The Town Traveller

it was not easy to think of Polly in the filial relation. For some years she had lived in complete independence, now and then exchanging a letter with

se on Polly's lips; but for the rest she thought of him with tolerance as a good, silly s

it. In this fact he saw nothing to be ashamed of. It had never occurred to him that anyone could or should be ashamed of the position;

its staple dish, its drink a sound porter at twopence a pint. How many thousand times had Mr. Sparkes shouted the order "One ally-mode!" The chief, almost the only, variant was "One 'ot!" which signified a cut from the boiled round, served of course with carrots and potatoes, remarkable

hall, painted and gilded and set about with mirrors, furnished with marble tables and cane-bottomed chairs-to all appearances a restaurant on the France-Italian pattern. Yet Chaffey's remained English, flagrantly English, in its viands and its waiters. The new proprietor aimed at combining foreign glitter with the prices and the ente

ent had its market value; his side-whiskers and shaven lip gave him a decidedly clerical aspect, which, together with long experience and a certain austerity of command, well fitted him for superintending the younger waiters. His salary was increased, his "tips" represented a much larger income than heretofore. At the old Chaffey's every

lover, the sister of his deceased wife. With her he occasionally spent a Sunday evening in

'anding out such potatoes! They're more like food for pigs, and I've known the day when Chaffey's 'ud have thrown 'em at the 'ead of anybody as delivered 'em such offal. It isn't a place for a self-respecting man, and I feel it more and more. If a shop-boy wants to take out his sweetheart and make a pretence of doing it grand, where does he go to? Why, to Chaffey's. He couldn't afford a real rest'rant; bu

ire cups and saucers just to make a show when they had a friend to tea with them. There was much of the right spirit in both these persons, for they sincerely despised shams, though they were not above

d, or at the Old City Chop House, if I'd waited for a vacancy. Who'd take me on now? Why, they'd t

been no great surprise, even after an absence of six years. Mr. Sparkes had a strong objection to mysterious persons; he was all for peace and comfort in a familiar routine, and for his own part had often hoped that the man Clover was by this time dead and buried. Responding as soon as possible to Mrs. Clo

ut that watch and chain of hers wasn't bought under twenty pounds-that I'll answer for, and it's a very queer thing, to say the least of it. What busin

when his only surviving daughter seemed in peril. After an exchange of post cards a meeting took place between them on the Embankment below Waterloo Bridge, for neither father nor child had anything in the nature of a home

to me; well, what of that? You can look at it for yourself. I can't tell you who give it me, 'cos I've promised I wouldn't; but you'll know some day, and

e could not imagine how the girl had become honourably possessed of them, save as the gift of an

Polly," he remarked; with a

like the look of it. The w

oke. Whilst he was reflecting upon it a thought suddenly pass

ol

el

ur Uncle Clo

udly as if at a pre

h a man! What do you mean? Why, I shouldn't kno

ws when and where he may t

le Clover indeed! Whatever

obably quite unprincipled-the kind of man who frequents "proper rest'rants" and sits in the stalls at "theaytres," where, doubtless, Polly had made his acquaintance. After bro

R PO

e to see much more of it at my present age. There will come a day when you will wish that you could hear of me by a note to Chaffey's, but such will not be. Before it's too late I take up the pen to say these few words, which is this: I have always been a respectable and a saving man, which I hope to be until I am no more. What I mean to say is this, Chaffey's is not wh

fectiona

EZER

wrote in a ver

he first time that Chaffey's head waiter had long held a tolerably lucrative position, whilst his expenses must have been trivial; so much the better for her. On the other hand, she strongly resented his suspicions and warnings. In the muddled obscurity of Polly's consciousness there was a something which stood for womanly pride. She knew very well what dangers perpe

AR

ll, though I'm sure, if you believe me, I don't want not yet to see you in your grave; and what I do think is, you might have a better opinion of your daughter and n

your

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