Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07
HARRY'S INHERITANCE.

old school, much attached 70 P'peo.@y
and purchase. and with a low opinion
Of competitive examinations, the hrs'
s;x hooks of Euclid, the local military
centres, the territorial titles OF regi-
ments. the latest regulation pattern IN
h,lf.dycss buttons, and most other con-
founded new.fangled radical fa,-lal and
trunpery in general. Sir Thomas be-
lieved as firmly in the wisdom OF our
ancestors as he distrusted the wis
dom Of our nearest descendants,
now Just attaining TO years OF
maturity and indiscretion. Especially
had he a marked dislike for this nasty
modern shopkeeping habit Of leaving
all your loose money lying idly at
your bankers and paying everybody
with dirty little bit Of crnmPled pa
per, instead Of pulling out handful
Of gold, msgni6cently from your trou-
sers' pocket, and hinging the sovereigns
boldly down before you upon the
counter like an officer and gentleman.
Why should you let one Of these blcat-
ed. oyerfed, lazy banker fellows grow
rich out Of borrowing your money from
YOU for nothing, without so much as a
thank you, and lending it out again to
some other poor devil Of a trades
man probably in difficulties at
7 per cent. on short discount T:
No, no that was not the way
Sir Thomas Woolrych had been
accustomed to live when he was
an ensign (sub-lieutensnt they posi-
lively call it nowadays at Ahmednug-
CUR, in the Northwest provinces. In
those days, my dear sir, q man drew his
monthly screw by pay-wsrrant, took
the rupees in solid cash, locked them
up carefully in the desk in his bunga-
low. helped himself literally to them
while they lasted. and gave iOU's for
apy little trife of cards or horses he
might happen to have let himself in for
meanwhile with his brother officers.
IOU's are Of course a gentlemsRly and
recognized form Of monetary engage
ment, but for bankers checks Sir
Thomas positively felt little less than
contempt and lOathing.
Nevertheless, in MS comfortable villa
in the park at Cheltenham called Fut-
teypoor Lodge, after the famous en-
gagement during the mutiny which
gave the Colonel his regiment and his
K..C.-B. ship he stood one evening
looking curiously at his big davenport,
and muttered to himself with more than
one most military oath " Hanged if
! don't think ! shall positively be com.
PEELED to patronize these banker fell
lows after all. Somebody must have
been helping himself again to some Of
my sovereigns."
Sir Thomas was not by nature a sus-
picious mamie was too frank and
open-hearted himself 10 think i'll easily
Of others-but he couldn't avoid feel
ing certain that somebody had been
tAmpering unjustiliably with the con-
tents Of his davenport. lie counted the
rows Of sovereigns over once more.
very carefully; then he checked the
number taken out by the entry in his
pccket-book /; and then he leaned back
in his chair with puzzled look, took a
meditatiye puff or two at the stump Of
his cigar, and blew out the smoke in a
lorg curl that left sort Of pout upon
his heayil, mopstOched lip as soon as
he had finished. Not a doubt in the
world about it-somebocEV must nave
belpea himself again to a dozth sove-
reigns.
1t was a hateful thing to put a watch
upon your servants and dependents
but Sir Thomas felt he must really do
it. lie reckOned up the long rows a
third time with military precision, en-
tered the particulars once more most
accurately in his pocket-bOok, sighed a
deep sigh of regret at the dlStaSteiui
:, ,cupation, and locked up the dayen'
po,t ~, -e more with the air Of a man
who resigns himself unwillingly to a
most mos unpleasant ,.uty. Then he threw
away the tag end Of 'he smVAeu-ou'
cigar, anu went up slowly to Ha'eSS ioi
dinner,
Sir Thomas's household consisted
entirely of himself and his nephew
Harry, for he had never been married,
and he regarded all womenkind alike
from afar Off with quaint, respectful,
old-world chivalry but he made
point of dressing scrupulOusly every
day for dinner, even when alone, as a
decorous formalty due to himself, his
servants, society, the military profess
sion, and the cOarenaHceS in gen.
eral. If he and his nephew dined to-
gether they dressed for one an
other if they dined separately they
dressed all the same for the sake Of
the institution. When man once con-
sents to eat his evening meal in blue
tie and a morning cutaway there is no
drawing a line until you finally lind
him an advanced Republican and an
accomplice Of those dreadful War
Office people who are bent upon allow
ing the services to go TO the devil. If
Colonel Sir Thomas Woolrych, X. {.
b., had for a single night been guilty OF
such abominable laxity the whole
fabric Of society would have tottered
to its base, and gods and footmen would
have felt instinctively that it was all
up with the British Constitution.
81" Harry" Sir Thomas said as soon
as they sat down to dinner together
"are you going out anywhere this eve
ming, my boy?" $3.50
Harry looked up a little surlily and
answered, after q moments hesitation,
"why. YES, uncle; thought thought
of going round and having a game OF
billiards with Tom Whitmarsh.
Sir Thomas cleared his throat and
hemmed obviously. "ln that case, "
be said at last, after a short pause, ~
think I'll 20 down to the club myself
and have a rubber. wilkins, the car
riage at half-past Q. I'm sorry, Harry
you're going out this evening"
"Why so, uncle? It's only Jus'
round TO the whitemarshes' you know
Sir Thomas shut one eye and glancet
with the other at the light through hi
glass of sherry, held up between finge
and thumb, critically and suspiciously