The Florence tribune., 1892-08-25

ol her own 1OfDearance-'1 leave you to de- termine whether there is not after all the chance-mind, I only venture to say the chance-of another flaw in your calculations You appear to have made one in relying upon your friend Mir. Arbuthnot's honor, and backing the bill which he cleverly leaves you to pay Very possibly be, too, is aware of your great expectations Or it may even be planned business between you"
 s'Sirl-uncle!n The victim of this dubious money transaction sprang to his feet
 s'Sit down. said the other dryly fits not the Middleton way to go pop like ginger beer bottle, because shaken by mere per haps.n
 Young Godfrey resumed his seat and bit bis lip in silence
 ! ''l didn't say that it was so; don't know that thought tt. But, putting the best con struction on your conduct, it's anything but satisfactory. My money has been made, sir, by hard work, begging at it, and taking care of every guinea Your cleverness seems to be exhibited in precisely an opposite direc- tion Your pockets, sir, are sieves. And to any man with an atom of real business about him, the backing of a stiff bill on next to no inquiry would be impossible. He could no more do it than scuttle ship. You shall have the money, but beware-not second time"
 ''It shall not occur again, sir The prom ise was sincere, but uttered in manner neither gracious nor consolidating It seemed to the young surgeon that he had been made the mark of volley of missiles, every one of which had left its bruise behind. And in addition he was no doubt buffeted by an ac- cusing conscience
 Old Godfrey crossed the room to an ebony cabinet fitted at the top as writing desk; he took his check book from an inner drawer, filled up draft, while the only sound in the apartment was the sullen ticking of morose clock supported by griffins on the mantel- piece, passed the pink slip to his nephew, and walked out into the adjacent conservatory. He had said his say, and for the hour there was an end to it
 "Thank you; an, very sorry, I'm sure, sir, said the culprit. And by different door he too vanished
 But the ship broker did not dismiss the in- terview from his thoughts. It was with him all day at his office in Water street, produc- ing an increased testiness under which his clerks suffered and for which they could find
 
 tion of trade Even one of his shippers con- descended to mention in the outer counting house that ''the boss was in regular tear, raging like a nor'easter, and that all he, the sailor, could do was to reef sail and to bring up close to the wind
 Old Godfrey was slowly working out Q problem more troublesome than any supplied by the figures on his ledgers or cargo sheets. And at last he reached the goal ot great de- cision. It was clear that his nephew was unfit to be intrusted with the round half million so laboriously amassed. The scape- grace would make ducks and drakes of it let to disinheris him by will was an irksome procedure, and ran counter to lifelong pur- poses and prejudices. Old Godfrey had ever been ready with his sheer at merchants who scraped and saved and left their hoard, at their reluctant exit, to asylums or charities And so far as he knew there was not even Q cousin half a dozan times removed who could be dragged into the warm circles of wealth while the delinquent was bidden stay out in the cold No; it was the choice of unwel- come alternatives that the shipbroker had faced He might leave his nephew to pres ent content and future triumph. Or-the first inception of the idea was attended by fierce mental throes that fully accounted for irritability of temper-he might marry. And to marry was his final resolve.
 The revelation would have astounded his clerks, and have at once amused and scam dalized bis neighbors and intimates. And he opined, rightly or wrongly, that by it his misbehaved nephew would be thrown into consternation and despair. It was on this feature of the general effect that he fixed his : prophetic gaze with most equanimity. The scamp deserved the punishment. l Heroism was word contumeliously dealt , with in old Geoffrey's private lexicon. He professed to disbelieve in it altogether. His synonyms for it was vainglory-for the hum bier sort, fanaticism Yet the quality wal not absent from the purpose he was now shaping for immediate action He was 60
 all the ways of his daily life were ordered or model tested and approved by prolonged , experience; and it was understood with per feet correctness by the whole body of his as sociates. whether in Water street or Seftor Park, that be was confirmed miogynist
 And in spite of these facts he had determined r to write this very evening an explicit pro } posal of marriage to girl of whom he knew 3 little more than that she was pretty-reputs . said cultured-and the daughter of hi [ banker.
 , The deed was done before he again met ths 1 i intractable nephew whose nose-he chuckled 3 grimly to himself-might thus in due time b 3 efectually put out of joint. l Young Godfrey failed pitiably to read tn 3 truo meaning of bis uncle's elaborate polite : ness and elephantine mirth at the dinne table. Generally dreary function at Elgil house was that of the great social feastl Hi l fancied that the sky was clear again; that hi
 uncle,s wrath was appeased. He learned bet ter when the solemn visaged butler had with
 drawn
 "Umi l think it right to inform you 8 Geon, that I intend shortly to change m. 2 state-to marry" said old Godfrey. a A wine glass was shivered, slipping in som a occult way to the polished floor. But ther
 was no other overt symptom of disconcert a ment on the listeners part A Middleton t : the core, he simply answered.: o 'sIndeedl Allow me to congratulate you > sir.n
 t And old Godfrey was strangely vexed a [. the sturdy restraint and the family phlegn t which in similar position would have char
 aeterized himself.
 # IL
 i "This means, don't you sec, an end to idl
 dreaming, Dicks I'll just have to buckle t Q work and coerce Dame Fortune in spite o I her frowns But I'd take it better, think ' if the governor had gone about this freak for such l call it-after my latest scraps a And shouldn't have been as much surprise ,t then. But be must have settled it long age d He announced it as fact already in proces