Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-05-20

will often walk about the rooms for an
hour before getting into bed. I hear
him from mine, pacing about like one
in frenzy. He appeared laughing
and jocular before you, Mr.. Oscar, but
it was all put on"
"Have you warned himp or tried to
stop him?"
what good can do, sir? Twice l
have begged him not to go out, and
said this night work was ruin; but he
was not going to heed me. l said
nothing about the play; it is hard to
tell how he might have taken it, from
me-"
but 1 think you ought to do so.
Reuben, and tell him the history OF his
uncle. That may stagger him."
''Only last night, that ever was, L
had the greatest mind to it. But the
squire would never have it spoken of
to him; he used to say: Keep it from
him, Reuben, don't tell him that.
Mr.. Charles has asked me, before now,
what his uncle died of, and l have
passed it off. and said short illness.
But what's the good of speaking, Mr..
Oscar? No warning ever turned
gambler. l think he has got bills out, "
added Reuben. passing to a different
subject.
BILLS out! Already" repeated Mr..
Dalrymple.
There's cause to fear so, sir" he
sighed. land all the i'll has
arisen through those sharks COM
ing after him. They knew Moat-
Grange had fallen to him, and
they scented the prey as soon as
he set foot in London, and came hunt
ing him up, like they hunted up his
uncle two-and- twenty years ago.
These harpies, who have no means of
their own, and live by preying upon
young men, driving them to ruin and
despair, ought to have their necks
stretched on Tower Hill. Nobody was
ever born with a better heart than Mr..
Charles, only he is easy, and good
natured, and gets led away"
'sTush!" said Oscar. He did not be-
lieve in good hearts; or, at any rate,
had profound contempt for them. He
believed in nothing but cool self-inter-
est. The servant had told all he knew,
and Oscar babe him goodnight, and
departed.
They met at breakfast. Charles was
looking i'll and anxious. Oscar saw it
plainly, now the clue had been given
him.
been making night of it?'' began
Oscar. ssYou look as if you had"
Eyes, was late. Pour out the cof-
fee, will you, Oscar?"
His own hands were shaking. Oscar
saw it as he opened some letters.
There is letter from home, see,
by the post-mark,' remarked Oscar.
Not from the Grange. 1t is from
Farmer Lee"
"What can you find to do, so as to
keep you up, night after night? You
must have some pursuit
''One is never at a loss to kill time
in London"
Il suppose not, where it is required
to be killed But | did not know it
was necessary to kill that which ought
to be spent in sleep. One would think
you passed your nights at the gambling
table, Charles.''
The words startled him, and flush
gazing steadily at him, and Charles
saw that he was.
"Charles! you look conscious. Have
you learnt to gambler"
"Oh, it's nothing said Charles,
confusedly. Il may play little now
and then
"Do you shirk the question. Have
you taken to play?"
"a little, 1 tell you. Never mind.
It's my own affair."
"Were you not playing last night?"
"Well-yes; l was. Very little
Lost or won?" said Oscar, care
lessly.
"Oh, 1 lost answered Charles.
The luck was against me-"
Now, my good fellow, do you know
what you had better do? Go home to
Moat-Grange and stop there, and get
out of this set. know what game
sters are; they never let pigeon off
till he is stripped of his last feather.
Leave, with me, for the Grange to-day,
and cheat them; and stop there till the
mania shall have left you, though it
should be years to come"
81 am not going to Moat-Grange if
1 know it," was Charles Dalrymple's
answer.
Your reason?n
because l must stay where I am. l
wish | had never come. / do wish
that. But as l did come, here l am
fixed.
you might have been content there.
What did you want, flying off to Lon
don, the moment your father was under
ground? Had you succeeded to forty
thousand a year, you could but have
fastened to launch out in the me-
tropolis.'
Il did not come to launch OUT re-
turned Charles, angrily. Il came to
get rid of myself; every thing was so
wretched down there
What constituted its wretched-
ness?"
1.-The remembrance of my father.
Every face l saw, every stick and stone
about the spot seemed to reproach me.
to whisper that but for my carelessness
he would not have died. And, second
", there was that miserable business
of my giving up Isabel Lynn!''
"How! Have you given up Miss
Lynn"
Yes" replied Charles, with sti-
fled sigh. II promised my father that
my mother should remain in the Grange,
so of course could not marry. And I
gave up Isabel. and we took formal
leave of each other. Don't talk to me
about the Grange, Oscar. shall not
return to the place. l hate the sight of
it,
Il suppose you gave her up in fit
of impulse?"
Il gave her up because there was
nothing else to be done. The accident,
by which my father lost his life, was
owing to me, and it was but right that
l should sacrifice my own prospects to
provide for my mother and sisters.