The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-03-07


worth winning"
''She has a heart of gold"
My fathers face fell considerably
And" L continued. ''she has hum
dred thousand pounds.
My father frightened Up at once.
Her parents are dead. and she has
no brothers or sisters
My father began to smile pleasantly.
Her only relatives are her uncle and
his family. with whom mean to quarrel
on our wedding day"
My father rubbed his hands together,
and the smile broadened into benevo-
lence.
Thus" concluded, I'VE will soon
be able TO forget that she ever was
Slugg."
Your sisters will never let her forget
it, observed my father. "Still. it is
comfort to reflect that we will not be
continually reminded of the fact by the
intrusion of impossible relatives bearing
that most impossible of names. On the
whole, you might have done much worse.
A hundred thousand pounds. you say?
Certainly the pill is well giided.'
And pills are only unpleasant when
they are kept in the mouth too long"
added. But the name Of Slugg need
never be in our mouths again after the
marriage ceremony"
True, true" replied my father: land
certainly the sooner we forget it the
better The young lady should really
ha! wonder how it feels to be called
Slugg'
4 wonder" I said: and then we both
laughed very heartily.
After that / had no more trouble. Be
fore we left the dining-room | had OBJ
tanned his consent and a substantial
check as a wedding present; and. pos
sessed of his blessing and signature, |
returned to London next day.
The following morning Berinda and 1
n inc Of
out a hitch. exactly as we had planted
It; and before the maiden had been
missed from her uncle's house. the wife
had returned with her husband TO an
nounce the great news in person. Mr..
Slugg was in his study when we arrived.
and thither at once | repaired Ito beard
the lion in his den" while my wife
sought the mOrning-roOm TO make her
peace with her aunt. For my own part,
/ was intent on war. / did not wish TO
be ION terms with my wfe's relations.
l wanted TO forget the very name Of
Slugg. and / hoped that i'm his rage and
disappointment Belinda'S uncle might
use words so cutting as to sever COM
pletely all ties between us. Mr.. Slugg
showed more self-control than ] had eN-
pected. however, for he received what
must have been most unwelcOme news
with remarkable cOmpOsure. He bowed
to the inevitable-and with more polite
ness than I had thought him capable of.
at the matter from a business point Of
view The mischief done. and all
he could say would not undo it; the
strongest language in his vocabulary
would be of no avail against the few
words spoken by the clergyman a short
half-hOur before, and so he saved his
breath. Nevertheless he surveyed me
with very evil smile and there was a
sad lack of sincerity about the tone in
which he wished me joy
QTt r-ha Of a bp
Surely / ought to be among the first
10 congratulate her on becoming Mrs.
Slugg?'
He laid a peculiar emphasis on the
word Slugg, which at once attracted my
attention.
Pardon me-" I interrupted; lit was
a slip of the tongue, no doubt. but you
have called my wife by a name which
does not now belong TO her. Your niece
is no longer a Slugg: she has become
a Lympet. No one whose privilege it is
10 be called Lympet would like to be
called S anything else.
Am I to understand" he cried eager
~. that Belinda abandons the name Of
Slugg?"
Does it seem so stranger" | inquired
Il have always supposed that it was
customary for a wife to adopt her nus
bands name when she married.
1T is the rule" replied Mr.. Slugg,
slowly but Their there are exceptions H bus
wives names-for n consideration.
4 would have you know. sir, I re-
torted angrily. that no Lympet would
barter his name away for any cOnsidera-
ton whatsoever"
~ noble sentiment cried Mr.. Slugg
ioyfully. looking like a miser who had
just found sixpence. "A noble senti-
ment, You are right. sir. What is
paltry hundred thousand pounds com
pared to a name so ancient and so honor
abler'
hundred thousand pounds, That
was the exact amount Of Belinda for
tune What did the man mean by such
a pointed reference to it2
And ] am ashamed to say that | took
YOU for a fortune-hunter" he continued
eXcitedly. ''You-you who kick the drosS
away and say in effect. Let me keep
the honored name of Lympet, l care not
who has the fortunen
Excuse me-" I broke in hastily "but
if you're talking about my wife's for
tune. ] do care very much who has it,
Hang it all. there's no mistake about
that. is there?'
Surely. Mr.. Lympet." said Mr. Slugg
calming down and beginning To look
very anxious. you are aware Of the pro-
visions of my brothers will? You must
be. You discard the name OF Slugg
with your eyes open. is il not so? You
know the consequences and are prepared
TO accept them? You would not change
the noble name or l4Nnlpet Tor thrice my
niece's fortune? OF course not, Not
for any consideration whatsoever I
heard YOU say So
At his words cold SILVER ran down
my back. | knew nothing about the de-
ceased Slugg's Will My information
concerning Beinda's fortune had come
to me on most excellent authority. and
she herself had told me that she was at
liberty to marry whom she pleased after
her twenty-iirst birthday. but of the pro-
visions of the will under which she in
herited L was ignorant
Somehow / had never thought of driv-.
ing down to Somerset house and i'm
specting the document II was an over
sight. and l began TO fear very seri-
Gus one.
Look here, Mr.. Slugg." | said. with a
CHASTITY attempt at popularity. wen dis
cuss those provisions, if YOU please.
They're the proper food for a wedding
breakfast"
You know nothing about the will
after all. them inquired Mr.. Slugg.
coldly. Il might have guessed IT,
"Of course l know nothing. except that
under it my wife inherits considerable
fortune"
"On conditions" murmured Mr. Slugg
gently.
"Conditions"' I echoed. sSaifting I'm
easily i'm my seat. And pray. what are
they? Nothing eXtravagant- nothing uh-
reasonable trust ,"
They seem TO me to be reasonable
enough: but then. he added with o
sneer, I'm not-s Lympet,''
If they're reasonable. TIL comply with