JOHN BULL
142
MARCH 30, 1929
--but nothing can be done for him. They agree that only time and growth might help him. Don't bother him about it or ine."
"Let the child come here to 19e!"
There was a serene strength in the even, authoritative voice of the shabby man now, and on his haggard face an expression that Sir James had never
"I see- I see,"
by BERTRAM ATKEY
44
Illustrated by Comerford Watson
The hari cyes had softened now as the millionaire faced his bɔy. Why, that's not likely ever to happen, sonny," he said.
seen on that of any one of the highly setly, like a man talking to himself.
paid specialists of whom he had spoken,
T
HE bone-setter held out his long, white, slender, sinewy hands-beautiful hands.
I have nothing of value in the world. Sir James, but a dying wife and these. But God set eyes in these hands of mine, and I have done my best to deserve that gift," he said. "Let the child come here to me! "
It was a command.
A sudden conviction must have struck like a blade to the heart of the millionaire. for he shivered strangely. Then, his eyes blazing with hope, he looked down at his son.
'The boy moved under the gentle arm of the shabby man like a tired bird coming at last to its nest.`
"Let us go indoors and see what is wrong, shall we?" said John Ham- mond.
So they went in, the millionaire fol- lowing them, the forgotten picture still in his hand.
Twenty minutes later, Hammond and Sir James Redmon faced each other across the library table.
It was a slight displacement of cartilage. But that was complicated by the disarrangement of an obscure muscle far from what seemed to be the root of the injury. I shall operate to-morrow-oh, don't be afraid, it will be with my hands only-and- smiled- you may buy. him another pony, if you like he has earned it- and he will be able to ride it as well as ever in a fortnight."
"he
There was such absolute conviction in his voice, such inspiration-as it seemed to the millionaire-in his eyes that it was impossible to doubt him.
r James stared.
You have indebted me and my son Ho you to an extent that money can never repay," he began, slowly, but the bone-setter smiled.
"I have done for you and him no more than I have done for many a poor man in the North for the joy of it," he said.
The millionaire thought that over.
he murmured. pre-
Then he turned to the table on which he had put the little painting.
To come back to this matter." he said. "I dislike the idea of depriving you of this little gem-but if you are still of the same mind, I would be pre- pared to pay you five thousand pounds for it. I should like to see it in my collection."
The bone-setter stared.
That meant everything Mary needed -everything-probably her life. But-- surely it was too much--charity!
The keen-witted man watching him understood.
huge prices which good pictures fetch." "Evidently you are not aware of the
"I will tell you of a few
he said. examples."
He did so, and the doubt cleared from Hammond's eyes.
"I will give you the cheque now." said the millionaire, "on the condition that if your wife does not approve of your selling it then the bargain shall be cancelled and the picture returned to you and the cheque to me less the amount of your professional fees.
There was a secret smile lurking on the hard mouth.
The Hammonds would never agai need anything that money could buy while Sir James Redmon possessed his fortune, but the millionaire was too keen a judge of men to say so, or even to hint as much.
F
OR while, all his life, the rich man of these two had been receiving, the poor man had been giving-not money. but pity, sympathy, and a skill that was priceless.
And in spite of his poverty and the bitter straits to which he had been re- duced there was within him a secret flame of pride which would for ever forbid him to seek for himself that charity which he had so long and generously extended to others.
The millionaire understood this, and practised in the handling of men as he was, had no difficulty in making his point.
So it was settled and done and John Hammond, after making arrangements about the operation, or. rather, the manipulation under an anesthetic, of the boy's injury next day, returned to his home.
And he went in the great car, and. beside him he took a great hamper of delicacies which the millionaire had in- sisted on his taking.
Very soon he was sitting at the bed- side of his wife who, revived by the amazing news he brought as though by a powerful stimulant, listened in silence to the end.
Then after a pause she slipped her hand into his and spoke low and pain- fully.
"But. John, there is something I must tell you. My picture is not-not genuine. I-I took it to a shop just before I had to stay in bed.
The man there laughed at it, John. He said it was only an imitation of a painting by Constable--the very worst copy he had ever seen," he said.
She began to cry.
**
You must tell Sir James Redmon- and, after all, there will be some fees to come to you when you have cured his little boy. I should never be happy if we did anything so dishonest.
V
ERY white. Hammond bent
over and kissed her gently.
"Don't worry. Mary, I understand." he said. "I shall be back very soon.”
Within half an hour he was again standing in the library with Sir James Redmon.
But the millionaire had changed. He listened quietly enough till Hammond had spoken.
Then he slipped his arm through Hammond's and said, “Come with me, 'my friend," and led the way into a large room full of magnificent paintings
----masterpieces, most of them.
He crossed to the far wall and pointed. And Hammond saw, set in the central, most prominent position of all the shabby, unframed, poorly painted copy which he had brought there.
"Listen," said the millionaire. "There masters in this room-and the whole is half a million pounds' worth of old
lot put together are not worth to me a picture. I will tell you why, Lithe of the value of that poor little
"You are ignorant of pictures, my friend I realised that the moment you showed me your copy this morning. But what is the reason why you are ignorant about pictures? Because you have spent the whole of your life and most of your time in perfecting your- self, and developing your natural gift for a more useful art.
"I
F you had known more about pictures you would never have come near me. And of all the
men in the world, you were the one man I have prayed secretly that I should find.
L
That poor little imitation of Con- stable is the most valuable-to me--of all my treasures, as it will be to my son and. I hope, his son after him.
And when, presently, my boy is right again, and we have done everything to make your wife well again, and I have established you in a place where you can use your talent to its best ad- vantage your secret ambition, I see that, my friend-then I hope your wife will accept as a little souvenir of the day this picture "—he touched another
the real Constable painting from which this copy was once made.
"There's a verse in the Bible that is often in my mind," continued Sir James. “'The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong but time and chance happeneth to them all Time and chance has happened to us to-day, my friend! "
He offered his hand to the bone- setter.
And, in the midst of many treasures, poor man and rich man exchanged grips, each understanding the other the better because each in his own way had lifted the other from despair to a hope that, for both, was destined to be ful- filled.
corn
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