TALE OF FIFTY YEARS AGO CHAPTER XI.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 21, 3 December 1874, Page 7

TALE OF FIFTY YEARS AGO CHAPTER XI.

f [ABLES WINGATE TURNS OUT TO BK SOMEBODY ELSE, AND PROPOSES A HAZARDOUS ENTERPRISE, IN WHICH JACK BLOSSOM PROMISES TO JOIN HIM. The young man who was known to j inmates of Ship Row by the name of tarles Wingate sat in a small inner wm in the office of Mr. Gilbert, the der-writer, busily engaged writing in wnderous volume, piles of which lay front and on either side of him. Mr. Ibert's insurance office was the largest ■ the kind in Glasgow, and his busifcss was very extensive, as weli as, on :-f|e whole, very lucrative. I The youth was alone, and wrote Jway in perfect quietness ; for the room not only seperated from the other fice where the clerks worked, but was jyond even the private room of the aster of the establishment, and had cess only through that sanctum, nd as that sanctum again had a priite door into a passage leading to the reet, the inmates of these two rooms uld enter or leave without having to iss through the public portion of the As Charles Wingate diligently pur- i Bed his work, the door of the apartBent opened, and a grave but pleasantHeed old gentleman entered. He was Bessed in the respectable attire of a Hell-to-do burgess of the period • had a Bid head, with almost no beard, and a Hell-shaven chin, which felt the passage B the razor every morning. When he Bade his appearance his gold spectacles Bere astride his nose, but as he immediately removed them, and allowed Rem to dangle in his hand, it might be Bferred that he did not wear them con* Hantly, but only when reading or writ■This was Mr. Gilbert himself — a douce, Hpeful, gear gathering bachelor, who Had the reputation of being a hard as Bell as a wealthy man, but who had a Beling heart at bottom, and was capfi>le of doing great kindness in a quiet Bay to those whom he liked. B The youth merely glanced up as tbe Bd man entered, and did not stop his Briting. Mr. Gilbert took a chair on ie opposite side of the table, and, as he Remed incline to speak, Charles laid Hewn his pen aud gazed at him. g " f have news for you to-day, Victor, By boy," he observed 5 "news from Beechwood." B'" Ah," cried the youth, with a start, md he bent anxiously forward. " Have ffiey discovered roe — discovered I am w your office, and passing under the game of Charles Wingate ?" II "No, no. Keep yourself easy on mat score. Your retreat is certainly llknown to your father, and he does rat seem to have any wish to discover li In fact, so far as I can make out, flu need not have taken the trouble to jmange your name and conceal yourmkf from their sight, for there is no delle either on your father's part or that Hyour cousin to seek to recover you." JS*- I'm glad to learn this much," reSmed the other, composedly. " But Hanticipated annoyance from useless micitation, and thought it better to Sppe all chance of such. Then what lie your news, and how have you re laved them V IB" From John M'Dougall, who has fen paying me a business visit this jmenoon. Knowing that he and his nirtner Menzies are often at Beechwood, Sounded bim in an overly way as to l||at is going on there, without, of |§prse, giving an idea that I had any |irticular interest in doing so." fit * Well sir, and what does he report ? tjlrust my father and cousin are on Jibd terms, and that he will retain the management of the estate." gjl" There is no hint to the contrary." ja' lam glad of that, at any rate. I ||Suld have been extremely sorry had IS cousin resented my refusal to marry |ot by removing my father from his jp||sent position. He seemed to dread tip very much." Wt Ah, then, I suspect he is manceuvrmg to prevent it, but I wish he may nil find himself deceived in the long ' m What mean you, sir ?" r W There is a likelihood of your cousin swei being married." JB Married 1" exclaimed the youth, agmazeuient. " M arried, Mr Gilbert ?" Wk Oh, no — no — thank goodness ; not gSried to Mr Gilbert. lam not such flftol as run my head into the matriloSfcial noose. jjHLnd the old man laughed gleefully, Wm twirled his heavy watch chain till IS seals rattled a brisk accompanij9R But are you seriou«, sir ? Is this fßftour really abroad ?" Wm I don't know whether it has gont jißabi'oad yet, but there is little doubl Wm it is true, seeing that M'Dougal MBit from the best authority." H| From my father ?" |SRNo, from the expected bridegroom.' 1 Wm Most extraordinary ! And who is HB Guess?" Bpl cannot— l really cannot think 0^ jWone in the neighbourhood likely tc Bg' e t0 m .y cousin's hand." BRWhat think you of James Menzies ?" ■James Menzies!" repeated the uh, almost starting to his 'feet with

excitement. "This surely cannot be possible." "It is true. M'Dougal tells me that Menzies has proposed and been accepted." • - " The designing scoundrel !" said Victor, setting his teeth very hard. " It is the estate he looks to." "Of course it is. It was a rare chance for him, and he is not the man to miss it. I have no doubt that he has used your father as a tool for his purpose, by making him believe that if the girl marries him the management of the estate will continue in your father's hands. But, as I have said, I wish Mr Moredant may not be deceived in this. 1 would not give much for the friendship of Menzies after his ends are served: n " I believe him to be a knave. I have always disliked both him and M'Dougal, and frequently offended my father by shunning their society when they were his guests, for his confidence in them is unbounded. Oh, the blind, confiding simpleton, to lend himself to such a bare-faced scheme ! But what shall I say of my cousin, who is willing to marry such a man. Does it not prove that I was right in declining her for a wife." "Eight? I never doubted that you were right, my boy. Had my opinion been otherwise I should not have aided and abetted you by taking you into my office as private clerk, but have advised you to return to Beechwood, and fulfil the conditions of your uncle's will. The girl is like all girls. She is fain to be married, and, seeing she could not have you, she is ready to take the first man that offers. Make them all alike, Victor, my boy. Do as I have done, and don't be gulled by any woman in creation. Stick to business and remain a bachelor, and you will thrive like a mushroom." The young man smiled, but did not reply. " What would he say," he thought, "if he knew that I love and am betrothed. He would look upon me as ruined for life. But this secret must not be revealed yet awhile." " Talking of'M'Dougal and Menzies," went on Gibbert, " you say you have not a great opinion of them ? What do you know against them V " Oh, nothing' positively, and perhaps I do them injustice j but I have never been able to regard them as upright, honorable men. My idea is that J they are tricky, calculating, and designing — in short, they are men such as I would not care to trust, still less to associate with ; and I have always regretted my father's intimacy with them. But I beg pardon, Mr Gilbert ; perhaps they are your friends likewise, and I do wrong to prejudice you against them." Mr Gilbert did not make an immediate reply, but a troubled look came upon his face, and he rose and paced the room in deep, and as it seemed unpleasant reflection. Victor was sorry that any words of his should have caused such annoyance, and after a moment's silence ventured to remark that he might be mistaken, and his opinion unfounded. Mr Gilbert opened the door, and gazed into his private room to see that no one was there. Then reclosing it he resumed his seat, and gazed at Victor with a face serious and disturbed. " I have grave doubts of them myself," he said. " You are aware, I suppose, of the extraordinary fatality that has of late overtaken their ships at sea. "Yes ; they have lost a number by an unfortunate series of casualties," " Ay, true — which we have known ■ to our cost, for they had them all heavily insured with us, and our losses bv them have been something tremendous." '■ They must also have lost heavily," remarked Victor, " for insurances are never effected to the full value of ship and cargo." " It is understood so," returned Gilbert, slowly. " But the queer thing is that the loss of so many ships does nob seem to have effected them financially. On the contrary, they are prospering more than ever, and this is very puzzling, for such repeated misfortunes are enough to ruin any man." " Good heaven !" ejaculated Victor ; can there be any deceit practised — any foul play ? Is that what you suspect, Mr Gilbert ?" " It is a dreadful thing to have such a decision," remarked the underwriter, 1 *' and I tremble to entertain it, far more ; to put it in words. I would not breathe i it to a mortal but myself, Victor ; but - I know I can trust you thoroughly." " You can, sir to the very utmost," , replied Victor, with earnestness. I "I am sure I can ; but even to you ■ I shrink from uttering the thought that has entered my mind, for it points to a 3 crime so fearful, so henious — no, no, it is impossible they would be guilty of a s capital offence ; not even for the sake t of gaining a few thousands would they I risk tneir lives." " Nay, sir, dont let us credit them with any scruple, even one so personal, ' if appearances seem to warrant the 3 suspicion 'you entertain. Now — you are better acquainted with the facts than I am — how have the various f wrecks taken place ?" ) " The ships have always foundered at sea." ' " Foundered ?" 3 " Yes— invariably." i *• And the captain and crew?"

" Have always been saved." - 11 Always!"' "Always. They escaped in the boats, and were picked up by other vessels." " Mr Gilbert, this is suspicious," said Victor, unhesitatingly. " Were I you I would accept no insurance risk of their's again." " But that is just where it is. I cannot decline without showing thafc I suspect, and this would bring me into serious trouble. No, I could not decline; and, though much ago iost my will, I have this very day accepted the insurance of a ship they are about to send to Hamburg with a cargo of calicoes. Both ship and cargo are insured very heavily, and, if the same mischance happens, my loss will be enormous." " My dear sir, this is a very serious matter," said Victor, in a tone of great concern. " Something must be done to save you from being swindled, if that is the game they are playing." " Ay, but how is it to be discovered 1 If my suspicion has any foundation, the captains must be confederates, and every precaution will be taken to have the deed concealed. lam powerless — defenceless. Here a tap came to the door as a signal that Mr Gilbert; was wanted in his private room. . He therefore rose in haste and perturbation and departed, leaving Victor alone. The latter sat for several minutes in deep thought, a cloud of grave concern settled on his brow. The suspicion so timidly and unhesitatingly breathed by Mr Gilbert was something dreadful to entertain, but his own private opinion of'M'Dougal and Menzies was so unfavorable that he could not cast from him the thought that they were capable of such a daring and iniquitous fraud. The facts which had produced ihe suspicion in the underwriter's mind were certainly very suspicious. That ship after ship should be lost in precisely the same wa3 r , and that they should all be heavily insured, was too singular to be purely accidental. But if the result of design, then, what a frightful crime was being committed ! It was a crime so flagrant in the eye of the law that at that time it was punished with death And seeing how deeply it struck at the roots of commercial stability and prosperity, it is not wonderful that in those days the penalty should have been so severe. Victor looked at the matter chiefly as it affected his employer, who was also his true and tried friend. If a scheme so fradulent and detestable was being practised, Mr Gilbert was beingrobbed to a heavy amount, and as he himself had just said he was powerless to protect himself. " How could he be saved from such a ruinous position T This -was the question which Victor was asking himself as he sat buried in thought, but the only answer that came was in itself an enigma. Mr Gilbert could escape from it only by the crime being delected and the criminals convicted. How was such detection and conviction possible 1 The captain was their confederate, and probably he alone in the ship knew what was being done — he and perhaps his chief officer. The crew were most likely L ept ia utter ignorance of the deed that there might be no risk of discovery. Where, then, was the hope of penetrating the wall of secrecy that was built around the perpetration of the crime 1 For a time no ray of light came to relieve the darkness with a gleam of hope ; but all at once Victor started as if from the effect ofa great and sudden idea. Its first presentation to his mind seemed to take his breath awa}', and he sat with fixed eyes which saw nothing, and open lips, and a countenance indicative of one who was startled hy his own conception, and wondered if it was within the bounds of realisation. And as he sat and reflected his face brightened and gathered an expression of assurance. This expression inerenped till he grew so excited and animated that he sprung from his seat and paced the apartment. "Yes, it is possible — it is ptaeticable," he said, unconsciously giving his thoughts utterance. " The adventure may be difficult nnd dangerous too j but, with Jack as my assistant, 1 do not despair of success, and I think Jean count on Jack to join me in such a mission and for such a cause. Alone I durst not venture in it, but with Jack as my associate in the enterprise, I would be safe to make the attempt. I may save more than Gilbert-— I may save my cousin and her property from the clutches of that designing man Menzies. I'll open the matter to Gil- j bert at once." He went to the door and listened if he could hear voices in the adjoining room. Hearing nothing, he quietly turned the handle, and had the satisfaction of seeing that Mr Gilbert's visitor had left him, for the underwriter sat , rubbing his forehead in perplexity. " Mr Gilbert," he said, in a low tone, and plunging into the subject at once. "I have thought of a plan by which our doubts will be resolved, aud the fraud, if fraud there be, is discovered. "Ha ! Victor, what mean you, my boy ?" cried the underwriter, with sudden animation. " I would give a large sum to know if my suspicion be true or false ; but I see no way of coming to that knowledge " " I do, sir * aud, with your approval, I shall carry out my plan." "My approval ! God bless me, Victor, you. may be sure I shall approve of

1 anything that promises to accomplish this end. What plan have you thought of?" "To disguise myself as a sailor, and engage with Captain Duncan to sail in the insured ship." i Mr Gilbert gazed at the youth with | breathless amazement. j " Goodness gracious," he gasped, as | soon as he was able to recover his breath, "you go as a sailor, Victor — you as a sailor — a common sailor ?" I " Why not ? The object to be gained j is wo<*th the trouble to be taken." | " Tiouble ! But there is more than trouble — there is danger — terrible danger. If you were discovered, and your purpose revealed — why, good j heaven ; they would throw you overboard." " Nay, I should be careful to prevent being discovered." " You could not, my boy, you could not. Suppose you deceived Duncan so far as to induce him to engage you, your ignorance of a sailor's duties would be at once detected." " I have thought of that, and should scarcely think of entering on the enterprise alone, but I recently made the acquaintance of a worthy fellow, an experienced sailor — Jack Blossom by name — who, 1 have no doubt, will join me in the business, and give me effectual aid. By his instructions I shall be able to perform the requisite duties and so escape detection. He and I will watch most narrowly every proceeding, and if the ship is Wilfully sunk we shall be witnesses of the deed." " Oh, mv boy, my boy, I could not think of it, I could not allow you to ruu this risk." " Don't be afraid, sir. Jack and I will manage so that there will be no risk." There is — there must be risk," persisted Mr Gilbert. " Suppose you are not discovered, yet if the vessel is foundered you may be drowned." " Nonsense. Have you not told me ihut the crews have alwavs escaped. Depend upon it, M.r Gilbert, i£ it he as we suspect, special care will be taken for the safety of those on board..Really, sir, there is no danger, and think of the importance — the immense importance of the object." " I do think of it, Victor, aud you are tempting iv\e too sore. Jf I should be prevailed ou to consent to your scheme, and you should come to harm by it, my earthly peace would be for ever destroyed. Think no more of it, mv boy — think no more of it. Better bear a heavy 'oss in money than that your life should be sacrificed." "Believe me, sir, there will be no danger," returned Victor, earne&ily • " and I wish you would overcome your scruples — not for your own sake alone, but for the sake of others." | "Of others, Victor ?" " Yes, sir. Let a fraud of this kind go on undetected, and the underwriters jof this country will be ruined ; for I others will perpetrate it besides these men, ancl the whole system of commerce will be undermined." "I know — 1 know. There is truA in what you say — fearful truth ; but why should you be called on to engage in the hazardous enterprise of stoppingit?" " Because we suspect, while others do not. Besides, I have a motive more personal. The result mav serve to frustrate the design of Menzies in seeking to marvy my cousin." " Ah, yes ! I' never thought of that; though the girl doesn't deserve to be saved from a fate she has -no business to incur." " Perhaps; but I don't like ihe idea of such a man becoming master of Beechwood." ; "No ; of course not — of course not. ft is worth doing something to prevent that." " And what will prevent it so effectually as the discovery that he is conjoined with M'Dougal in the perpetration of a capital crime?" asked Victor. "True, true," returned Gilbert, irresolutel**. The advantages to result from the scheme were now weighing in his mind against his scruples ; and, as he had acknowledged, the temptation was a sore one. His regard for Victor, his fears for his safety, were set over against the immense importance of discovering the truth, and the struggle was severe. Victor, however, could see that the underwriter was yielding in favor of the project, ancl wisely forbore further urging. " This man — this sailor — he may not join you in the enterprise," he said, as if looking about for some hindrance to prevent what he was becoming too weak to stand out against. " I am very certain he will," replied Victor, in a confident tone. " But can he be trusted ? Should he prove uniaithful, your doom is sealed." The idea of Jack Blossom, the father of May, his betrothed, proving unfaithful, was a supposition which made Victor smile at the ignorance which prompted it. "I'll leave you to decide that for yourself," he quietly rejoined. " I will bring Jack here; you shall see him, converse with him, and if, after that, you have the slightest doubt of his fidelity, I. will abandon the project." "Be it so," cried Mr Gilbert, with sudden emphasis. "We shall hinge the whole matter on the opinion I "form of this sailor. If I think him trustworthy, you will have my consent; if otherwise, then, Victor, I forbid the scheme." ■ '

| " All right, sir * I will abide by your decision as come to on this ground," answered the youth, who looked upon the enterprise as now settled, for he well knew that Mr Gilbert had only to see Jack to be thoroughly satisfied with him. " I will pay Jack a visit to-night," he added, " and acquaint him with the matter. It will be. necessary to allow me to trust him with what we suspect, and what I propose to effect. Trust my judgment not to err in doing so." " Well, well, as you will, Victor, as you will ; but remember my consent is contingent on my opinion of the sailor after I have seen him." . " I will bring him here to-morrow, sir." " Good. I shall await his coming with some anxiety." " One thing I must ask you to remember," as something like a blush reddened his cheek; I am known to him only by my assumed name of Charles Wingate. Don't let my true name escape your lips by mistake." " Ha, then you doubt him yourself," exclaimed the other, catching at Victor's anxiety on this head. " Not so. I could without a fear trust him with my real name and all that concerns me, and were any benefit to be derived irom it I would do so unhesitatingly ; but, inasmuch as no object is to be gained, we. need not needlessly burden him with a secret." ■ * All right. I understand you, Victor — I quite understand you, my boy. Never fear ; I shall call call you nothing but Mr Wingate in his hearing. He " quite understood" him, did he ? Not exactly. Victor had another object in keeping Jack ignorant of his true name and parentage. He did not wish his May to learn just yet f hat he was of higher social standing than he seemed. As a clerk he had won her love, ancl though the time must come when she would learn the truth, he designed that this discovery should be made at a later period. Tbat night Victor went to Ship Row, saw Jack, and put him in possession of the whole facts of the case, telling* him also of his own project, and asking* him as a personal favour to join in the enterprise, pointing out its immense importance, and showing, as indeed Jack very weil saw, that it could not be carried out without; him. As he expected, Jack was ready to co-operate, nay, he was eager to show his gratitude to the youth who was May's rescuer, and now, as he knew, her accepted lover, by engaging to vender all the assistance iu his power. Victor grasped his hand in warm acknowledgment, for he knew that in Jack he had obtained an ally who would prove watchful in every emergency and faithful unto death. Next day he took him to Mr Gilbert's pt*ivateroom, and the underwriter had not been five minutes in Jack's company till every scruple vanished, and lie freely gave his consent to the project. " But watch over him, Jack — Lord love you, watch over my young man," he said, and the tears in his eyes attested the sincerity of his emotion. "If any mischance happen him, I'll never get over it. 11l live the rest of my days in misery ancl die of a broken heart." " Don't you never fear, sir. I'll take care on him," said Jack, in a tone whose ring of cheerfulness served wonderfully to chase the fears from Mr Gilbert's heart. " And if there's any o' that ere foul play as you are afeared of, trust us to find it out. And I hopes as how all that's consarned in it will get their deserts. Anyway, sir, as I said before, never fear for Mr Charles, for no harm will come to him so longas Jack Blossom has his head above tbe wave." " You're a noble fellow, Jack, a noble hearted fellow," cried the delighted underwriter, as he seized Jack's hand, ' ancl worked his arm like a pump handle. " I knew ifc," said Victor to himself, with inward triumph. " I knew that Jack would more than satisfy him." {To be Continued.)