The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-09-08
A LOVERS RUSE.

| suppose | had a great deal of
assurance to tell Margaret Stone
that | loved her, knowing her to be
engaged to Rese Bentley. He had
saved her life one day when her
horses ran away, and she accepted
him, | thought, principally out of
gratitude. Not but what she might
have been honestly in love with him,
for he was handsome and accom-
plished, but somehow there was
something unloverlike in his man.
mer toward her that made me
think he was after her money.
l only wished for a chance to
prove that l was right, and it came
at last. Margaret and l were stroll
ing on the beach together by MOON
light when she told me of piece of
good news she had received that
day.
"You know Bidwells, the bankers,
failed last week. They had the bulk
of my fortune in their hands at one
time, and, as I thought, when they
failed. My guardian writes me
that he removed that money some
months before"
'Permit me to congratulate you,
Miss Stone,' said, extending my
hand.
She looked puzzled as she laid her
little hand in mine, not understand
ing what meant.
"NIiss Stone," l said, "did you be-
licve me when said / loved you u
month ago?"
Margaret colored wildly as she
gave me Il doubling look of half
wonder.
Eyes what of it? Do you want
to take it back now?" She laughed.
"Not |. But in consideration of
my great affection for you l want
you to do II favor for me"
"Name it," she said, looking puz-
zled.
al am going up to the city to-mor-
row. Win you humor me by per-
mitting me to be the bearer of a let
ter from yourself to Mr.. Bentley? ?'
"That is an odd request"
81 am aware it. viii you write
Mr.. Bentley letter, asking him to
inquire into this matter of the Bid
well failure, and let you know how
serious a business it really is ?"
"But I don't care about knowing"
II do"
"Why not inquire yourself, then ?''
"Ie has so much better facilities
for investigation. The truth is, Miss
Stone, | am very much interested in
his failure, and Mr.. Bentley can find
out all about it for me. But don't
like to ask him to do so much for a
comparative stranger"
Margaret looked doubtful still, but
she wrote the letter, and | took it to
the city the next day.
Rese Bentley grew slightly pale
as he read.
81 suppose you know that the
bulk of Miss Stones fortune was in
the hand of the 81" Iques-
toned, carlessly.
IL was not aware of it, Bentley
said, losing another shade of color
"Oh, well, it was. Can anything
be saved out Of the crash, do you
suppose ?'
"Not anything, am very sure,
he stammered. And thinking he
might like to mediate upon the as
pect of affairs, took my departure
saying that l would call before l re
turned to take any message he nigh
like to send.
When | called the next day he
gave me a letter for Margaret bu
looked anywhere but at me as
took it.
I caught a glimpse of Margaret
blue dress in a distant part of thu
grounds as l drove up to the board
ing house, and without waiting t
go to my room first, I hastened t,
her and gave her the letter.
Then, much as | would have like
to stay until she had read it, haC
no excuse for doing so, and there
for left her.
| wait with something more thai
curiousity for her appearance a
tea time, but she did not com
down ut all.
l ate nothing myself, and spen
the evening pacing the ground
with my cigar and watching he
window. Not so much as shadol
of what l watched for crossed m
vision.
Remembering Bentley's face as h
gave me the letter, l could imagin
: that he might have written somt
thing unpleasant, but even I wa
not prepared for the contents of tn