The Bessemer indicator., 1893-08-05
THE PRICE OF A SOUL.

II suppose" said the old man.
wearily, as he swept a stray lock Of
tho sparse gray hair back which had
fallen over his wrinkled temples,
that you think Simon Lester mean,
moncy-grubbing old villain, intent
upon one object and forever dead to
any sense of sentiment or even do
cency."
Tho old man looked over his hooked
nose through his coppcr-rimmcd
sIcctnclcs out of his bleared blue
eyes at the young man who was sit
ting opposite to him, and, getting no
answer for u minute, burst out into
a short, chuckling laugh which had
such II dry, hollow sound that it
seemed to be but an echo of some
thing which had once existed.
"If you have made up your mind
that l shall never have Juliet. why
do you not say SO? 1t is no use to
tantalizc me rs you have been doing
every timo | come to you"
THAT Is not spoken like yourself.
my polite little monsieur. You should
restrain your wrath. Anger is ever
an Improbable thing. 1t may be-
come the grand scigncur to get upon
his dignity when he is trying to bad
ger money out of an old usurer, but
it is n boomerang. always boome-
always rccoiling upon the one
who discharges it. But come, Arthur
Drayton, / never said that you should
not have Juliet. Juliet must marry,
and the old miscr, the old Jew, does
not want to barter her as do the rich
Gcntilcs their children for fortune.
Juliet will be rich enough for two, so
it is not riches that want in n hus-
band, but must have other qualiii-
cations in the ono that she takes for
a mato or she shall never leave the
roof which has sheltered her since
her birth.
"What arc those qualifications, Mr..
Lcster?" answered tho young man,
briefly.
"In the first place" replied tho old
man, speaking with shyer manner
and measuring his words out dcliber-
ately, she must love M daughter
not for her riches, but for herself In
the second place, he must be able to
protsct her wealth from the robbers
who will seek to wheedle it away from
her as soon as am in my coffin"
Tho answer seemed to please the
young man, for his earnest, mobile
face grew brighter us he listened,
and when the old man had finished
speaking he replied:
"As for my lovo, Mr.. Lester. no
~, nNpII doubt "a I f,,1int
and shall never be happy without
her. So far as protecting hor fortune
goes, no one can accuse me of ever
having been spcndthrift. On the
contrary, | have saved money-a lit
tie, it is true-but enough to enable
me to go into business US soon al l
feel disposed"
The young mans eye followed the
expressions which appeared on the
old mans face whilst he was speak
ing with an intent curiosity, and the
old man laughed again, not quito
such barren laugh as before, but u
laugh tlnged with Il scornful unbe-
lief that Jared cruelty on sensitive
nature.
"You arc child-a mere child
yot, pursued tho old man. "a chit
"a mere chit. What you say is hon
est and fair enough. You believe
that you love Juliet She. little
goose, believes the same thing. But
did you over read the records of the
divorce courts; did you ever see tho
end OF those pretty love matches
which they say are made in heaven,
and. worse still, did you ever take
notice of the family jars, not tho
preserve jars" and the old man
chuckled at his small joke, "thc
miserable, hypocritical, loveless,
desolatc lives of the thousands who
have bound themselves together,
each milestone round the neck of
the other, because, just because, they
were in love, those same two indi-
viduals, madly in love with one an
other before they took the irrevoca-
BILE stop? All, it is q great lottery,
this marriage. One should have the
power of looking int, tho future far
before such tremendous risk is
taken in hand-the happiness or
misery OF two lives-lifc blessed or
blasted-probably the latter-think
of it!' and tho old mans tones again
became excited and vehement.
"1'hen the money, the moncy-ah.
that is the principal part of it," con-
tinued tho old man, calming himself
as if the question of finance could ad
nit of no excitement. "What do you
know of human nature? Where havo
you studied it? Why would UNDER
take, il | gave you half what l am
worth, to have it all back again in
side of IL year. You protect for
tune! No. A good, honest heart
may bo a very nice thing to possess,
but what becomes of the good. hon
est-hcartcd people in this world?
They starvc, boy, literally starve.
The moncy-grabbcrs are too much
for them. 1t is the law of nature
attraction OF gravity. NO" and
the old man shook his head dcspond
ingly, as IL something he had desired
to be had proved impossible. There
is but one way. 1t is said that
great passion will inspire to other
wise impossible things. There would
have to be terrible exhibition OF
will, an ironbound determination to
conquer. and by that means your dis
position might be changed. Do you
understand. young man? Your
whole nature must be changed before
Juliet Lester can become your wife.
You must becomo an outgrowth, a
second self of Simon Lester. The
thirst for possession and retention
must be inocu atcd into you. You
must gain in u year or less tho ex-
pericncc which Simon Lester has
only gained in lifetime. / do not
know what prompts me to mako this
compromise with you--partly on ac-
count of yourself and partly on that
of Julie, for her heart is set upon