The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-01-13


condition-that you gentlemen each
give me a promissory note, payable on
demand, for part of he sum, the lOtat
10 amount to thea. W wanted to make
up the 1000. / may =. by the way
that my man is Mr. Skm.aleby, j. A.,
but this is strictly in confidence"
Much surprise was eyinced at this
announcement. for no one suspected
that Mr.. Skumbleby was in low water
but there -yas some demur about Civ
the promissory notes. Mr.. Savile-Moss
was, however, obdurate on this point,
and at length the assembled knights
! agreed to it.
Il think you have got us ont of the
difficulty very we'll. said Sir james;
''all we need do is to give Mr.. Skum-
| blehy the commission and let him get
to work. We shall of. course. be able
/ to collect the balance of the 9200 before
the picture is finished"
.'SkumbIeby will agree all right, -
said his patron, land he won't take
long over the portrait, either"
Mr. Moss was right. On being dis
creetly approached. Skumbleby fell in
with the plot, after little decent
hesitation. The poor man was much
to short of money to give any other
decision. Moreover he was not al
| together his own master, and had really
no choice in the matter. The sittngs
were to commence ut once, and the
portrait was to he completed in two
months at the latest.
Being an exceptionally ugly woman,
Lady Grewsum, of course, insisted up
on being painted rs St. Cecilia. not
too literally clothed, after the manner
of Sir Joshua's portraits, and the hap
less r. A. was obliged to agree to her
fancy.
The work progressed rapidly, for
Lady Grewsum was q constant, albeit,
fastidious sitter, and IN a month
Skumblebly was able to fix a definite
date for its delivery. A day was ac-
cordingly settled for a Primrose fete.
one of the chief features of which was
TO be the presentation to her ladyship;
Cabinet Minister was specially in
vited to speak; the usual niger min
strels, acrobats, etc. were engaged, and
Sir James Shircutt was selected to per-
form the task of handing over the por-
trait to its recipient
1t was not very long before the pre-
sentation day that Mr.. Savile-MOss
} might have been seen entering queer
dingy office in the neighbOrhood of
Hatton garden. He seemed familiar
: with the place. and walked straight IT.
} to small back den, which was, never
, the less, furnished pretty comfortably.
2 Here he Invested himself of his hat and
coat and sat down before table strewn
? with all manner of documents. Pres
2 emily he rang the bell.
''Send Mr.. Sharon here" he said to
: a clerk who opened the door.
= Mr.. Sharon promptly appeared.
e Amy thing special?' queried Mr.
: Moss.
5 mo. sir. nothing; only the usual
] sort of business. .
7 You quite understand all about Mr.
: Skumbleby's affair, don't you? He
t gets the money on the 10th of next
month. You must act at once"
t Mr. Sharon nodded. He was man
= of few words. And after glancing rap
D idly through a sheaf of bills, Mr.. Sa-
2 vile-Moss left the office.
e The great day arrived. The lawns
of Verjuice castle were brilliant with
-
/ ry-go-rounds, and booths where weak
= tea, gingerpop and buns were served
e out to hungry voters at nominal charg-
+ es. There were mnstrels, acrobats
I and beautiful lady, who performed
4 on the slack-wire. = The Cabinet Minis
{ ter had arrived, and other Tory NJ 2. 5
!, were present, primed with time-worn
d platitudes and dreary misstatements.
e Before the proceedings opened, GER
tain fOrmalities were gone through in
, the castle library. Mr. Savile-Moss
: produced bankers book, showing
: that q sum of Fl, 600 had been lodged
t in local bank, upon which Mr.. Skum-
= bleby's check was to be drawn. The
n balance to be made up over and above
the subscriptions amounted to a little
3 more than ESQ. and each of the eight
/ knights handed Mr.. Moss promissory
L note for 81O0-''just as matter of
o form, " the latter gentleman explained.
'sHave you got Skumhleby's check
: for E800?' inquired Sir james. anx-
iously.
II Yes" replied Mr. Moss, slapping
II his pocket.
You will present it at once, won L
1t youP''
mo use until the E1,OO0 check has
Il gone through" said Mr. Moss, but
II III lose no time. and as soon as it is
+ cashed I'll return the promissory
j notes.
lie Quite So" said Sir James Now,
gentlemen, we must get to business. .
81 l will pass over the presentation and
the fete, for one of these entertain
= ments is exceedingly like another.
y But three days later Sir james re-
ceived a terrible piece Of news, in a
IS note from Nc Moss He wrote:
' Il greatly regret to say. that, owing
= I, to no fault of my own, Mr.. Skumbleby' s
check for $500 had been dishonored.
- 1t seems that money-lender name 4
- Sharon, to whom Mr.. Skumbleby owes
= a large sum, got wind of the affair,
=, and attached the G1,0OO check at once.
!" The loss falls primarily upon me
but, under the circumstances, fear
II must call upon You and the other gen
tlemen whose promissOry notes l hold
y to meet them. You will oblige me by
forwarding a check for EIOO."
Sir James sentiments can not de.
= Gently be expressed in words. and the
- rage and dismay of Messrs. SOpely
= Fawning. Rodent and Company, eacE
- of whom received Il similar letter
:. passed all bounds. But they found il
was useless to contest the legality OF
AZ M ,,,l ,os fooI;,,r- -,