Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-17
THE LAST TEN THOUSAND.
PART I.

lurnlshed apartment which he called his
Office. The very dirty window curtains of
the room were Of the richest silk The
costly Turkey carpet was covered with dust
and Uttered with bundles of old law papers
and newspapers, besides letters and other
documents, which, having been torn up,
had evidently lain on the floor for weeks
or months. On the walls of the room were
hung a number of valuable oil paintings,
water colors and engravings Madonna and
the holy families of the early Spanish and
Italian school, pet of the ballet and the
prize ring, Dutch Doors, landscapes, por-
traits and racing scenes-mingled as they
were without the least regard TO stvle or
subject, the general effect was altogether
novel and surprising About the chamber
were a number of chairs and couches.
mostly of antique patterns, but all of them
made of the most costly materials, and
covered, like the carpet, with dust. In the
corners of the room were piles Of we'll
bound volumes, and two massive sideboards
one Of oak and the other Of ebony-were
piled with miscellaneous heaps of books,
glasses and silver plate. Everything about
the chamber, in short, was dirty, costly and
ineongruous.
Finally, muffed up in thick overcoat
and with his back TO the fireplace, in
which there was no tire, sat Mr. Heath.
He was a rather stout man of about CO.
with keen, gray eyes, white hair, and
very rubicund complexion On the table
before him stood among a number of
papers bottle of brandy and 4 tumbler
l., Il i
ter, which was written in q rather sprawl
ing boyish hand
" Dear sir" the letter ran, " must have
$500 by Monday, and | wan: at least $500
besides. This, with what | owe you at
present, will make $4,000 l propose in
consideration of that 81 900 which now
ask you to advance, to assign to you the
whole of my life interest in the el5,000
per cent. consols, together with the whole
interest under the policy of assurance for
the $4,000. The premiums of the policy
only amount to goo per annum, so that
the e450 odd which accrues for the con-
.sols will leave balance OF about $50 per
cent. interest on the $4,000 until the
policy falls in. In other words for $4,000
you get an absolute reversion of 10000,
together with G250 a year until the rever-
sion is realized. l am aware that | could
do better than this, but want the money
at once, and L am ready to submit to the
sacrifice for immediate payment. | shall
call on you tomorrow afternoon at
O'Clock, when | hope you will let me have
a check Yours faithfully,
ROBERT OSWALD"
Mr.. Heath read the letter very carefully
through two or three times, after which
he laid it on the table and poured out
nearly half tumber of brandy. Having
mixed this with a very little water, he
drank it off and leaned back in his chair,
while he INDUCED in n soliloquy which he
muttered half aloud:
"Yes, 'hesaid, 'the terms are good enough.
The young fool is in consumption already,
though he is barely %, and this season
will kill him. Chapman May says his
right lung is nearly .gone-lucky 1 got
him to insure for the big sum at once
Wants the money, | suppose, 10 meet his
losses on the City and Suburban What's
he going to do, | wonder, when he has
parted with his interest in the $4,000?
Fall back on his mother. | suppose. She's
supposed to be wealthy, but her money is
all in American stocks, they say, and if
reports be true, she knows how to keep it.
The widow of Scotchman, who made a
fortune in America, they came back to
England about five years since to get into
society and put young hopeful through
Oxford. The father died three wears ago,
and the mother has been leading rather
retired life since, so they say But nom
sense, what has all this to do with me?
Young Mr.. Oswald, who has got himself
into consumption through dissipation, is
practically offering me 10000 for fur
ther advance of 81 900. Even if 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 present ought to finish him. And then ?"
Mr.. Heath poured some more brandy
into his tumbler. Having drank it, he
continued almost aloud, and in an excited
manner:
"Then l have made the 100000 which
it has been the ambition of my life to be
worth. This is the last ten thousand.
With this / shall be worth almost exactly
100000 in hard cash, besides the good
will of this cursed business, and all the
ID things, which | shall dispose of at
once. Why, / ought to have nearly el10,-
900; but never mind once | have e110,-
900 in hard cash shall give up. To that
/ have made up my mind. And then?
time. I'd be pretty well forgotten in the
course Of two or three years, and my name
is not in particularly good odor Just now
hasn't been for year past. Never mind
that-when a man has four or FIVE thou
sand a year, people are not too particular
about his antecedents. [ may take a place
a little way out of London-be sort of
country magnate 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 anyone need care. Half the peers in
England would go crazy if they only knew
what their servants are saying about them.
Fools, we're all more or less tarred with
the same brush, thinking yermin, as we
are, if this new theory of evolution, or
whatever it is called, be true. No, if /
once set foot into good club, they could
not get it out again, if | can only afford
to act respectfully. Let them whisper
what they like behind my back, all that
/ 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
a contemplate thing is human nature ?
the great Napoleon used to say when he
was young man starving in Paris. Con-
temptible is not the word. Worthless, in
different, unworthy of even contempt
poor wretched puppets. You band to-
gether, and club your wretched sel6shness
into what you call respeetability. Respect?
Why, you will have more real respect for
me, who'll force my way, and walk alone
among you, than you for the sleekest
creature of your pack. Yes, Lions walk
alone, jackals hred together as Pitt used
to say. One can play the Pitt or the Ma
poleou in priyate. as well as in public life,