The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-19


never till that moment did she know how
she loved him. mir. Protheroe." she cried,
with a thrill. "then Pm glad OF IL. too.
Pm glad Pm peoniless. If it brings me
that. can forgive them. / can be glad or
i'll"
And 90 You say yesw Will Protheroe
broke forth. dra Wig back. almost too hap
py for words.
And Nesta. letting him take her hand in
his unchecked. after that clear proof OF his
genuine love. answered In q very low voice,
Il say yes. Mr.. ProtherOe." For she saw In
his face he was really glad; and, being still
very young. she was glad herself too. as she
said with truth; for the young. poor souls!
think much more of love than they do or
money. 10 them the loss of fortune
seems q tritie. indeed. compared with the
gain Of true heart that goes forth to them
spontaneously. How silly they are. TO be
sure. Mr.. Percy and Mr.. Archibald de-
When. . day or two later. these two
young fools came to talk things over with
each other more seriously, Will admitted
that the chances of any immediate mar
riage were by no means cheerful. "You
see. Nesta." he said. confidsntially. as they
sat tORetherin the little Bayswater lod gings,
whittier the Clydes had removed on their
departure from Onslow square-''you see.
Nesta. up till now I've never really worked
very hard-at my profession. that is to say
because I'd nothing particular in life to
work for, and there are so many things In
the world. don't you know. much more in
teresting to man than Gritty on Contracts.
I've given myself up too much. Pm afraid.
to plants, and birds. and insects. and
chemicals. and the study of folklore. and
all sorts of useless things. when l ought to
have been mugging mp Benjamin ON Sales.
and making friends of the mammOn of un-
righteousness by cultivating the common
or garden solicitor. But now, all that's
altered. l mean to stick to my law-books
l shall work like horse: and pve
brains-I really have only Pve wasted them
up to this on botany, and chemistry, and
all sorts of useless and interesting subjects.
But for your sake, Nesta, WHY. | promise
you now I'll never look at flower or q bird
again as long as live; and I'll spend nights
IN making myself the first authority in
England on the recovery of small debts
and the law of insurance"
And he did work hard: and he mugged up
Benjamin; and he dined with solicitors; and
he tried his very best In every way he knew
to attract attention: nay, he even succeeded
IN getting few prOspectuses of bubble
companies to advise upon; but he still re-
NAMED for many months. for all that. q
brefiess barrister.
So things went on. Nesta giving music
lessons meanwhile to exc out her slender
great surprise, the lodging house servant
came ND with a face like sheet, and an
nOunced, in a hushed voice, that an awful
strange black gentleman was waiting be-
low. who asked to see Miss Clyde aud gave
O name which she thought was something
like Rummy-l eery-leerO.
"ShOw him up" Nesta answered, much
wondering And the Kanaka entered. Ex-
ternally, he was clad in the jersey and
trousers of o common sailor, but within he
fhov ~ tod
heather.
The black Rentleman's knowledge of En-
glish was not very profound, being strictly
confined indeed to the amount he had
Shakespeare and Milton from his fellow
sailors during the course OF voyage as
supernumerary from Samoa to London.
Nor were his manners more polished than
might be expected from so short and
cursory an acquaintance with European
culture under such inefficient teachers. But
he knew what he wanted. for all that, and
In this world of ours such knowledge Is
more than half the battle. In q few broken
sentences whereof every third word con-
sisted of that familiar formative element
dam, which he had learned as chief COM
pOnent of English idiOm from his marine
instructOrs) the Kanaka made Nesta under
stand, one-half by pantomime. he had
brought letters and papers for her from her
shipwIecked uncle.
He handed her the letter first. Itturned
out to be an introduction from q mission
airy in Samoa. and IL described briefly now
the bearer. RamaliralirO. o kanaka from
the Manihiki islands. had come to that
port in an open native canoe, determined
to take ship to that far-Off England, whose
very name he had hardly even heard. in
the discharges OF what appeared to him a
sacred mission. Ramaliraliro, it seemed
had received paper from the hands of a
dying man at his native islaud-by name,
Richard Howe-with urgent instructions
that he was to convey 1t to England. and
never to part with it till he gave it to one
Nesta Clyde, of OnslOw square, London.
The letter went on to say that Ramaliraliro
accepted this commission in the most So
rlous sense, and was so deeply impressed
with it's immense Importance that he took
boat for Samoa, and was determined to GO
to London that he might himself deliver it
to Miss Clyde and discharge hisconscience.
AS Nesta read on the Kanaka kept his
eyes fixed firmly upon her. When she had
ously. You Nesta Clyde" he asked in a
tone of half-formed suspicion.
Ppm Nesta Clyde" the girl answered,
trembling violently.
friendly nod, treasured by her manner.
Den take dam paper"
Nesta took it and read it. 1t was her
uncle's will. As she took it in gradually
convulsively. Then he bad remem bered
her after all! On his dying day! He hadn't
forgotten her That dear. good uncle
ITO my wlfe's niece. Nesta Clyde, gentle
woman, absolutely. and for her own sole
use and benefit"
In her joy that he hadn't forgotten her
she turned and took both the Kanaka's
hands in hers. The Kanaka let them drop,
and put one finger to his mouth. Dam
hungry" he said briefly. looking almost as
pleased as Nesta herself mo care shakey
hands. Want grub! Want groggew
Nesta burst into tears. 1T isn't so much
the money. mamma" she cried to her
mother in her JOY. but Pm so glad to know
Uncle Thorold didn't mean to slight me-"
An hour later, while kanaka discussed
cold pie with Maria Ann in the kitchen.
the briefess barrister. hastily summoned
by Telegram, came MP to share the good
news with the family. Nesta met him at
the door. now q conscious heiress. 1t was
so delightful to feel dear Will hadn't want
| ed her for her money, of course yet now
| she would have mOney-Oceans-world 8
| of ito give him. She flung her arm
around his neck. "Oh. WILL" she cried.
I'm so happy"
But Will as becomes mem Der of the ND.
| per bar, was more strictly business Ii Q.
| Let me see the document. darling" after a
| few unprofessional remarks of what the
| law would call prenuptial character. And
| Nesta showed 1t HIM.
He took it all in at once. 1t was all plain
sailing enough-nO doubt OF Obscuritv.
| Then he turned to the foot of the page fol
| attestatiOn. All at once his color left him.
| He clutched at the chair for support. i,
| was terrible to be obliged so to disillusion
| that poor child. 'Nesta, darling" he gasped
| family, this is no will at ali! It's only an
unsigned draft: you can't get any thing