What remains to be said will be said briefly. On Commercial Street there was a fine row of brick houses. In a few days after the events detailed in our last chapter, anyone passing along could see the following names on the front door of each house: “John S. Beverly,” “Joshua Sowers,” “Benjamin H. Walters,” “Mrs. Phillip King,” and “John H. Armstead.” Dr. Maltby retired from practice, as he was immensely rich. He took up his abode with his sister, Mrs. Beverly. He was still clinging to the hope of winning Miss Baker. He knew she truly, devotedly loved him, and oh, how his heart ached when he saw the tears which he knew were tears of anguish standing in her eyes. He avoided her as much as possible. Why was this thus? The answer is, it was for love, for aside from his sister he loved no other human being but Jane Baker.

William Beverly, our hero, was one of the happiest of men. He was really contented, that was more than most people could say. All William was looking anxiously forward to was Christmas—the day when he was to lead Ella Armstead to the altar and there make his vows to love, honor, and protect her. The next one of the happy men was Herbert Armstead, a hero in himself, a gentleman in every sense. He was perfectly happy, and living in anticipation of leading Mattie Sowers to the altar. And she? Well, she was in perfect ecstasy. Our Bertie came every day to see his lady-love. It was his only real source of enjoyment.

What was Hugh Walters doing?

Why, he was making steady progress in his love making. He called at the residence of Mr. Beverly more than once a week. “You bet!” he did.

The fifteenth of October came.

Our friends were well fixed in their new homes. We must visit Kent this day, as it is Sunday and he is at leisure. We enter and find him sitting by his fireside, for the October air is cool. Who is that sitting in a chair near him? It is William, our genial hero.

“Well, Mr. Kent, we open our new Commission House tomorrow,” asserted William as he leisurely smoked a fragrant Havana^[1] of the best make.

“So I heard,” responded Kent. “What is the name of the firm?”

“‘Beverly, Walters, Armstead, &co.’” replied William. “What do you think of it?”

“Oh, the name will do very well,” said Kent. “And I hope the people will do well. I suppose you are one of the firm. You have taken your father’s place, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I will do all the work that is left for Father. I will attend to all the affairs of the firm in general,” said William. “Oh yes, Kent. I was requested by someone to tell you to be at the Commission House by seven o’clock tomorrow morning. Please be there.”

“I’ll be there punctual to the minute. But I would like to know who the ‘someone’ is,” asserted Kent.

“You will find out when you get there,” said William. “I must go now. Good-bye all. Be sure to come tomorrow morning at seven.”

“Good-day, William,” said Kent. “I’ll be there. I wish you a happy day with your intended.” William laughed and walked off briskly toward his home, which he was the light and sunshine of.

“What can they want of you?” inquired Mrs. Kent, a middle-aged matron, and Kent’s better-half.

“They are going to make me a present of a good sum of money, I think,” asserted Kent. “I didn’t tell you, Wife. I have had the promise of five thousand from William and a good round sum from Mr. Beverly. I’ll bet that is what they want with me tomorrow morning.”

“Why, we will be rich!” said Mrs. Kent.

“Well—we are not really poor now,” said Kent. “I can start my boy in business with that money. Well, I do not feel as if I deserve a cent of that money, for I was so awfully long in restoring William to his parents.”

They talked for some time on this topic. But their talk, we are afraid, will not interest the Reader. So, we will see how the love-sick doctor is getting along. Miss Baker came to Mrs. Beverly’s on Sunday morning to “spend” the day.

By chance, she and the doctor were left alone in the parlor. All was still in that parlor for some fifteen minutes. The doctor was afraid to look up for fear Miss Baker was looking at him.

She was acting “ditto.”^[2] Finally the doctor raised his eyes and they rested on the face of “Jennie,” his dear Jennie.

She raised her eyes shyly and looked at him. There was such an unutterable look of misery depicted on the doctor’s countenance that Miss Jennie could not refrain shedding tears.

“Jennie, you love me, Do you?”

“I do, Robert, with all my heart!” answered the sorrow-stricken lady.

“Oh William, my heart is breaking every day! To see you who loves me so well debarred from me by my marriage with a—a—murderer! Oh god! My heart will break! I can restrain an outburst of tears no longer. William, I have tried to avoid you, but I love you so well I cannot. I was married to a man with a false name! Could the marriage be called legal when my marriage certificate was signed ‘Barton’ instead of ‘Lambert’?”

“No! No! Love, it could not be legal!” cried the doctor as he bounded forward and clasped her to his breast. “You are mine! Were always mine! And shall be mine henceforth, until death do us part!”

“Oh, if I could in honor marry you! Oh, that we could be united, never to part again! I would be happy—unspeakably happy!” said Miss Baker as she imprinted kiss after kiss upon the doctor’s cheeks.

“We must be married,” said the doctor. “I cannot live without you. You are the only object in life that I wish to live for, and I must and will marry you. Name the day, dear Jennie. Say Christmas, if not sooner. Your answer, your answer,” continued the doctor with breathless anxiety. “Say yes. It shall be Christmas. For God’s sake, say yes!”

“Yes, i[t] shall be Christmas, for I cannot exist without you. You are my life. Without you I would die!” said Jennie.

“God be thanked,” muttered the doctor as he pressed her still nearer his heart. “Heaven be praised, I have at last been made happy,” continued the doctor. “Roll on, time! Let Christmas come so as I can be made the happiest of all men!”

“What have I done?” said Miss Baker. “I have promised to marry you [on] Christmas.”

“You do not regret it, do you?” asked the doctor. “Oh tell me! Do you regret it?”

“I do not regret it,” said Jennie. Someone was heard coming, so the lovers took seats some distance apart.

The rest of the day passed happily to the doctor. He took a drive over to Charlestown with Miss Baker, and he breathed words of love in every breath. The sabbath passed. Monday morning came bright and clear. Kent was at the store at precisely seven o’clock. He found the doctor, Mr. Beverlys senior and junior, [and] also Mr. Sowers at the office.

Kent walked in and was welcomed by all.

Mr. Beverly opened his private desk and drew out a little wallet. He then began counting ten and twenty dollar gold pieces. He counted out five thousand dollars and handed it to Kent.

“This I make you a present of. It is a poor recompense, but it is the best this Earth affords,” said Mr. Beverly. “I will always remember you as the deliverer. You did all, you brought me around to where my child was. I cannot find words suitable to say to you.”

“This is a princely reward,” said Kent. “I hardly know how to thank you for your kindness. I feel very grateful to you, my dear sir. I looked for no reward. I did it as my duty.”

William then stepped forward with a handful of “specie,” or gold and silver.

“I make you a present of five thousand in gold and five hundred dollars in silver,” said William, handing the money to Kent. Kent refused it.

“I do not deserve this money. I have not earned it,” said Kent.

“I make you a present of it, Kent,” said William. “You must take it as a present from a friend.”

Kent was obliged to take it. He was greatly surprised when Dr. Maltby handed him a deed, “entitling” him to a nice brick house on the end of the row before mentioned. He hastily wended his way home to tell his wife and children of his good fortune.

“Ten thousand dollars in cash and a fine brick mansion to boot,” muttered he, as he trudged along homeward. His wife almost fainted, she was so happy in the thought of being rich. What was their surprise when they went to look at the house and found it furnished? Their cup of joy was filled to overflowing.

Days went by. Kent was the representative of a firm under the name of: “Kent and Son.” He chose [the] grocery and market business and had all the custom of “Commercial Row.”

Christmas time drew near. Preparations were made for William and Ella’s marriage, also Herbert and Mattie’s, and still another: Dr. Maltby and Jennie Baker. Well, the time came at last and those three gentlemen and ladies were made the happiest of all human beings.

They went immediately to Europe. There were two other gentlemen who expected soon to go on a bridal tour, they were Hugh Walters and Albert King. Hugh had asked Dora the all-important question and had been accepted. The wedd{ing} was to take place some time in the winter. William was to keep them well informed of his whereabouts in Europe, and they were to go to Europe and stay awhile, and all come home together.

Albert had also asked the all-importan{t} question and was accepted.

The days flew by, and soon came the wedding day of Hugh and Dora, Albert and Annie. They embarked on the Western Beauty for Europe, land[ing] safely on the other shore. It was the early springtime and the weather was quite warm, so our tourists had a pleasant time among old England’s sunny hills.

They returned home in the month of April and started to keeping [sic] house for themselves. There were five door-plates added to the former list.

Mrs. Dr. Maltby was happy indeed. She was now in the midst of enjoyment, such enjoyment as she had never before experienced.

Herbert still kept Sowers’ secret locked in his bosom. Albert King was a perfect gentleman. His mother was happy to see him so; she was happy to see her former wayward son a steady man at last.

Hugh Walters was, as ever, a lover of fun. He was the life of “Commercial Row,” and a happy life did he lead with beautiful Dora.

William, our hero, “a lad among a thousand lads,” was perfectly happy. He carried on business for his father. The Commission House flourished; so did the grocery and market store belonging to Kent the detective. He resigned his position in the secret service and devoted his time to the welfare of his family.

“I owe my good fortune to you,” said Kent to William, when he saw him after his return from Europe.

“Oh no, not to me,” said William, “to your own industry, my good fellow. You owe all to your own industry.”

{. . .} you may have it your way.”

{. . .}d Kent. “But you certainly

{. . .}e to do what I am now doing.”

{. . .} was seated in his room about

{. . .}ks after his return from

{. . .}nversing with his pretty little

{. . .} the time when he was a

{. . .} lived with Wilson Reed, believing

{. . .}s his father. William thought a

{. . .} deal of his Uncle Robert Maltby

{. . .} his aunt Rebecca King.

{. . .} also respected Sowers and his family for he learned the miller’s tra{. . .}

{. . .} in Sowers’ mill. He was no{. . .}

down for life. He gave {. . .}

colored boy a handsome {. . .}

and also took him in {. . .}

clerk. The mystery was a {. . .}

up. The chief actor ha{. . .}

his evil deeds; but his {. . .}

often told him—rev{. . .}

What a miserable m{. . .}

planning the, {. . .}

 

The End