Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-12
LAST TEN THOUSAND.
tRclgravlal
PART I.

April Of 49, Mr.. James Heath sat in a
house IN Adam street. Strand, and in tho
cuuously furnished apartment which he
called his Office. The very dirty win.
cow-curtains of the room were of the
richest silk. The costly Turkey carpst
was covered with dust and Uttered with
bundles Of old hw.papers and news
papers, besides letters and other docu-
ments. which having been torn mp had
evidently lain on the floor untouched for
weeks or months. On the walls OF the
room were hung number of valuable oil
paintings, wAter-colors, and engrsvings
Madonnas and Holy Families Of the
early spanish aud Italian schools, pets
OF the ballet and the prize ring, Dutch
Doors. landscapes, portraits, and racing
scenes mingled as they we're without
the least regard 10 style or subject, the
general effect Was altogether novel and
surpusine, About the chamber were a
number Of chairs and cOuches. mostly OF
sntique patterns. but oil OF them made
of the most costly materials, and cover
ea. like the carpet, with dust. Ia the
corners of the room were piles Of we'll
bound volumes, and two massive side
boards one OF oak, the othsr OF ebony
were piled with miscellaneous heaps OF
books, glasses. and silverplate. Every
thing about the chamber, in short, was
dirty. costly. and incOngruous.
FINALLY. mullcd mp in thick ovcrcoat,
md with his back TO the fireplace, in
which there was no fire. sat Mr.. Heath.
lie was n rather stout man Of about sixty,
with keen, gray eyes, white hair, and IA
vcryrubicund complexion. On the table
before him stood among a number Of
papers bottle OF brandy and n tumbler,
and he was engaged in reading n long
letter which was written in a rather
spmwling boyish band.
" Dear Sir" the letter ran, al must
have 600 by Monday and | want at
least C50O besides. This. with what /
owe Won at present, viii make $4,000.
propose. in consideration Of that 81 900
which I now nsk you TO advance. TO
assign 70 YOU the whole Of my lfo-inter-
est in the Gl5,0OO 3 per cent. con
tols. together with the whole interest
under the policy Of assurance for the
5000. Tho premiums on tho policy
only amount TO 600 per snuum, so
that the GtJ0 odd which accues from
tie consols Will leave balance Of about
80 per cent interest on the ~, 900 IN
I'll the policy falls III. In other words,
f1r - 1000 You get an absolute reverSlon
in Gln.0o0, together with 1850 year
until tine reyorsIOD IS realized. ] am
aware that | could do better than this,
hut | want the money at once aud | am
ready to submit TO the sacrifice for i'm
3 D.. A.. chaH .,l m,
tomorrow afternoon az o'clock, when
hope Won viii let me have check.
Yours faithfully, ROBERT OSWALD"
Mr.. Heath read tho letter very care
fulythrough two or three times, after
which he LAID il on the table and poured
out nearly half a tumbler Of brandy.
Having mixed this with a very little
water he drank it oil and leaned back
in bic chair. while he INDUCED in So
lioouv which he muttered half aloud.
yes" he said, the terms are good
enough. Hhe young fool is ia coDsump-
ton already, though he's barely twenty
three. and this season viii kill him.
CHAPMAN saws his right lung Is nearly
pone-lucky | got him to insure for the
biz sum at once. Wants the money,
nuppose, to meet his losses on the City
eud Suburban. What's he going to DO
] won Der, when he has parted with his
interest IN the $4,000? Fan back on
ms mother, | suppose. She's supposed
10 be wealthy, but her money Is all in
American stocks, they say, and If
report is true she knows how to
Keen it. The widow o! Scotch
man. who made fortune in
Lmerica, they came back to England
about five wears since to get into society
and put youug hopeful through Oxford.
The father died three years ago, and the
mother has been leading 3 rather retired
lie since. so they say. But nonsense.
What has All this to do with me Young
llr. Oswald. VINO has got himself into
consumption through dissipation, is prac-
ticnlly Offering me Gl0,0O0 for a further
advance of 81. 900. Even if | had to
wait a few years it's good enough. But
le hasn't twelve months life IN hun.
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 nmb.cr. Having drunk II, he
continued almost aloud. and il an ex-
cited manner:
.'Thcn have mado the 100000
which il has been the ambition OF my
life 20 be worth. This IS tine last ten
Thousand. With this | shall be worth
almost exactly elO2, 600 in hard cash,
lesi les the GOODWILL Of this cursed busl-
ness. and all the id things which |
small dispose of at once Why, | ought
70 nave nearly clio, but never mind,
once have hundred thousand pounds
in hard cash | shall give up. TO that |
have made up my mind And then
Wen, / shall 90 on the Continent for a
TIME. ia be pretty we'll forgotten in the
course Of two or three years, and my
name is not in particularly good odor
1nst nOw-hasnt been for years past
Never mind that-When q man has
four or five thousand year
people are not too particular
about his autecedents. ! may take
place a little way out of London-be a
sort Of county magnate for blt-and
voik my way into a decent club. Let
them say what they like behind my back,
they be bound to be civil to my face, aud
that q nil any one need care. Half the
only know what their servants are saying
about them. Fools were all, more or
less, tsrred with the same brush. think
ing veImin as We are, il this new theory
az evolution, or whatever it's called, be
true. No, If once get foot into good
club they could not get 1t out again If /
can only afford to act respectfully. Let
them whisper what they Ike behind
INV back. all that / have 10 deal
with is what is said or done be
fore my face. and the hounds would
he silent, for they can prove nothing. II
the brutes have to lick me, what do
care if they would like to bite. Hea-
yens what contemplate thing is hui
man nature the great Napoleon used
70 say when he wasa young man starving
IN Paris. Contemplate is not the word.
N4F~-tl.f..s ts,.ffH.yaut unworthy of