round.
"Oh, if you please, ma'am," placidly continued a small, silvery one.
The dispute, however, was very suddenly cut short by the owner of theloud voice exclaiming, "Arrah, get out o' the road, you cantankeruswitch of Endher," and O'Bryan and Polly rushed up the stairs withoutfurther ceremony. The door of Travers' room was flung open. "Ha! ha!"cried O'Bryan, "there he is, every inch of him; that's 44; long life toyou; and it's glad I am I've found you, and glad you'll be yourself,I'm thinkin', if a trifle o' money will do yez any good."
"What's the matter with you, my friend, what do you seek from me?"demanded Travers.
"Oh, sir, I beg your pardon for breaking in upon you so suddenly," saidPolly, "but have you lost any money!"
"I have, indeed," replied Henry, "a large sum; do you know anythingabout it?"
"Yes, sir," cried Polly, with a radiant flash of her eye. "Here it is;"handing over the wallet, with its contents, with a sigh of the greatestpossible relief. "Tell me one thing, sir," she hesitatingly went on,"was it--was it--taken from you?"
"No, my good woman, it was lost by an old friend of mine, dropped, hebelieves, in the street."
"It was, sir, just as you say, thank Heaven for it. Yes, sir; myhusband found it. Is it all there, sir? oh, pray relieve me by sayingit is."
"Yes, every penny."
"Then, sir, whatever joy you may feel at its restoration cannot equalwhat I feel at this moment," said Polly, while the tears gushed forthunrestrainedly from her eyes.
"Here, my good woman, you must take a portion and give it to yourhonest husband," said Henry, handing to her a liberal amount of thesum.
"Not a shilling, sir, not a shilling," Polly firmly repeated. "I hateto look at it."
"Then would you, my friend, take some reward," continued he, addressingO'Bryan.
"Is it me? not av you were me father, I wouldn't," said the Irishman,with a look of horror. "I know where it came from; bedad I know thevery soil it sprouted out of. I'll tell you how it was, sir. You see Iwas sittin' by myself, and, like an ungrateful blaggard as I am,instead of thankin' the blessed Heavens for the good luck that had fella-top o' me, what should I do but wish I had a bit o' money, for todress up my ugly anatomy, when all at once that swadge of temptationdropped on the floor before my very face."
"Don't heed him, sir, he knows not what he talks about," said Polly."It is all as I told you, sir. My husband"----
She was interrupted by O'Bryan, who cried, "Here he comes. May I niverstir if he doesn't, skelpin' along the street in a state ofdisthractitude; by me sowl it's here he's coming, too."
"Yes, I know," said Henry, "he is employed, I believe, by our worthylandlady, to remove our things."
At this moment Tom burst into the room, but on seeing Polly and O'Bryanhe stopped short, as if arrested by a lightning stroke. "You here,Polly? have you heard of my crime," he said, wildly: but she restrainedhim by gently laying her hand upon his arm.
"Yes, Tom," she said, quietly, "I know all about it, and so does thisgentleman. I have restored the money."
"What?" exclaimed Bobolink, while a thrill of joy went through hisframe; "is this true?"
"Hush! husband, dear, hush!" she continued; "I did as you told me, youknow. I have brought and given back the lost money to its owner. Youknow you left it at home for me to take."
"Ah, Polly, I wish I could tell this fellow that," said Tom, laying hishand upon his heart; "but I did intend to give it back. I did, by allmy hopes of happiness."
"I know you did, my dear Tom," replied Polly, earnestly. "Your trueheart could not harbor a bad thought long."
"My good friend," said Travers, approaching the truckman. "Your wifehas refused any reward for this honest act."
"She's right, sir, she's right," interrupted the other.
"At least you'll let me shake you by the hand, and proffer you myfriendship?"
"I can't, Poll, I can't," said Tom, aside, to his wife. "I'mafraid--I'm half a scoundrel yet--I know I am; but I've learned awholesome lesson, and while I have life I'll strive to profit by it."
Urged to it by Polly, he did, however, shake hands with Travers and hiswife, just as old Sterling, his face shrouded in gloom, and Mrs.Grimgriskin, stiff and tigerish, entered the room.
"Ah, Sterling, my good old friend, rejoice with us--this honest fellowhas found, and restored the money lost
," said Travers, gaily; "but, howis this? you don't join in our gladness. Has that old rascal"----
"Hold!" interrupted the old clerk, in an earnest voice, and impressivemanner; "Heaven has avenged your wrongs in a sudden and fearful manner.Mr. Granite is dead."
"Dead!" exclaimed Henry, in a subdued tone; "with him let his misdeedsbe buried. His son will perhaps be more merciful; he will inherit"----
"He has inherited--his father's fate," solemnly replied the old clerk."Justice may slumber for a while, but retribution must come at last.You are now, by the merchant's will, his sole heir."
"Ho, ho!" thought Mrs. Grimgriskin, who had been an attentive listener,"I'm a woman of few words, but if I had been a woman of less, perhapsit would be more to my interest; but sudden millionaires are usuallygenerous;" and so, smoothing her feline demeanor into quietude, sheapproached Travers.
"Allow me most sincerely to congratulate you upon your good fortune,"she simpered. "Apropos, the first floor is somewhat in arrear; lovelyapartments, new carpet, bath, hot water."
"Plenty of that, I'll be bail," remarked O'Bryan; "arrah, howld yerprate, Mrs. Woman-of-few-words--don't you see there's one too manyhere?"
"Then why don't you go, you ignorant animal," sharply suggested theother.
"Because I'm not the _one_."
Suffice it to say, Henry, with his young wife, and dear old Sterling,were soon installed in a house of their own, and, to their credit,never lost sight of the interest of Tom Bobolink and Polly, who fromthat day increased in content and prosperity.
As for O'Bryan, the last intimation we had of his well-doing, was theappearance of sundry gigantic street-bills, which contained thefollowing announcement:
+------------------------+ | VOTE FOR | | THE PEOPLES' FRIEND. | | O'BRYAN, | | FOR ALDERMAN. | +------------------------+