CHAPTER XII. FRIENDS IN NEED. "Now, papa," said Clura that morn ing, wrinkling her brows and putting her finger tips together with tho air of an experienced person of business, "I, want to have a talk to you about money matters." "Yes, my dear." Ho laid down his paper and looked a question. Kindly tell mo again, papa, how much money I havo in my very own right. You have often told mo beforo, but I al ways forget figures." "You havo £2OO a year of your own under your aunt's will." "And Ida?" "Ida has £150." "Now, I think I can livo very well on £SO a year, papa. I am not very extrava gant, and I could make my own dresses if I had a sewing machine." "Very likely, dear." In that case I havo £2OO a year which I could do without." "If it were necessary." "But it is necessary. Oh, do help me, like a good, dour, kind papa in this mat ter, for my wholo heart is set upon it. Harold is in sore need of money and ' through no fault of his own." With a woman's tack and eloquence sho told the wholo story. "Put yourself in my place, papa. What is tho money to me? I never think of it from year's end to year's end. But now I know how pre cious it is. I could not havo thought that money could be so\aluablc. Sco what I can do with it. It may help to save him. I must havo it by tomorrow. Oh, do, do advise me as to what I should do, and how I should get the money." Tho doctor smiled at her eagerness. "Yon are as anxious to get rid of money as others are to gain it," said he. "In another caso I might think it rash, but I lieliove ill your Harold, nnd I can see that ho has had villainous treatment. You will lot mo deal with tho matter." ! "You, papa?" "It can be done best betwoen men. Your capital, Clara, is somo £5,000, but it is out on a mortgage, and you could not call it in." "Oh, door! oh, dear!" "But we can still manage. I have as much at my bank. I will advance it to tho Dunvers as coming from you, and you can repay it to me, or the interest of it, when your money becomes duo." "Oh, this is beautiful! How sweet and kind of you." "But there is ono obstacle—l do not think that you would ever induce Harold to take this money." Clara's face fell. "Don't you think so, really?" "I am sure that he would not." "Then what are you to do? What horrid things money matters are to ar range!" "I shall seo his father. Wo can manage it all between ps." "Oh, do, do, papa! And you'will do it soon? "There is no time liko the present. I will go in at once." 110 scribbled a check, put it in an onvolppe, put on liis broad straw hat and strolled in through tho garden to pay his morning call. It was a singular sight which met his eyes as lie entered tho sitting room of the admiral. A great sea chest stood open in tho center, and all around iq>on the carpet were little piles of jerseys, oil skins, books, sextant lioxes, instruments and sea boots. The old seaman sat gravely auiid this lumber, turning it over and examining it intently, while his wife, with tho tears running silently down her ruddy cheeks, sat upon tho sofa, her elbows upon her knees and her chin upon her hands, rocking-herself slowly backward and forward. "Hullo, doctor," said the admiral, holding out his hand. "There's foul weather set in upon us, as you may havo heard, but I havo ridden out many a worßo squall, and, plcaso God, wo shall all three of us weather this ono also, though two of us aro a little more cranky than wo were." "My dear friends. I camo in to tell you how deeply we sympathize with you all. My girl has only just told mo about it." "It has coino so suddenly upon us, doctor," sobbed Mrs. Hay Denver. "I thought that I had John to myself for tho rest of our lives—heaven knows that we havo not seen very much of each other—but now he talks of going to sea again." "Aye, aye, Walker, that's tho only way out of it. When I first heard of it, I was thrown up in the wind with all nback. I givo you my word that I lost my bearings more completely than ever sinco I strapped a middy's dirk to my belt. You see, friend, I know iftnuothing ' of shipwreck or battle or whatever may j como upon tho waters, but tho shoals in the city of London on which my jioor boy has struck are clean beyond me. Pearson had been my pilot thero, and now I know him to be* rogue. But I've taken my bearings i/>w, and I seo my course right before me." "What then, admiral?" •'Oh, I have one or two little plans. I'll havo some news for tho boy. Why, hang it, Walker, mail, I may be a bit Stiff in tho joints, but you'll bo my wit ness that I can do iny 12 miles under tho three hours. What, then? My eyes aro as good as ever, except just for the news paper. My head is clear. I'm three and sixty, but I'm as good a man as ever I was—too good a man to lie up for an other. 10 years. I'd bo tho better for a smack of tho salt water again and u whiff of the breeze. Tut, mother, it's not a four years' cruiso this timo. t'y ho j back every month or two. it's no more I than if I went for a visit in the country." j Ho was talking boisterously and heap [ ing his sea boots and sextants back into i his chest. I "And you really think, my dear friend, ■ of hoisting your pennant again?" j "My pennant, Walker? No, no. Her | majesty, God bless her. has too many young men to need an old hulk like me. I shall bo plain Mr. Hay Denver of the j merchant service. I daresay that I might find somo owner who would givo mo a chapco as socond or third officer. It will bo strango to mo to feel the rails of tho bridge under my fingers once more." "Tut! tut! this will never do. this will nover do, admiral!" Tho doctor sat down by Mrs. Hay Denver and patted her hand in token of friendly sympathy. "Wo must wait until your son has had it out with all these peojile, and then wo shall know what damage is done and how best to set it right. It will be time enough then to begin to muster our re sources to meet it." "Our resources!" Tho admiral laughed. "There's the pension. I'm afraid, Walk er, that our resources won't need much mUfltarinar." j It was a singular tight which met his eyes. "Oh, come, there are some which you may not havo thought of. For example, admiral, I had always intended that my | girl should have £5,000 from mo when sho married. Of course your boy's trou blo is her trouble, and the money cannot bo spent bettor than in helping to set it right. Sho has a little of her own which sho wished to contribute, but I thought it best to work it this way. Will you take tho check, Mrs. Denver, and I think it would be best if you said-nothing to Harold about it and just used it as the occasion served?" "God bless you, Walker, you urea true friend. I won't forget this, Walker." The admiral sat down on his sea chest and mopped his brow with his red hand kerchief. "What is it to me whether you hnvoit now or then? It may bo more useful now. There's only ono stipulation. If things should cimie to tho worst and if the business should provo so bad that nothing can set it right, thon hold back this check, for there is no use in pouring water into a broken basin, and if the lad should fall ho will Want something to pick hiinsolf up again with." "He slftll not fall. Walker, and you shall not havo occasion to bo ashamed of tho family into which your daughter is about to marry. I havo my own plan. But wo shall hold your money, my friend, and it will strengthen us to fed that it is there." "Well, tlint is all right," said Dr. Walker, rising, "and if a little more should bo needed we must not lid him go wrong for the want of a thousand or two. And now, admiral, I'm off for my morning walk. Won't you come too?" "No, I am going into town." "Well, goodby. I hope to have better news, and that all will come right. Goodby, Mrs. Denver. I feel as if the boy were my own, and I shall not bo easy until all is right with him. CHAPTER XXII. IN STRANGE WATERS. When Dr. Walker had departed, the admiral packed all his possessions back into his sea chest with tho exception of ono little brass bound desk. This ho un locked and took from it a dozen or so blue aheets of paper all mottled over with stamps and seals, with very large V. R.'s printed upon the heads of them, no tied these carefully into a small bun dle, and placing them in the inner pock et of his coat ho seized his stick and hat. "Oh, John, don't do this rash thing," cried Mrs. Denver, laying hor hands up on his sleeve. "I have seen so little of you, John. Only throe years since you left tho service. Don't leavo mo again" I know it is weak of me, but I cannot bear it." "There's my own brave lass," said ho, smoothing down tho gray shot hair. "We've lived in honor together, mother, and pleaso God in honor we'll die. No matter how debts aro made, they have got to be met, and what tho boy owes wo owo. He has not tho money, and how is ho to find it? Ho can't find it What, then? It becomes my business, and there's only ono way for it." "But it may not bo so very bad, John. ! Had wo not best wait until after ho seos these people tomorrow?" "They may give him littlo time, lass, but I'll have a care that I don't go BO far thnt I can't put bock again. Now, moth- ! er, there's no uso holding me. It's got' to be done, ana there's no sense in smrir ing it." Ho detached her fingers from his sleeve, pushed her gently back into an armchair and hurried from the house. In less than half an hour the admiral was whirled into Victoria station and found hhnsolf amid a denso bustling throng, who jostled and pushed in tho crowded terminus. Ilia errand, which had seemed feasiblo enough in his own room, began now to present difficulties in tho carrying out, and ho puzzled over how he should take tho first steps. Amid tho stream of business men, each hurry ing on his definite way, tho old seaman i in his gray tweed suit and black soft hat strodo slowly along, his head sunk and his brow wrinkled in perplexity. Sud denly an idea occurred to him. He ' walked back to the railway stall and bought a daily paper. This he turned j and turned until a certain column met his eye, when ho smoothed it out and carrying it over to a seat proceeded to ; read it at his leisure. And indeed as a man read that col umn it seemed strange to him that there should still remain any ono in this world of ours who should bo iu straits for want |of money. Hero were whole lines of I gentlemen who were burdened with a surplus in their incomes, and who were ■ loudly calling to tho poor and needy to como and take it off their hands. Here | was tho guileless jierson who was not a professional money lender, but who Would be glad to correspond, etc. Hero, too, wus tho accommodating individual who advanced sums from £lO to £IO,OOO without expense, security or delay. "Tho money actually paid over within ; a few hours," ran this fascinating adver tisement, conjuring up a vision of swift messengers rushing with bags of gold to tho aid of tho poor straggler. A third I gentlemen did all business by personal application, advanced money on any-1 thing or nothing. The lightest nnd air- ' iost promise was enough to content him 1 according to his circular, and finally ho never asked for more than 5 per cent. | This struck the admiral as far tho most : promising, and his wrinkles relaxed and I his frown softened away as he gazed at i it. Ho folded up tho paper, roso from the seat and found himself face to faco with Charles Westmacott. "Hullo, admiral!" "Hullo, Westmacottl" Charles had al ways been a favorite of tho seaman's, "What aro you doing here?" "Oh, I havo been doing a little busi ness for my aunt. But I have never seen you in London beforo." "I hato tho place. It smothers me. There's not a breath of clean air on this side of Greenwich. Butmaybo you know your way about pretty well in the city?" ' Well, I know something about it. You see, I've never lived very far from it, and I do a good deal of my aunt's business." "Maybe you know Bread street?" "It is out of Cheapside." "Well, then, how do you steer for it from here? You make mo out a course, and I'll keep to it." "Why, admiral, I havo nothing to do. I'll take you thero with pleasure." "Will you, though? Well, I'll take it very kindly if you would. I havo busi ness thero. Smith & Hanbury, financial agents, Bread street." j Tho pair made their way to tho river side, and so down tho Thames to St. I Paul's lauding—a mode of travel which was much more to tho admiral's taste than bus or cab. On tho way ho told his companion his mission and the causes which had led to it. Charles Westma cott knew littlo enough of city life and tho ways of business, but at least he had more experience hi both than the admi ral, and ho made up his mind not to j leave him until tho matter was settled. "These are the peoplo," said the ad miral, twisting round his paper and pointing to the advertisement which had seemed to him the most promising. "It sounds honest and abovo board, does it not? Tho personal interview looks as if there wore no trickery, and then no ono could object to 5 per cent." "No, it seems fair enough." "It is not pleasant to have to go, hat in hand, borrowing money, but there are times, as you may find before you aro my age, Westmacott, when a man must stow away liis pride. But hero's their number, and their plate is on the comer ] of the door." A narrow entranco was flanked on either side by a row of brasses, ranging up ward from tho shipbrokers and the so- I licitors who occupied the ground floors, j through a long succession of West Indian agents, architects, surveyors and brokers, ' to the firm of which they were in quest, j A winding stoim stair, well carpeted and \ railed at first, but growing shabbier with | every landing, brought them past in numerable doors until at hist, just un- ! der the ground glass roofing, tho names of Smith & Hanbury were to be seen painted in largo white letters across a ' I i ancl, with a laconic invitation to push beneath it. ! Following out the suggestion, tho ad i rairal and His companion found them selves in a dingy apartment, ill lit from a couple of glazed windows. An ink stained table, littered with pens, papers and almanacs, an American cloth sofa, throe chairs of varying patterns and a much worn carpet constituted all the furniture, save only a very large and ob trusive porcelain spittoon and a gaudily framed and very somber picture which hung above the fireplace. Sitting in front of this picture and staring gloom ily at it as being tho only thing which he could stare at was a small, sallow faced boy, with a largo head, who in tho intervals of his art studies munched so datoly at an apple. "Is Mr. Smith or Mr. Hanbury in?" naked the admiral. "There ain't no such people," said tho small boy. "But yon have the names on the door." "Ah, that is tho namo of the firm, you sea It's only a namo. It's Mr. Reuben Motaxa that you wants." "Woll, then, is ho in?" "No, heV not." "When will ho be back?" "Can't tell, I'm sure. Ho's gone to lunch. Sometimes ho takes one hour and sometimes two. It'll bo two today, t pect, tor do said he was nungry arore he went." ! "Then 1 suppose that wo had better call again," said tho admiral. "Not a bit," cried Charles. "I know i how to manage these little imps. See hero, you young varmint, here's a shil ling for you. Run off and fetch your | master. If you don't bring him hero in j Ave minutes, I'll clump you on the side |of the head when you get back. Shoo! Scat!" lie charged at tho youth, who bolted from the room and clattered mad ly down stairs. "He'll fetch him," said Charles. "Let us make ourselves at home. This sofa does not feel over and above safe. It was not meant for 15-stone men. But this doesn't look quite the 6ort of place where one would expect to pick up money," "Just what I was thinking," said the admiral, looking ruefully about him. "Ah, well! I have heard that the best furnished offices generally belong to the poorest firms. Let us hope it's the op posite here. They can't spend much on the management anyhow. That pump kin headed boy was tho 6taff, I suppose. Ha, by Jove, that's his voice, and he's got our man, I think!" As ho spoke the youth appeared in the doorway with a small, brown, dried up little chip of a man at his heels. He was clean shaven and blue chinned, with bristling black hair and keen brown eyes which 6hone out very brightly from between pouched underlids and droop ing upper ones. He advanced, glancing keenly from one to tho other of his visit ors, and slowly rubbing together his thin blue veined hands. Tho small boy closed tho door behind him and discreet ly vanished. "I am Mr. Reuben Metaxa," said the money lender. "Was it about an od vanco you wished to see me?" "Yes." "For you, I presumo," turning to Charles Westmacott. I "No, for this gentleman." The money lender looked surprised, j "How much did you desire?" I "I thought of £5,000," said the admiral. 'And on what security?" "I am a retired admiral of the British | navy. You will find my name in the j navy list. There is my card. I have ! here my pension papers. I get £BSO a j year. I thought that perhaps if you were to hold these papers it would be se- J curity enough that I should pay you. You could druw my pension and repay yourselves at the rate, say, of £SOO a year, taking your 5 per cent interest as well." | "What interest?" "Five per cent per annum." Mr. Metaxa laughed. "Per annum!" ho said. "Five per cent a month." "Per annum!" he said. "A month! That would be CO per cent a year. "Precisely." 'But that is monstrous." "I don't ask gentlemen to come to mo. They come of their own free will. Those are my terms, and and they can take it or leave it." "Then I shall leavo it." The admiral rose angrily from his chair. "But one moment, sir. Just sit down, and we shall chat the matter over. Yours is a rather unusual case, and wo may find somo other way of doing what you wish. Of courso the security which you offer is no security at all, and no sane man would ndvanco 5,000 pennies on it." "No security? Why not, sir?" "You might die tomorrow. You are not a young man. What ago aro you?" "Sixty-three." I Mr. Metaxa turned over a long column of figures. "Hero is an actuary's tablo," said he. "At your time of life the aver j ago expectancy of life is only a few years oven in a well preserved man." ] "Do you mean to insinuate that lam I not a well preserved man?" I "Well, admiral, it is a trying life at sea. Sailors in their younger days are j gay dogs and tako it out of themselves. 1 Then when they grow older they are still hard at it and havo no elianco of rest or j peace. I do not think a sailor's life a good one." i "I'll tell you what, sir," said the od | iniral hotly. "If you have two pairs of gloves, I'll undertake to knock you out under three rounds, or I'll race you from [Jiero to St. Paul's, and my friend here will see fair. I'll let you see whether I j am an old man or not." j "This is beside tho question," said the money lender with a deprecatory shrug. "Tho point is that if you died tomorrow where would be the security then?" "I could insure my lifo and make tho policy over to you." "Your premiums for such a sum, if t'.nv office would havo yon, which I very I much doubt, would oomo to close on £f)00 a year. That would hardly suit your book." "Well, sir, what do you intend to pro pose?" askod the admiral. "I might, to accommodate you, work it in another way. I should send for a medical man and havo an opinion upon your lifo. Then I might seo what could be done." "That is quite fair. I have no objec tion to that." "There is a very clover doctor in the street here. Proudio is his name. John, go and fetch Dr. Proudio." The youth was dispatched upon his errand, while Mr Metaxa sat at his desk, trimming his 3 nails and shooting out little comments upon the weather. Presently feet were r heard upon the stairs, the money lender hurried out, there was a sound of whis ' pering, and he returned with a large, fat, 1 greasy looking man clad Jn a mnoh worn frock coat and a very dilapidated top hat. "Dr. Proudic, gentlemen," said Mr Metaxa. The doctor bowed, Biuiled, whipped off his hat and produced his stethoscope from its interior with the air of a con juror upon the stage. "Which of these gentlemen am I to examine?" he asked, blinking from one to the other of them. "Ah, it is you! Only your waistcoat! ITou need not undo your collar. Thank you! A full breath! Thank yotil Nine ty-nine! Thank you! Now hold your breath for a moment. Oh, dear, dear, I what is this I hear?" "What is it, then?" asked tho admiral coolly. "Tut, tut! This is a great pity. Have you had rheumatic fever?" "Never." "You have had some serious illness?" "Never." "Ah, you are an admiral. You have been abroad, tropics, malaria, ague—l know." "X have never had a day's illness." "Not to your knowledge, but you havo inhaled unhealthy air, and it has left its effect. You have an organic murmur—slight, but distinct." "Is it dangerous?" "It might at any time become so. You should not take violent exercise." "Oh, indeed. It would hurt me to run a half mile?" "It would be vory dangerous." "And a mile?" "Would bo almost certainly fatal." "Then there is nothing else the mat ter?" "No. But if tho heart is weak then everything is weak, and tho lifo is not a sound one." "You see, admiral," remarked Mr. Me taxa as the doctor secreted his stetho scope once more in his hat, "my remarks were not entirely uncalled for. lam Borry that tho doctor's opinion is not moro favorable, but this is a matter of business, and certain obvious precau tions must be taken." "Of course. Then the matter Is at an end." "Well, wo might oven now do busi ness. lam most anxious to bo of use to you. How long do you think, doctor, that this gentleman will in all proba bility live?" > "Well, well, it's rather a delicato ques tion to answer," said Mr. Proudie, with a show of embarrassment. "Not a bit, sir. Out with it! I have faced death too often to flinch from it now, though I saw it as near to mo as you oro." "Well, well, we must go by averages of course. Shall we say two years? I should think that you have a full two years before you." "In two years your pension would bring you in £1,600. Now I will do my very best for you, admiral. I will ad vance you £l!,00(5, and you can make over to mo your pension for your life. It is puro speculation on my part. If you die tomorrow, I loso my money. If the doctor's prophecy is correct, I shall still bo out of pocket. If you live a lit tle longer, then I may see my money again. It is tho very best I can do for you." "Then you wish to buy my pension?" "Yes, for £3,000 down." "And if I live for 20 years?" "Oh, in that case of course my specu lation would bo more successful. But you lrnvo heard tho doctor's opinion." "Would you advanco tho money in stantly?" "You should havo £l,oooatonco. The other £I,OOO I should expect you to take in furnituro." "In furniture?" "Yes, admiral. Wo shall do you a beautiful houseful at that Bum. It is tho custom of nfy clients to take half in furniture." The admiral sat in diro perplexity. lie had come out to get money, and to go back without any, to bo powerless to help when his boy nooded every shilling to savo him from disaster, that would be very bitter to him. On the other' hand, it was so much that ho surrendered and so little that ho received. Little, and yet something. Would it not bo better than going back empty handed? Ho saw tho yellow backed checkbook upon tho tablo. Tho money lender opened it and dipped his pen in the ink. "Shall I fill it up?" "I think, admiral," remarked West macott, "that we had better havealittle walk und some luncheon before wo set tle this matter." "Oh, wo may as well do it at once. It would lie absurd to postpone it now," Motnxa spoke with some heat, and his eyes glinted angrily from between his narrow lids at tho imperturbable Charles. Tho admiral was simple in money mat ters, but he had seen much of men and had learned to rend them. Ho saw that venomous glance, and saw, too, that in tense eagerness was peeping out from boneath tho careless uir which tho agent had assumed. "You're quite right, Westmacott," said he. "We'll havo a littlo walk be fore we settle it." "But I may not be hero this after noon." "Thon we must choose another day." "But why not settlo it now?" "Beenuso I prefer not," said tho ad miral shortly. "Very well. But remember that my offer is only for today. It is off unless you take it at once." "Let it be off, then." "There's my fee," cried the doctor. "How much?" "A guinea." Tho admiral threw £1 Is. upon the table. "Come, Westmacott," said he, and they walked together from the room. "I don't like it," said Charles when they found themselves in tho street once more. "I don't profess to be a very sharp chap, but this is a trifle too thin. What did ho want to go out and speak to the doctor for? And how vory con venient this tale of a weak heart was. I •-lievo they aro q. couple. gf rogues and CASTOR I A "Castoria is so well adapted to children that I recommend it as superior to any prescription known to mo." 11. A. ARCHER, M. D., 221 So. Oxford St., ttrooklyn, N. Y. "The two of *Caatorfa* is so universal and its merits so well known that it seems a work of supererogation to endorse it. Few are the intelligent families who do uot keep Castoria within easy reach." CARLOS MARTYN, D. D., „ New York City. Late Pastor Ploomingdale Reformed Church. 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