Wichita eagle., 1888-02-05
troubled waves.
"Sad about Dandy, isn't it?" he asked.

troubled waves.
''Sad about Dandy, isn't it," he asked.
''What. l haven't heard. l thought his
firm was as solid as-as st. Georges hall"
''Oh, so it is: there's 10 screw loose in Dan
by, Porter & Porter. But the old mans
shaky here" and the friend significantly tap
ped his parchment-like forehead; ''they're
sending him to an asylum Married young
wife, you remember. That's done it. A nice
( dance she led him. Better have stayed as he
was-as you are, Middleton"
Quite So" said old Geoffrey, grimly And
he relapsed into his ledger again.
''Quite so; and next month everybo will
be saying that I'm as big fool, and prophe-
syirg on ny account" he nuttered irrele-
vanity, when, with farewell word about a
shipment of wool from Melbourne, the visi-
! tor had gone.
''Confound the boy" he went on in his
bitter soliloquy; what did he want to be SO
coc?, sure about coming in for my money for.
As for the 81 ,5S0-it was heavy figure-I
could have forgiven him that And now he's
let me in for worse Scr e."
Remorse was working But what could it
avail man who had drawn up a document
rs compromising rs half the inane compost
! IboiiS III Oh DEeCGl Oh
! promise suits, and had watched it with a
malicious smile committed to The charge Of
her majesty's postmaster general. With a
groan his conscience supplied the response
none. He was bound by every consideration
of honor and probity to go through his enter
! prise. And this meant call that evening
at Gartmore. His exact expression in his
old fashioned and somewhat cumbersome
| phraseology had beer:
| ''ln SO important matter, my dear Miss
!enn, / would earnestly desire that you
should eschew hasty decision, and I there
fore viii ask to ko permitted to wait in per.
son at your home for your reply during the
early hours Of tomorrow evening"
Ard he vert.
Not altogether to bis surprise Mr.. Venn re-
ceived him. It was quite in keeping with his
notions Of propriety that the prelimnaries
Of tho no.nentous contract should be settled
with MS future brides father; and, in truth,
he was very considerably relieved to have to
enter las he supposed upon purely business
discussion and to postpone the ordeal of MAX
i;g love What no should find to say when
the latter labor had to be undertaken it
passed his power of conjecture to imagine
He could only hope tha. the crisis-and he
dreaded it worse than en- interview with his
deltist-would by its very severity kindle
within his mind illumination for the road he
had so fatuouslv elected to travel
Mr.. Nean was rotund little man, with a
busting manner, twirkling dark eyes the
twinkling was intensified at this juacture-
and the good gift of sound digestion which
renders III temper on any but the most inso-
lent provocation base ingrutitude to kindly
Providence.
Delighted to see you az Gartwore Mid
dleton, and-aheIn! l believe l have some
idea of your Grand said be.
The shipbToker bowed Il fully expected
that you would understand" he answered
And then somehow he paused, fer it was
borne in UPON him that &c was on the eve of
listening TO some disturbing revelation
Nothing could be wrong with the bank SIRE
", 1t was a dreadful thought that made
him quake in his boots. Certainly Venn's
face wore an aspect of funereal gravity. re-
lieved only by the oddly contrssted bright
ness of his eyes, where couple of imprisoned
sunheams seemed TO be bsskIng.
First let me express my serse-our sense
of the honor done to my daughter. and
through Dusa to her parents, by your offer
Va ILLS Aii
Old Geoffrev breathed a trife more freely.
1t was the question hs had come about, then,
that accounted for Venns sole-nnity. The
stability of the famous old banking house
was unimp.ired It was a ridiculously alb
surd terror that had seized him.
''But, Middleton, am sorry"
II am afraid | don't quito take YOU
And indeed the inference seemed to be too
good to be true. Never. surely, did pretender
await with more eagerness the verdict of dis
missal
Il repeat that am sorry. Ny daughters
affections are bestowed NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
my dear Middleton. And there has been
az odd mistake. the oldest mistake, ! think.
1 ever knew or heard Of II had seen your
letter should have known, of course But
you see Dusa Is quite unfamiliar with your
hand; and then You write as vigorously as
as your nephew might do. And / was busy; I
didn't ask to see the note. Dusa tod me
what was in it, and vino she supposed it had
come from, and 50, as say, we blundered all
round"
Light was slowly breaking on old Geo:
frey's mind. Perhaps the reaction from the
dread that be might be taken at his word
and married cut Of hand $50 to speak, BIZ
Eighty young miss, quickened his faculties
Of apprehension 1t was queer how stroug
was his temptation to re-enact the schoo!boy
of fve-and-forty years ago and throw Up his
ha. at the joyful news Of regained liberty
But there was more to learn
'De gather correctly that you n1issooh
the Sc ,derr
''Du>a did; pardon me, not unna;uraIly-
Then Miss venn could only read that nose
as coming from
Your nephew"
Possibly may still Be within my right;
May AJAX was It's petition then deniedr
"No, it was granted And il was q, Dusa's
request that am here to tell you tbs vii
You see herr!
"Not now. not now, shaakA"
The banker, whose love for his daughta
bad made him more compliant than perhaps
his cautious professional instincts justified,
and who had not withdrawn his consent to
the young surgeons suit-a consent given as
Is transpired in error-evea when the quarrel
ar Elyin House stood disclosed, made clear
with fe5y more pifhs words wh.. h-d hap
nened, And his .shrEd INSIGHT into -hiA