helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door. wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of mr. sharp.
“good morning, mr. sharp,” she said, politely. “won’t you come in and see papa?”
“thank you, my dear miss ford; at the risk of interrupting your respected father in his valuable scientific labors i will yet do so. i am quite aware that i have called at an unseasonable hour. i should not have ventured to do it, but that i am summoned hither by business of an important character—business, which i may venture to hope, will make me welcome.”
“you are welcome, sir; we are always glad to see one who has shown himself a friend.”
“thank you, my dear miss ford. such a testimony is most grateful to my feelings, the more so that i feel, so far as my intentions are concerned, it is not wholly undeserved.”
“papa, mr. sharp is here,” said helen, going up to her father, and laying her hand lightly upon his shoulder.
rousing at the touch, mr. ford advanced and welcomed the lawyer cordially.
“i was just apologizing to your charming daughter for calling so early,” said mr. sharp.
268“there is no occasion for that,” said mr. ford, courteously. “we don’t stand on ceremony with our friends.”
“i hope you will ever include me in that number. but my call this morning is of a business character.”
“shall i leave the room, papa?”
“no, my dear, i can have no business in which you are not equally interested.”
“by no means, my dear miss ford; i particularly desire that you should be present. mr. ford, i called on your cousin lewis last evening.”
“and i suppose he renewed his offer,” said mr. ford, hastily. “tell him from me that i shall accept no pittance at his hands. the only proposition to which i shall listen is one that will surrender to me half of my father’s estate.”
“he has consented to such a surrender,” said mr. sharp.
“my cousin has consented to yield me one half the estate!” exclaimed mr. ford, overwhelmed with astonishment.
helen drew near, and listened intently, half believing she was dreaming.
“read this,” said the lawyer, showing the document he had extorted from the fears of lewis rand.
“can this be genuine?”
“there can be no doubt of that. mr. rand signed it in my presence.”
“but i cannot account for such a change in him.”
“i can,” said mr. sharp, smiling. “indeed, i may say that it is entirely owing to my persuasions that the change is due.”
“you have, indeed, been a friend,” said mr. ford, grasping his hand, warmly; “but i am still at a loss——”
“to understand the secret of my influence?”
“yes.”
“i will not conceal from you that your cousin acted very 269much against his will; but i employed an argument which he found it impossible to resist.”
“and that was——”
“a police officer, and a warrant for his arrest.”
“have you arrested lewis?”
“no, i only used these in terrorem. threatening breaks no bones, but sometimes serves a useful purpose, as in this case. not to keep you in suspense, however, a singular and unexpected chance threw in my way the proofs of your cousin’s complicity in a forged will by which he holds the estate. acting as your unauthorized agent, yet feeling sure that you would give me a warrant for my proceedings, i brought these to bear upon him, but agreed in your name to stay further proceedings against him if he would quietly yield to you one half of all the property left by your late father. was i right in making this agreement?”
“quite so. i have no desire to subject my cousin to any legal penalties. it is enough that he has done me tardy justice. but how shall i thank you, mr. sharp, for your friendly and disinterested service?”
“my dear mr. ford,” said mr. sharp, with effusion, “i feel abundantly repaid in having been the humble agent of restoring to you and my charming young friend, miss helen, that property which rightfully belongs to you. yet, if you desire to acknowledge in any way the obligation, i will suggest that you will probably require a man of business, to undertake the charge of your large property. i believe i am right in asserting that you will not desire so far to interrupt your scientific pursuits, for the petty details of business, to which an inferior capacity can equally well attend. should you so far honor me with your confidence, as to intrust that business to my charge, to select me, in fact, as your lawyer and man of business, i trust i shall do all that is possible to any one to promote your interests.”
270“mr. sharp,” said mr. ford, “if you will undertake that office, i shall regard it as a fresh kindness on your part. you are well aware that i have little business capacity. the accession of wealth i shall not permit materially to interfere with my scientific pursuits. indeed, it is partly because it will facilitate them, that i am thankful for this change in my circumstances. let me add, that i shall desire to compensate your services liberally.”
“thank you,” said mr. sharp, with feeling; “i feel grateful for this mark of your confidence. i will not hesitate even to accept the compensation to which you so delicately allude, and trust i shall be able to show you that i am sensible of the great privilege of being admitted to your friendship.”
“mr. sharp,” said helen, thoughtfully, “can you give me any idea of the value of the property which has come to papa?”
“i cannot, of course, give you any definite statement, my dear miss ford. from investigations i have made, however, i can assure you that it will exceed half a million dollars.”
“i am so glad,” exclaimed helen, looking quite radiant.
“why, helen,”, said her father, roused into surprise; “i had no idea you were grown so fond of money!”
“it is because of the good we can do with so much, papa. indeed, i want to dispose of some at once.”
“speak, helen. it must be a large favor that i would not grant you.”
“but this is a hundred and fifty dollars, papa.”
“half an hour since that would have seemed a large sum to me, helen; now, i believe i can afford it. tell me what use you wish to make of it.”
“you know herbert coleman, papa, the young artist opposite.”
271“a very gentlemanly young man. well, my dear?”
“he is in great trouble. his money is exhausted, and because he is so young and unknown, he cannot sell his picture. he has had an offer from his uncle to go into a country store to sell groceries, and fears he must abandon art and accept this offer, for want of money to keep him here in new york. he told me last evening that if he could only sell his picture—you have seen it, papa: the ‘country farm-house,’ you know—for a hundred and fifty dollars, he could remain in the city six months longer.”
“and you want me to buy the picture, helen?”
“yes, papa.”
“very well, but i have not so much ready money. i do not understand such things. mr. sharp will know whether there will be any delay in coming into possession of this property.”
“very little, sir, since there is no opposition to fear from the opposite party. in the course of a few days——”
“but he has got to decide to-day,” said helen.
“if he is sure of a sale, however, he will wait for the money,” suggested the lawyer.
“but there is one thing,” said helen. “i don’t want herbert to know just at first that it is we who have bought his picture.”
“leave that to me,” said mr. sharp. “i can tell him that i have a commission from a friend to purchase for him, without mentioning names, you know.”
“yes, that will be just the thing,” said helen, well satisfied. “will you go in now?”
“by all means, if you desire it.”
“and i want to go with you,” said helen. “i want to see how delighted he will look when he finds his picture is bought. only please don’t tell him just yet that we are rich, papa and i.”
272“be assured, my dear miss ford, i will respect your wishes,” said mr. sharp, bowing. “indeed, i honor you for your kind and generous desire to assist your struggling friends.”
“i think, mr. sharp,” said mr. ford, quietly, “that i will authorize you to pay mr. coleman two hundred dollars for his picture, and to order of him another at the same price, the subject to be entirely of his own selection. do you approve, helen?”
“approve, papa? you are the dearest of all papas. you have made me very happy.”
“my dear child,” said her father, affectionately, “i feel that i ought to do what i can to make you happy. you have been my joy and comfort, and latterly my support, in the days of my poverty. henceforth, it shall be mine to gratify you in all your reasonable desires.”
“papa, you embolden me to ask another favor.”
“well, helen?”
“i will tell you by and by. now, mr. sharp, let us go and see herbert.”
“herbert is a fortunate young man,” thought the lawyer. “he seems in favor with both father and daughter. if helen were a little older, who can tell what would come of it. it will be worth my while to be polite to the young man.”
