Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-09-06
BOB AND ALICE
The Story OF GTr. Heath's Last Ten
Thousand Pounds.


PART J.
On n wet gloomy afternoon in the April
Of 49, Mr. James Heath sat in house in
Adam street, Strand, and in the curiously,
furnished apartment which he called his
Office. The very dirty window curtains of
the room We're 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
ings, water colOrs and engravincs. Madon-
mas and Holy Families of the carly Spanish
and Italian schools, pets Of ,he ballet and
the prize ring, Dutch Doors, landscapes, por-
traits and racing sccnes-min@lcd as they
were without the least regard TO style or
subject, the general effect vas altogether
novel and surprising. About the chamber
were a number OF chairs and couches,
mostly Of antique patterns bit all Of them
made of the most costly materials, and COW
cred, like the carpet, with dust. In the
corners o. the room were piles of well-bound
volumes, and two massive Side buards-one
OF oak, the other of ebony-wcre 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, mufled up in a thick overcoat.
and with his back to the fireplace, in which
there was no fire, sat Mr. Heath He was a
rather stout man of about sixty, with keen.
gray eyes, white hair ard a very rubicund
complexion On the table before him stood
among number OF papers, bottle of
brandy and tumblcr, and he was engaged
In reading long letter, which was written
in a rather sprawling, boyish hand
"Dcar Sir" the letter ran, 81 must have
950o by Monday, and l want at least 500
besides. This, with what | owe YOU at
present. viii make $4,000. l propose. in
consideration of that e, 900 which l now
ask you to advance, TO assign to YOU the
whole of my life interest in the eI5O0O 3 per
cent. consols, together with the whole in
terest under the policy of assurance for thu
$4,000. The premiums on the policy only
amount to 600 per annum, SO that the ESQ
odd which accrueS from the c0nsols Will
leave a balance of about go per cent in
terest on the Et0D0 until the policy falls in.
In other words, for E4.0D0 you get an abSo-
Lutte reversion in e10.OO0. together with $3.50
Il year until the reversion is realized. am
aware that could do better than this. but 7
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 l hope you will
let me have a check. Yours, faithfully.
''Ro8ERT OSWALD"
Mr.. Heath read the letter very ca refully
through two or three times, after which he
laid it 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 good
enough. The young fool is in consumption
already, though he's barely twentv-three.
and this season will kill him. Chairman
says his right lung is nearly gone-luclzv
got him to insure for the big sum ri once.
Wants the money, 1 suppose. to meet his
losses on the City and Suburban. What's
he going to do, l wonder. when he ha.
parted with his interest in the ela.O1Oa Fal,
back on his mother, l suppose. She's SUD-
posed TO be wealthy, but her money is all in
American stocks. they say, and if rsport is
true she knows how TO keep it. The widow
OF Scoichmau, who made n fortune in
America, they came back to England about
live wears since to get into society and mt
young hopeful through Oxford. The father
died three years ago, and the mother has
been leading rather retired life since. so
they say. But, nonsense, what has all this
TO do with met Young Mr.. Oswald. who
has got himself into consumption through
dissipation, is practically Offering me eIO.-
600 for further advance of eI,OOO. Even
IL mad TO wait few years it's good
enough. But ne hasn't twelve months life
in
is going at present, ought to finish him, And
thenl''
Mr.. Heath poured some more brandy into
his tumbler. Having drunk it, he continued
almost aloud, and in an excited manner.
'Then have made the eIO0.OOO which u
has been the ambition of nv life to be
worth. This is the last ten thousand With
this shall be worth almost exactly one HIM
dred and two thousand pounds IN hard each
besides the good will of this accursed bust
ness, and all the things connected with il |
which L shall dispose Of at once Why 7
ought to have nearly one hundred and ten
thousand pounds; but never mind. once
nave hundred thousand pounds in hard
cash, shall give up. To that have made
up my mind. And tkena Well, / shall 90
on the continent for 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 wears
past. Never mind that-when man has
Tour or hve thousand year. people are not
TOO particular about his antecedents. Imay
take a place little way out of London-be
sort OF county magnate for a bit-and
Work my way into decent club. Let them
say what they like behind my back, they'd |
De bound to be civil to my face, and that's |
al snat any one need care Half the peers
IN England would go crazy if they only knew |
what theirservants were saying about them. |