A DARING IMPOSTOR.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5272, 16 July 1888, Page 4

A DARING IMPOSTOR.

« [BY ALI'BEI) 18. CALIIOUN.] CHAPTER X. I'LANH YOB THE I'CTURE. Tlie interest shown by Irene Lefferts had a happy effect on Allen Gilbert. He worked ■with a lighter heart, and every day ho felt more and more like a num. The now interest he felt in life purified his heart of tho desire for revenge that had so Jong stirred its depths. Troo, he never for an instant gave up the thought of abandoning tho search for evidence to prove that he waa innocent of tho j crime for which he had so cruelly suffered ; i but his impulse was now to show his true j character in the boot light to tho world, j rather titan to punish the unprincipled conspirators who, to save themselves, had iniido him a victim. He found in Florence and his mother loving comforters, who, by keenly interesting him in the present, mado him ceaso brooding over the past—to forget it they knew was impossible. Tho little family soon made friends with tho workers in the crowded tenement, and, at Florence's suggestion, a night school was established in their own quarters. {Jhe taught tho girls reading, writing, and cowing. and Allen instructed the boys in euoh branches as he thought might be of nse to them. These lads were bootblacks, newsboys, messenger boys, or cash boys in stores, all of whom had been forced, by the necessities of their parents, to begin tho fight for existence, years before they should havo left school. From the very first, the efforts of the generous teachers were crowned with success. The poor people were grateful beyond expression ; and by way of showing thin, they came constantly to the brother and sister with their confidence—the stories of their sore trials and ardent hopes. Great as the change was in Allen, the new life wrought a still greater change in Florence. The tflow of health came to her cheeks, and the light that had distinguished her hopeful girlhood returned to her eyes. The men in the* tenement never wearied in speaking of her beauty and goodness, and, ac tho women shared in this wpirit of admiration, they endorsed the views of their husbands and fathers without i< pang of ealousy. Soon after the night nchool was started, Dr. Putmiui heard about it, and as he was earnest in good tilings, with tho means for gratifyiug his desires in that way, Tie at once became interested. Allen never mentioned liin suspicions to hii sister. Certain it is hlio would nave been plined had he done no; but ho could not help seeing that tho young doctor's nightly visits were largely duo to his increasing admiration for the beautiful Florence. It required no very keen powers of observation to see tlm ell'eot of tho doctor's visits o» tho young laily. Hud she been less natural and more adept in hiding her emotions, she might havo succeeded in keeping back tho pleased light that came to her eyes when she hoard his voice or knock. flhe was too happy to think of analyzing : her own feelings. Hud sho fully understood what thoHC first joyous heart-tl.robs meant, Hhe would havo been on her guard, for she fully realised that, no matter how nearly on a level she and the doctor might bo by birth and education, wealth removed them, socially very fur apart. jjut they hud another earnest supporter in their night school work. As soon as Ireno Ltfferts board of it. she ius-isted on furnishing all the necessary books and other : education:il appliances, and great quantities : of plain sowing for the girls, tho garments ■ being their own after they had made them. Irene came one afternoon every week, and she was so gentle and sisterly that "*"~ Florence felt no embarrassment m having : her to t.a. At such timeu sho would remain till "school wad out," when the joyous duty of escorting her Lome would dovolve on Allen. ■ The emotion of love is hugely tho result ■ of association. Let any two people pi the opposite sex—between whom tho barriers of previous engagement or great disparity of H<re or social position do not exist—bo much "(brown together, and so become dependent

on oacb. other for happiness, and the chances are ten to one that they will fall in love. But, in addition to this association, there wae a romantic origin to the friendship which speedily sprang up between Allen and the lady he had rescued. We call the feeling "friendship," as either of them would Have frankly called ii, if asked for an explanation of their relationship at this time. Allen worked with, an energy and care that pleased his patrons greatly, and gradually added to their number, untU at length he found that he must have a little office and a boy of his own. This messenger boy was a bright lad of fourteen, who had grown sickly and sallow making , cigars in the tenement house. His name was Victor Blanc, and he had a sister a year younger, named Bortha, who was a great pet of Florence "Well, Victor." said Allen, one evening, after he had been on his fuot ever since daylight, "we are both tired and hungry ; so we'll shut up shop and go home. What say you?" " Well, sir," laughed Victor, " I'd a said yes to that offer if you'd made it three hours ago." Allen had locked his desk and was in the act of putting the key into his pocket, when he heard a heavy step and a coarse cough behind him, and turning quickly, he found himself face to fuco with Mingo Pete. " Ha ! Good evening, old friend," said Miugo Pete, smiling in a way that showed all his yellow teeth, and reaching out lua hand when he caught Allen's eyes. "I ye been a sarchin' an' a sarohiu' for you for weeks an , weoks. But hero you are at last. An' how are you, anyway ?' Allen was so taken by surpnso that no could not refuse the ruffian's hand ; but quickly regaining hiseelf-control, he said : " I do not know why you should want to see me. I have had no desire to hunt you "Well, well, well!" exclaimed Mingo, "that's tho way with some fellers. When they begins to git honors an , wealth then they 'peer to have no more use for the old friends as was under tho drag with 'em. But I say, Number 367, is that boy your son ? T * MirigO pointed to tho boy, who stood near the door, with his big eyes full of wonder. Without replying to this, Allen paid: " You can go" homo, Victor. I will elofe up." " Ah, yes, that's better. I never like to let kids into our secrete; they '11 learn 'em soon enough ;no fear of that. Curus that young tins has got to bo taught goodness an' virtuo an' them kind o' things, but when it comes to t'other side of the question they don't want no postinV Then waving his hand at Victor, Mingo continued : " You run homo, eonny, yer boss an' mo is agoin , to talk over the ole time when him an' me wore the uniform an' sarved the State," and the wretch threw back his head and laughed as if ho had uttered a great joko. "Now, why do you come here?" asked Allen, turning fiercely upon the intruder, when tho boy had left. " Oh, come, don't get mad," said Mingo, rising to his feet, for there was a dangerous light in the eyes of the young man confronting him. . "Mad, you scoundrel! What right— how dare you come here as if )-ou wero a friend of mime ? Out of this placo at once, or I shall flog you like the cur that you are !" cried Allen, as, with his left hand, ho seized Mingo by the collar, and with the right pointed to the door. " I didn't cotno to spongo or to make no fuss," whined Mingo, cowed for tho moment by the other's resolute manner. " It's a rule for them as has been in quod together to help each other if they gets hard up. I chanced to find out that you was α-doin' well; an' as I can't get no work—just coz I've been in limbo—l thought that, as you kuowod how it was yersel', you might help mo till I can raise nuff money to take mo away off to some country where I aint knowed, an , where I can make a frush start under a new iiutne." While Allen's bitter experience had intensified his horror of crime, it had ulso deepened and I rjodened his charity, and he had come to think of the training, or want of training, of tho criminal classes, and the temptations that wore yielded to for tho need of a helping hand. He had never liked this follow, Mingo. He felt in his hewrt that he was beyond redemption ; yet, as his own case flashed through his mind, Allen reasoned that ho miu-ht bo wrong in his judgment, and that it was his duty to help this man, if he could do so without compromising himself. " You do not look liko a man who could tell the truth," said Allen, scorn in his voice and a softer light, liko pity, in his eyes. " I liint practised it so much as I have the t'other, said Mingo, with affected humility. "The truth, aint paid so well; but, if I had a chance, I should like to try it. I don't pretend to be no better'n I am. When I was sent up, which hus been four times, I (k-siirved it, an , I didn't never wine. But no man, as remembers 'bis mother an" them long-ago dnyn when ho was a young, imiprcout kid, wants to think that he aiufuevor gi'in' to do no bettor, an' that thnro tiint liothin , more to look forVd to than dyin' in quod an' bt-in' buried in the paupers' bone yard; not that tho buryin' counts for much ; an' a man that humi't been choice 'bout the folks bo's kep' coiiip'ny with when alive, shouldn't kick 'bout them he's goin* t» lie down ulonjrsido of when he's planted with other stills." Mingo was so touched with hie own speech that ho actually turnei Jmk feco to tho back of bis cbair, and, hiding his face in bin hands, sobbed aloud. It is eaid that a woman's tears is her etrongCHt weapon —it is certainly v very ready and a very effective weapon—but when a man cries it implies a stronger if not a deeper focliug. Often, in tho <lurk day* which still enme to him in hit* dreams, Allen felt that if he could only cry aloud, as wbcu he wusa boy, and let tho t< ars pour out in floods, that they woiilil ilout from h'm heart (he load of agony that crushed it as if it wore in an I ever-tightening vice. " I am poor," said Allen, much touched i by tho nplo'uli'l acting of tlie wretch before him, " bat, ho far as I can, I am willing to help you. This I will do, not because I chanced to meet you in that place where you went to suffer for your guilt, and I went as the victim of an infamous conspiracy, but because you area fellow-man in want, and eagor to lend a w.w life—" " Yes , , that's it . that's it,' There you've hit m<3 equar'. Help mo out of this hole, an , I'll show you I can do 'bout watts right;" and Mingo roso and reached out hie hands pleadingly. " And you will bo advised by mo ?" asked Alien. " i'os, just as if I was yer born slave." "Then," said Allen, " I will trust you. I know what it is to bo kicked down when I tried to crawl up ; and with God's help, I will iinver obstruct tho way of a man aiming at a better life." Ho gave Mingo five dollars, and told him to call on the following evening , , promising to try nnd find him some suitable employment in the meantime. ' Mingo was ho profuse in his thanks that Allen did not object to his walking along with him for somo distanco on the way home, protesting at every step his purpose to lead a new life. Aβ they walked on, Allen paid no heed to the people they passed, and so did not see Mott Reybold. Had he done so, ho must havo noticed tho quick, meaning ] glances exchanged between him nnd Miugo. After passing, Reybold stopped on the next corner, and waited till joined by Mingo. " Well, Pete," he said, " what's the report ?" " It's good ; couldn't be better," was tho reply. '' You seem to bo working him on the friendly racket." " It's the only way to strike him. I tried the bullying, but he'd a thrashed me an' flung me into the street if 1 hadn't a took the back track." " What do you mean r" " W'y, Kernul, I mean that I'm α-tryin' to reform. I sigh to lead a better life, an' to become a more law-abidin', God-fearin' ciitizen. I cried so much w'en I told him this, that I'm dry as a chip, an' must hurry ofi' for a drink—" "He gave you money, eh, Mingof" laughed Reybold. " Just enough for a drink; but till I'm able to earn a honest livin'," chuckled Mingo, " you must help me with grub an' clothes." [to bk continued.]