Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-10-23

Pottinger Pipps, substituting bitter for
POmmery, and a room over the shop for
Victoria square, settled down into the
pitt commits, laboring by extra work,
which heightened his working day to
about sixteen hours, to rid himself Of the
load Of debt with which he started.
Its a CHASTITY thought, but fifteen
years had elapsed since Lady Bareacres'
fatal Friday, when the last Of Pipps'
creditors received TO his amazement, the
amount he had lent to that worthy IN the
days Of his apparent prosperity; and on
the same day the ex-OfIicial said to him
self: 1T is fifteen years since I have
been down whitehall; to-day I have a
right there again. III go and have a
look at the old place"
So he went, and as he stood outside
the gates of Her AIaiesty's paper-fastener
and j-pen Office, a smart brougham drove
mp, and the Right Honorable Lord As
terick, p. O., stepped out. He was Just
entering the Office when his eve fell mp
on Mr. Pipps, who, recognizing in the
MISUNDERSTANDING old gentleman his
former chief, Sir DuEh Blank, K. C. B.,
respectfully took of his hat. The great
man who prided himself on his affabiIity
to his interiors, returned the salute, and,
recognizing tine face, vaguely remarked /:
"GOOd-day to you. Aheml You viii
think me very rude, but really, though
L know your face quite well, L can not
recall your name"
"DOn't you remember Pipps, sir
Philip Pottinger PiPps, once under
secretary IN this department? You ought
to remember me, Sir Dash
"GOd bless my soul! OF course, of
course era fine day, it is nOt?-a fine
day" And the privy councillor became
strangely embarrassed at the thought
that here he was talking to a man who
had VIGOROUSLY gone to the bad. AT a
loss, however, for something to say, and
IN his nervousness saying exactly the
wrong thing, he added: "Dear me, Mr..
Pipps, what has brought you-you who
were so Industrious, such a dandy, such
a-ahemi such a society man-tO
this?'
Philip p. Pipps looked at him for a
moment, and smiled bitterly, half intend
ing to forge some excuse. "Good heav-
ems, Sir Dash" said he, at length, ''have
you never suspected that I came to grief
through you? that this piiable, shabby
looking man is your unconscious hRndi
Workg'
'tNine! Really, Mr.. Pipps, what do
You mean? Are you mad2"
81 mean this, Sir DASH beg your
pardon, Lord Asterisk-thank you.
That violin-that Guarnerius you lent
me to play at Lady Bareacres' AT HomL'
as went home that evening I lost it
there was only one other in London to
be had at that tims, and the cruel wretch
who owned it made me pay eight hun
dred pounds for it. This sum I had to
get at once. I raised the money among
the Jews, and paid, in the long run,
nearly three thousand pounds for it.
But / returned you a fiddle for yours.
and to-day only today am clear Of
the debts L incurred to pay for it."
His lOrdship would have fallen down
had not his fOotman supported him.
Mr.. Pipps was moving of when Lcrd
Asterisk stopped him with a sign.
''FOllOw me" he whispered, and Pipps
entered once more the room which was
so intimately connected with all his
miseries
The privy councillor sat down with
his face in his hands, and Philip Pot
finger Pipps stood, as of yore, on the
other side of the table. For a few mo-
ments not a word was said. Then his lord
ship broke the silence.
''hIy poor dear fellow, you have dark
ened the rest Of my life, as Ihslge ruined
yours. This is a dreadful revenge,
though you.don't knowfit as yet But
forgive me, if you can, when you have
heard what 1 have to say to you. The
violin lent you was not a Guarnerius
at all. I merely said so in fun, to see
whether you would know that the in
was not genuine. L gave five
pounds for it. When you told me it was
damaged, I was So annoyed with you,
thinking that in having it repaired you
would find out its worthlessness, tkat I
did not undeceive you. The violin you
brought back I never examined again; I
sold it the next day for ten pounds
Hush! don't speak; you must know all,
but it is horrible; hOrriblel Z That VIC
lin you bought from me. / heard from
my dealer that a veal thr young amateur
must have a Guarnerius at once, so we
a high price for a genuine in
strument that had at home. You lost
a worthless fiddle, and in order to return
one to ne In its place, ruined yourself
in buying from me an instrument which
I sold next day for nothing.
'