paul the peddler-第29章

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with　my　wife？〃



〃Certain；〃　said　Ephraim；　brightening　up。



Mr。　Montgomery　went　into　a　shop　near　by；　but　made　no　request　to

have　a　hundred…dollar　bill　changed。　　He　was　rather　afraid　that

they　might　comply　with　his　request；　which　would　have　subjected

him　to　some　embarrassment。　　He　merely　inquired　if　he　could　use　a

pen　for　a　moment；　request　which　was　readily　granted。　　In　less

than　five　minutes　he　emerged　into　the　street　again。　　Ephraim

Young　looked　toward　him　eagerly。



〃I　am　sorry　to　say；　my　young　friend；〃　he　remarked；　〃that　I　was

unable　to　get　my　bill　changed。　　I　might　get　it　changed　at　a　bank；

but　the　banks　are　all　closed　at　this　hour。〃



The　countryman　looked　disturbed。



〃I　am　afraid；〃　continued　Mr。　Montgomery；　〃I　must　wait　and　send

you　the　money　in　a　letter　from　Hayfield　Centre。〃



〃I'd　rather　have　it　now；〃　said　Ephraim。



〃I　am　sorry　to　disappoint　you；〃　said　the　adventurer　smoothly；

〃but　after　all　you　will　only　have　a　day　or　two　to　wait。　　To　make

up　to　you　for　the　delay　I　have　decided　to　send　you　ten　dollars

instead　of　five。　　Finding　I　could　not　change　my　bill；　I　wrote　a

note　for　the　amount；　which　I　will　hand　you。〃



Ephraim　received　the　paper；　which　the　other　handed　him；　and　read

as　follows：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NEW　YORK；　Sept　15；　18。



Three　days　from　date　I　promise　to　pay　Mr。　Ephraim　Young　ten

dollars。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOTHAM　BARNES；　of　Hayfield　Centre。



〃How　will　that　do？〃　asked　the　adventurer。　　〃By　waiting　three

days　you　double　your　money。〃



〃You'll　be　sure　to　send　it；〃　said　Ephraim；　doubtfully。



〃My　young　friend；　I　hope　you　do　not　doubt　me；〃　said　the　Rev。　Mr。

Barnes；　impressively。



〃I　guess　it's　all　right；〃　said　Ephraim；　〃only　I　thought　I　might

like　to　spend　the　money　in　the　city。〃



〃Much　better　save　it　up；〃　said　the　other。　　〃By　and　by　it　may　come

in　useful。〃



Ephraim　carefully　folded　up　the　note；　and　deposited　it　in　an

immense　wallet；　the　gift　of　his　father。　　He　would　have　preferred

the　money　which　it　represented：　but　three　days　would　soon　pass；

and　the　ten　dollars　would　be　forwarded　to　him。　　He　took　leave　of

his　new　acquaintances；　Mr。　Montgomery　shaking　his　hand　with

affectionate　warmth；　and　requesting　him　to　give　his　best　respects

to　his　parents。　　When　Ephraim　was　out　of　sight　he　returned　to　his

wife；　with　a　humorous　twinkle　in　his　eye；　and　said：



〃Wasn't　that　cleverly　done；　old　lady？〃



〃Good　enough！〃　　remarked　the　lady。　　〃Now　you've　got　the　ring　back

again；　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　it？〃



〃That；　my　dear；　is　a　subject　which　requires　the　maturest

consideration。　　I　shall　endeavor　to　convert　it　as　soon　as

possible　into　the　largest　possible　sum　in　greenbacks。　　Otherwise

I　am　afraid　our　board　bill；　and　the　note　I　have　just　given　to　my

rural　friend；　will　remain　unpaid。〃







CHAPTER　XXIV



MR。　MONTGOMERY'S　ARREST



Having　shaken　off　his　country　acquaintance；　of　whom　he　had　no

further　need；　Mr。　Montgomery　started　to　return　to　his　lodgings。　

On　the　whole；　he　was　in　good　spirits；　though　he　had　not　effected

the　sale　of　the　ring。　　But　it　was　still　in　his　possession；　and　it

had　a　tangible　value。



〃I　am　sorry　you　did　not　sell　the　ring；〃　said　Mrs。　Montgomery。



〃So　am　I；〃　said　her　husband。　　〃We　may　have　to　sell　it　in　some

other　city。〃



〃We　can't　leave　the　city　without　money。〃



〃That's　true；〃　returned　her　husband；　rather　taken　aback　by　what

was　undeniably　true。



〃We　must　sell　the　ring；　or　raise　money　on　it；　in　New　York。〃



〃I　don't　know　but　you　are　right。　　The　trouble　is；　there　are　not

many　places　where　they　will　buy　so　expensive　an　article。　

Besides；　they　will　be　apt　to　ask　impertinent　questions。〃



〃You　might　go　to　a　pawnbroker's。〃



〃And　get　fleeced。　　If　I　got　a　quarter　of　the　value　from　a

pawnbroker；　I　should　be　lucky。〃



〃We　must　do　something　with　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Montgomery；　decidedly。



〃Right；　my　dear。　　We　must　get　the　sinews　of　war　somewhere。　

Richard　will　never　be　himself　again　till　his　pocketbook　is　lined

with　greenbacks。　　At　present；　who　steals　my　purse　steals　trash。〃



〃Suppose　you　try　Tiffany's？〃



〃The　ring　has　already　been　offered　there。　　They　might　remember

it。〃



〃If　they　do；　say　that　he　is　your　son。〃



〃A　good　thought；〃　answered　the　husband。　　〃I　will　act　upon　it。　

But；　on　the　whole；　I'll　doff　this　disguise；　and　assume　my

ordinary　garments。　　This　time；　my　dear；　I　shall　not　need　your

assistance。〃



〃Well；　the　sooner　it's　done　the　better。　　That's　all　I　have　to

say。〃



〃As　soon　as　possible。〃



Mr。　Montgomery　returned　to　his　lodgings　in　Amity　street；　and；

taking　off　his　clerical　garb；　appeared　in　the　garb　in　which　we

first　made　his　acquaintance。　　The　change　was　very　speedily

effected。



〃Wish　me　good　luck；　Mrs。　M。；〃　he　said；　as　he　opened　the　door。　　〃I

am　going　to　make　another　attempt。〃



〃Good　luck　to　you；　Tony！　　Come　back　soon。〃



〃As　soon　as　my　business　is　completed。　　If　I　get　the　money；　we

will　leave　for　Philadelphia　this　evening。　　You　may　as　well　be

packing　up。〃



〃I　am　afraid　the　landlady　won't　let　us　carry　away　our　baggage

unless　we　pay　our　bill。〃



〃Never　mind！　　Pack　it　up；　and　we'll　run　our　chance。〃



Felix　Montgomery　left　the　house　with　the　ring　carefully　deposited

in　his　vest　pocket。　　To　judge　from　his　air　of　easy　indifference；

he　might　readily　have　been　taken　for　a　substantial　citizen　in

excellent　circumstances；　but　then　appearances　are　oftentimes

deceitful；　and　they　were　especially　so　in　the　present　instance。



He　made　his　way　quickly　to　Broadway；　and　thence　to　Tiffany's；　at

that　time　not　so　far　uptown　as　at　present。　　He　entered　the　store

with　a　nonchalant　air；　and；　advancing　to　the　counter；　accosted

the　same　clerk　to　whom　Paul　had　shown　the　ring　earlier　in　the

day。



〃I　have　a　valuable　ring　which　I　would　like　to　sell；〃　he　said。　

〃Will　you　tell　me　its　value？〃



The　clerk　no　sooner　took　it　in　his　hand　than　he　recognized　it。



〃I　have　seen　that　ring　before；〃　he　said；　looking　at　Mr。

Montgomery　keenly。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　latter；　composedly；　〃this　morning；　wasn't　it？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃My　boy　brought　it　in　here。　　I　ought　not　to　have　sent　him；　for　he

came　very　near　losing　it　on　the　way　home。　　I　thought　it　best　to

come　with　it　myself。〃



This　was　said　so　quietly　that　it　was　hard　to　doubt　the　statement；

or　would　have　been　if　information　had　not　been　brought　to　the

store　that　the　ring　had　been　stolen。



〃Yes；　boys　are　careless；〃　assented　the　clerk；　not　caring　to

arouse　Mr。　Montgomery's　suspicions。　　〃You　wish　to　sell　the　ring；

I　suppose。〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　the　other；　〃I　don't　like　to　carry　a　ring　of　so

great　value。　　Several　times　I　have　come　near　having　it　stolen。　

Will　you　buy　it？〃



〃I　am　not　authorized　to　make　the　purchase；〃　said　the　clerk。　　〃I

will　refer　the　matter　to　Mr。　Tiffany。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery。　　〃I　am　willing　to　accept

whatever　he　may　pronounce　a　fair　price。〃



〃No　doubt；〃　thought　the　clerk。



He　carried　the　ring　to　his　employer；　and　quickly　explained　the

circumstances。



〃The　man　is　doubtless　a　thief。　　He　must　be　arrested；〃　said　the

jeweler。



〃If　I　go　for　an　officer；　he　will　take　alarm。〃



〃Invite　him　to　come　into　the　back　part　of　the　shop；　and　I　will

protract　the　negotiation　while　you　summon　a　policeman。〃



The　clerk　returned；　and　at　his　invitation　Mr。　Montgomery　walked

to　the　lower　end　of　the　store；　where　he　was　introduced　to　the

head　of　the　establishment。　　Sharp　though　he　was；　he　suspected　no

plot。



〃You　are　the　owner　of　this　ring？〃　asked　Mr。　Tiffany。



〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　adventurer。　　〃It　has　been　in　our　family　for

a　long　time。〃



〃But　you　wish　to　sell　it　now？〃



〃Yes；　I　have　come　near　losing　it　several　times；　and　prefer　to

dispose　of　it。　　What　is　its　value？〃



〃That　requires　some　consideration。　　I　will　examine　it　closely。〃



Mr。　Montgomery　stood　w