Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-05-28

INV
aIregret whathas happened, "shesaid grace
fully. aand l regret It not alone on your ac-
count, but on my own. l should have been
pleased with the connection. Hope you VIII
prosper and be happy, for am sure you de-
serve it"
Egerton Doolittle, having, after careful IN
tellectual filtration, so to speak, got the facts
of the Brents' case fairly deposited in his
mind, expressed great commiseration for the
two men, as he called them. He told Car
that @we ought all to give our minds to the
thing" and see what can be done. And after
a long period of cogitation he informed his
wife that he had hit on a plan which would
restore the fortunes Of the Brents, and-of
this he made a great point-without their
undertaking anything that could not be done
with clean hands"
"a gentleman under no circumstancesshould
soil his hands" Egerton said; "and the great
merit of what l propose is that it can be done
with clean hands"
Car at first thought that this implied that
the pursuit Egerton had in his mind was one
morally defensible, or not felonious but 1t
appeared that be referred only to aristocratlc
notions and traditions.
"My plan is this" Egerton said, after three,
quarters of an hour of preamble which han
nearly fidgeted his wife into a fit. Il hear
there is a new joint stock opera company
going to be started. Let them take shares III
that. 1t will be a gentlemanly, musical klnd
of thing, and the great point is 1t can be done
with clean hands"
Caroline, not being able to see the practical
value of this suggestion, Egerton resolved to
open his scheme to his great brother-in-law,
Goldmore. That elephantine millionaire was
forced, for courtesy's sake, to listen while
Doolittle, in a speech of extraordinary length
and m%addening ci~rcumlOeution, brought out
his preface; but, vexed as he was, he could
not restrain his laughter when the young
man wound up with the recommendation
that Brent senior and junior should take
shares in the forthcoming Italian Opera
Joint Stock company.
any great point is, Goldmore," said Eyer
ton, "that it is a gentlemanly musical sort OF
thing, and one that can be carried on
with clean hands. l think a gentleman
should never soil his hands, Goldmore, don't
your
"The difficulty u.s." replied the great
man, overlooking this question, "where are
the poor men to get money to buy their
shares!"
"Get what?" Egerton asked.
"Money to buy their shares" repeated
Goldmore. "Shares are not given away; you
have to pay for them in hard cash. Now in
the present case the difficulty is that there is
no cash at all"
"Then l suppose you don't approve of my
schemef" answered Egerton, with some irri
tation. "Very well. One can only suggest.
l Withdraw the proposition. Still, l repeat,
Goldmore, it is not every day of the week
you can find a gentlemanly musical under.
taking that can lie carried out with clean
hands"
So he took his leave. But his visit had
some result, after all; for that afternoon
Archibald Goldmore called upon young
Brent, and asked for a little private CONVEX
sation with him. Goldmore was very kind,
inquired what his young friend was going to
do, nodded his head approvingly over the
details Of the Australian scheme, and marked
the young fellow out as a man that would
rise.
"Let me say one thing to you, Mr.. Brent"
he said, as he rose to go. 81 am in most re-
spects a self-made man. l know the Difficult
ties which even industrious and clever young
fellows have to face who start without CAPT.
tai. Now, from what my wife tells me, you
have gained the affections of my sister-inlaw
md | may add that from what l have seen of
you l am not surprised at it. As a member
of the family, l take an interest in all that
concerns them. Now, Brent, if a few hun
dreds will help to start you can lend you
the sum-, and l shall require no security but
your word. You shall, pay me"-this he
added pleasantly-"when you are half as rich
as | am"
Brent colored very red with gratitude ant
pleasure; but for all that, his reply was moi
what the great man expected.
Il don't know how to thank you, " he said
ut is 50 kind an offer. But l have already
saved enough to start me had a liberal al
lowance, and never spent it ALL"
"a few hundreds extra will better you
chance" remarked the other.
"Thank you a thousand times" the young
fellow replied; 'but if l can accomplish what
1 wish out of my own resources, l had rather
do it. If | ever marry Miss Temple, l should
like to feel that it was my own doing from
first to last
Goldmore looked at him with admiration
Il respect the feeling, Mr.. Brent" he said
"Only remember this: if your capital should
run short, write to me, and you will find m,
no bad banker when the account has to b.
overdrawn."
"Thank you again" the young fellow an
sweEed. "And that offer do accept. You
understand me, don't youl If l can manag,
without any mans help l should be glad; bu
rather than fail, l should most gratefully
avail myself of yours. l hope you don't thinl
me proud to the point of Stiffness"
"Confound it," cried Goldmore, II wish yol
were my SOM
And the great nan marched away dow
the street as like the Tower Of Babel as ever
only in a silk hat and other human fittings
But Goldmore is on the right side of things
for all his pomp and seeming hardness.
Little Mrs. Barbara Temple showed a singu
lar mixture of astuteness and good feeling il
her management Of the affair from this tim
until P~ercival's departure. She took care Il
impress on the lover the fact that all engage
ment, understanding, hope, and whatever
else could bind himself and Sophia together
was utterly at an end. She repeated severa
times that her duty as Sophia's mother wa
to see that her future was not embarrassed
by foolish obligations hastily taken up, an
perhaps retained from a sense of honor whel
inclination would cast them off. She tolt
Brent that in all human probability Sophii
would marry some one else in twelve months
Thus she put herself in the position of bein,
ahle. with perfect honesty, to assure Sophi,