LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5220, 28 January 1885, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE UMBRELLA-MENDER'S QUEST —A DErECTIVE STORY. (Concluded.) I ran out of the effice with tho note in my hand — caught the Leith 'bus above the : Tron, just starting, and in halt' an hour was at the hospital. I wa9 Bhown at onoc to a bed enclosed bj a Bcreen, and there I found a shadow of a man, white as the ! sheets on which he lay, propped up with • pillows, and lying back with eyes halfclosed, as if weary, of lifo and longing to t "be away. The doctor Eat at one side, with hi 3 linger on the patient's wrißt, while fit . the other side was the missionary who had : penned the note to me, just closing the Bible from which he had been reading. The sound of uiy step on the floor, though light and hushed, caused tho sick man to start and open wide hie eyes $ and then the doctor bent over him eootningly, saying : " This is tho gentleman ■who spoke to your father. Are you strong enough to speak to hiinP" "Oh, yes," whispered the shadow with the utmost eagerness ; " tell him to come close, as I can't raise myself." I did n« requested, and then lie whispered, "Tell them to go away for a minute — I want to sp*eak to you alone." The missionary and doctor softly retired, and then he grasped my hand wit'i an unnatural strength, and whispered, " J!y poor owdt feythor — whnt did ho Bay of me P" " Nothing but good. He said he loved you, and would search for you as long as he could put one foot before tho other, and bring you back homo and live happy with you on the money left you by your aunt." "What! did ho forgive me ? — did he not tell thoo I broke his heart ?" " Not once. He has travelled over the whole country looking for you. He has money, too — above four hundred pounds, left you by your aunt — sowed Tip in the lining of his coat, to give you, to wean you from crime nnd start you in an honester"life:" He leant back in silence and closed his* eyes, and through the .closed lids I^could see tears slowly force their wsyv*"%l?'l(3" was a long silence, and the ticking of my watch seemed to make quite a noise. At length he opened his oyos, and snicl, " The missionary says you have seen many like me taken ill in the midst of their sin." " Very many," I answered, witli v shake of the head. "Hush! come closer! Did they stop goin' wrong when they got round again, and try a new way o' doiu' P " The question was so eagerly put that I turned away in silence, not wishing to chill his hopes. "Ah, I see what you won )»1 say — they seldom change their ways, 4 ' lie said, with a bright look 5 " well, I'm tfJa«l I'm not to get better. It's better to die thus when I'm nt peaco with everyone. You will soo uiy father again, perhaps 'f You could not bring him here P" I looked in his wan and wasted face, and hesitated over the answer. "If I should ilnd him, J might bring him " " Yob— yes— don" I sponk much till I lmve done," he said with a mighty effort; " I feel as if I won't hnvn long to speak. You will try to sec ir.y father again, or find him out, and toll him ■■ " Ho was Binking back, and tho words soemed to freeze on his li]>'\ " Yes, yet ! what shall 1 sny P " " Tell liii;-» the missionary came to me like a blessing — that I died peaceful and happy, and that " Again tho words died away, ond I gently moiHtenod his lips with the wino nt his bedside. "Thnt— • Bob— will— nu'ot— him in honvou." Tho faint whisper censed, a smile passed over his white lips, tlu'ii 1 slight spasm, ilfad then, getting niarmod, I hastily motioned to tho doctor. " I think he has taken a relapso," I s:iid, with my heart almost standing still. The doct.r

touched hia wrist, looking in his face, and then turned Badly away. "Ho has, indeed," he gravely answered ; "he is gone." The same night I went to tho newspaper offices, and saw that the following advertisement was set up for the morrow'a papers : — " Qeorgo Findlay, a travelling umbrella mender, and native of Newcastle, who was in Edinburgh a month ago, may hear news of hia son by applying to Detective M'Govati, Police-office, High street, Edinburgh." On the forenoon of the day that this advertisement', appeared I received the following message from tho govoruor of tho poor-house iv Forrest road : — "City Poor-house, Christmas Day. — Dear Sir,' — I have just read your advertisement in to-day's paper, and beg to say that an old man, calling himself George Findlay, and a native of Newcastle, was brought into this house some days ago by two persona who found him sleeping in the anow. We have been thinking of sending him to Newcastle, but he is not yet quite strong enough to be roinoved. In these circumstances, perhaps you could make it convenient to come out and see him." I went back with tho bearer of the note. It was a clear frosty morning, and the streets were alive with gaiety and mirth, but none of it found an echo in my breast. The nowa I bore had neither smile 3 nor mirth about it, and at that moment I believe I would rather have faced the most desperate criminal in Edinburgh singlehanded than have to look on tho patient, eager faco of tho old umbrella mender. At the poorhouse I waß conducted through the old men's ward by a querulous old woman, from whom I learned that the old man was " very low." "Ho haa queer ways, too," she added; "he would hardly take off bis clothes when they brought him in, and shouted out that we wanted to rob his son Bob, and at last we were forced to let' him sleep with his old shabby coat folded up under hia pillow like a treasure. vHois rather down-hearted, and will hardly speak to any ono, or say if he's any better, unless you ask him if he'll soon bo able to took for his son, when he's sure to say, 'Ah, I mun try an' be out to-morrow — yes, I'll be stronger to-morrow." ".Is he very weak ?" I asked. " Weak as a child, airCan hardly lift an arm from the bed," was the emphatic roply ; " but you know this is Christmas Day, and he's to get a gloss of wine, and some roast beef and plum Sudding, and that'll put some strength in im — that'll cheer up his old heart and make a new man of him." We reached tho old man's bed as she Bpoke, and I motioned hor to leave. Tho old man's eyes were closed ; and to make, him aware of my presence, I bent over him and said : — " A merry Christmas to you, and a happy New Tear when it comes I" He started, and not recognising me rightly, aaid mechanically: — "The same to you, sir." Then he opened hia eyes wider, started up-right in bed, aud tremblingly aeized my hand — " It's the detective !" he quivered out, bending over my hand to bias it, and hide the tears rushing to his eyes ; " I thowt you would come ! I dreamt of you comin' lost night, and you browt oure Bob wi' you, and he seemed so haudsoine and 'kindly-like ; oh, sir, speak ! what news o' t' lad ?" "I have news," I aaid, in grave tone 3 that drovo every drop of blood from his face ; " bear up strongly, for it ia not the news you expect." He sank slowly back to the pillow, but still kept hia eyes riveted on my face, and motioned madly for me to go on. " Your son died yesterday in Leith Hospital; he had been taken there after lying exposed to snow and frost for a whole night in Leith, after being put out of a house mad with drink." "Dead! dead!" Only two words, but the anguished cry waa that of a breaking heart. " Not dead, but gone before," I hastily added, bending closer over the white and rigid face ; "he had sunk Blowly — had seen the missionary every day — and loft me a message for you." " Ay, we're Bob — dear lad ! — a message ?" he murmured. " Yes, he said he would m«Jet you in heaven." Tho old nan's face underwent a sudden ohange — a smile trembled on the Jips ; and then, though the eyes remained -closed, I heard him murmur with soft ecstocy, " Ah,. I've found we're Bob at last ! -—the money woa't bo needed now, but, thank God for Hia mercy, I've found my Jad — I've found my. boy, and I'll never be unhappy no more ! A merry Christmas, Bob, lad! — a merry Christmas — and — and — — ." A wild clutch of the withered handa, a long, gurgling breath, and the aounda died away, and I stood alone. The old man waa dead, and had found hia son. They were holding their Christmas •in heaven !