Prudence and the Possession Man

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 150, 21 December 1907, Page 12

Prudence and the Possession Man

Sir. Silas Folhorgill sat in his olh'ce in .the city, lingering certain long slips of blue paper. Outside, all the. Avorld shouted to him and to every one else that it AA-as Christmas Eve, and that, for a time at least, hard bargains were done Avith and old scores forgotten. If you had knoAvn Silas Fothergill you AVOlllcl -nave unccrstoocl that it would take a great deal moro than Chiistnias Eve to make him forego a bargain or forget an old score. In tho narrow court in Avhich his office was situated the Avind howled and , moaned, and droA'o stinging slcot into the faces of such people as still remained to transact business ;' inside the oißce a nieagrc scrap of firo had long since giA'en up the attempt to burn brightly, and was sloAvly flickering out. Silas sat in his overcoat — A\hich Avas cheaper, ns far as warmth was concerned. "I'll sell him vp — I'll turn him out of dooj's — I'll teach him how hard tho world can be, when you iefu.se to look rl squarely in tho face and pay .your debts I" he muttered. "The young dog ! —just like the father that flung his money broadcast flve-and-tAventy years ago. Like father — like son ; only the son shall pay for both!" He Avas interrupted by a knock at the outer door., His clerks had gone for tho clay, and he must perforce open it himself. Opening it, there Avas literally >blown- in upon him', in a whirl of Avind and sleet, a- little closelybuttoned man, holding his hat on with both hands. Murmuring apologies, ho set to work to help Silas Fothergill close the' door. • "I Avas. just going home," panted the ncAvcomer — "when I remembered that you wanted to sre mo about this business of your nephew. Christmas Eve, you knoAV, it doesn't quite seem a time* for. business — does it? ■ He smiled propitiatingly, ami shook the sleet from his hat. "All times are times for business with me," retorted Silas. "Come inside- ; I shan't keep you five minutes — especially as you're a lawyer. You charge for your limp." The other laughed at the pleasantry, and followed his patron into the inner office. Covertly enough he dreAv as near the firo as he could, and Avarmed his hands at the. last speck of it; watched Silas Fothergill as the latter picked -up the blue slips of papor, and flicked them betAveen his fingers. "Is this all?" asked Silas, looking up at tho other, with aiis mouth one grim line. "Don't deccivo me, Martin Slade — or I'll find another lawyer." "Those aro all I can find — and I havo made most careful enquiries in all directionsy' replied tho KiAvyer. "Your nepheAV has borrowed rather extensively in one direction and another — 'flying kites,' -we call it ; those are tho kites. You see, not having been brpught up to any profession, the poor lud hasn't much chance of making money ; and he's got. a wife and child to support." "TV hat the devil right has he with a Avife and child?" demanded Silas violently. "Look at me ; I can't afford a Avife nnd child ; and yet I'm supposed to be pretty avoll off." "You thought of affording one once," retorted Martin Slade boldly. "Thirty years ago " Silas was silent for a moment pr tAvo ; he Avas looking froAvningly at the pieces of > paper. "And ifl did?" he baid at lnst, in a lower tone. '-I& 1 A\as fool onough- to belicA-e in .AA'oman, ancl to fancy that I loved her— what llien? 1 ; . . "Your nepheAV Godfrey, whoso signatures yo>- aro looking sit on those slips of paper, is her child," tho laAvyer reminded him. -"I don't want to rake over old grievances, Silas Fothergill; I only want to remember the past." "I do • remember it," oxclaimed the older man passionately.' "I do r,emembev. it ; I remember how that brother of mine, who always got the best of everything, stole the heart of the avoman^ I loa-ccl. She's dead noAV— and that's an end of the matter. You can't mix sentiment with business— at al' events, I can't." "And your business has been to buy up all this young man's debts, so that you may hold him in tho holloAv of your hand, ancl do what you liko Avith him." Tho lawyer Avas watching him keenly. "Why?"" "Oh— if you caro to put it so crudely —a little. matter of vengeance. I could not roach the father; I can reach tho son. The. father spoilt my Avorld for me — and has gone to his account for that and for other things; tho 5011 liyeSj ancl may be mado to feel something of AA-hat I felt — thirty years ago. llo's ,1 young fool, of he Avou'ldn't havo got himself into his present position ; like a fool, ho has probably lived in a fool's paradise. Noav 1 have him," —ho flourished the papers in his hands, as he- spoke— "ancl I'll squeeze him. Ho doesn't know mo Save as Uncle Silas, who has been a soft of bogry to him all his lite; I'll show him my" power." "What are you going to clo?'' asked Martin Slade. "You lm'e threatened him that a Avrit shall bo served upon him; in fact, if you have folloAved your instructions, youhaveaheady tcrved that Avrit— ehV" demanded Silas Fothergill. The laAvyer nodded. "Very well, then, ho knows Avhat to expect. To-night a man goes down to take possession of his property —such as it is ; ho shall spend his Christmas with a broker's man in posstssion." "Surely you can Avail,- until after Christmas;" urged the" laAvyor. "Man alive!— there is time enough for vengeance beforo the first of January. Besides—l doubt if I can get a man to go down at all at such short notice, ancl on this night of all others." Silas Fothergill folded the blue papers, ancl put them into his pocket»: buttoned bin coat, ancl slapped his pocket with meaning "Don't 'worry yourself, 'he said. ""For my purposo'Christmas is as good a time or bettor tlinn any other. Ho'll b P easy in his mind at Chmlims ; he'll bo thinking of making merry, and forgetting hi", debts. •HeoidPs, ;is to the man— that's easily set tied. I'll go myscir." "You?" The little lawyer stared at him Avith ,1 dropping j,iv.\ Yos ~ I' 11 «° »nysVll\" s-.id Silas I'otliergill, with something { . s nnnilv npproachinij n laugh as ho coulfl force from his throat. "I toll you ho doesn't know inn— pxeept as a .<pp, ios of o<n-o in the background. I shall go clown as the man in possession ; I shall havo tlio opporl unity in sco Avhat soil- or a loUmv it is (Ij,)/, wastes his money, and plunges into dobt, and marries, anil bnn«3 children into tlm world. I'll snv upon him when he doesn't know ii'and when I've found out all about him, I I' <idl the dog ,ip, and (ell him who 1 am." \ -Mi'- Tallin Kkulc- buttoned up Ins to.it, picparntory to goint? out into tho A\md iutd the &leol lie put liir lint on vt'iy fii-mlv, anil. yeUiny A\oil tovuinh Hie door, expressed his r.i'iiiiinrnls a-, pio')al.ly \v> ls.id never rlaied do before. "-Mr Silas l'oUieigiil," he said—raising one hand aa though about to drlher hjmicJf of MJjoao 'mat sentinifittt— "l

ran only say one thing to you ; and that is, that you are about to do an infernally brutal action. Don't jump at 1110, &ir," Avent on the little inau Avith growing boat, and yet jumping on his own account a little nearer to the door — "I repeat, sir, that you are going to do a scoundrelly action. The boy has never clone you cny harm, and properly speaking, you onght to do something to assist the son of the a\oman you loA'ecl. On Christmas night — or Christmas Eve (for you've upset me to such an extent that I scarcely knoAv which it is) — you're going to do sonicthing outside all reason, and all humanity, and all conscience. Bah !— l'm ashamed of you P Having in the process of this extraordinary address worked himself to the door, slr. Martin Slado Avorkei? himself round it, and so out into the sleet and the wind. On the wholo he felt rather proud' of himself for his daring ; yet on the other hand he felt convinced that no Avords of his "would turn Silas Fothergill from any purpose ho had. Silas Fothergill, for his" part, had been merely amused at the laAvyer's outburst ; had wondered a little, in fact, that the man should have found courage to say such things to him. One phrase only had struck hard at the old man, and had cut him more deeply than he wmild have cared to confess. "The son of the woman you loved !" That avus true enough ; but then he Avas the son of another man — Avhich made all the difference. The woman Silas Fothergill had loved lay in her grave ; all that lcmained of her amis an image in the heait of the old man, of some one bright and dainty, avlioso laughter had echoed in his heart and echoed ' still. But .«he kid beon stolen from him — and how her boy must pay the price. "The Lord knoAvs I'm shabby enough to play the pan," said Silns, Avith v AA-himsical grin. "But then every one knows me, and I don't iieud to cany my wealth on the outside,. When you come to think of it, it'll be rather a Christmas joke— this going doArn to take possession of tho boy's house — the spj-ing into his life and lus secrets. If ho tries violence, I'll reveal myself, and let him know irho I am ; if he accepts me philosophically, I shall probably learn more about him in five minutes than 1 should have done in five years in any other way. It's a good way to spend "Christmas this turning of oneself into a broker's man. The dog shrill humble himself in the dust; and then I'll sell him up afterwards. Good notion that : to buy up all his debts, and then act, as my oavii debt collector. As for Slado I'll get rid of him, and secure the services of a man avlio doesn't mix sentiment with L'iav." Silas had secured the necessary papers from Martin Slado beforehand ; his, path was dear before him. lie Avcrit out into the sleet and the Avind, with an impatient &hruc; of the shoulders when a man Avhom he kneAV slightly boisterously wished him "A Merry Christmas,' 1 for what had he to do Avith Christmas or Avith merriment? If be had his way, he Avottld put down this business of Christinas altogether; it gave clerks, avlio Avere indolent nnougb already, au excu&e for further holidays, and for debaucheiy. Furthermore, not being a man to Avasle money, ho took an omnibus to lus destination in a certain quiet suburb of London ; and hud a- Avordy argument with the conductor, becaus.'e he A\as set down some live yards beyond the actual end of the (-treet. Behold him, therefore, walking down thafc street on. this Christmas eve, to AM-euk his vengeance 'on v certain small household. A ploasnnt street bordered Avith trees, and Avitfi .little neat houses standing back from the road, r At one of ' these neat houses lie slopped, imd turning up his coat collar (not so much as a , protection against tho wnatlier as a species of suddenly conceived disguise), rang the bell vigorously, and - ■waited, for tho door to be opened. The door was opened, surprigiucrly enough by a- child. That is to say there was a sort of little struggle' that appealed to go on for a -moment or tAvo but a\ eon a maid and the child; but the child laughingly Avon. The door Avas Hung open, and a mite of some seA-en years of age m a Avhite frock held out her arms to Mr. Silas Fotheigill. Which AVas disconcerting to .say tho least of it. Then the arms dropped disappointedly at her side. "I thought you were Santa, Ohms," she said. "Uadtlj- told me that he would be sure to come to-night." "Tell your Daddy, as you call him, thut I avmH to speak to him," said Silas. • "What name shall 1 say'r" bfoke in the maid, looking at him suspiciously. "You can say," letorted Silus, brutally enough, "that I am the man in possession." .He stalked into the house, and stood waiting for what wus to happen, roiying solely on the fact that his nephoAv had novor seeu him, and therefoie did not know him. "Fiom the.sounds and the laughter and the lights it almost seems us though a. Christmas paity Ants going on," thought Silas Fothergill. "Well, 1 shall probably be able to bieak that up, at all eA-ents ; I'm going to teach the extravagant young dog a les&on." That- extravagant young clog presently came out into the tiny hall to inlevvieAv the visitor. The child had been dismissed and tho maid also avus gone ; it Avas a curious fact, and one- to be noted, that the maid did not seem in the ln.<-t surprised at the A-isitor. Mr. Godfrey Fothergill, Avith his hands stuck 111 his pockets, surveyed the intrnder Avith a look of comical dismay ; ho seemed rather to be Avondering Avhat ho should do with the man tlntn nonplussed at his actual appearance. "It's beastly louyh that my iuiclb should have chosen this, night, of all nights in the year, to put a man in," hn said. "I've got a house full of guesU, ; hoAV the deuce am I to explain you? You look pietty respectacle — for a broker's man." "Thank you," retorted Mr. Silas Fothergill. "Whai, do you generally do Aiith men in possession ';" "Oh, generally speaking. 1 smuggle 'em uHiiy in tho kitchen until 1 can manage to pay them out. But 10-night it\s bo aA.'kAtuid This place is, bo small that it ibti't nuite easy tv smuggle you away." A door opened, and a young and prcltv woman ( had come out; the child Avas clinging to her skills. She eauie up to Ihe young man, and dropped :i hand on I'io biiotiklor and looked at Silas. "jUy dear Uodlrey— whut's the matter?" tshe aiked. Ho Aihispeicd liieliy, so that the child should not hour. Hi'iis Fotheigill, v.alchnig, saw the young AAoinan iliop hor fiite for a moment on thu hand that rested on her husband's shoulder j heard him Aihispet' again tlittl she mustn't; mnul, imd that it Arotild Lm all right. Tho child's on gor treble hioko hi. "D;idily — wlnit arc going to do Arith the possession infin':" ' "You needn't tioublc about n';o, you know," s;»id Silas grimly. "Don't let'iiv; interrupt your party; you uecdu'i uiliodilCO 1110 t() your glio&t'i." "Gyd— but* I will!" cKclaimeil the youi>« m;.!i Aiitli v huwh. "1 fan sou «i Avuy out of tins — ;>iid uni shall have the besr tune of jour life. Mr rosseisioii.>Lin. We don't lel'ci* to aou by your proper lltlo 111 polile sucietA . but there is oho title you slinll havo that amII suit you. You must know tluit 1 have n certain grim relentless .old uncle, the man

lias bought up all my debts,- ,md is doing his best" to crush me — and thoy call him Silas Folhergill. That shall be your name my friend : I'll introduce you to the company us Uncle Silas! 1 ' "Nothing of the kind," exclaimed Silao Fothcvgill. "I'm not in the habit of participating in jokes of this sort." "You've got to do as you're told," retorted Godfrey Fotbcrgill. "Above all things, little 'Prudence here — " ''Is that her name?" broke in the old mon sharply. (It had been tho name of the dead Avoman he had loved years before — the mother of this Fothcrgill he had come down to crush). "Yes, that's her namt," replied the young mother, looking at this strange old man for a momen in some surprise. "Why?" "Oh — nothing ; only it's a, pretty name," he replied, in a changed voice. "Now, wiiat are you going to elf/ with me? I'm in your hunds, ami 1 suppose I must submit." "Of course- you must. Besides if you come to that," added Godfrey Fothergill with a laugh, "my Uncle Silas, I should imagine, is. just, such 11 v old curmudgeon as you look. Of course, I've never seen him, but I should judge him to be your type of man. Something's got to" b& done with jou; I can hardly approach my guests, and say to them — 'Permit me to introduce yon the broker's man, who has just been put in poise&siou of the place !' I couldn't do thai, you know ; and they all kuow I've got an^ uncle Silas. We've got to make the best of you — so come along." Air. Silas Fothergili, divested of his overcoat and hat, f6und himself thrust suddenly into the midst of a crowd, of young people all bent on mischief ; found himself, too, strangely enough, dragged thither by the hand of* little Prudence.- (A soft little hand, mark you, with baby fingers that clung about the knotted ones of the old man ; and as that had seldom happened in the life of Silas Fothergill, it was .1 circumstance to be reckoned with). .More than that, Silas found himself, despite his .protests, introduced into various games that included much scurrying about, and some romping in corners; discovered that, for the pieservation of his supposed character, he was actually expected presently, at the earnest solicitation of Mrs. Godfrey Fothergill, to dance in one corner of the room, and bark in another like a, dog, and Tvhisper the name of his sweetheart in another (he whispered, 'Prudence,', whereat 'they clapped their hands tremendously), and to crow -vigorously in a fourth. Altogether the strangest broker's man that was ever known, and one likely to forget his errand unless sternly reminded of it. 'Strange as it may appear; Silas Fotheigill was enjoying himself. The city was miles away, not even to be referred to in such a moment as this ; thero were laughing happy -faces about him, he ira-8 thirty years .younger than the actual record of < his days v. ould show. More than that, ho discovered, somewhat to hiu that he was a bit of afavourite; overheard one, man whisper to young Godfrey Fothergill that ho had always understood that Uncle Silas was a very terrible poison nrdeed. "Look at him !" whispered the friend. "He looks as if he had suddenly come to life !" • It was only when all the friends were going, and when Godfrey Fothergill and his wife had conre back to tho recollection of what- this' man was who played tho part assigned to him so well,/ that their aspect towards him changed a little. After all, they had kept the knowledge of the disaster irom their friends and that was much ; but to-morrow was Christmas Day — and after to-morrow ruin stared them iv the face. They were young yet, and little Prudence had to bo. j thought of, as some one to inherit whatever disasteis might fall upon themselves ; yet who "could withstand the dreadful Uncle. Silas who lurkocl in tho background; and who had, out of .sheer' vindictiveness. boughtup these debts, the"' better to get his giip upon them? 1 ,'lhc broker's man they had dubbed Uncle Silas was nothing; a meie instrument, in the hands of stronger men with whom, they must reckon in vhe future. The curious part of the- business was that little Prudence seemed to' have taken 1 a tremendous funcy to "the possessionman," as she. called him. It became cvii dent presently that that small and tyran- ! nicul person was' not going \ip the long. ! dark etairs to bed unless the possession i man carried her ; and baby arms about a man's neck are apt to be softening things. Jtf'piq than that, sho diwOvered ' the I humble apartment in Avhich Silas FotherI gill had been sent' to bed ; iind in the I morning roused him at an uneaithly hour ! by thumping hard upon the door." Wonder of AroiiUeis, he &o far neglected his duty as to march out Avith the mite into the snoAA-y , streets ; so far forgot tho dignity of Silas Fothergill as to teach her how to slide 'iv a quiet street ; was boastful, 100, about what he had done himself in that direction as a boy. The biue slips of paper folded in the- breast pocket of Silas ■!< othergiU's coat Avere like .leaden 'Aveights ; he a\ isheel Avith all his heart that ho had never'' been so foolish, enough to take this business upon his own shoulders. I don't think he would haA r e broken doAvn in his resolution, ever under the influence of what he had ' seen ' in that quiet home, had it not been for the child. The hearing of her name over and over, again Avaa an acute reminder of the past, and of the- Avoman he had lovpd ; moreover, he had tin absurd delight in the thought that the chiUl hud taken to him. If he injured Godfrey Fothergill and his Avife, as he must injure them, he hurt the' baby ; and that was something not to bo' thought of. Thcie was another party of a modest character on that Christmas Day ; and once again the bioker's man avus introduced as Uncle' Silas. When, at the end of it, the people hud gone out into tha snowy street's, Godfrey and his Avife kucAv in a sense that this amis the end of the respite ; that they must face realities. l>ut Silas Fothergill by that timo had made up his mind ; and Silas Fotheigill said tlie surpiising thing that he lnid determined to say. With the characteristic soAAartlice df the man he dreAv the child to him, and 'spoke the Atorde he had to say over her head. "I'm not a bioker's man at all," he said "I'm the real unadulterated Uncle SiLs ; and I've been playing the spy upon you tor ihe past) two days, in order to discover Avhat soit of people you Avere. I've got your piomissory notes, and all" the other paper you've been living, on ; now, Avhat Jiave you got to say to me?" Godfrey Fothergill awis breaking out indignantly enough v.hun the old man stopped him wilh a gesture. "I haven't finished jxt; it's tins baby that's going to iiiiish the game fur me, Aiore yeuiu ago Hum I care to count I hud droums of •mother Prudence, A\ho avjis never to be I mine : perhaps the loss of her soured and embittcied me." Ills head At;is bent, so that his givy hair mingled with the fan hair of tho child. "Whatever I might have done to hurt you or your a\ lie, 1 couldn't have clone to hurt a little per«on that brars the name of the womun 1 loved .m> long uyo. 1 want to eeo more o.f that little person, in the belter days that nru coming; but liist shu's got to do .sometlni'j,' for me." Amid a i-urum:, .silence tile old Alan diew the slips vi hlu-c pnpur fi'cni his pocket and tolled them loosoly into a bundle; hi' put llum into the little hands of the child. "WVil huA-o a Christnuts lilazv, hi (lo Prudence — to wiiim our ' health ;t bit. Uo and throw them on the the." ' ( Tlic child (ossfd thnm into the flames, find clapped her bands as they blazed and dropped away into ashea,.