The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-09-13
BOB AND ALICE.


BOB AND ALICE,
The Story Of Mr.. Heath's Last Ten
Thousand Pounds
PART I.
On wet, gloomy afternoon in the April
OF 1877 Mr.. James Heath sat in q house in
Adam street, Strand, and in the curious]y,
furnished apartment which he called his
ONCE The very dirty window curtains of
tho 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 untouched for
weeks or months. On the walls Of the room
were hung number of valuable oil paint
tnRs, water colors and engravings. Madon-
mas and holy Families Of the early Spanish
and Italian schools, pets of the ballet and
the prize ring, Dutch Doors, landscapes, por-
traits and racing scenes-mingled as they
were without the least regard to style or
suD]ect' the general effect was altogether
novel and surprising. About the chamber
were number of chairs and couches.
mostly OF antique patterns, but all Of them
made OF the most costly materials, and COW
bred, like the carpet, with dust. In tho
corners OF the room were piles of we'll bound
volumes, and two massive side board%one
Of oak, the other Of ebony-were piled with
miscellaneous heaps of books, glasses and
silver plate Every thing about the cham
Der, in Short was dirty, costly and incon-
gruOus.
Finally, muf1ed up in thick overcoat.
Ind with his back to the fireplace, in which
there was no fire, sat Mr.. Heath He was
rather stout man Of about sixty, with keen.
gray eyes, white hair and a very rubicund
complexion. On the table before him stood
among number of papers, bottle of
brandy and tumbler, and he was engaged
IN reading long letter, which was written
In a rather sprawling, boyish hand.
"Dear Sir" the letter ran, II must have
f5OO by Monday, and want at least $500
besides. This, with what 1 owe you at
present, will make 24,O0O I propose, in
consideration of that Ell, 900 which I now
ask you to advance, to assign to you the
whole OF my life interest in the Els 600 per
cent. consols, together with the whole in
terest under the policy Of assurance for the
kS'OUO. The premiums on the policy only
amount to 93OO per annum, so that the ESQ
0dd which accrues from the cOnsOls will
leave balance of about $50 per cent. in
terest on the 24,OO0 until the policy falls in,
In other words, for "a, 900 you get an abso
lutte reversion in e1O,O together with 925O
year until the reversion is realized. am
aware that could do better than this, but
want the money at once and am ready to
submit to the sacrifice for immediate nav
ment. shall call on you tomorrow after
noon at four O'clock when hope YOU will
let me nave check. Yours, faithfully,
"ROBERT OSWALD"
Mr.. Heath read the letter very ca refullv
through two or three times, after which he
laid 1t on the table and poured out nearly
half tumbler Of brandy. Having mixed
this with very little water, he drank it of
and leaned back in his chair, while he in
dulged in soliloquy which he muttered
half aloud.
"Yes,'' he said, 1.-THE terms are eood
enough. The young fool is in consumption
already, though he's barely twenty-three.
and this season will kill him. Chapman
says his right lung is nearly gone-luckv T
got him to insure for the big sum at once.
Wants the money, I suppose, to meet his
losses on the City and Suburban. What's
he going to do, I wonder, when he has
parted with his interest in the Els 200? Fall
back on his mother, l suppose She's SUP
posed to be wealthy, but her money is all in
American stocks, they say and if report is
true she knows how to keep it, The widow
OF Scotchman, who made fortune in
America, they came back to England about
hve years since to get into society and nut
young hopeful through Oxford. The father
died three years ago, and the mother has
been leading rather retired life since. 40
they say. But, nonsense, what has all this
to do with me? Young Mr.. Oswald, who
has got himself into consumption through
dissipation, is practically Offering me &1O.-
600 Tor q further advance of el,OOO. Even
II 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 drunk it, he continued
almost aloud, and in an excited manner:
''Then have made tho 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 one hun
dred and two thousand hounds in hard cash.
besides the good will of this accursed busi-
ness, and all the things connected with it,
which shall dispose of at once. Why, 1
ought to have nearly one hundred and ten
thousand pounds; ut never mind, ance I
have hundred thousaS1 pounds in hard
cash, shall give up. To that have made
up my mind. And then? Well, I shall 20
on the continent for a 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 years
past. Never mind that-when q man has
four or five thousand year, people are not
too particular about his antecedents. l NAV
take place little way out of London-be
sort OF county 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
Oil tnat any one need care. Half the peers
IN England would go crazy If they only knew
what their servants were saving about them.
FOOLS, we're all, more or less, tarred with
tho same brush, thinking vermin a. We are,
II this new theory Of evolution, or whatever
us called be true. No, if I once get foot
Into good club, they could not get it out
again, II can only afford to act respectfully.
Let them whisper what they like behind nv
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.
II the brutes have to lick me what do I care
II 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. Contemplate
to not the word. Worthless indifferent
unworthy Of even contempt poor wretched
pnppets. You band together, and club your
wEstched selashness into what you cali ~