ISHMAEL; Or, IN THE DEPTHS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 32, 8 February 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

ISHMAEL; Or, IN THE DEPTHS.

MRS EMMA _>. E. _T. SOUTH WORTH, Author of "Fair Play." "The Missing Bride." " A Noblo Lord," "How He Won Her." "The Prince of Darkness," "Tried for Her Life." Etc.. Etc.

CHAPTER XXL

ishmael's adventure.

I almost fanny that the more

He was cast out from men, Nature had made him of her store

A worthier denizen; As if it pleased her to carc»s A plant grown up so wild, As it his being parentless Had made him moro Iter child. aiOXCKTON MILNES.

At twelve years of age Ishmael was a tall, bhin, delicate looking lad, with regular feabures, pale complexion, fair hair, and blue eyes. His great, broad forehead and . wasted cheeks gave his face almost a triangular shape. The truth is, bhab up bo this age the boy had never had enough food to nourish the healthy growth of the body. And that he lived at all was probably due to some great original vital force in his organisation, and also to the purity of his native air, of which at least he got a plenty. . He had learned all the * professor' could teach him; had read all the books that Morris could lend him ; and was now hungering and thirsting for more knowledge. At this time a book had.such a fascination for Ishmael, that when he happened to bo at Baymouth he would stand gazing, spell-bound, at the volumes exposed for sale in the shop-windows, just as other boys gaze at toys and sweetmeats.

Bub libble bime had bhe poor lad for such peeps into Paradise, for he was now earning about a dollar a week, as' Assistant-Pro-fessor of Odd Jobs to Jem Morris, and his professional duties kept him very busy. Bay mouth had progressed in all these years, and now actually boas ted';a fine new shop, with this sign over the door: ' Book, Stationery and Fancy Bazaar.'

And this to Ishmael seemed a very fairy palace. It attracted him with an irresistible glamour. It happened one burning Saturday afternoon in August that the boy, having a half-holiday, resolved to make the most of ib, and enjoy himself by walking to Baymouth, and standing before that shop to gaze ab his leisure upon the marvels of literature displayed in its windows.

The unshaded village btreet was hob and dusty, and the unclouded August sun waß blazing down upon ib ; bub Ishmael did nob mind thab, as he stood devouring with his eyes the unattainable books. While he was thus occupied, a small, open, one-horse carriage drove up arid stopped before the shop-door. The gentleman who had driven it alighted, and handed out a lady and a little girl in deep mourning. .The lady and the little girl passed immediately into the shop. And oh ! how Ishmael envied them! They were perhaps going to buy some of those beautiful booksl The gentleman paused with the reins in his hands, and looked up and down the bare street, as if in search ot soirie person. At last, in withdrawing hi 9 eyes, they fell upon Ishmael, and he him. The boy hastened to his side. • My lad, do you think you can bold my horse?'

'Oh, yes, sir.' ' Well, and,can you lead him but of the road to that stream there under the trees, and let him drink and rest f

t V*Qg Bir.' -' ■„ 'Very well, go on, then, and mind and watch the carriage well, while we are in the shop ; because, you see, there are tempting parcels in it.' 'Yes, sir,' again._ud_h&ibby> The gentleman gave him the reins and followed the ladies into the shop. And lehmaelled the horse off'to the grove stream* a place much frequented by visitors

Ac Baymout h to rest and water their horses.

The thirsty horse had drank his fill, and the kind,boy was engaged in rubbing him down with cool; fresh dock leavos, when a voice near the carriage attracted Ishmael's attention.

'Oh, cricky, Ben! if .ore isn't old Middy's pony-chaise stanui;;.,- all alone, and full of good nuggs, he's been a buying for that tea-party 1 Come, let's have our share beforehand.'

Ishmael, who was partly concealed by his stooping position behind the horse, now raised his head; arid saw two young gentlemen, of about twelve and fourteen years of age, whom he recognised as the sons of Commodore Burghe, by having seen them often at church in the commodore's pew. •'.' ' Oh, I say, Ben here's a hamper chock full of oranges and figs and nuts and raisins and things ! let's/get at them,' feaid the elder boy, who had climbed upon one wheel and was looking into the carriage. ,' Oh, no, Alf! don'b meddle with them ! Mr Middleton would be mad,' replied the, younger: . .' Who cares if he is? Who's afraid? Not IV exclaimed 'Alf,' tearing off the top of the hamper and beginning to help himself. All this passed in the instant that Ishmael was rising up. ' You must not touch those things, young gentlemen! You must not, indeed 1 Put those figs back again, Master Alfred,' he said;' ■ ' ]'■''..

'Who the blazes are you, pray ?' inquired * Master Alfred' contemptuously, as he coolly proceeded to fill his pockets. ■'1 am Ishmael Worth, and.l am set here to watch' this hor.se and carriage, and I mean to do it! Put. those figs back again, Master Alfred.' ■'■•:•"

'Oh! you are Ishmael Worth, are you? The weaver woman's boy and Jim Morris' 'prentice. Happy to know' you, sir.! said the lad, sarcastically, as he deliberately spread his handkerchief on the ground and began to fill it with English walnuts. •Return those things to the hamper, Master Alfred, while times are 'good,'' said Ishmael, slowly and distinctly.

4 Oh, I say, Ben, isn't he a nice one to make acquaintance with ? Let's ask him to dinner 1' jeered the boy, helping himself to more walnuts.

'You had better return those thing 3 before worse comes of it,'said Ishmael, slowly pulling off his little jacket and carefully folding it up and laying it on the ground. 'I say, Ben ! Jem Morris' 'prentice is going to fight! Ar'n't you scared V sneered Master Alfred, tying up bis handkerchief full of nuts. '

4 Will you return those things or not?' exclaimed Ishmael, unbuttoning his little shirt collar and rolling up his sleeves. ' Will you tell me who was your father ?' mocked Master Alfred.

Thab question was answered by a blow dashed full in the mouth of the questioner, followed insbantly by another blow inbo his right eye and a third into his lefb. Then Ishmael seized him by bhe collar, and bwisting it, choked and shook him until he dropped bis plunder. But it was' only the suddenness of the assault thab had given Ishmael a moment's advantage. The contest waa too unequal. As soon as Master Alfred had dropped his plunder, he seized his assailant. Ben also rushed to the rescue. It was unfair, two boys upqn one. They soon threw Ishmael down upon the ground and beat his breath noarly out of hia body. They were so absorbed in their cowardly work that they were unconsoious of the approach of the. party from the shop, until the gentleman left the ladies and hurried to the Bceue of action, exclaiming:

'What's this? What's this? What's all this, young gentlemen ? Let that poor lad alone ! Shame on you both !' The two culprits ceased their blows and started up, panic-stricken. Bat only for a moment. The ready and reckless falsehood sprang'to Alfred's lips. *Why, sir, you see, we were walking along and sa^v.ypur.carriage here "arid saw that boy stealing the fruit and nuts from ifc. And we ordered him to stop and he wouldn't, and wo pitched into him and beat him. Didn'b we, Ben ?'

' Yes, we beat him;' said Ben, evasively,

• Humph ! And he stole the very articles thab ho was put here to guard ! Sad ! sad ! bub the fault was mine! He is bub a child ! a poor child, and was most likely hungry. I should nob have left the fruit right under his keen young noso to tempb him ! Boys, you did very wrong to beat him so ! "Sou, who are pampered so much, know little of the severe privation and great temptations of tho poor. And we cannot expect children to resist their natural appetites,' said the gentleman, gently, as he'stooped to examine the condition of the fallen boy

Ishmael was half stunned/exhausted and bleeding; but bis confused senses had gathered the meaning of the false accusatiori made against him. And, through the blood bursting from his mouth, he gurgled forth-the words :

• I didn't, sir ! The Lord above.He knows Ididn't!' .

'He did! he did ! Didn't he, Ben ?' cried Master Alfred. .*.

Ben was silent,

• And we beat him ! Didn't we, Ben ?' questioned the young villain, who well understood his weak younger brother. . 'Yes,' replied Ben, who was always willing to oblige his elder brother if he could do so without telling an out-and-out falsehood—'we did beat him.'

The gentleman raised the battered boy to his feet, took a look at him and murmured to himself, • Well, if this lad is a thief and a liar, there is no truth in phrenology or physiognomy either.' Then, speaking aloud, he said : *My boy ! I am very sorry for what has just happened ! You -were placed here to guard my property. You betrayed your trust! You, yourself, stole it! And you have told a falsehood to conceal your theft. No !do not attempb to deny it ! Here are two young gentletnen of position who are witnesses against you!' Ishmael to gurgle some denial, but his voice was drowned in the blood that etill filled his mouth.

• My poor boy,'cpnbinued bhe genbleman —'for I see you are poor, if you had simply eaten the fruit and nuts, that would have been wrong certainly, being a breach of trust; but it would have been almost excusable, for you might have been hungry and been tempted by the Bmell oLthe fruit and by the opportunity of tasting it. And if you had confessed it frankly, I should as frankly have forgiven you. But lam sorry to say that you have attempted to, conceal your fault by falsehood. And do you know what thab falsehood has done ? It has converted the'act, that I should have construed as a mere trespass, into a theft !'

Ishmael stooped down and his bloody face in the stream, and then wiped ib clean with his coarse pocket handkerchief. And then he raised his head wibh a childish dignity most wonderful to see, and said :

' Listen to me, sir, if you please. I did not take the fruit or the nuts, or anything that was yours. It is true, sir, as you said, that lam poor. And I was hungry, very hungry indeed, because 1 have had nothing to eat since six o'clock this morning. And the oranges and figs did smell nice, and I did want them very much. But I did not touch bhem, sir ! I could bebber bear hunger than I could bear shamo ! And I should have suffered shame if I had taken your things 1 Yes, even though you might have never found out the loss of them. Because —J should have known myself to be a thief, and I could nob have borne that, sir! I did nob take your property, sir; I hope you will believe me.'

• He did ! he did ! he did ! didn't he now, Ben?',cried Alfred.

Ben was silent.

*_nd we beat him for it, didn'b we, Ben"?',' ' '.:."''

* Yes,' said Ben.