Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-01-11


shc made no answer, and turned her back
81 hide the workings Of her face. For few
moments her husband stood looking at her,
with gentle smile playing on his refined
features. Then remalkinE that lie must 90 /
round to the Office, but would bc back in time
for tea, he Went, rejecting with satisfaction |
that he had given his wife something to think |
about which would be scarcely TO her taste.
As for Belle Quest, She waited till the door |
had closed, and then turned round toward it !
and spoke aloud, as though She were address |
ing her vanished husband.
81 hate ycu,n she said, with bitter
emphasis, ~ hate you. You have ruined my
life, and now you torment me as though l
were a lost soul. On, l wish were dead! L
wish were deadn
On reaching his Office Mr.. Quest found
two letters for him, one Of which had just ar
rived 10y the afternoon post The first was
addressed in the squires handwriting and
signed with his big seal, and the other bore
Superscripton, the sight Of which made him
turn momontarily faint Taking up this last
with Il visible effort, he opened it. 1t ran as
follows:
DEAR BILL-No answer this morning. 1
hope You amt M to any Of your tricks
about the tin, because | won't stand it, that's
all. | told you that l had dropped all my
oof, not that ! had much out Of you this
year, only five hundred and a hoggarly $50
on my birthday and what | make at the Biz
mngham--four pound ten week, and hard
worl; for that. I'm cleaned out, and that's
all about it. Only just nov brute of q fell
low cane in with a summons Tor rates, and |
told him that my friend-that means you,
Bill deaY-waS going to come down hand
some in day or two. lie would not believe
it-just as though he knew what a mean lot
You wcrc-so told him to bundle out double
quick or I'd have the coal shoot at his head
and he went. you bet, but he'll be back be-
fore long with the summons. | say the coal
shoot, for there amt no Goals in it, ana /
can't atford.0ny money to get bit of fire to
warm my bones with. Then there's tho
landlord says he'll diStrain for the rent, UNI
less it's paid up in double quick time. And
so the long and short Of it is that, if l don't
get about five hundred quid out Of YOU in the
course of next week, I'll know the reason
why And Ill just be plain with You, Bill
my Old boy. Ii | don't sec the color of that
money by this day week, why, l will tell you
what | am going to do. am going to take
a little country Army complexion wants it
and thiui; Boisngham would suit first
rate. In fact, | shall come down and pay
you a visit, old boy; SO perhaps you'll ask the
lovely Mrs Quest to get room ready for
me, and when ! get down there il don't
tell all the old respectables a thing or two
about tAcir beloved lawyer, and generally
make them sit up and see stars, why, | amt
i. And now there's the straight tip from
your afrectionate Tiger But remember
she'd always rather purr than growl. Its
only when the cash don't come down that
her back goes up. All IA question of money,
my boy, like everything else in this wicked
world. Your beloved EDlTH.n
BY the time that Mr. Quest had finished
reading this precious eilusion, the cold sweat
was standing in beads on his forehead.
Great hcavens." he said, "ths woman
will destroy mo What devil And
she'd be as good as her word unless | found
her the money. | must go up 70 town at
once | wonder how she got that idea into
her head Ii makes me shudder to think Of
such thing and he dropped his face upon
his hands and groancd in the bitterness OF mis-
heart.
at is hard" he thought to himself; "here
have for years and wears been striving and
toiling and lgboring to become q respectable
and respected member of society, and always
this old folly huuntS my steps ard drags me
down, and, by heaven believe that it will
destroy me after ALL With a sigh he lifted
his head, and taking sheet of paper wrote
on it, 81 have received your letter and will
come and see you tomorrow or the next
day" This letter he placed in an envelope,
which he directed to tho high sounding name
Of Mrs. d'Aubigne, Stanley street, Pimlico,
and put it in his pocket.
Then with another sigh he took up the
squire's letter and glanced through it, Its
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