The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-12-17
RlE,.E|'.GINALD's WIFE.
1..l

3
X am sure wish it could be-with
all my heart If have any heart
~ don't believe you have" replied
the boy, gloomily.
well, but Reg, consider you have
no money"
1--WE got $4,000. If a man can't
make his way upon that he must be a
poor stick"
"You would 60 abroad with it and
dig, and take your wife with you-to
wash and cook"
"We would do something with the
money here. You should stay in Lon
don, Rosie"
eyes. In a suburban villa, at Shep-
herds Bush, perhaps. No, Reg, when
| marry, if l ever dol am in no hur-
ry-lwill step out Of this room into
one exactly like it," The room was a.
splendid drawing-room in Palace Gar
dens, splendidly furnished. II shall
have my footman and my carriage,
and I SHALL
Rosie, give me the right to earn all
these things foryou" the young man
cried, impetuously.
s'You can only earn them for me by
the time you have one foot in the
grave. Hadn't l better in the mean
time marry some old gentleman with
his one foot in the grave, so as to be
ready for you against the time when
you come home? In two or three
years the other foot dare say would
slide into the grave as we'll" .
"You laugh at my trouble. You
feel nothing
'If the pater would part-but he
won the says he wants all his money
Tor himself and that Ivegot to marry
we'll. Besides, Reg''-here her face
clouded and she lowered her voice
"there are times when he looks
anxious. We didn't always live in
Palace Gardens. Suppose we should
lose it all as quickly as we got it. Oh!''
she shivered and trembled. mo, I
will never, never marry a poor man.
Get rich, my dear boy, and you may
aspire even to the valuable possession
of this heartless hand"
She held it out. He took it, pressed
it, stopped and kissed her. Then he
dropped her hand and walked quickly
out OF the room.
'Poor Reggie!' she murmured. IT
IC1, ,ic1 WIN
wishing?"
Two men, one young, the other
about 5O-sat in the Veranda of a
small bungalow. 1t was after break.
fast. They lay back in long bamboo
chairs, each with a cigar. It looked
as if they we're resting. In reality
they were talking business, and that
very seriously.
eyes, SIR said the elder man, with
something Of an American accent, ri
have somehow taken a fancy to this
place. The situation is healthy"
"Well I>don't know; I've had more
than one touch OF fever here"
"The climate is lovely"
Except in the rains"
"The soil is fertile-''
"I've dropped five thousand in it,
and they haven't come up again yet"
"They will. Ihave been round the
estate; and I see money in it. Well,
sir, here's my offer e5 900 down, hard
cash, as soon as the papers are sign
ed"
Reginald sat up. He was on the
point Of accepting the proposal, when
a pony rode up to the house, and the
rider, a native groom, jumped off and
gave him a note. He opened it and
read. It was from his nearest neigh
Dor, two Or three miles away: Don't
sell that man your estate. Gold has
been found. The whole country is full!
OF gold. Hold on. He's all assayer.
1t he offers to buy, be quite sure that
he has found gold on your land.
f. G. 4. -.
He put the note into his pocket,
gave a verbal messa:e to the boy, and
turned to his guest without betraylng
the least astonishment or emotion.
II beg your pardon. The note was
from Bellany, my next neighbor.
Well? You were saying
"Only that l have taken a fancy
perhaps a foolish fancy-to this place
Of yours, and I'll give you, if you like,
all that you have spent upon it."
"Well," he replied, refectively, but
with q little twinkle in his eye, ''that
seems handsome. But the place isn't
really worth the half that I have spent
upon it, Anybody would tell you
that. Come, let us be honest what
ever we are. I'll tell you a better way.
We will put the matter into the hands
Of Bellamy. He knows what a coffee
plantation is worth. He shall name
price,, and if we can agree upon that
we will make a deal Of it,
The other man changed color. He
wanted to settle the thing at once as
between gentlemen. What need of
third parties? But Reginald stood
firm, and he presently rode away,
quite sure that in a day or two this
planter, too, would have had the
news.
# A month later the young coffee
planter stood on the deck ola steamer
homeward bound In his pocket.
book was q plan Of his auriferous
estate, in a bag hanging around his
neck was a small collection of yellow
nuggets; in his boxes was chosen