The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-03 00:00:00

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REPENTED 'UNTO DEATH.

CIIA.PTER XII.

The young girl had already arisen, and stood ready
to` fly taw the reence of her bold wooer. She
elided from the apartment scarcely knowing whether
to laugh or to cry over the novel position in which
she found herself placed. Mrs. Chard would have fol-
lowed her, but Trevor said:
"Stop a few moments, madam, and hear what I
have further to say. If I have unintentionally of-
fended you, you have wilfully repaid the affront;
and I have now only to say, that if the offer I have
made is finally rejected, I have it in my Power to
ruin you, and the proud girl who has just left us
without deigning to cast a second glance towards a
man she has completely subjugated by her charms.
I am not mad, madam; but I am in earnest, and you
had better listen to me."

"Excuse me, sir, I had rather not—l wish only to
say, that if the estate belongs to you, take it to the
uttermost penny, for the hand of my daughter is not
to be bartered in exchange for it."
"It is easy enough to talk, ma'am; but when you
learn the fact that Miss Chard's whole fortune will
be absorbed by my claim, you may sing another
tune."
"You are mistaken, Mr. Trevor; Rose has an in-
dependence aside from the fortune of your father."
"The whole of it will be more than needed to repay
the money used to keep up this establishment. lam
aware that for three years past you have lived as if
there was no chance of my return ever taking place;
but now that I am here, I shall rigorously require an
account of every shilling of mine that has been ex-
pended."
"The income from the property was to be used by
Rose."
"By the will which gave it to her, but not by this
one, madam," and he took out the will he had that
morning exhibited to Mr. Spring.
Mrs. Chard glanced at it, and grew pale, but she
firmly said:
"Even if this is proved the true one, it is im-
possible to treat the absurd proposal you came hither
to make in any other manner than I have done. I
wish your father's son had spared me this scene, Mr.
Trevor, for I would gladly have received him as a
friend, if he had made my acquaintance in a different
manner. Good morning, sir Mr. Spring, Miss
Chard's legal adviser, will confer with you on this
subject, and spare me the necessity of another inter-
_

•
view."
"And am I to consider this dismissal as a final
answer to my proposal? Will it not be even deemed
worthy of a few hours' consideration ?"
"Certainly not, sir. I have nothing further to say
to you."
He arose, and his heavy brows met over his flashing
eyes, as he said—
"You will be sorry for this madam. I came to you
with the best intentions of a:friend. I leave you with
a sense of insult rankling in my heart that will not
be easily appeased."
Without further adieu, Trevor strode from the
room, and Mrs. Chard sank back in her chair to
recover composure, and decide on the course she had
best pursue. In a few moments she drew a writing
table toward her, and hurriedly penned the following
lines:

"Ms. SPRING,—I have just had amost extraordinary
interview with the person who claims to be Albert
Trevor, and his strange conduct has awakened doubts
in my mind as to the reality of his pretentions. A
man who is perfectly sure of his ground does not
bluster and threaten women.
"The arbitration we spoke of seems now impossible.
I take your view of the necessity of maintaining the
ground we occupy, that a compromise may ultimately
be gained which will not quite ruin Rose. Call this
evening, as I wish to consult with you.
"A. CHARD."

The note was scarcely dispatched, when Mr. George
Chard appeared. He asked for his niece, and walked
up and down the floor until she came in, as if much
perturbed in mind. Mrs. Chard waited for him to
inform her of the result of the morning's consulta-
tion, before she spoke of the singular visit she had re-
ceived.
When his niece glided in, he nodded to her, and
said—
"Blooming as usual, Rose. You had better keep
all your good looks to fascinate this new claimant to
your worldly goods, for I am afraid his pretentious
are rather formidable."
"Is that Mr. Spring's opinion, too ?" asked Mrs.
Chard.
"If it is, he will not betray it. Mr. Spring is for a
fight: I, on th.: contrary, think it will be best to
compromise, and save something for my niece."
"Pray, relate all that • took place at Mr. Spring's
office this morning, and then I have something, in my
turn, to tell you, that will either move you to indig-
nation or laughter, I cannot tell which."
Nlr. Chard sat down, and gave a brief account of the
interview in which he had taken part, and ended by
strongly advising Rose to use all her efforts to win the
admiration of the new heir; to hold him, as women
know so well how to do; as her slave, until she ascer-
tained the ground on which she stood. Then, if his
pretentions were worthless, she- could easily rid her-
self of him as a. lover; if valid, she might still remain
mistress of her fortune by linking her fate with that
of Trevor.
Rose listened with burning cheeks and tearful eyes,
for her pride and delicacy were both wounded by such
advice from her nearest relative. She had always
known her uncle to be worldly, but she had never
thought him mean until now. She rather exulted in
saying—
" What would you say if I told you that I have
already refused Mr. Trevor ?"
"What can you mean, child ?"
"Only that he has called here since the meeting
with you, and offered to share the disputed inheritance
with me on the terms you proposed. Of course, I re-
jected them."
Her uncle stared at her in mute surprise, and Mrs.
Chard went on to relate the singular incident of the
morning.
Mr. Chard laughed, rubbed his hands, and said—
"A plucky fellow, by Jupiter! I rather like his
spirit. But you have both acted too_ precipitately.
The game was in your own hands, and you have
thrown your cards away; but by a little finesse we
can gather it up again and play it better. Rose, re-
member that an estate such as this is not picked up
every day; and if the man who threatens to come
between you and its enjoyment is a little rough, it
does not matter much. You can polish him up, and
the gilding of fortune will put the guinea's stamp
upon him in the eyes of the world. If things come to
the worst, you had better marry him, my child."
" Uncle ! How can you speak so? I would rather
die!"
" Pooh ! stuff! So all romantic young ladies talk.
But when it comes to houses and carriages, diamonds
and laces, they come to their senses. A penniless
young lawyer is well enough to sentimentalise with;
but when the question is marriage, with a narrow
income, and expensive tastes, it is quite another
affair. Obey my injunctions, child, and lure back
this man, unless you would bitterly repent it in the
future."
This allusion to Ashton stifled the reply that arose t
to Rose's lips, and she turned for aid to 'her mother
Mrs. Chard took up her cause in her usual ' gentle,
womanly spirit; but Mr. Chard would listen to no 1
arguments that did not tend to sustain his own views ti
of policy; and knowing him too well to contend with
him, his sister-in-law finally promised to be guided
by circumstances in her future intercourse with t
Trevor. Of course, the idea that Rose could eventually 1,
accept his offered hand was absurd; still, if anything
was to be gained by tolerating the visits of the new
claimant on her property, they should be received.
3All
CHAPTER XIII.
WHERE THE THE POOR HIDE.
WE must now leave the abodes of affluence, ind seek
a poorer part of the great world of London, in whose
purlieus are found the wretched children of want and
misery.
It was a narrow street, filthy mud and garbage of
various kinds. It was darkened by time-worn
houses, on which neither paint nor repairs had been
renewed until thay looked like dens of darkness,
dirt, and squalor. Yet human life swarmed there;
every nook of these wretched tenements was teeming
with women and children, for the street was filled
with houses let out mainly in single rooms to the
poor—those who labour from day to day, for the
scanty pittance that barely sustains life, were
there found in every stage of suffering and destitution.
Yet this was far from being the worst locality in
London ; for it was not known as the resort of thieves
and criminals. The honest poor, who are willing
to work, suffer, and die in silence, were its chief
inmates.
In one of the dingiest houses in the dingy
street, in a back room not more than fifteen feet
square, dwelt four persons, and they esteemed them-
selves more fortunate than their neighbours in having
this dr69.ry little den to themselves. In more than
one apartment in that house, no larger than the one
they occupied, ten or twelve persons were found
living together, glad to claim any shelter from the
the season.

A STRANGE PROPOSAL.
fies._
s'_
pair the interview, Ashton had said nothing, but
:,.'_ id strict attention to what passed, and had silently
i.l 117,Peared the features of the visitor with the sketch
",.. ld before him on the table.
alr• Spring nodded towards him and asked
"!s it like him ?"
there is a shadowy resemblance,but not sufficient
a7.lllsarrant any conlusion. One thing is strongly
Oorist him—l purposely placed this where his eye
it several times, and he evidently had no past
170._°, iation with it. If drawn by the girl he loved, it
„u!..1 at once have been recognised."
s , That is a great deal—a great deal. No ; this is
rt. the true Dromio, and I will fight him to the last
4A,,tkins at his post ?"
ost I
.presiiree so. I stationed him where he could see
uAvisitor perfectly."
a summons from Mr. Spring, a man entered from
s_saiall room adjoining his office, which communicated
i'rlttiai,t by a sash door, shaded by agreen curtain. He
ti'cl shrewd, intelligent face, and in reply to a ques-
°/1 Put to him by the lawyer, he said—
its" °h. yes, sir; I had a good view of him, and I should
him again among a thousand."
bss.‘ery well ; follow him, and make it your especial
_rness to see where Mr. Trevor goes, with whom he
avete:ll,B—in short, become a constant spy on all his
seas'°,ns• Your old experiences as a police agent will
1 'a you what to do. Your reward shall be liberal, if
gain what I seek through your instrumentality."
.8 "I will do my best to serve you as you wish, Mr.
and he bowed and departed.
Atnrr. Chard seemed to be lost in a doubtful reverie.
length he spoke—
th!' Perhaps, after all, it would have been best to accept
s_.' ' compromise Trevor offered. Rose would have
;cured a handsome fortune, and avoided the worry
all red
of a lawsuit."
Phere Your excessive caution speaks, my dear old
,e_nd• Can you not see that I have the game in my
hands. If Atkins ferrets out any evidence which
whi go to prove this man to be Tom Trevor's son,
417._cau at any time close with his offer of a compro-
ts ; for he evidently cares more for ready money
„t!aen for the acquisition of the whole estate. I can
ro that he is a reckless scamp, and at any time ten
sti usand pounds down will secure the property to
,S 8 Chard. On the other hand, if Atkins finds him
941eavouring to bribe evidence in his favour, we can
(111,jetlY accumulate such proofs as will crush him.
s 'But I own I am troubled with the thought that
"ce 'nay be the son of Mr. Trevor. In such a case, the
°lirse you propose is scarcely fair towards him."
t," I
•see nothing unfair in doing all I can to sustain
t:'se side of justice, at any rate. Our old friend was
, inuch attached to your niece as if she had been his
sWn daughter, aad often spoke to me of his fortune
aentually becoming hers. I know that for years
t fore his death he had given up all hope of his son's
leaPPearance. Inquiries for him had beers made in
l'er'Y quarter of the globe without any result.
~.." The man who was here to-day is known to be a
r nsbler and spendthrift; he has few or none of the
tleictiliarities of a sailor; he comes here with effects
,at undoubtedly belonged to Trevor's family, but he
`:_aY have obtained them fraudulently. Even suppos-
't"g him to be the rightful heir, the fortune would
11 be squandered in shameful profligacy; and it
.v% InY opinion that if the old man were now 'living he
1-lid prefer that his young favourite should possess
rather than suffer it to be squandered among
inarPers by his son. At all events, lam Rose Chard's
4wyer, and I shall retain her inheritance for her if I
Possibly can."
" That is unquestionably your duty," said Ashton,
With emphasis, "and I am ready to aid you in her
Eel-vice with both heart and hand."
Thanks, my boy, and I hope your reward will be
s'oe heart and hand of the sweetest girl in London,"
Zaid the old lawyer, with sly emphasis, for he was too
en an observer not to have fathomed the secret of
junior partner from the day lie first saw the two
"(ming people together.
, Ashton flushed, and glancedtoward Mr. Chard, but
Z! was too deeply buried in thought to heed him. He
vas a man of policy, and his mind was busily revel-
ing the chances in favour of Albert Trevor's ultimate
6ilecess. It could do no harm at any rate, if the new
Ittender to her fortune was treated with courtesy by
• °se, and he would lose no time in warning her that
If Trevor should call at Chard House, she had better
make him her friend. - •
. Trevor walked slowly away from the precincts of
tire Temple, westward, and then across the Park,
With his head bent down in deep thought, and a few
Daces behind him sauntered Atkins, the ex-policeman,
to whom the duty of watching his movements had been
delegated.
" What to do next—what to do next?" muttered
the baffled man. "Those fusty old fogies shall never
Psekmate me in the game I have undertaken to play.
„sulust do all, dare all for such a splendid stake.
ilere am I, almost moneyless in this great city, and in
.?ne week minus £2OO of the five I got on poor
otiose's necklace. But one more chance in that
tPiarter—the jewel box is almost exhausted, so my
trodigality must find resources in some other quarter.
eSperate fortunes require desperate remedies ; I
niusi seek the pretty Rose, and let her know what
an 'impression she has made on my heart by one
V.anee from her bright eyes as she passed me in
recadilly. Who knows what a woman's vanity may
lead her to do rs
, "Pools! demented and blinded fools, you had far
better have accepted my offers of compromise, for
stiren I should have left the girl to seek happiness in
nes own way. If I cannot secure the money without
her, she shall surely become my wife, even if she says
a thousand times."
Revolving these dark and desperate thoughts in his
mind, he mounted the steps leading to Mrs. Chard's door.
t•As the servant answered the ring, he smoothed his
"row, assumed a smiling aspect, and entered the house
With the step of a master.
His card was taken into the snuggery where Mrs.
Chard and her daughter sat together. Rose was
l'eading aloud to her mother, but closed her book, and
grew slightly pale as Mrs. Chard read aloud the name
of the visitor.
, "Ask Mr. Trevor to walk into this rssems Anil ,you,
'"°se, remain with me, for what he ha,, tdfiay is of
most importance to You. ~
Rose sat down in the farthest corner of the sofa, and
in another moment Trevor was ushered into the room.
paused a moment in the doorway, as if to survey
'be scene before him; and in spite of an elaborate and
sxPensive toilette, the first impression made on the
two ladies was that he looked much more like a
brigand than a gentleman. .
Rose started as her eye fell on him, for she recog-
nised in him an individual whom she had of late
Several times encountered in her walks, whose in-
trusive attempts to gain a view of her features had
been an annoyance to her.
Mrs. Chard received him with stately courtesy, and
Presented her -daughter-tee- him. -Trevor fidgeted,
seemed embarrassed, and finally said:
"1 hope.yoq will not consider it strange, madam.
that I took the liberty of calling on you Without a
formal introduction. The fact is, I have seen-the
Parties who
.ase interested on Miss Chard's side of our
dispute, and we. &add come to no agreement. As I
"aye often seenlhe young lady there; and am inn-
Pressed with her 'appearance very much, I thought in
a Personalinterview we might come to some sensible.
tinderstgaing,"
XI'S. Chard lookbelstssrplexed.s she said: ,
"I am afraid I' do nots-quitg understand you, sir.
As the son of the late Mr. Trevor, the friend of our
family for many years, I admitted you here; I trust
. 'that nothing will be saieteS4eake me regret the
civility."
"By no means. madam, by no means. I would not
offend you. fol. ' thu world, but where no offence is
. intended, none sisosild_be taken; young ladies are not
Often offended at being admired, and the compromise
. that would be..most gratifying to me is, that Miss
Chard will keeP the 'fortune bequeathed to her by my
father, provided she will accept a slight incumbrance
With it in the shape of your humble servant."
-At this abrunt proposal the two ladies looked
amazed and indignant. Mrs. Chard haughtily said:
"Are you perfectly sane, sir ? Yet, why do I ask
When s-ou give me so glaring a proof of mental abbera-
tioet as to make a proposal "of marriage to a
young lady you have seen only within the last five
ininutes. ?" . ..
"Oh I you are mistaken, madam. I have seen
Miss Chard many times, and I fell stupidly in love
With her at'lli'at sight, even before I knew how inti-
mately our interests are tied up together. Tam only a
blunt sailor Madam, and don't know how to go to work
in a roundabout fashionto make love ; but I meant° act
honestly and-fairly in this matter; if you will give me
a cliance-terto'so. It seems a shame to take the
hutuner'froti,lthd is ng, lady without offering an
equivaSOt; `and, I , . slat* of no better way of
. settlirtg-the'sliffieulc I' .4is:the one I propose."
" That4.ouilav-: ' . . .Your life upon the sea, sir,
and are compgMlyelf ignorant of the usages of
society, lusty eeem til ,you sufficient excuse for this
Unwarrantable intrusion for so extraordinary a pur-
P6se, but it doea not appear so to me. The youth arid
sensitive delicacy orrny daughter have not been con-
sidered by you at all,' and the proposal you came to
make- ermsbtrrcgarded only in the light of an insult.
Go.od inotniig,l :Mr. Trevor; my servant will show
Y°\l'Suirs&ltAfigf.- -.
arose and rang the bell,
But-UV:IS/W*9 not'veilling to be so summarily
dirniss ' 4,4 itce flushed, his eyes flashed, and he
1-"
exclaimed . ,„ s. 7
" Zounclisnadain ! is this the way you treat .the
man who owns the very roof that covers you ?—who
came here with only the kindest intentions tewards
you arid that
_swung lady yonder ?"
"Remember, sir, if you please," said MP. Chard,
With dignity, that your right to this house has yot to
ho tiatsblic..hocl, When the lmv has pronounce@ you
tho true heir of the late Thomas Tower, 1 wili
Surrender it into your possession, but not befortJ,
rose, my Iwo, this is no F(1410 f,91. ri, ),letive tfi
tow rem!"