Wichita eagle., 1888-02-05

him, the backing of a stiff bill on next to no
inquiry would be impossible. He could no
more do it than scuttle ship. You shall
have the money, but beware-not second
time"
1T shall not occur again, sirn The pom
Use was sincere, but uttered in manner
neither gracious nor conciliating 1t seemed
to the young surgeon that he had been made
the mark Of a volley of missiles, every one
of which he'd left its bruise behind. And in
addition he was no doubt buffeted by an &C
cusing conscience.
Old GeofYrey crossed the room to an ebony
cabinet fitted at the top as writing desk; be
took his check book from an inner drawer,
filed up q draft, while the only sound In the
apartment was the sullen ticking of morose
clock supported by griffins on the mantel-
piece passed the pink slip to his nephew, and
walked ont into the adjacent conservatory.
He had said his say, and for the hour there
was an end to it.
Thank you; I am very sorry, I'm sure,
sir said the culprit. And by a different door
he too vanished.
But the ship broker did no. dismiss the in
terview from his thoughts. 1t was with him
all day at his office in Water street, produc-
ing an increased testiness under which his
CLERKS suffered and for which they could find
no adequate palliation in the current condi-
ton of trade. Even one Of his shippers con-
descended to mention in the outer counting
house that 'the boss was in regular tear,
raging like Worcester, and that all he, the
sailor. could do was to reef sail and to bring
up close to the wind"
Old Godfrey was slowly working out a
problem more troublesome than any supplied
by the figures on his ledgers or cargo sheets.
And at last he reached the goal Of great de
cision. 1t was clear that his nephew was
unfit to be intrusted with the round half
million so laboriously a:nassed. The scape-
grace would make ducks and brakes OF it.
Yet to disinherit him by will was an irksome
procedure, and ran counter to lifelong pur-
poses and prcjudices. Old Geoffrey had ever
been ready with his sheer ut merchants who
scraped and saved and left their hoard, at
their reluctant exit, to asylums or charities.
And so far as he knew there was not even
cousin half dozen times removed who could
he dragged into the warm circles OF wealth
while the delinquent was hidden stay cut in
the cold. No; it was the choice of unwel-
come alternatives that the shipbroker had
faced. He might leave his nephew to pres
ent content and future triumph. Or-the
first inception of the idea was attended by
fierce mental throes that fully accounted for
irritability of temperate might marry. And
to marry was his final resolve.
The revelation would have astounded his
clerks, and have at once amused and scan
dalzed his neighbors and intimates. And he
opined, rightly or wrongly, that by it his
nephew would be thrown into
and despair. 1t was on this
feature of the general effect that he fixed his
prophetic gaze with most eauanimity. The
scamp deserved the punishment.
Heroism was word contumeiouSly dealt
with i'll old Geoffrey's private lexicon. He
protested to disbelieve in it altogether. His
synonyms for it was vainglory-for the hum
bier sort, fanaticisn Yet the quality was
not absent from the purpose be was now
shaping for immediate action. He was 60;
all the ways of his daily life were ordered Oh
a model tested and approved by prolonged
experience; and it was understood with per-
feet correctness by the whole body of his as,
sociates, whether in Water street or Seton
Park, that he was confirmed miogynist.
And in spite of these facts he had determined
to write this very evening an explicit pro-
posal Of marriage to girl of whom he knew
little more than that she was pretty-repute
said cultured-and the daughter of his
banker.
TIE deed was done before he again net the
nephew whose nose-he chIckled
grimly to himsef-might thus in due time be
put out of Joint.
Young Geoffrey failed pitiably to read the
true meaning of his uncle's elaborate polite
ness and elephantine mirth at the dinner
table. Generally dreary function at Elgin
house was that Of the great social feast. He
fancied that the sky was clear again; that his
uncle's wrath was appsased. He learned bet
Ter when the solemn visaged butler had with
drawn.
.'Um. / think it right to inform you,
Gcof, that | intend shortly to change my
marry" said old Godfrey
\ wine glass was shivered. slipping in some
occult way to the polished floor: BIT there
was no other overt symptom Of disconcert-
ment on the listeners part. A Middleton to
the core, he simply answered:
Indeed Allow me to congratulate you.
SIR
And Old Godfrey was strangely vexed at
the sturdy restraint and the family phlegm
which in similar position would have char
acterized himself.
''This means, don't you sec. an end 70 idle
dreaming, Dicks. III just have to buckle to
work and coerce Dame Fortune in spite of
he' frownS. But I'd take it better, think,
if the governor had gone about this freak
r ,r4 lo>o
And shouldn't have been as much surprised
then. But he must have settled it long ago.
lie announced it rs a fact already in process
Of fulfllment. He dropped a word Or two
IN the morning as / was doing penance Of
but | didn't take much heed then;
shall have to now"
Mr. Godfrey Middleton the younger was
with the old friend and s.ly whose
post he had taken at York the untoward al
teratiCa Of his prospects disclosed to him on
the previous evening. And not unnaturally,
though in this instance enormously. he gave
MS uncle credit for acting with mature de-
liberation.
Edgar Dicks clapped him on the shoulder
spoken like Briton," he cried: but I'd
have taken oath that the old fellow had more
sense Yes, and better regard for YOU
Who is the fair beguilert She'll have
prize. eh!'
"She will. Ispeak in all seriousness. Not
4 syllable can or shall be uttered by my lips
against my uncle. And he has perfect right
20 do rs he pleases in this matter. But who
s 10 be the future Mrs Middleton am as
gnorant, Dicks, as you are"
You asked him, surely,'
Not l. suppose my wretched pride got
n the path; ah, well, its got knock down
slow at last
Nv hew You're queer pair. Eccentric.
~ must be hereditary: here's the proof"