St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-22

Certainly, Mr.. Grayi WHAT'S The ousi-
ness nowl''
'sRather an unpleasant business, am
sorry 20 say, sir. But win you step in my
Office, where can fully explAini'
So Con followed him in, and waited to
hear what the unpleasant business might De.
''You are aware. sir, that your late uncle,
from whom you inherit your fortune, died
intestste-or, should say, was thought TO
have died interstate you were his
heir-at-laE. A few days since, however, we
made what 10 you must prove painful dis
covery-viz-, the certificate Of his marriage
and half-drawn-up will. In which he be-
queathed all he possessed 10 his acknowl-
edged wife, or her children, should she have
any. After dDigent inquiries we have dis
covered that the late Mrs. Creighton died in
giving birth 70 a child. but the child is still
living, sn, my dear Mr.. Creighton, with deep
sorrow, must inform you that you are''-
'Peniless finished Con, gloOmily, but with
elaboration.
''Not quite, Mr.. Creighton. Your father
left you e. 900, which is something, though
considerably less than 100000. Your
cousin arrived to-day, believe"
Poor Conf He didn't care very much II
she never arrived; but he managed to get
into the street without disgracefully showing
his feelings, and then, bv way Of keeping up
the illusion. tried to whistle.
But the effort was q miserable failure, for,
after all, it's no joke 10 ind oneself suddenly
precipitated from the pinnacle OF millionaire
ship.
''Well, after al, there's one comfor,'' he
said, returning to his sOliloquy; emily
Cummings won't want me now, so I fancy
I'll give her warning. Mabel will take me,
rich or poor. and hope Iim not such 4 mis-
rf
man,
His meditations brought him up In from.
OF the Cummingsi residence.
Five minutes after he was sitting In the
dantiest OF boudoirs. Emily before him in
the most recherche Of French morning robes
| fragrant with the subject OF French per-
/ fumes.
"YOu look dreadfully tired, Con. Have
YOU been walking very fari" she asked,
sweet sympathy percepuole in her voice,
and tender anxiety in her luminous eyes.
''Not particularly far, but / have had bad
news; and, as q general thing, that is more
harrassing than the mere effort Of walking"
Con had way Of plunging right into diff
hculties, and now he wanted 10 be over
with II.
.'Why, what news have you hadi Moth
ing very serious, hope.''
''Oh, not at ALL Only that I've lost every
penny Of the fortune my uncle left me-"
He now noticed with great satisfaction that
her fair face grew very white, and that she
instantly put on an indeserible expression
Of Withdrawal.
''Lost, ohi Oh, mol Howl"
"Oh, in a romantic way, OF course II
seems that my supposed bachelor uncle was
in reality Benedict but as his marriage
was secret one, and the girl was not Of his
own social status, nobody knew anything
about II, so he told her the ceremony was
false, and left her. She died heartbroken,
but left an heir or heiress, ! don't know
which. This child takes the silver spoon out
Of my mouth, and /, as YOU see, lose eIOO,-
600 and am ruined. Plain and lucid, isn't
itl"
But Emily didn't answer; she was griev-
ing for he fallen castles, musing over her
unpaid bills, and wondering whether her
father could stand this last stroke Of misfor-
tune.
''Of course, Emily, came TO you at once
to release you, II you wished from our en-
gAgement Reared as you have been, Ieould
not expect you 10 marry poor man; aud,
indeed, fear that, in my changed circum-
stances, would be no fit husband for YOU"
Then Emily Cummings showed that, girl as
she was, she was equal to the occasion.
Standing fully before him, where the light
fell directly on the beautiful, naughty face
and slender, graceful figure, she assisted him
out Of his difficulty with an ease and grace
that was almost superb.
81 can readily perceive, Mr.. Creighton,
that II is your wish that our engagement
should end, and knowing this, should be
the last one to oppose your inclinStions. AS
regards your loss, / sympathiZe with you
sincerely. but l cannot fail to rejoice that It
happened before awoke to the fate of an
unloved wife,
She paused for breath, and then, as Con
stood in shameful aud, it must be confessed,
slightly disguised silence, she went on,
"And now, Mr.. Creighton, rather than pro-
long our unpleasant interview, had we better
not say good-byp'
So, for the last time, Con went down the
marble stairs, saying TO himself. sat any
rate, still have two thousand and Mabel. >
He walked along she Streets. feeling his
spirits considerably lighter, his troubled con-
science comparatively at rest; hut Just as he
reached his mothers residence Gray once
more encountered him.
"Ah, here you are againl The very fellow
/ want! Your cousin has arrived and is
anxious to see you. Could you 60 to her at
oncel She is with some relatives at the
| Grand hotel'n
Con turned on him, sulky expression
wreathing his handsome face.
Look here, Grayi Isn't 1t enough for a
fellow 70 be left penniless, without making
him play lackey to the girl that's got his
moneys As you're sodesperately interested,
you can tell my cousin that am very much
engaged to-day, and can't go to her. II she
wishes to see my mother, presume she can
find her."
Arthur Gray whistled as he turned his back
upon his late client
He was young man, and stIll un married,
SO it may be presumed he did not feel very
badly as he returned TO pay his devoirs to the
heiress.
But Con felt far from comfortable as he
passed the massive portals OF his mothers
dc or, and strobe impatiently down the stately
halls that were theirs no longer.
As he stood inside the lofty room that his
imagination had already peopled, and looked
around on the velvet chairs and lounges, in
every nook Of which he had already en-
seemed, in fancy, Mabers slender figure; on
the softly yielding carpets that be hoped her
little feet would press; on the heavy silken
curtains from between which he had dream pt
of seeing & childish face and golden head
waiting aud watching for him. be did feel
very, very badly; and, after all, don't think
any Of us can blame him. although we may
all have raised supercilious eyebrows At the
truthful OF his homeliness OF the old proverb,
when poverty comes in at the door, love
flies out at the window"
After his passion had subsidized he wrote to
Mabel, and, to give him his due, took int
mite comfort In so doing.
he told her all his his misfortunes and
asked her If she would in reality become his
wife; told her how he hoped by his own ex-
| nrfinr.a a nIirnh IL 4