The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-09-01

ment. l shall call on you tomorrow after noon at four o'clock, when I hope you will let
 ''' '''' ' ROBERT OSWALD.
 MT. Heath read the letter very care- fully through two or three times, after which he laid it on the table and poured out nearly half a tumbler of brandy. Having mixed this with very little water, he drank it off and leaned back in his chair, while he in- dulged in a soliloquy which he mutt tered half aloud.
 "Yes," he said, "the terms are good enough. The young fool is in con- sumption already, though he's barely twenty three, and this season will kill him. Chapman says his right lung is nearly gone-lucky I got him to in- sure for the big sum at once. Wants the money, suppose, to meet his losses on the City and Suburban. Whats he going to do, I wonder, when he has parted with his interest in the 15,000 pounds? Fall back on his mother, suppose. She's supposed to be wealthy, but her money is all in American stocks, they say, and if re- port is true she knows how to keep it. The widow of a Scotchman, who made 8 fortune in America, they came back to England about five years since to get into society and put young hope ful through Oxford. The father died three years ago, and the mother has been leading rather retired life since, so they say. But, nonsense, what has all this to do with me? Young Mir. Oswald, who has got himself into con- sumption through dissipation, is practically offering me 10000 pounds for further advance of 1 1000 pounds. Even if I had to wait few years, it's good enough. But he hasn't twelve months life in him. Three months more, at the rate he is going at pres- ent, ought to finish him. And then2"
 MT. Heath poured some more bran- dy into his tumbler. Having drunk it, he continued almost aloud and in an excited manner:
 "Then 1 have made the 100000 pounds which it has been the ambition of my life to be worth. This is the last ten thousand. With this I shall be worth almost exactly ,102,OO0 pounds in hard cash, besides the good will of this cursed business and all the d-d things which shall dispose of at once. Why, ought to have nearly 10000 pounds; but never mind, once l have 100000 pounds in hard cash l shall give up. To that I have made up my mind. And then2 We'll, I shall go on to the continent for time. I'd be pretty we'll forgotten in the course of two or three years, and my name is not in particularly good odor just now-hasn't been for years past. Never mind that; when a man has four or five thousand year people are not too particular about his anteced- ents. may take place little way out of London-be a sort of county for bit-and work my way into decent club. Let them say what they like behind my back, they'd be bound to be civil to my face, and that's all that any one need care. Half the peers in England would go crazy if they knew what their servants are saying about them. Fools we're all, more or less tarred with the same brush, thinking vermin as we are, if this new theory of evolution, or what ever it's called, be true. No, if once get foot into a good club, they could not get 1t out again if can only af- ford to act respectfully. Let them whisper what they like behind my back; all that l have to deal with is what is said or done before my face, and the hounds would be silent, for they can prove nothing. If the brutes have to lick me, what do care if they would like to bite. Heavens, what contemptible thing is human naturev the great Napoleon used to say when he was young man starving in Paris. Contemptible is not the word. Worth ess-indifferent-unworthy of even contempt-poor wretched puppets. You band together and club your wretched selflshness into what you call responsibility. Respect? Why, you will have more real respect for me, who'll force my way and walk alone among you, than you have for the sleekest creature of your pack. Yes, Lions walk alone, jackals herd together as Pitt used to say, and one can play the Pitt or the Napoleon in private as we'll as in public life, If need be. Yes, I have only to wait now till MT. Oswald smashes up the little that's left of his constitution. Not many months at the fnrthest. Strange that the last 10000 should come altogether in this way; might have been three or four years getting it together. Perhaps longer. Who can tell? We make more bad debts than people think, and, like the snail crawling up the post, l might, now and then, have slipped down at night twice as far as I had crawled during the day.