The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
LOVE OR MONEY;
- OR.
A PERILOUS SECRET.
BY CHARLES READE,
Author Of Put Yourself In His Place.
etc. ETC., etc

Now Just before this. two QUICK ears
began TO try and catch the conversation.
MOnckton had heard all that Colonel
Clifford said, that warriors tones were
so incisive; but, as the matter only con-
cerned Mr.. BARLEY, he merely grinned
at the disappointment likely to fall on
his employer, for he knew Mary Bart
ley was at deaths door. He said as
much to himself, and went out for a
sandwich, for it was his lunch-time.
But when he returned with stealthy foot,
for all his movements were cat-like, he
caught sight of BARLEY and Hope in
earnest conversation, and felt very cur
ions.
But he could hear nothing at all until
Hopes answer came 10 Bartley's pro-
posal.
Then the indignant father burst out,
so that it was easy enough 10 hear every
word. Il part with my grill Not for
the worlds wealth. What You call
yourself father, and would tempt me
To sell my own flesh and blood? MOI
Poverty, beggary, anything. sooner than
that. My darling, we Will thrive to-
ge.her or starve together; we Will live
together or die together"
He snatched up his hat to leave. But
Ban tley found a word 10 make him hest
tate. He never moved, but folded his
arms and said, $50, then, your love for
your child is selfish. Who will suffer
most If you stand in her light? Your
daughter; why, she may die. Who will
profit most if you are wise, and really
love her, not like jealous lover, but
like father? Why, your daughter; she
Will be taken out OF poverty and want,
and carried to sea-breeZes and scented
meadows; her health and her comfort
will be my care; she will fill the gap in
my house and in my heart, and viii be
my heiress when l die"
ABut she will be lost to me-" sighed
poor Hope.
Not so. You will be my right hand;
you will be always about us; you can
see her, talk to her, make her love you,
do anything but tell her you are her
father. Do this one thing for me, and
l will do great things for YOU and her.
To refuse me will be to cut your own
throat and hers-as well as NINE"
Hope clinched his hands in agony and
pressed them against his brow at is
selfish to stand in her light; but part
with her-I can [; can't"
"Of course not; who asks you? She
viii never be out of your sight; only, in
stead of seeing her sicken, linger. and
die, you viii see her surrounded by
every comfort, nursed and tended like
princess, and growing every day in
health, wealth, and happiness"
These words made great impression
on the still hesitating father; he began
TO make conditions. They were all
granted heartily.
IF ever you are unkind to her, the
compact is broken, and claim my own
again
&C 10 a. D,,A NJ e,,,,,,I,-c ,,,,-4lx. 49,
so mOnStrOuS: men do not ill-treat chill
dren. 1t is only women, who adore
them, that kill them and ill-use them
accordingly. She will be my little bene-
factress, God bless heri I may love her
more than ought, being yours, for my
home is desolate without her; but that
Is the only fault you shall ever find with
me. There is my hand OF it,"
Hope at the last was taken off his
guard, and took the proffered hand.
That to him was binding action, and
somehow he could no longer 90 back.
Then BARLEY told him he should live
In the house at first, to break the part
ing. "And from this hour" said he,
you are no clerk nor manager, but my
associate In business, and on your own
terms"
-Thank you" said Hope, with a sigh.
! Now lose no time; get her into the
house at once while the clerks are away,
and meantime | must deal with the
nurse, and overcome the many difficult
ties. Stay, here is a five-pound note.
Buy yourself new suit, and give the
child good meal. But pray bring her
here in half an hour if you can"
Then BARLEY took him to the lobby,
and let him out in the street, whilst he
- 10. Irtx~ fln
and make her his confidante.
He had a good deal of difficulty with
her; she was shocked at the proposal,
ard, being woman, it was the details
that Mortified her. She cried a good
deal. She stipulated that her darling
should have Christian burial, and cried
again at the doubt. But as BARLEY con-
ceded everything, and offered to settle
a hundred pounds year on her. so
long as she lived in his house and kept
his secret. he prevailed at last, and
found her an invaluable ally.
To dispose of this character for the
present we must inform the reader that
she proved woman can keep a secret,
and that In very short time she was
IS fond of Grace Hope as she had been
of Mary BARLEY.
We have said that Colonel Clifford's
pCllClldlCu DQb
produced no great impression at the
time. Not so, however, when he had
listened to Bartley's proposal, Hopes
answer, and all that followed. Then he
put this and Colonel CliffOrd's COM
munication together, and saw the ter
rible Importance OF the two things COM
bined.
Leonard Monckton was by nature a
schemer and by habit villain, and he
was sure TO put this discovery to profit.
He came out of the little office and sat
down at his desk, and fell into brown
study.
He was not little puzzled, and here
lay his difficulty. Two attractive villain
les presented themselves to his ingen-
ious mind, and he naturally hesitated
between them. One was to levy black
mail on BARLEY; the other, to sell the
secret to the Cliffords.
But there was special reason why he
should incline toward the Cliffords and,
whilst he is in his brown-study, we viii
let the reader into his secret.
This artful person had Immediately
N the a0DfidonQa of U0l1nr Clifford