Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-09-13
Copyrighted
lcONTNUED.l


house. and of the general enthusiasm in
regard to his proposed visit.
bravo" she responded, clapping her
hands. "Your aunt shows her sense Tor
once in her life, though one would have
10 be blind as a mole not to see that this
fs one chance in a thousand.
"What should you say to asking her
down here for few days?"
Certainly, dear. She doesn't know
any one, 20 be sure, and would probably
dress like an antediluvian. But people
wouldn't think anything OF that II II
was whispered around that she was lit
erary and peculiar. / think, on the
whole. Il would DO a good plan TO ask
her. can give her a few ideas as to
how a nobleman should be handled.
Precisely" / answered.
Accordingly Aunt Helen and l each
wrote a most urgent letter OF invitation,
and after some further correspondence
nv efforts were rewarded with the pres
ence in nv house Of my fathers sister.
For the first twenty-four hours despite
NV cordial welcome, / feared every mo-
ment lest she should announce her In
tention OF going home again. Her man
ner was so stiff, and Aunt Helens so
airy, that 1 was apprehensiye OF q cat
astrOphe. But at last, by the dlplay OF
tact and by careful humoring their re-
spective prejudiceS, ! drew them graou-
ally together, and when at last l was
taken apart by each Of them success
sively one evening, 10 be told that save
for certain unfortunate peculiarities her
rival was an uncOmmonly sensible wo-
man. felt that l could safely retire and
leave them to their day dream or max
ing me Duchess Of Clyde.
WDuchess or no duchess, 1t would De
an admirable connection" said Aunt
Agnes. -.
"And there Is no shadow OF a doubt
that his wife will be duchess, added
Aunt Helen.
one day, shortly after we had re-
turned TO town, the news reached us
that the Honorable Ernest Ferroll was
In New York, and as consequence
there was great excitement among those
who had been told Of his projected visit
10 our city. In her wish TO make the
vounR nobleman comfortable Aunt
Agnes had yielded 10 the remonstrances
OF her former enemy as TO the necessity
of repoyating her house, and accord
ingly was absorbed by plumbers, uphol-
sters and decorators, who, under the
general supervision OF Aunt Helen, I'M
dermined the customs of lifetime, but
cemented their new friendship. The
last touches were being put 20 the i'm
provements, and complete harmony
reigned between the two establishments.
To think of Aunt Agnes dropping in on
Aunt Helen, or Aunt Helen drinking
tea with Aunt Agnes!
Ittherefore happened that was taken
very little notice OF by my two relatives,
and was free 20 indulge the sweet cur
rent OF sentiment, OF which they were
so blissfully unaware. 20 my hearts Goa
tent. The power OF love and the power
Of money How, when omitted, did they
each illumine the Other-they, the two
greatest forces OF the world!
On the morning following the day on
which we heard OF Mr.. Ferrol's arrival
10 New York l saw statement In the
daily paper which made me start vlo-
lently. 1t was the announcement Of the
failure Of Roger Dale, banker and
broker, with liabilities OF three millions
and estimated assets Of less than one
hundred thousand. 1 fastened to get
ready TO call on Mr.. Chelm, but before
leaving the house l received message
from him which read as follows: "Fran-
c's Prime is in town, and l have made
an appointment with him for twelve
o'clock. You will please come TO the
Office at once, il possible.
"What has happened, Mr.. Chelm?" I
asked, as ] entered the room where he
was sitting. tried to seem calm and
Indifferent.
"Sit down, Miss Harlan. l am sorry
TO say that your friend Francis Prime
has got into difficulties. Roger Dale, q
rather prominent banker, has suspended
payment, and Mr.. Prime happens to be
one Of his largest creditors"
"Has Mr.. Prime failed alSO?"
mot vet. But l see no escape for him
on his own showing. The circumstances
are peculiar, and indicate deliberate
fraud on the part OF Dale; but, as Prime
saws, he can't lot his own customers suf-
fer"
This is all a riddle to me-" l said, a
little impatiently. "YOa forget that
do not know the facts yet"
''The facts are simple enough, and the
whole difficulty, it seems, is indirectly
the result Of having anything to do with
men who take improper risks. As | told
you the other day, young Prime had been
egged on By the large sums be has seen
made in a few days by others TO go joint
account with this man Dale, who has
had the reputation Of being very shrewd
and successful, and who, by the way,
comes from this city. The speculations
turned out very well, especially this last
one, which our friend tells me was TO
have been his last"
eyes, am sure ii was" answered
excitedly.
Mr.. Chelm looked at me with blank
sort Of gaze. Very likely" he OBJ
served, with a dry smile. "Well, as l
was saying, this, like the others, was
profitable, and Prime had not only en-
riched himself but some Of his Gus
toners who had taken the risk with
him. The money was paid to him and
he made reports OF the same 10 his Gus
toners. But the same day Dale came
in and asked Prime TO loan him over
night the sum he had Just paid in as a
personal favor. Prime says he hest
tated, not because he suspected any
thing, but on grounds Of common pru-
dence. 1t seemed TO him, however, that
it would be churlish and punctiliOus TO
70 n ~
whom he owed his good fortune, and so
he lent the money. Next day Dale failed
disgrscefully. OF course Mr.. Prime
feels bound in honor TO pay his custom
ers their profits, which happen to ex-
coed his capital. This is the whole
story"