Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-12-23

| but am not sure
"Sibylr' repeated Derwent, staring at
the other He had never known Halbert
80 familiar before, for Miss Lenox, though
| a relative of Mrs Derwent, was not at
all related to the young man, who was
| Derwent's cousin on his fathers side.
what are you talking aboutr' he asked.
what circumstances have occurred
which Sibyl thinks do not concern mel"
Halbert smoked for moment silently
before he answered. Then he turned and
faced his companion directly "She has
promised to marry me" he said, "and,
although she assures me positively to the
contrary, fear the news win not be
pleasant to you"
There was more than moments 81
lence now Derwent felt indeed as if he
had been most unexpectedly knocked
down. This was an 4Sent on which he
had not reckoned in calculating the pos
slblllty of atoning for his fathers wrong
doing. In all his considerations he had
never considered the probability that
Sibyl might marry before she attained
her majority and thus anticipate the
time of settlement; in fact, there can be
little doubt that the general opinion of
every one about them had led him to
fancy that he might marry her himself,
if he chose to do so. The blow to his
vanity (Which really had been very little
concerned) was not, however, the cause
of his silence. He was overwhelmed by
the terrible necessity of telling Halbert
how matters stood.
But nothing was more natural than
that Halbert should have misunderstood
his silence. He said at length, in a low
tone, "Geoff, | am more sorry for this
than | can say. | feared it would be so,
but Sibyl was sure that | was mistaken
She insisted that you never were in love
with her, but knew you could not have
been associated with her so closely and
fail to be-"
''Sibyl is right" said Derwent, rousing
himself with an effort. 81 suppose it is
because we have been associated so close
ly-almost like brother and sister-that
| never was in love with her, though l
know of no girl more altogether worthy
of a mans love. So far as that is con-
cerned you have my heartiest congratu-
lations; indeed, you have them in any
case But your news has been a shock
to me for an altogether different reason.
fortune"
"Geoffreyl"
Yes; that is why am here. When |
looked into my fathers affairs after his
death found, to my horror, that he had
used Sibyl's money in an unjustifable
manner. OF course he intended to re-
place tit happened, unfortunately, to
be in atemptingly convenient form-but
death overlook him, as it has overtaken
many another man, before he could re-
pair what he had done. You may not
have known that he was concerned in
several unlucky speculations during the
last years of his life"
81 suspected it," said Halbert. ''In
fact, it was whispered once or twice that
he was very hard hit But when moth
ing seemed to come of it | forgot the
rumors. Geoff, my poor fellow, this
is awful! How does his own fortune
stand?"
Every much impaired; so much that
when l make good the loss of Sibyl's for
tune my mother will be very straitened
in means. 1t was to save her from this,
and also to save my fathers honor, that l
intended trying to replace what had been
lost during the time that remains Of
Sibyl's minority decided that my best
chance to make money quickly was here;
so | came-with what result thus far
you know
You have not been here very long"
said Halbert. Zone failure signifies
nothing. How have you been impressed
by the possible chances"
81 have been very well impressed
There is no place in the world, 1 am
sure, where it is possible for the invest
ment of a little capital to produce such
large results. But time is needed to ac-
| complish these results"
'That is the case everywhere. Only
in dreams are fortunes realized in day.
Well, my dear fellow, so far as l am con-
cerned-and | know | can answer for
Sibyl-the time is yours. Neither she
nor | will demand what has been lost,
because we are well assured that you
will repay it to the last farthing as soon
as you are able. Only take care that you
do not risk more than you can afford in
the pursuit of it.
II shall take care" said Derwent, ''for
| cannot afford to lose anything, and
nothing is so near my heart as the pay
ment of this debt. Frank, you are true
friend; can never forget how you have
taken this! have no words with which
to thank you, but feel it more deeply
than l can say"
you have no reason to thank me, y
replied the other. MERELY as man to
man could do less when have the ut
most confidence in your honor and know
that you are anxious to repair what is
no fault of yours2 Besides this, my
uncle's good name is almost as dear tc
me as it is to you, | can never fail tc
remember that he put me on my feet
when l was young and struggling. Fol-
the rest, it is not Sibyls fortune that
have sought in seeking her, though OF
course it will be my duty to see that il
is not thrown away. If it were legiti
mately lost, however, should not
mourn. We can do without it,
"You shall not need to do without it, ,
said Derwent. "Your faith and conf