Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-08-23

u ma
quietly; 81 cannot accept now at AM
rate. It would not be fair to Won,
client"
mot accept? or course you will 4,
cept. Nonsense! nonsense! 1t is all M
fault. and you shall have the none,
now II have to pay 1t ont OF my ov,
pocket. Besides" said Mr.. Chem Will
yoluble eagerness, "there is very I'M
harm done after all, and to proven,
Misunderstanding may as well MAXI
a clean breast OF it. Ny client is an o..
centric maiden lady OF sixty-fve. win,
lot of distant relatives who bother h.,
life out while waiting for her to die. !
am her only intimate friend, but even !
cannot. prevent her from doing all sor,,
of queer things in her tasto for sent.
mentality. You see, poor woman. when
she was very young she had lover q,
lust about yonr age (she wears his Dor.
trait perpetually In a locket about be-,
neck who died. He was in bushes,
and dong very well. Several times Al.
ready, on this account, she has helped
Young men who were In straits; and
when told her your story, and whs,
You were ambitious 10 dc, she clapped
her withered old hands together and
said: at will give him chance, Mr.
Chelm; will give him a chance! He
reminds me of Tom And that Is how
II came to pass. There is the long and
short of the matter. Accepts~-N<a b.
sure you will accept. 1t is all ny RAUL,
| will make it right with her. II would
break her heart II You did not. So 20
more words about it. have all the
necessary papers ready"
Mr.. Prime was patting Ike more a.
stractedly than ever. As for me, a,
auhast and overwhelmed. The next iev
seconds seemed an eternity.
"Well, young man."
"Please to write your letter, M.
Chelm, and give me time to think"
"Not a bit OF itl The letter can wait,
Saw YOU accept, and be done with IT,"
VERY well then, L accept. We are
gentlemen OF fortune, Ike, and you
shall have q new silver collar to-mor.
row."
II il not necessary TO describe the de-.
tails OF the interview further. An hour
alapsed before the final arrangemenr
were made and Mr.. Prime left the Of.
flee. He was to start In business as soon
as possible, and make frequent reports
of his progress to Mr.. Chelm. MeaD.
while sat within hearing distance, and
occasionally took peep at them from
my coign of vantage. | could perceive
from Mr.. Chelm's manner that he was
pleased with the tone and alertness Of
the other In putting matters into SHAPE
He had shown me beforehand certain
letters which he had received In answer
To inquiries made regarding Mr.. Prime
In these he was spoken OF as a young
man of irreproachable character but
strong social tastes, which, while con.
sistent with his own statement OF what
the world thought OF him, did not serve
TO reassure MIR. Chelm as 10 the success
OF my experiment. So 10 was consollns
TO me to see his expression continue be-
nignant as he lis stoned TO the youn,
bankers notions.
When at last Mr.. Prime was gone
INDUCED my hilarity freely at my
friends expense. "a lawyer too |
cried, when | could speak. Your repu'
tation in my eyes is ruined forever"
II heve no excuse to offer. II was
dreadful slip, Miss Harlan"
1.-THE slip was objectionable OF course,
but 1t was an accident. Now, what J re-
fer to, Mr.. Chelm, is the marvellous In
vention by which you sought to CON
ceal 1t. fully expected to see The
floor open and some demon carry yoV
of amid smoke and sulphur"
81 never stick at a triGe like that,
laughed he. ''But didn't do the thlnI
well? He believed every word OF IL
And what is more, Miss Harlan, he
added seriously, LIT would have beer
a great pity to have let him decline. M
is likely young fellow. l smell we'd
ding cake In the air already"
"You forget, Mr.. Chem" ! answered
"that am an eccentric maiden lady Of
sixty-hve. Hou have ruined any ma.
terial there may have been out OF which
to manufacture romance"
This turn Of affairs took place a ieE
days before the unpleasant scene with
Aunt Agnes occurred TO which | have
alluded, and | found that IL absorbed
my thoughts and tended TO countersc'
the dependency produced by her die
pleasure and the injustice OF her friends
All through the remainder OF the season
/ awaited with eagerncss the monthly
reports sent bv Mr.. Prime. He was es'
tablished, and cautiously feeling his way,
But necessarily there was little 70 tell;
fortune cannot be made In a minute
However, cherished every word OF en-.
couragement as so much vindIcatlon Of
my faith, and / came by degrees 10 feel
as though Mr.. Primes new enterphS
were my own business. and that my repn'
tation for sagacity were dependent upon
his success.
And yet, as I have already implied
Dir. Prime was nothing 70 me except .
far as he represented an instrument Of
my will. 1t was not In him that ! was
interested half so much as In myself. 10
order TO satisfy my curiosity even
planned In the spring a trip TO New
York with Aunt Helen, and delighiea
my eyes with a glimpse OF tho sg'
board over the spacious Offices OF ffan.
els Prime and Company. But on thal
day II was vertically glimpse thai
got, for ! was too timid TO take dehV
crate scrutiny OF what / had come y
see, owing to the fact that every one
met stared at me; then, too, was no
mentarily upset by perceiying over Wv
way just opposite, In great gilt letter.,
the rivsl sign, as It seemed TO me, "
"Roger Dale, Banker and Broker"
Mr.. Dale had not seen for sevesl
years, but knew that he was liying y
New York, where he had not long o.
fore married an heiress OF obscure 'nIg
cedents, according TO rumor. In' =
was he had little doubt, and tbougn
the fact Of his having an Office Q W.