Litchfield enquirer., 1879-12-18
WHOLE NO. 2793

| t'I will call again between three and tour Meanwhile, if there are any more to be had, buy them" t...,sI | At three forty five Mrs. Rivers was again at Mir. Boucher's office.
 "A few more were offered today, and I bought them," were the brokers first words. Singular to say, Simmonds, your fathers broker, has been inquiring after Deep Lips all day. Hearing that had bought heavily, yes- terday, he sent on one of his people to know whether had any to dispose of, even going to the extent of offering three and an eighth more than this mornings quotation; but in | the absence of any instructions from you, l declined all overtures." | "You did quite right, Mir. Boucher. Don't part with single share till you have my in- structions to do so. Meanwhile, as it is near- ly midday before the newspapers reach us down at Leaswood, shall be glad if you will telegraph the closing price to me each after | nOOn."
 ''Sharp girl that, very-regular chip...of the old block" was Boucher's comment to him. self as he ran through the telegraphic news in next mornings Times, where the following paragraph at once caught his attention; "Re- liable adviccs from San Francisco state that the Deep Lip Silver Miuing Company have | just struck a vein of unsual thickness. Shares going up rapidly"
 l A few days later, as Gerald was seated be- hind the open pigeon-hole of his office waiting to book any passengers who might be going by l the next train, his attention was attracted by the loud tones of two people in the waiting room outside.
 q tell you, Stopford, was never more an- noyed in my life,S said one, and Gerald knew at once who was bhe speaker My brother, who, as he thought, ,>h had got the information before it was known to any one else in New York, was actually at the trouble to send me i a message by cable telling me to buy up all tho Deep Lips 1 could lay hands on. Of course 1 acted on the message without an hours un- necessary delay but, would you believe it, when Simmons went on Change next morn ing there was not single Deep Lip to be had ;; I Some vagabond had been there before me and had bought up every mothers son of 'em, and now they're going up like wild-fre. Thou sands out of my pocket. Never was so sold in my life before."
 "Why now, Crewdson, that only goes to prove that there are other spectators in the world as clever as you"
 ''They were bought through Boucher too. But he's as close as wax. No getting word out of him. Some confounded Tanks at the bottom of it all, never fear"
 Mir. Crewdson had stated no more than the truth when he said that the Deep Lip shares were going up like wild-fire. Alice had tele- gram from MT. Boucher every afternoon. It was an anxious time for her. For three weeks the shares went up day by day. At the end | of that time they remained stationary for two days. The following morning they dropped one-eighth. Alice at once took alarm, and l telegraphed Boucher to sell everything. Three days later a post-letter reached her. "Read | the news, dear, and resign your railway situa- tion at once," she said to her husband as she handed him the letter.
 ''Seven thousand five hundred and fifty pounds!" read Gerald in amazement
 ''Yes and all out of one lucky speculation in Deep Lip shares Now, am ready to go | to papa"
 | And to her father sho went; but not till after Gerald had sought and found relief from his duties at Leaswood. MT. Crewdson made ''Old Furnivals Hotel' his home when in London, and there it was that Alice sought and found him. As fortune would have it, Sir | Charles Stopford happened to be lunching with his friend that morning. Mrs. Rivers hardly gave the waiter time to announce her before she followed him into the room. MT. Crewd- | san started up from his chair.
 "Why--Alice! You here! Why. have you come? What is the meaning of this intru- sion ?" But before he could say another word his daughters arms were round his neck, and her warm kisses were being rained over his face. "Did not forbid you ?' he said. "Did not say that 1 would not see you?' ..... 'Youdid, papa; and very hard 1 thought it of you. You did forbid me to come near you unless 1 could fulfil the one condition named in your latter"
 Condition, indeed I remember nothing about any condition. What on earth do you mean?" ia .a -... "Did you not say in the only letter you have written me since my marriage that on the day l could bring you six thousand pounds-being an equivalent to the dowry you at one time in- | tended to give me-you would forgive and forget everything and take your little Alice back again to your heart Surely, surely you you cannot have forgotten"
 And did l really say all that?" Certainly you did have your letter in my pocket. You shall read your own words if you like"
 ''No need, girl-no need My memory IS treacherous at times but Pve not quite for gotten that letter. So you've come to tell me that my condition was so hard one, that you and your poverty stricken husband"-
 "One moment, papa. l come to tell you that your condition is fuliled-is more than fulfilled. Here is my bank book. Look in- side It, and there you will find standing in the name of Gerald Rivers-my husbands name "a deposit of seven thousand five hundred pounds"
 "Why now, really this is most extraordina- ry !" exclaimed Sir Charles. ... MT. Crewdson said nothing but his hands trembled so much as he took the bank book that he could hardly hold it. He turned red der than ever and then he cleared his voice loudly and put on his most portentous frOwn. Then he opened the book and looked vacantly at the writing for moment or two and then with a muttered exclamation he shut the book and threw it across the table to Sir Charles. ''Those bank fellows write such vilanous I d. Al~ zI-s their pOt-hooks, he said.
 "Here it is, sure enough" said Sir Charles, peering at the figures through his double eye glasses. ''An amount of seven thousand five hundred pounds deposited three days ago in the Westminster Bank to the credit of MT. Gerald Rivers"
 But Alice was on her fathers knee by this time, and had her arms round his neck, and was kissing him with tears in her eyes and smile on her lips. ..-
 You'll have to give way, old friend, there's not doubt of it," continued Sir Charles, Eff you made such promise as my god-daughter says you made"
 'You were not only to forgive me, papa, but you were to give me another six thousand pounds to put to my husbands"
 'But-but-I don't understand" [" stammered MT. Crewdson. II thought you had married man who was not worth penny"
 My husband on our wedding day was worth just twenty pounds in hard cash"
 ''Then this is legacy, suppose ?"
 ''No not legacy. We have been taking a leaf out of your book, papa, and speculating on Change"
 "Speculating! And is this the result ?"
 ''That is the result.' ... .3,s.....t...s.,
 :'Her fathers daughter I always said she was, soliloquized Sir Charles. "What pity she wasn't born boyv' I
 ''Then you must have been deucedly lucky far more lucky than have been for very long time. May ask the name of the particu- lar stock which you favored with your conf. drnce?" f+. q-.-. t-... -..
 Gerald and made all our money by spec ulating in Deep Lip mlning shares"
 MT. Crewdson sat aghast, as we'll he might.
 'sWhere is this husband of yours9" he gasp ed out at length. 7 Hai s
 SGerald is waiting outside"