CHAPTER XVI.

A DISCOVERY.

"IT is not wrong, Helen," remarked Mr. Knowles, "to hate injustice, oppression, and crime, wherever you see them, but you must try to forgive your enemies, whoever they are. Mr. Tracy, in his letter, speaks of you with great tenderness. Indeed, he seemed desirous of making up to you the loss you have met with by the sudden fall in the value of some of your stocks, by the fortune he should settle on you is the wife of his only son."

"I wont touch a cent of his property," sobbed the excited girl. "I never will see Roswell if I can help it. But Mr. Knowles, what if I can't help it? If you know Mr. Tracy as I do, you wouldn't wonder that I'm afraid. I've heard him boast, time and again, that he never gives up any purpose. He hangs to it till he has accomplished it. There is only one thing that would stop him, and that is if I were married to another man."

Helen glanced timidly in her companion's face as she said this, and her heart grew warm as he answered gently:

"That's so, child! That's so!"

"Would it be wicked for me to tell you some things I know about him?" she asked, eagerly. "Things I heard him tell himself, laughing and joking meanwhile."

"I don't know that it would be wicked."

"He had a party of gentlemen one night. They sat down to dinner at seven, and afterwards they drank a great deal of liquor. When we went back to the parlor, the company were all in gay spirits, and began to talk over their youthful pranks, as they called them. I wanted to retire, but Mrs. Tracy, and the wife of one of the visitors bogged me to stay. They said our presence was a restraint on the men. I wont call them gentlemen. I never shall forget the disgust, the loathing I had of my guardian, after that.

"Why, Mr. Knowles, he confessed that all the while he was pretending in papa's presence to be religious, while he went regularly to church, and discussed religious subjects because he saw it fell in with the weakness of his 'boss,' as he called papa, he was acting exactly contrary to his wishes.

"Several nights every week, after the store had been locked, a company of boon companions met there, and carefully securing the shutters to exclude every ray of light, gambled until the small hours. Sometimes the debating club met there, and caroused till morning.

"One of the company asked how he obtained possession of the keys; and he shouted with mirth as he answered:

"'Oh, it was the easiest thing in the world to humbug the boss! He had such an exalted opinion of me that he would have suspected any of the clerks sooner. When I told him that I wanted to balance my accounts for the month, and would like the store key, he gave it out at once. Sometimes I hinted that my boarding house was so noisy, I couldn't meditate and pray as I wished. On these occasions, he would offer me the key with tears in his eyes.'

"This confession was received with repeated shouts of laughter, while I, mortified beyond measure at finding myself in such company, could only wish that my papa would appear bodily and accuse Mr. Tracy of his perfidy."

"I am very sorry to hear this," said Mr. Knowles, "sorry for many reasons."

"I might possibly have concluded that these confessions were the result of the liquor," continued Helen, "but unfortunately I heard other confessions equally disgraceful. And then Mr. Tracy often boasts that he can drink any amount without showing the effects.

"You know, perhaps, that he has another ward, a young man who has gone into business with Roswell. I have listened with dreadful heart-burnings to the fatherly advice given the young partners, advice which, if followed, without the skill in evading law he himself possesses, would lead them to prison."

"That is a grave charge, Helen."

"Please listen. I am not exaggerating in one particular.

"You know that he used to import coffee, tea and liquors of various sorts. He instructed them in watering their liquors, boasting, with a laugh, that he had watered many a hogshead of New England rum or many a pipe of brandy, while in the employ of Mr. Edmond, and then pocketed the money the extra liquor brought."

Mr. Knowles groaned.

"Do you wonder now that I have no respect for the man? Is it strange I could not endure to live under his roof? Do you think I would connect myself with him by marrying his son?"

"When do you expect your brother, Helen. I wish to see him as soon as may be."

"Not until Christmas, unless something unusual occurs."

The clergyman seemed to be absorbed in thought, but as they drew near their destination, said suddenly:

"I must write him to meet me in the city."

The family who needed the pastor's services consisted of a widow and four children. The oldest boy had found for himself a situation in a store, but the others were dependent on their mother.

When Mr. Knowles and Helen knocked at the door of a neat one-story house, they were shown into a small parlor plainly furnished, but bearing the marks of taste and refinement.

Presently Mrs. Russel, the widow, entered, and apologized for having taken the liberty to summon the clergyman by saying:

"I heard from my neighbors that you were a friend to the poor and afflicted; and I am in great trouble."

She then went on to state that while her husband lived, though not rich, she didn't know the meaning of the word poverty. When he died, it was her great desire, the one she insisted on when her relatives urged her to break up, to keep her family together, certainly until her children's characters were more formed than at present. She had a rich brother in the city, she said, who urged her to give away her two youngest, put the others out at service, and find a place for herself as housekeeper.

"Abominable!" exclaimed Helen, greatly excited by the simple story.

"I wrote him I was willing to work hard, to deny myself of every luxury, even to live on two meals a day, but I could not consent to throw a mother's holy duties upon another."

"You did right," said the young listener.

"At last after many changes, I heard of this place, and with the advice of a younger unmarried sister who has been like an angel of mercy to me, I made the move with the idea of taking table—boarders from the factory. There are four overseers who have already engaged to come, and they promise to bring me as many others as I want. But last week, just as my hopes were raised to the utmost, my landlord decided to sell this house, and move to one of the Western States. In consequence of my disappointment, he offers to sell it to me for one thousand dollars, one half of which can lie at interest for a year or two.

"After consulting my neighbors here, and finding that without doubt property would rise, I went at once to the city, though I could poorly afford the expense, to plead with my rich brother to buy the house for me and let me pay him by instalments. This would have been a safe speculation for him, and have given me perfect relief. But he would not advance one dollar, though I told him that our sister was willing to risk one hundred dollars which she had earned as school teacher. He said he could speculate with his money more to his advantage than buying country houses."

Mrs. Russel wept as she added: "I remember the time, and I reminded him of it, when but for the kindness of a good Christian gentleman, he would have starved while trying to procure work."

"And did not that recollection soften him?" inquired Mr. Knowles.

"He made no reply, sir, except that he had plenty of use for his money, that his taxes and church subscriptions were enough to ruin any man. And, to prove what he said, he brought me a newspaper wherein a large subscription had been noticed. I think I have the paper now."

She opened a drawer in the worktable and took thence a copy of the — Journal, which, with flushed cheeks, she unfolded, and gave to the clergyman, placing her finger on the paragraph.

While he was deliberately putting on his glasses, Helen seized it, and with a scream of astonishment read aloud:

"We are gratified to notice among the liberal contributors to the new orphan asylum, the name of one of our princely merchants, MONSON P. TRACY. This noble and large-hearted gentleman has added one thousand dollars to the sum already raised. A few more similar donations, and the entire amount will be made up."

"Shameful! I wish everybody knew that he refused to help his own sister to a shelter for herself and children. Mr. Knowles, is it wicked for me to hate such a man?"

"Hush, my child, let charity have its perfect work. The building of an asylum for orphans is a noble undertaking. Don't let us impugn his motives."

Helen turned away from him with a look of disgust. "Your brother is my guardian," she exclaimed; "and my father is the gentleman who gave him employment. I am quite prepared to believe your story, having lived with him for a year. And I am acquainted with some of the methods by which he tries to cheat his fellow-men into a belief of his goodness. I am thankful that he cannot cheat his Maker."

As she said this, there was a flash of defiance in her eye which her pastor had not seen there for months.

"Helen," he urged mildly but with a glance of reproof, "we will not pursue that subject any farther. Our business is to advise our friend what course to take."

"How long, Mrs. Russel, will your landlord continue his offer?"

"Only one month, and a week of that has gone."

"I will write to Mr. Tracy to-night that I want five hundred dollars to help a poor woman," exclaimed Helen.

"Oh, Miss! The Lord will reward you, I never can," answered the widow with a burst of grateful tears.

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