The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-29

"Why should ~ Of cou!se suppose
the stone had been redeemed long ago"
"And now?''
! " 1t turns out ! was wrong-better luc
for you. You remember that maybe a
your sale? Well, that old sinner, Levi
must have known there was something il
the wind; so ran him up just to find GU
his game. Though how could he hav
guesscd--'
" 1t was concealed in the picture, then p
F.; Of course. And he's as good as owne'
it. I've been taking counsel's opinion
while you were away. Levi no NOR
bought that stone than he bought tn
moon. It's still your security for tn
original debt and for the interest, too, il
the owner don't take advantage of the
statute of limitations. We can take pro
ceedings to recover it from old Levi. Anc
you needn't be afraid of any one saying
anything about the statute. The Czal
wants it for a week, and III pay up all
arrears like man, and round sum fo
hire, besides"
Arthur felt like hero Of Thousand
and One Nights. Why" he said, "tha1
will come To-
"Say five million pounds. It'll cost
something, of course, to compromise will
Levi-secrecy's essential, you know-saJ
| two hundred thousand. But that's bag
hotel'
-Four million eight hundred thousand
pounds!' exclaimed Arthur, with glister-
ing eyes. "Let me see,' lie said eagerly
"my poor fathers liabilities we're five mil
lion six hundred and ninety five thousand
pounds. That was reduced by assets to
five million ninety thousand; that by
ho 70 of no al IN
seven hundred and ninety-ive thousand,
still unpaid. Not so much as the worth of
the Emerald! Seven hundred and ninety
five from eight hundred-flve thousand
pounds over-a clear two hundred year
for Felicia and myself, when all is paid
Thank God, l shall he free once more, and
my fathers pane redeemed"
Mr.. erode reeled back as if be had re-
ceived blow.
What?" he cried out. "Surely you
don't mean-why, the proceedings in bank
ruptcy you've paid already three-and-
eight pence in the paund-''
The bankruptcy can be annulled,
surely? ~
"And you left with the stone like dead
weight around your neck! It'll be a long
time before you can raise money on it again,
| reckon-unless you do business in letting
it out for evening parties"
"Then it must lie by, I suppose-per-
haps save my children, as it will have saved
me-"
"Any bne to hear you would think you
were in earnest"
GO Is it not the only course for a man of
honor? Think for moment. To make
use of this emerald in any other way
would be almost fraud. Had my father
lived, the debt on the jewel would have
been included in the assets of the house
He would never have been bankrupt; not
a soul would have suffered by our fall
Ought L, then, to benefit by this mere ac-
cident of its existence being unknown p
Ought not, as matter of the most ordi-
nary duty, to use such chance as he
would have used it had he known?'
"And Lissy? Think; you would never
have known about this stone but for me.
And certainly did not tell you of it for the
benefit of your creditors" The thunder
was rapidly gathering on MIR. Grode's
brow. He had never entertained much
respect for his son-in- law, but such piece
of lunacy as this was beyond all bearing.
"Fslicia will be none the WORSE" Arthur
answered, "for our doing what is the only
honest thing to do.''
"The only piece of tomfoolery. Why
your creditors themselves will be the first
to laugh at you. All, see; you think,
perhaps, they will get wind of the affair?
Not they, unless you please. l certainly
shan't be the one to tell them.
81 can scarcely see what difference that
makes as to my own duty"
You mean to say you'll throw away
this emerald, the finest stone in all crea-
=. 90
this moment worth five millions to the back
of that, for the within of baby?"
81 certainly mean to say that intend to
restore the honor of our house."
Mr.. erode was beginning to lose his own
self-respect: to think that for the second
time in his life he himself had acted like
fool. But then how was any sane man to
expect to have to deal with scruples SO fine
drawn as to make their owner fit subject
for Earleswood or Hanwell? Still to give
in to them would be sin and shame too
monstrous to be thought of for moment.
=" You young blockhead!" he began
And then he went on to point the new
career that was open to his son-in. law;
how, with Arthur's wealth and his own
business qualities, the house of Cranstoun
erode would become, not like that Of
Cranstoun Cranstoun, only one of the first,
but the very first in the world. He tempt
ed him with prospects that would have
tempted a stole. Arthur should have
nothing to do but amuse himself as he
pleased; he, erode, would do all the work,
and be content with, comparatively speak
ing the smallest conceivable profit. But
to all bis baits-which, it must be allowed,
were thrown with very little fact-Arthur
was as deaf as sailor of Ulysses in pres
ence of the Sirens.
At last, even Mr.. erode could not but
see that he was dealing not only with
mailman, but with an obstinate mailman
besides. There was only one thing left
to do after all his persuasions had ignomin-
ously failed; and he was not the man, espe-
cially when he was fairly in rage, to think
twice about doing it.
"Look here, young gentleman" he said.
When gave you my girl-in hand
someish way, take it didn't 60 to give
her to fellow that would take her straight
off on the road to ruin. went in like a
man for forgivug and forgetting, and let
ting bygones be bygones. But you're
spendthrift and fool. You fling about
your money as if it were dirt, and then
waste your time, which is money too, in
daubing canvas when you're not fit to
paint q CneQu0TS, loU alone = Dlu0 DOAF.
can't keep you in your laziness: and if my
fool of daughter likes to take after her
own kind, let her, that's all. Them as
won't work shan't eat-that's my maxim.
turned her out of doors once, and I'll do
it again, as sure as my names Peter erode.
And what l say stick to-
The varnish Of the indulgent and gener
GUS father cracked, and the true Mr.. erode
appeared once more. But where appeals
to interest fail, threats are not likely to
succeed. Perhaps Arthur was little net
tied by the sheer about the chequers and
the blue boar, for every man has his pet
vanity; but certainly he was disguised.
81 don't call wanting to pay ones debts
being spendthrift," he said. "And if
you do turn your own daughter out of
doors, have a right to support her now;
and both can and will. We seem to have
misunderstood one another most marvel
ously."
MIR. erode felt that he had made mis-
take. "Ah, you're right there" he re-
piled, with an affection of large minded
tolerance for Arthur's folly. Come
YOU II think better of i'll can't help speak
ing my mind, you know. Go and talk it
over with Lissy; and if she's such an infer
nal simpleton as you'd make her out to be,
why Der mother played me false, that's
all"
r II - 1 ~ 4.