The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-12-06

Even the hardened Thomas Sidcup qualec
for moment beneath that eve. For the first
tlme he fairly realized the position of his
friend, Lord Killarney.
VI said that accursed traffic, sir-a traffic
which ruins men, body and soul'' This time
MI Sidcup let tie word pass without remark.
'And say it must be stopped. The company
must be dissolved.n
"What dissolve Lord Killarney e. Co.
the most fourishing concern in the market
enares rising every day-a fortune to be made
in it--never !"
'1f Lord Killarney had wanted money he
could have come to me for it," said the lady
loftiy.
"Perhaps he didn't like to trouble your lady
snip; and, at any rate, that resource was
denied to me-" said old Tom with his sweetest
smile.
=, "What do you want for your shares ?" asked
the Countess abruptly
do you mean them all P'
"Every one.n
"Forty thousand pounds" said Tom
promptly
Forty thousand fddlesticks ~
=. Pardon me, Lady Killarney, do not offer
the shares to you. The company is genuine.
working concern, brewing its own whisky on
your husbands estates in Irelandn HE did
not think 1t worth while to mention that the
olstlllerles,' consisted of three stills, two of
them, until lately, Illicit the third barely find
Ing employment for one man and boy.) "We
oon't interfere with anybody; and we"
Didn't you interfere with my meeting YES
teriay ~ asked the Countess
u! How? What meetingP I'm afraid l
hardly comprehend" said Mr.. Sdcup.
"Weil, never mind. But forty thousand
pounds is out of the question Seven thou
sand would be too muchn
Indeed, madam, you are mistaken" said
Tom, earnestly.
I'll will not submit to such robbery; will
rnnQ111f pnv n1f -,
rising and shaking out her ample skirts as she
spoke. -" '-o
'Of course you can do that, Lady Killarney.
l think you will find, however, that ever since
the passing of the married women's property
act husband is entitled to hold shares apart
from his wife, exactly as II he were unmarried,n
said Tom with perfect gravity.
''Then, sir, 1t is most Infamous law. and
1t ought to be altered at once"
Tom only bowed
~ cannot endure that this should 90 on,n
said the Countess after pause The scandal
OF the inconsistency would be too notorious.
No; my work would be spoiled. It would he
said-Oh, good heaven A! the world would saw
that my horses and carriages-the very dress
on my back, were paid for out of the proceeds
OF this ac-, this abominable trade, all the
time that was denouncing it.
u confess that people might, and probably
facts"
ssThat would be absolutely intolerable y,
Iom shook his head in melancholy fashion,
cant you suggest something's asked the
Countess, after another pause.
"Well, II might give a hint, I should saw
come to terms with Lord Killarney He is
pound sharesr
'How much paid upon them?'
admirable woman?" murmured Tom Sid
cup, to himself. Then aloud: ''All issued as
FULLY paid up-the price Of the land, the name
(great thing that), the distillerles, the good
Will, and so on. Ill show you the deeds in a
moment"
Lady Killarney inspected the deeds with
the greatest care, and she was quite enough
OF lawyer to know what they meant. They
showed that In consideration of a sum Of
I'VE thousand pounds in cash and thirty
thousand pounds in three thousand shares
of ten pounds each, he, the said grantor.
did thereby grant, assign, and convey, all that,
etc. Lady Killarney had a vague feeling
that she was being swindled; but how she
could not clearly see.
'.If your ladyship would take my adyice,n
said Tom, when the deeds had been duly Pc
rused, ~ would not pay all that money down.
Make an agreement to pay your husband an
annutty-say fifteen hundred year-in lien
of the money for the shares. Then 1t will be
really taking money out of one pocket and
putting 1t into the other"
Lauy AHiarney could not quite see things
In that light; but she thought the idea of an
annuity decidedly good one. The other
shareholders, Tom thought, could be bought
up privately, one by one, after she had pos
sessed herself of Lord Killarney's interest in
the undertaking.
"And remember, Lady Killarney, you must
have 1t condition of the bond upon which
the annuity will be secured, that at no time and
under no circumstances must your husband
take part In the manufacture or sale of spirit
uous or malt liquors, or permit his name to
pe useu py any person or any company manu-
featuring or vending them, else the bond is to
become void and annuity to cease"
Lady Killarney was treasured by this disin-
terested advice, and after she and Mr.. Sidcup
had settled one or two other detn iis of the
scheme, she left the office In q comparatively
calm frame of mind.
"Tom," said the Earl, emerging from the
closet, 'you have saved mer'
After a lew more interviews between Lady
Killarney and Sidcup-who actually began to
be bit of favorite with her ladyship before
The end OF the negotiations-the matter was
settled; the annuity deed, securing to the
Earl twelve hundred year for life, was duly
signed, sealed, and delivered, and "Iord XII
Iarney d Co., Limited" ceased to exist.
A week after his emancipation the Earl en-
tertained his friend at Richmond, and pre-
Sented him with a gold cigar case Sin token
of the grateful friendship of Algernon Cyril,
Earl OF Killarney" Curiously enough, that
very evening large parcel was delivered at
Sidcup's chambers. 1t contained an enor-
nous time-piece, bearing an inscription;
FROM hebecca Anne, Countess of Killarney,
n acknowledgment of the disinterested
kindness OF her friend, Thomas Sidcup, esq.,
rom promptly removed the inscription bear
ng plate, and sent the thing to q pawnshop
Mr.. Sidcup had forseen that the surest way
u securing peace between the ill-matched pair