The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 178: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LIVING IT DOWN. The deed that cost John Jeffreys months of misery—From pillar to post in quest of daily bread— The remorseless fate that pursued a tarnished name. SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED. WHILE away at boarding school, John Jeffreys, during a game of football, accidentally in- jures a boy so badly that his life is despaired of. Jeffreys thereupon runs away from Bolsover and returns to his guardian in York, who turns him adrift, after informing him that the money left for him by his father has been lost through an unfortunate speculation. Jeffreys finally finds a position as under teacher in Galloway House, a school for little boys, conducted by Mrs Trimble, The boys take to him, which arouses the ire of Mrs. Trimble’s son Jonah, who abstracts from his pocket aletter speaking of young Forrester, the boy injured at school. Jeffreys is once more cast on the cold charities of the world, which throws him only one sop, in the shape of Julius, his guardian’s dog, who has been abandoned when Mr. Halgrove moves away leaving not a trace behind. Jeffreys tramps his way to Grangerham, where he can find out but little about For- rester, and then, seeking refuge for the night ina tumble down shed, overhears a plot to abduct Percy Rimbolt, the fourteen year old son of a wealthy family in the neighborhood. With the assistance of the dog, Julius, he frustrates this and restores Percy to his home. Mr. Rimbolt takes a fancy to Jeffreys and appoints him to the post of private librarian at a salary of a hundred pounds a year. He gets on famously with Percy, and is treated with matked favor by Raby Atherton, Percy’s cousin. But Mrs. Rimbolt dislikes the newcomer and neglects no opportunity to humiliate him. During the holidays Mrs. Scarfe and her son arrive on a visit, and in the young man Jeffreys recognizes a schoolmate at Bolsover, one fully cogni- zant of the Forrester affair. Some time later, after the household has moved to London, Scarfe writes to Mrs. Rimbolt, telling, in exaggerated fashion, why Jeffreys left Bolsover. Mr. Rimbolt, who has been made acquainted with the whole history and elected to take Jeffreys for what he is and not for what he was, is away, and as Mrs. Rimbolt requests the librarian to leave the house within half an hour, he has no choice but to obey. Once more adrift, he wanders about London, and is soon on the verge of starvation. One night he saves a man who has tried to drown himself and who proves to be Jonah Trimble. Jeffreys cares for him as well as he can, and then coming back one day to their poor shelter finds Jonah dead and a note from the “angel”? he has talked of as visiting him, saying that he passed away peacefully, and the writing is that of Raby Atherton. But Jeffreys’ pride will not suffer him to reveal his whereabouts, even though he sees an advertisement of Mr. Rimbolt’s asking for the information. He does call on a firm of attorneys, through whom Raby’s father is seeking news of Gerrard Fotrester, and tells all he knows, but absolutely refuses to see their principal. In his poor home at Star Alley he makes himself of use to the other lodgers, and on the death of a poor woman adopts her two little boys. Shortly after this a fire breaks out in the neighborhood and Jeffreys saves a bed" tidden inmate of the burning house and brings him to his own attic. As the fellow slowly opens his eyes, his rescuer recognizes young Forrester. CHAPTER XLI.—Av Last. Fe ABY had come home with a strange story from Storr Alley that after- noon. She was not much given to romance, but to her there was some- thing pathetic about this man ‘‘John’’ and his unceremonious adoption of those orphan children. She had not seen anything exactly like it, and it moved both her admiration and curiosity. -" *Thtis story began in the October, 1896, issue of THE ARGoSY. The seven back numbers will be matled to any address on receipt of 70 cents. (E(0) Gomicbooks one lie eee a —_—