THE STOLEN EMERALD

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2646, 30 October 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE STOLEN EMERALD

(By. DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY, Author of “The Bishop’s Bible,” A Wasted Crime,” etc.) Young Air. Brunton and tlie Barker family were,; at' feud. Young Air. Brunton was tlie son of a county member, and thought no small beer of himself. Air. Barker was a bill-sticker, and at the last election had made it his business to obscure all the placards of Brunton senior by pasting over them rude Radical lampoons. This, of course, was all in the way of business, and it was greatly enjoyed by Barker, who was a politician in his way, and made no secret of his opinion that the county member was a pompous ass. Barker used to heckle Air. Brunton at his meetings, and Air. Brunton was not good at being heckled. “1 want to bask the honorable member just one question,’ said Barker on a certain occasion, when a member of the Cabinet had come down to speak in thS interests of the Conservative candidate. “I want to liask him if it would not be easy for the nation to pay the national debt if the Chancellor of the Exchequer was to buy Air. Brunton at his proper value, and was to sell him at. the price he puts upon hisself?” This was .reckoned, the .-master-stroke of the election. The crowd did not know how to stop laughing. Even tlie Cabinet Minister could not keep a straight face over it. Young Air. Brunton laid hands upon the platform rail, and valuted to the floor, with intent to do bodily violence upon Barker, but the friends of the vulgar satirist formed a]gmt him, and somebody hit Air. Brunton on the nose, and somebody else knocked his hat over his eyes, and such., a rumpus ensued that it was found necessary to turn the gas out in order to disperse the meeting. Barker was the hero of the hour, and his admirers took him to the Radical Club, and gave him more drink than, was good for him. And in the heart of young Air. Brunton rage was lord. Barker had a son—-an incorrigible imp of fourteen, who drew his politics at the paternal: fount; and who made it the business of his life to make the days a burden to young Air. Brunton. That gentleman being goaded to desperation, gave the imp a sound caning, and Barker took out a summons for assault. The Bench imposed a fine of 5s and costs. Airs. Barker, who was something of a virago, used to shout “Child beater!” after young Air. Brunton- in the streets, and the mob broke the elder Brunton’s carriage windows. And the spirit of the county member's son burned within him like- a Imt coal, even when the election was ovor and his father had been re-elected by a triumphant majority. It fell upon aj day that the angry young'.gentleman caught the imp alone by the riverside, and taking him by tlie ear bundled him into a punt, took away the pole, and thrust the vessel .into mid-stream . He left him there, and went home, well satisfied. The imp howled like a dog, but ho found no rescuer until near nightfall, when a passing bargee pushed the punt to. land and allowed the boy to escape. It was very bitter winter weather, and the boy had been paddling and got his feet wet, so that when ho reached home ho had a fine, raspy cold, and spoko* with a dreadful wheeze. He told his story, and the elder Barker cogitated. '' . ' r “Now, Willyum,” lie said, “you ’aven’t got quite the right ’ang of that story. What really happened was like this. Wait a bit. Did you meet anybody on tho way ’ome?” “Nobody,” said the imp. “It was dai'k afore I got here.” “That is well,” replied papa, sententiously. “That’s all fancy about that bargeman. Ybu didn’t see no bargeman.” “Didn’t I, father?” asked tho imp with dancing eyes. Air. Barker twinkled responsively.

“No you didn’t. You sat in that there punt till it was. dark, and you knew jolly well you’d ’a died if you’d stopped there all night in this here hitter weather. You had to swim for it. That’s what you had to do.” ' “So I did,” said the imp-. “I forgot that part of it.” “Now you’re going to bed you arc, and your mother ’ll take your tea upstairs, and she’ll bring your clothes downstairs—everything as you’re awearing.” “What’s that for, father?” asked the imp. “Why,” returned Mr. Barker, “you having to swim for it, them clothes’ll naturally be wet. I’m going to wet ’em. “I’m going to take ’em to the Manor ’ouse —in a bucket. I ain’t a-going to say a word of a lio. Tin going to say, * ‘These here are the things as my hoy came ’ome in.’ So they are, ain’t they Very well then. You go to bed this instant minute and nip out of them garmints.” The imp obeyed with, a delighted alacrity, and five minutes later ' Mr. Barker was placidly pumping on the clothes in which he had come home. Then he hung them in the freezing dark to drain, and smoked his pipe indoors for the space of half an hour. “I shall have the doctor in to-mor-row, misses,” said the bill-sticker. “Willyurn’s got a fine., old gold, and I think I can see a haction for damages asticking out a half a mile.” When Mr. Barker reached the Manor House with the frozen raiment in a bucket, he was peremptorily refused admission. He was not a persona grata there. “All right,” said Mr. Barker, putting his hob-nailed boot against the lintel of the door. “You tell your governor that if he don’t see me this instant minute I’m agoing straight to take out a warrant for his son's arrest. These is the things my boy came ’ome in this night. Look at ’em. Do you mean to tell me as you’re a man and can bear to sec such cruelty as that done to a child? He’s at home and in bed. ansickeniug for rheumatic gout. I ain’t agoing to stand no nonsense. Young Mr. Brunt-on lie’s served; my boy cruel, an’ lie’s got to pay for- it, or I’ll know the reason why.”The footman who had answered his summons at the servant’s entrance,, stood awhile in doubt.-and perplexity. “You wait there/’ lie' said at-' last. ‘TH tell, the governor.” Presently young Mr. Brunton appeared. ; “What’s all this about’?” he asked. “What brings you here?” “You chucked my boy into a punt this afternoon,” said Barker, “and you set him adrift. These is the things he came ’ome in. Look at ’em !” “That’s no affair of mine,” said the voting gentleman, quaking a little inwardly. ‘No-, affair of yours?” cried the indignant’parent. “Wouldn't that pore child- ha’ died if he’d stopped aboard that punt all night in this here biting weather? Do you imagine as he can'‘fly life a fairy at the tlieayter? If he had to swim for it and walk three mile ’ome in these here very c.othes as is now before you. whose fault is it. Oli, Tin going to have damages for tills, I am, and don’t you forget it, governor.” Air. Barker was noisy, and at the beginning of the harangue he liad .banged the bucket on the floor with violence. The county member appeared on the scene. ‘‘How • dare you come and make a disturbance here?" • “How dare I?” cried Mr. ■•Barker, “Ah ! How dare T," when this here whelp has manslaughtered a father’s only child? Why., my boy for aught as you can tell is a-siekening for his dying bed. These is the clothes ! e came ’ome in this very night. This young villin set ’im adrift on the river this afternoon, and he come ’ome to-night long after it was dark in these here very clothes. You’re a rich man, you. poor nn, but I’m agoing, to. put Htisdiere matter in the hands; of: the police.” “Arthur.” said the county member, “What have you to say?,” “I did turn the little beggar adrift, sir,” answered young Air. Brunt-on, ‘but, of course, I thought he’d get picked up. I did not mean him to come to any harm.”' -' “And these is the clothes as he come ’ome in,” cried Air. Barker. “.Look, at ’em.” \ He seized the bucket and emptied the contents at the county member’s feet. “Do you think as a boy could walk three miles in them, and not ketch his death? Do you think lie could ha’ spent the night there and not ha’ caught his death? Can you tell me what chance ho had of savin’, his life at all if he hadn’t' swum for it?” “Arthur,” said the county member, “I am afraid you have done a very inconsiderate thing-.” “Inconsiderate!” said Mr. Barker scornfully. “Crool, I calls it. Satanical. That’s what it is, when you como to give it a proper name. “You are excited, my good man,” said the county membor. “You had better come into my study.” “Ah!” said Air. Barker, aware of the presence of a large audience in the background. “If you imagine as I’m going to be talked over and ’uslied up 'you never was more mistook in all your lifetime. Blood for blood is my motter.”. '■ With this dreadful declaration, he dumped back the frozen clothes into the .pail, and tinned as if to go. Father and son looked at’ each other undecidedly-. After the five shilling fine this episode would have an undignified look if the man chose to make a noise about it. Each could see this

idea crossing the mind of the other. “Come to my study,” said the county member firmly. Air. Barker let the bucket fall with a clang, and strode after the retiring figure. Young Mr. Brunton followed. “Now, Barker,” said Brunton the older, when the door was closed. “This is a very unfortunate occurrence, and I regret it. I am —er am net unwilling to make compensation for it. What do you expect?” “I don’t expect nothin,’ ” said Mr. Barker. “It stands to reason as a father can’t look on and see his own flesh and blood harbariously treated without puttin’ a word in edgewjso.” “Take a glass of whisky now you’re here, Barker,” said young Air. Erunton. “No,” said Barker, “not afore we’-/o come to terms.” He was a thirsty man, and his own self-denial galled him, but he resisted blandishment. “Come,” said Air. Brunton the elder. “Shall we say five pounds?” “No!” said Barker. “We shan’t cay five pounds.” “Shall we say ten?” asked the county member. “No,” said Barker, '“ten neither.” And at this moment not conscience, but fear of consequence, made a coward of hirn. Suppose that bargeman who had come to Wiflyum’? rescue told.his version of the story? Suppose that version came to the countymember’s ears. “Ten quid is a tidy little sum, but gaol’s a hugly sort of place,” he thought inwardly. “No, I won’t risk it.” “Come, come, Barker,” said yo'mg Air. Brunton, “you must be reasonable.” “I’ll have a drink,” said Barker, “and I’ll turn it over.” He had a drink, and lie became so immersed in his own cogitations that he helped - himself unconsciously to another. “I can’t take money for a houiragctl father’s feelings. The manly nature or a British w f orkman won’t let me do it. I couldn’t touch it not for the sake of my own pride. You >ivd me a noto and say how much you regrets the con - sequences of a crool action, and I’m satisfied.” “Upon my word,” said the county member, “that’s very manly. You’re a fine fellow Barker, and my opinion of you has undergone a change.” Air. Barker puljed out a big red handkerchief and blew his nose to reveal his feelings.' “You ' won’t; stick out for the note, Barker. Air. Arthur will tell you how sorry he is, and how much he respects the stand you have taken and all that. And we’re in want of a boy about the garden, if that little ie’i.ow of yours is looking for employment.” “And just give the boy this from me,” said Air. Brunton the younger, slipping a couple cf sovereigns into Barker’s hand. “Well, if you put it that way, gentlemen,” said Barker. So Lbe little vendetta ended, and Air. Barker will vote Conservative at the next- election. '•.. .