True Riches | Page 9

a good many things on my mind, that
must receive close attention."
The young man offered no objection, although the service was far from
being agreeable. On his return, after the absence of an hour, Jasper had,
of course, many inquiries to make. Claire appeared serious. The fact
was, he had seen enough to touch his feelings deeply. The grief of the
orphaned child, as he was a witness thereto, had brought tears upon his
cheeks, in spite of every manly effort to restrain them. Her extreme
beauty struck him at the first glance, even obscured as it was under a
vail of sorrow and weeping.
"There were several persons in, you say?" remarked Jasper, after Claire
had related a number of particulars.
"Yes, three or four."
"Ladies, of course?"
"Yes."
"Did any of them propose to take the child home with them?"
"Not directly. One woman asked me a number of questions about the
little girl."
"Of what nature?"
"As to whether there were any relatives or particular friends who would
take charge of her?"
"And you told her there were none?"
"Yes; none of whom I had any knowledge."
"Well? What had she to say to that?"

"She wanted to know if there would be any thing for the child's support.
I said that there would, in all probability."
"Well?"
"Then she gave me to understand, that if no one took the child, she
might be induced to board her for a while, until other arrangements
were made."
"Did you give her to understand that this was practicable?"
"No, sir."
"Why not? She will have to be boarded, you know."
"I neither liked the woman's face, manner, nor appearance."
"Why not?"
"Oh, she was a vulgar, coarse, hard-looking creature to my eyes."
"Kind hearts often lie concealed under unpromising externals."
"True; but they lie not concealed under that exterior, be well assured,
Mr. Jasper. No, no. The child who has met with so sad a loss as that of
a mother, needs the tenderest guardianship. At best, the case is hard
enough."
Jasper did not respond to this humane sentiment, for there was no pity
in him. The waves of feeling, stirred so suddenly a few hours before,
had all subsided, and the surface of his heart bore no ripple of emotion.
He thought not of the child as an object claiming his regard, but as a
trouble and a hinderance thrown in his way, to be disposed of as
summarily as possible.
"I'm obliged to you, Edward, for the trouble you have taken in my
stead," he remarked, after a slight pause. "To-morrow, I may wish you
to call there again. Of course, the neighbours will give needful attention
until the funeral takes place. By that time, perhaps, the child will have

made a friend of some one of them, and secure, through this means, a
home for the present. It is, for us, a troublesome business at best,
though it will soon be over."
A person coming in at the moment, Claire left his employer to attend at
the counter. The new customer, it was quickly perceived by the clerk,
was one who might readily be deceived into buying the articles for
which she inquired, at a rate far in advance of their real value; and he
felt instantly tempted to ask her a very high price. Readily, for it was
but acting from habit, did he yield to this temptation. His success was
equal to his wishes. The woman, altogether unsuspicious of the cheat
practised upon her, paid for her purchases the sum of ten dollars above
their true value. She lingered a short time after settling her bill, and
made some observation upon a current topic of the day. One or two
casually-uttered sentiments did not fall like refreshing dew upon the
feelings of Claire, but rather stung him like words of sharp rebuke, and
made him half regret the wrong he had done to her. He felt relieved
when she retired.
It so happened that, while this customer was in, Jasper left the store.
Soon after, a clerk went to dinner. Only a lad remained with Claire, and
he was sent up-stairs to arrange some goods.
The hour of temptation had again come, and the young man's mind was
overshadowed by the powers of darkness.
"Ten dollars clear gain on that transaction," said he to himself, as he
drew open the money-drawer in which he had deposited the cash paid
to him by his late customer.
For some time his thoughts were busy, while his fingers toyed with the
gold and bills in the drawer. Two five-dollar pieces were included in
the payment just received.
"Jasper, surely, ought to be satisfied with one of these." Thus he began
to argue with himself. "I drove the