The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-25
from All the Year Round.1
4 SOUND INVESTMENT.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
Among the few relatives with whom
/ maintained anything like intimacy aft
-er had attained to manhood was Sec
ond or third cousin, q have never been
quite able to master these grades of re-
lationship,) whose name was William
Anstream. As my name is Robinson,
it will be guessed that this was cousin
on my mothers side, which was the
case; but in point of fact, my name or
position has very little to do with this
story, which relates to no adventures of
my own, but to what consider an ex-
traordinary passage in the life of Will
lam Anstream.
He was my favorite cousin, although
1 knew that even the moderate intimacy
held with him was not to my advant-
age; for, without being open to the i'm
putation of anything actually wrong,
there was sort of laxity-" Ioosefishi-
ness" is better word-about him
which did not suit a plodding, steady
young tradesman like myself; yet some
how there was fascination about the
S.an could not resist. He only turned
up once or twice year during the four
years l knew him after l started in
business, and it was good job for me
that he came no oftener. What he was
doing did not know; he had been arti-
eied to a builder, but l could never
learn that he was building anything.
At his mothers death he had come into
q small property, but not enough, felt
sure, to stand such expenses as his were,
and so feared he was incumbering his
little estate. though did not like to ask
him. He never complained; he was al
ways well-dressed, always in good spir-
its, and, despite reckless twang which
was always present in his conversation,
he was the most pleasant fellow l knew.
And yet dreaded his appearance.
In the period l have named l declare
should not have dreamed of any great
er dissipation than a day off now and
then to go to the Crystal Palace, visit
every half-year to the theater-my even
ings were too valuable to spare more of
them-and, perhaps, three or four days
at Southend in August. That was all l
should have done, but when Anstream
came was powerless, and was led into
the most outrageous enterprises. Invent
to the Derby, and wound up" as he
called it, at Cremorne. | went to a
prize-fght, and was nearly locked up
bv the police, besides living in dread
lest any of the professionals might
come into my shop at some time, and.
recognizing me, claim acquaintance as
with pal" 1 went to the Argyll
Rooms, although l could not dance, but
he could, and said he would dance
enough for two; the opera, which, as 1
had no ear for music, was awfully
tedious. Invent to see the Cambridge
shire run for, race of which then for
the first time learned the existence
There l must own l won ten pounds,
but William borrowed fifteen of me on
the strength of this when he left, not
one penny of which has he paid. Indeed,
he never left me after one of his visits
without borrowing some money, but not
on so grand scale as just mentioned.
At the end of four years, however, he
disappeared. Two whole years passed
without my seeing Anstream, and SO it
was plain that something out of the
common had happened to him. ]
thought he had either settled down
steadily to work, or was dead; and the
first being extremely unlikely, while the
second was a contingency which might
happen to anybody, l made up my mind
that poor VIII was no more. was sor-
~ to think so, for although / knew l
was better without him, and that asso-
citation with him played the very mis-
chief with me, and that the forty pounds
he owed me would have been sixty or
seventy by this time had he continued
his visits, vet | liked him, and would
have been glad to hear that he was alive
and doing well. My immediate friends,
1 must own. thought differently to my
self; they said William was working out
q sentence for penal servitude, and it
was a good job for every one. / COM
bated this belief, although Isecretly felt
that it was very likely to be correct; but
even then l could not admit it tCkbe a
good thing for poor Anstream.
Well. as have said, two years and
more having passed, had given him
up as lost, and had almost ceased TO
think about him; in fact, as | was Just
about to be married had plenty to oc-
cupy my thoughts, and / may add here,
that l am quite sure my Emma Matilda
(my wife's name, of eourse) would new
er have liked Anstream, or tolerated his
visits; therefore, it was so far good
thing that he had dropped out of sight.
You may guess my establishment then
when one afternoon, Just as | had made
up my mind that as things were so
Quiet, / would spare two or three hours,
call for Emma Matilda. and take her to
Hyde Park. which was great treat,