Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-06-25

| lures OF lie WHICH LOT my own sahO L
care bat little to preserve. And yet L
have spent my youth in accumulating
treasures, which but brief space might
have rendered productive of benefit to
man, and of profit to myself. My ia
theirs little means and my own have
vanished IN the pursuit OF science, and
IN the gulf of suffering more immediate
than Our own. If / die, also with me
perish the results of his experiments
his studies and his sacrifices. There
are moments when all ordinary calcula-
tions and prudence are empty baubles.
Life is the only real possession we have
and death the only certainty. Listen
I will make one last proposal to you.-
Lend me but ten pounds-that is but
ten weeks Of life-and l swear to yon
that if | 1--we l will repay you for each
pound lent not ten or twenty, but one
hundred-in all one thousand pounds 4!
Grant that it be but a chance upon the
one hand, yet, upon the other, how
small is the rick; and then. to save
human life-is that not something IN the
scale?' And the stranger laughed at
these last words with bitter gayety
:hat caused strange thrill to creep
along the nerves of the zsurer.
However. the lender Of gold shrugged
his shoulders without relaxing his ha-
bitual impassibility ofmauner. He did
not speak. Possibly The idea occurred
10 him that his strange client medltated
some act of violence upon himself or
his strong box. But this idea speedily
vanished, as the stranger, relapslnS
suddenly INTO silence and conventional
behavior, removed his hand from the
usurer's shoulder and strobe rapidly but
calmly from the apartment.
The door closed behind the ruined
man. and the usurer drew long breath
while his bushy brows were contracted
in a sort of agony of doubt and irresolute
| purpose.
Meanwhile Bernard West paused Tor
an instant on the threshold Of the outer
door. as If undecided which road to take
In truth, all roads wero much alike TO
him at that moment. Some cause, 100
subtle to be seized by the mental ana
lyst determined his course. lie turned
TO the right and strobe rapidly onward.
H. felt already like one Of the dead
TO ioin whom he was hurryiug headlonS'
Tie looked neither to the right nor to
the left and before him was a mist IN
which the phantoms of his imagination
disnorted themselves to the exclusion
Of all other visible objects. Nothing
earthly had any further interest tor him.
He had not even heard the steps OF
some one running behind him. nor did
he hear the voice which called after him
to stop but his course was soon more
e0ectuall, arrested by the firm grasp OF
mans hand which seized him by the
arm with the force and the tenacity Ola
vice.
He turned iercely round. He was IN
no humor for the converse Of casual &C
ouaintances. Nor was it any gay con-
vlvialist of happier days whose face now
greeted him; it was the old money
lender. who in voice husky with loss
of breath, or possibly emotion, said'
thruslng couple of twenty pound bank
notes into Vests hand:
Here, take these notes. Take them'
1 say:' he repeated as the young man.
dizzy with amazement, stammered out
You accept, then, my terms?
NO growled the usurer; l give
them to you. Do you understand me'
l say l give them to you. am an old
man. never gave away shilling be-
fore in my life. Repay me if you will
when and how it pleases you. L have
no security; 1 ask no acknowledge
ment: I want none. | do not count
upon it. 1t is gonen and the usnrer
nronounced the last words with an effort
which was heroic from the evident sell
mastery which it cost him. There .
Go! go!' he resumed and take an old
mans advice. Make money at all haz-
ards. and meyer lend except on good
security. Remember thatn The old
man gently pushed West away, and all
hatless and slppered as he was ran, ran
back muttering TO his den, leaving the
object Of his mysterious generosity fixed
like statue of famazementin in the centre
of the pavement.
About three months had elapsed,
when Bernard West once more knocked
Mt the door Of the money-lender.
is Mr.. Brace at homc!' he inquired
cheerfully.
'Oh! ifyou please, sir, they buried
him Yesterday replied the servant, with
q look of cunously affected solemnlty'
Buried him' cried the visitor with
sincere disappointment and grief in his
tone.
Yes, sir; perhaps you would like TO
see Miss Brace, if it's any particular "
L should, indeed said West; and
when she knows the cause OF my visit l
think she will excuse the intrusion
The servant gave an odd look whose
sirnlfcancc West was unable to divine,
as she led the way to her young mis-
.ress's drawing-room.
West entered timidly, for he doubted
the delicacy of such proceeding, though
his heart was almost bursting with desire
Of expansion under the shock just re-
ceived. A beautiful and proud looking
| IN