.

"It is rather large for you, isn't it?" said Rumble. "Let us try
another." And then he added: "Why, your own fits you best, of
course."

Then seizing Teague's ulster, which still lay on his counter, he threw
it over its owner's shoulders, and bade the two men a hearty
good-night as they went forth into the storm.

When he had succeeded in closing the door in the face of the tempest,
he turned the key in the lock, and then, with a shiver, returned to
the fire. As he stood before the stove he smiled and seemed to be
chuckling over the thought that he had made Teague wear his own coat.
His face wore a happy look. He had a clear conscience. He knew that he
was a philanthropist in a small way, and had helped many a poor soul
when the light of hope was burning dimly. But he took no credit to
himself for this. The opportunity of doing a little good had come in
his way, and he had not let it pass; that was all. Besides, as he
often said, he expected to make money in his business. He simply
conducted it on more liberal principles than most pawnbrokers. When he
went into it he was told that a large proportion of pawnbrokers'
customers never redeemed their pledges, and that by advancing on goods
pawned only a small percentage of their value, a great deal of money
was made in the sale of unredeemed articles. He thought, therefore,
that it was only just to loan on whatever was brought to him nearly as
much money as he deemed it would bring at auction. To do anything less
would, in his opinion, have been to cheat his customers. Besides, if
he loaned more money on goods, in proportion to their value, than
other pawnbrokers, his return in interest was also greater when the
goods were redeemed. This was the peculiar principle on which he did
business, and it is needless to say that he did a very large business,
much to the disgust of all other pawnbrokers having shops in his
neighborhood.

It was not strange, therefore, that, as he stood before the fire on
that New Year's eve, the face of old John Rumble wore a contented
smile. The knowledge of having done good brings content, if it brings
nothing else; and the pawnbroker knew that he had done well by his
customers, and he thought, also, that his customers had done well by
him, as he surveyed his full shelves.

While he stood there musing, the door of the sitting-room was opened
and his daughter appeared.

"Come, father," said the girl. "If you don't hurry you will not have