Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-23

And what revelation was this, of what
Maisrie had been in the years before he had
known herl The quaint, prim, small missl
he could have laughed, with kind of de-
light; only that here were those calm, grave,
earnest eyes, that seemed to know him, that
seemed to speak to him. Full of wistful-
ness they were. and dreams; they said to
him, 81 am looking forward; 1 am waiting
till meet you-my friend; life has that in
store-for you and me-"
81 thought you would be interested" said
Mr.. Thompson, blandly. "And l know
you would like me to give you that photo
graph; perhaps you think you have some
right to it, having won the young lazy her.
self"
"Won her?" said Vincent, still contem-
plating this strange, quaint portrait that
seemed to speak to him somehow. ''It
hardly looks like it,
"Well, I cannot give you the photo
greph," the elderly Scotchman continued,
in his good-natured way. "but, if you like,
l will have it copied-perhaps even en-
you one"
"Will you?" said Vincent, with fash
of gratitude in his eyes, ''To me it would
be simply priceless treasure"
"I just thought it would be, Mr.. Thomp-
sou said, considerably. 'I've seen some
thing of the ways of young people in my
time. Yes; I'll send you copy or two as
soon as 1 can get them done"
Vincent handed back the photogrsph-
reluctantly, and keeping his eyes on it un-
til it had disappeared.
II brought it out to show you she could
sign her name properly when under proper
instruction." the banker continued. "And
now to return to her grandfather, who seems
10 Id .441z IL
be the case. l can see how you have been
trying to blind yourself to certain things;
no doubt you looked toward Margaret, and
thought she would make up for all. But
surmise that you have been little unjust
to my old friend; notwithstanding your asso-
citation with him, you have not quite under
stood him; and perhaps that is hardly to be
wondered at. And certainly you would
never take him to be what I consider him to
be-a very great man who has been spoiled
by fatal Inheritance. 1 do truly and hon.
estly believe there were the makings
OF a very great man in George Bethune
"a man with his indomitable pluck and
self-reliance, his Imagination, his restless
energy, his splendid audacity and in
dependence of character. Even now / see
something heroic in him; he seems to me a
man of heroic build-of heroic attitude
toward the rest of the world; people may say
what they like about George Bethune; but
L know him better than most, and wholly
admire him and love him. If it hadn't
been for that miserable propertyl ] sup
pose, now, large estate may turn out
fortunate or unfortunate legacy accord
lngly as you use it; hut if your legacy is
only the knowledge that the estate
ought to be yours, and isn't, that
is fine set of circumstances And l
have little doubt it was to forget that
wretched lawsuit, to escape from a ceaseless
and useless disappointment. that he took
refuge in that world of imagination and
built up delusion round about him-just as
other people take refuge in gin or in
opium. At all events, his spirit has not
been crushed. Did ycu ever hear him whine
and complain?-I should think notl He
Bethune. Perhaps. indeed, his pride has
been excessive Here am I, for example:
I'm getting well on in years, and haven't
single near relative now living;
I've scraped together few sixpences in my
time; and nothing would give me greater
pleasure than ii George Bethune were to
come to me and ask me to share my purse
with him. And he knows it, too. But would
he? Not hel Rather than come to me and
get some useful sum, he would go and get
few pounds out of some newspaper office on
account of one of his frantic schemes to do
something fine for poor old Scotland. NO."
the banker proceeded, with rather an injured
air, Il suppose I'm not distinguished
enough. Friend George has some very high
and mighty notions about the claims of long
descent-and noblesse oblige-and all that.