The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-09-08
From All the Year Round.1
4 SOUND INVESTMENT.
CHAPTER III.-CONTINUED.

IA sUVU1ND lIVtLU1 u1UIls
CHAPTER IIL-CoNTINUED.
"Jem went on to tell me that he
had mentioned to Tobbs my desire
that he should moderate his expenses,
and the poor fellow at once agreed.
.Barley-water and dry toast is enough
for me, Mr.. Skeldon,' he said, and he
would not touch anything all day. AT
night, continued Jem, his attack came
on. and every one in the house was kept
up until morning. So l insisted upon
his resuming his nourishing diet, be-
cause we don't want to kill the man,
Though we do want the money. You
you'd not like to have it on your mind,
ill, that you had shortened his days by
,rvation to get that policy, 1 know; for
would be murder, disguise it as much
IS you liked. Twas obliged to own that
his was true, SO l had look at the
specter who was asleep on the sofa, and
then left, having almost determined I
would never see him again, come what
might, his aspect was so awful. | was
compelled once more to go to my
solicitor, and once more to raise two
hundred pounds; knew he was good
for pretty well eight hundred, but if [
wanted more l should have to sell the
houses. Luckily, as l thought, l just
then had an offer of work for two or
three months with friend who had a
contract at a Spanish city, in building
the warehouse for railway, and ac-
cepted it.. being very glad, can tell
you, to get the chance. | went out at
,he end of December. and when L had
paid the expenses on Tobbs' account up
to this time, and left Jem fifty pounds
in hand, rather more than hundred
and twenty out of my new advance had
gone, leaving barely enough for the
next premium"
"You did steam away, William" 1
said, while he paused, little overcome
by his feelings, to take a draught of
whisky and water.
'.Steam away! I should think we
did; it was awful"' returned Anstream,
with deep sigh. 'Well, Sam, went
out, and thought that anyhow it would
be all over before got back, and that
as / should be keeping myself. our ex-
penses would be certainly so much less.
If had more time Iwould tell YOU sew
eral rather odd adventures which hap
pened to me in Spain, but they had. of
course, nothing to do with our business
speculation in England, SO l pass them
over. At last one day got a telegram,
it was almost on the eve of my starting
to come home-I had been there ten or
eleven weeks, and on the fourth day
from this waste sail. | am not more
unfeeling than other people, Sam, but 1
must own my heart throbbed with hope
and eXultat on as | opened this long
expected missive. 1t was from Sheldon,
as | half supposed, and said-but here
it is. in my pocket; will read it: Send
money at once, funds and credit ex-
hausted. Important This was the
first communication | had received, as |
desired him not to trouble me with
weekly bulletins, which had previously
been our practice. | wanted to rest
bit, and this is how was stirred up at
last. l had saved about twenty-five
pounds, and as there was no help for it,
! got my friend to telegraph to his Lon
don agents to pay Mr.. James SHELDON
that amount, while 1 telegraphed to
Jem to the same effect. So there was
nearly three months of hard work gone
for nothing; the result of the greatest
economy and pinching had ever prac-
ticed, gone in minute; and, SO far as
knew, we were no nearer filing the
sieve into which l had been pouring my
gold, then we had been a year before"
CHAPTER ".
After another pause, filed up by
smoking thoughtfully, my cousin se-
sumed:
''By the time I got home, there was
the notice in from the insurance Office,
and l had to pay the premium, which
left me without feather to fly with,
while to make things more cheerful, l
found at my lodgings two letters from
SHELDON; one written to acknowledge
the twenty-five pounds, and another
written subsequently, but both almost
filled with complaints, and the second
contained a request fer additional funds;
the only comfort in the matter, Jem said,
was that it could not last very long
now, as Tobbs was suffering fearfully.
Suffering fearfully, was he? Well. so
was l. and suffered still more in being
obliged at once to 90 to my lawyer and
raise the last possible amount, one hum
dred and fifty pounds, that he was will
ing to lend me. The head clerk, with
whom transacted most of the business.
a careful old fellow he was, said: Its
no concern of mine, MIR. Anstream, of
course, but having known your poor
mother, and having known you from a
child, you win excuse me if say hope
oil fhaSo aIyap~oS and calaS ORC for roal
business purposes l assured him that
I was engaged in speculation which
promised large profits, but required
rather more capital than ! had antici-