The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-06-08

might have been pronounced distin-
guished. Certainly his manner was as
pleasant as his appearance. His terms,
though sometimes high, were never
very hard, and few, if any, found him
exacting as to his pound of flesh. He
was a banker, in fact, though not per-
haps of the orthodox order, and pos
sessed some of the qualities in which
they, as class, are wanting. Besides,
as not a few of his fair clients whis-
pered, he evidently had history.
Tins not Over-pleasant thoughts were
recalled by the cab stopping, and, as he
walked up the path in the garden
which separates the house from
| the road in st. Johns Wood,
he tried to comfort himself by think
ing that possibly the bOldness of the
step was in his favor The neat and
rather pretty maid who answered his
ring was as unlike the attendant of the
conventional money-spider as were the
surroundings of the house, outside and
! in. Hardly had he time to cast an ap-
! preciating glance at the pictures and
other evidences of cultured tastes in the
room, when a tall. well-bred-looking
man entered, and, with an agreeable
smile, said: ''Ah! Captain Montague,
| just in time for the best of things, if
| men would but have the courage of their
! opinions -luncheon-provided they have
time and an appetite. hope you have
both at your disposal
Now, Tins experience of his host
was confined to Sharp street; here he
evidently placed himself on the level of
his visitor 1t was novel, but necessity
is an imperative master, and the answer
came readily enough: ''You are very
good. 1 have not long finished the first
meal of the day, but ="
" A Mayonnaise and bottle of Dag
Onets brut will do you no harm. Come
in. am quite alone" interrupts the
mOney-lender, as if divining the cause
of the soldiers hesitation.
The repast and its cOncOmitants might
have tempted a much iaded appetite.
| Certainly, they made Tim forget utterly
what brought him there, and presently,
under the further influence of curacao
and the best of Havanas, he found him
self discussing the social topics of the
day as freely as with one of his own
lot. They had gone over the unac-
cOuntable failure of the Derby favorite;
the weather, and the racing at Ascot;
the last good story from Pratt S; the
next possible phase of the troubles
across st. Georges Channel, when Tim
was brought up all standing by the re
mark, made with all apparent indiffer-
ence: $50 l hear that the Phoenix
rose, indeed, from it's ashes the other
night
Like the bucket of cold water that it
was, it seemed to brace the intending
borrower to the forgotten, but necessa-
~, striking point
Yes, it s true, and 1 wish l had left
it there some time ago, but my luck,
folly-call it what you will-took me
back again on Friday, the first time this
year, and -"
You dropped ten thou, or rather
the uncomfortable promise to pay that
amount"
"You know all about it?''
" Why, yes; l should hardly get on
in these days of twice-pledged property
if | did not have more than one pair of
eyes and ears to trust to-"
"Then | had better be frank, and say
] came here with the intention of ask
ing your help once more
Il know that" was the quiet an
swer; ''but how is it to be done? You
have nothing left of your own. All you
have or expect from your father is the
annuity, which is so strictly tied up
that it is useless to talk of it.
Then" says Tim, rising, 81 had
better face the only alternative and tell
him the hole l am in. He can't do
more than stop the allowance, which
won't be much good to me if / don't
pay up tomorrow"
But this announcement instantly
worked an unexpected change in the
manner of his host. 1t seemed as if
they were suddenly transported to
Sharp street, as the mOney-lender, with
all the profession in his tone, said:
My dear sir, you are too hasty! Bust
ness is business; and care no more to
send it away than a poorer man. You
have something to sell"
"Ir' calculated Tim, with astonish-
ment.
Yes; a revisionary interest"
:" In what?" asks the other, sinking
into his chair again with an expressive
shrug of his sholders.
e" Your father is of a certain age.n
"Weu?''
Your brother is unmarried; failing
him, you are the next heir"
So!'
You shall have what you need to-
morrow, for your reversion-and a
promise -
" To do whatP"
Marry my daughter"
The hot blood of the Montagues
flushed all over poor Tim, and for
moment it seemed as if he would forget
everything and hurl something harder
than mo at the head of the cool pro-
poser of such an extraordinary bargain
But, with all his recklessness, he knew,
at times, the virtue of prudence, which
certainly was contained in the reply
which was waited for with iu-concealed
impotence.
q am afraid that even if you cared
for a pauper sOn-in-law, the Young
lady would prefer some one of her own
choosing"
" All that is my affair."" answers the
father, with a grandiose air.
Tim weighs rapidly the position. Re
fusal meant ruin, utter and complete,
for even if his father paid up, he certain
ly would fulfill his threat, and cut him
of instantly with the proverbial shilling.
On the other hand, he might have
freedom from a hateful position for
really nothing. His brother was young,
strong, and, having only to amuse him
self and not even the contingent risk of
being food for powder. And as to
matrimony-but here the sharp pang
which shot through him told him that
there was one who might hear of his
marrying another with something more
than Indifference, who might feel that
she had some claim to be considered in
in any bargain affecting his future He
hesitated painfully till he remembered
that his now certain poverty prevented
even the hope of his offering her any
thing, and then, with look which
went to the heart of the other, he
gave him his hand and said, in a
firm, but strangely altered voice: lit is
bargain. As to the latter part, am
at your disposal after l am off with the
old love. which won't take long under