Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-03
C0L0NELQUARITCH,V.C.
By H. RIDER HAGGARD.


 said "what can have done to offend your father; Ee almost cut me just now"-
 "Are you sure that he saw you, MT. Cossey? He is very absent minded some times"
 "Oh, yes, he saw me; but when 1 offered to shake hands with him he only bowed in rather crushing way and passed on."
 Ida broke off a scarlet Turk from its stem, and nervously began to pick the bloom to pieces.
 "The fact is, Mir. Cossey-the facr is, my father, and indeed also, are in great trouble just now about money matters, you know; and my father is very apt to be prejudlced; in short, I rather believe that he thinks you may have something to do with his difficult ties-but perhaps you know all about it."
 II know something, Miss de la Molle," :" said he gravely, land hope and trust that you do not believe that I have anything to do with the action which Cossey & Son have thought fit to take"
 "No, no, she said hastily. "I never thought anything of the sort; but I know that you have infuence-and, we'll, to be plain, MT. Cossey, implore of you to use it. Perhaps you will understand that it is very humilia- ting for me to be obliged to ask this, though you can never guess how humiliating. Be- ieve me, MT. Cossey, would never ask it for myself; but it is my father-he loves this place better than his life; it would be much better he should die than that he should be obliged to leave it; and If this money is called in that is what must happen, because the place will be sold over us. believe he would go mad. do indeed" and she stopped speaking and stood there before him, the fragment of the flower in her hand, her breast heaving with emotion.
 "What do you suggest should be done, Miss de la Mollea" said Edward Cossey, gently.
 II suggest that-that-if you will be so kind, you should persuade Cossey & Son to forego their intention of calling in the money"
 Ut is quite impossible" he answered. My father has ordered the step himself, and he is g hard man. It is impossible to turn him If he thinks he will lose money by turning. You sse he is Q banker, and has been han ding money all his life, till it has become sort of god to him. Really, believe that he would rather beggar every friend he has than lose 95,OO0."
 ''Then there is no more to be said. The place must go that's all, replied Ida, turn ing away her head and affecting to busy her self in removing some dried leaves from chrysanthemum plant. Edward, watching her, however, saw her shoulders shake and big tear fall like rain drop with 8 splash on the pavement; and the sight, strongly at tracted as be was and had for some time been toward the young lady, was altogether too much for him. In an instant, moved by an overwhelming impulse, and something not unlike a gust of passion, be came to one of those determinations which SO often change the whole course and tenor of mems lives.
 Miss de la Molle," be said rapidly, 'there may be a way found out of it.''
 She looked up inquiringly, and there were the tear stains on her face.
 ''Somebody might take up the mortgages and pay off Cossey & Son."
 "Can you find any one who will7" she asked, eagerly.
 "No, not as an investment. l understand that e3O,0OO are required, and I tell you frankly that as times are I do not for one moment believe the place to be worth that amount. It is all very we'll for your father to talk about land recovering itself, but at present, at any rate, nobody can see the faintest chance of anything of the sort. The probabilities are, on the contrary, that as the American competition increases land will gradually sink to something like prairie value"
 "Then how can the money be got if nobody will advance itl'
 1T did not say that nobody would advance 1t; said that nobody would advance it as an investment. A friend might advance it."
 "And where is such friend to be found1 He would be very disinterested friend who would advance eaO,OoO."
 Nobody in this world is quite disinter- ested, Miss de la Molle, or, at any rate, very few are. What would you give to such a friendf
 II would give anything and everything over which l have control in the world to save my father from seeing Honham sold over his head" she answered simply.
 Edward Cossey laughed a little. "That is . large order" he said, Miss de la Molle, am disposed to try and find the money to take up these mortgages. have not got it, and shall have to borrow it, and, what is more, shall have to keep the fact that have borrowed it g secret from my father"
 Ut Is very good of you," said Ida, faintly, II don't know what to say."
 For a moment he made no reply; and look ing at him, Ida saw that his hand was trem- bling.
 Miss de la Molle," he said, ''there is an- other matter of which wish to speak to you. Men are sometimes put into strange positions, partly through their own fault, partly by positions are forced down paths that they would not follow. Supposing, Miss de Ia Moile, that mine were some such position, and supposing that owing to that position, could not say to you words which should wish to say"
 Ida began to understand now, and once moro turned aside.
 "Supposing, however, that at some future time the difficulties of that position of which have spoken were to fade away and were then to speak those words, can you, suppos- ing all this, tell me how they would be re- ceivedr'
 Ida paused and thought. She was a strong natured and clear headed woman, and she fully understood the position. On her an- swer would depend whether or no the e3O, 900 were forthcoming. and, therefore, whether or no Honham castle would pass from her father and her race
 II said just now, Mir. Cossey," she an- swered, coldy, "that would give anything and everything over which have control in the world to save my father from seeing Honhem sold over his head. I do not wish to retract those words, and I think that in them you will find an answer to your ques- tion."
 He colored. "You put the matter in a very business like way" he said.
 Ut is best put so, Mir. Cossey," she an- swered, with faint shade of bitterness in her tone; "it preserves me from feeling under an obligation. Win you see my father about