Morning journal and courier., 1894-05-19

heads with sharp, questioning notes o
alarm; while George Pelham turned AM
smiled In plying admiration through hi
| gathering manly tears.
"Poor Mereyi" he at lss. faltsred, "tha
divine voice of yours will be worth moth
ing now"
:'Nonsspss Georgel" She hsd bsgui
bravely ON the chop again and, with
sprig of water cress in her pretty hand
gestursd with mock command - she spoke
''Know all about 1t. just a. well n
though you tod me. Old siI-psr-csnti
cut up some dido or ethera"
George Pelham savsgely nodded hi
head.
"Failed, or suicided, or run away, Of
played the stocks, or got nipped on th'
short side of some gigantic scheme just al
the hard times were coming on"
Here her brother nodded his head furi
ously again and pounded his left hand
with the crumped letter as though It had
been old Six-psr- cents devoted head, while
Mercy cruuchsd the water DRESS in heI
pretty teeth leisurely.
"And instesd of receiving rhe overdue
quarterly allowance, we haven't penny
in the world and are three thousand
That's the situation, isn't 1t, brother
GeorgeT
Precisely. Only you don't take into
account the fact that we have discounted
our expectations; are under heavy social
obligations, and owe much money to the
people about us. We haven't paid for the
very breakfast we're satipgi"
"True enough; but We can't get any re-
bate on cold chops, potatoes, cress, nuf.
fins and chocolate now, can we, Georgsf'
"Hardly;;" he replied lugubriously.
"Well, then, sit down here like q man;
eat es heartily as though we had every
dollar of our own with as; and then ve'll
see what can be DONE"
He did as bidden but made q sorry meal,
despite his sisters rallying and occasional
bursts of CHEEKY song.
They were a typical American pair; O
brother and sister born and bred on one of
the fine old farms of the Mohawk valley,
In New York state: full of native indepen-
dence and ability; sohooled In the schools,
in city life and In travel, SIS is the custom
with sucb: and Of later years, owing to
personal merit and the position which
wealth assures to those of genial ambi-
tions, fairly counted ss arietocrats for
their place and at ociations.
Their parents were dead and the fortune
which had been left them had been placed
in the hands of one of those "safe, con-
servative old lawyers" as goes the term,
with which New York city sboands, whose
relations with their clients never exceed
the formslity of quarterly or semi-annu-
al check, and who never were known to
render an accounting until imposed by de-
falcation or death.
The brother was q student of books and
of lowly life, out of which had grown q
dabbling in art; while the sister, possessed
of splendid voice, was sensibly ambitious
of Its culture. To the credit of both,
they had proceeded In modest and COM
Portable way, undesiro1s of attracting at
tention; mutually loving and enjoying the
situations q life of leisure naturally pre-
sented; and, being excellent socisty for
each other, had unoonsoiously attracted to
themselves q few desirable friends. In
deed their keenes st bitterness in being con-
fronted with complete ruin in foreign
to such as liked them for themselves
when the knowledge of their extraordi-
nary situation should be disclosed.
"Now the first thing, brother George,"
insisted Mercy bravsly, SIS she left the
breakfast table, 'is to find just what we
owe here in London"
They figured valiantly for little time,
rummaging the place for bills and petite
duns which had been accumulating fol-
some wesks past, and found the amount
was slightly under two hundred pounds
Liabilities, sl9s: 13: g." at last ex.
clsimed Mercy with bright little air oi
business. "Now for our atsstsI"
"There Is no need of counting them, Nor
oy."
"Cash," she continued, without noticing
bis remark, after she had emptied hel
brothers. pockets and her own purse, "ex
astly six poundsl"
mot enough to buy s.eersge tickets bach
to New York, Aercel" exclaimed her broth
er ruefully. "Besidss. 1 don't know where
1 could borrow q sovereign in all Eng
land"
"We won't borrow, George; not a pen
nyl" she returned quietly. ''That's set
tied" Then she began melodiously hum
ming:
''Too proud to beg, too honest to steal,
Wen know what 1t is dt necessary to be want
Too proud to beg, too honest to steal;
Wei belong to the shabby genteel-
but we'll not borrow. Not any. Well &c
back, as stewsrdess and you as saloon
steward, first. Now, George, I could dc
ocean liner; and you'd look just lovely with
q short Jacket, gilt buttons and white
glovee; and think of the splendid tips we'd
get, besideap
All this time the little woman was Inter
spersing her remarks with brave and en-.
coursgipg snstches of song, while taking @
mental inventory of their belongings.
"Ah, and that makes me think, Georgel'
She ran to the escritoire and began writing.
"We must fret be honest with oul
friends"
She wrote rapidly while her brother
looked at her with admiration and won
dsrment.
"There, now, listen to this:
Miss Mercy Pelham and Mr.. George Pelham
are compelled TO state that, through the dishon
esty of trusted agent, they have lost their en-
tire fortune and are no longer in a position *
sustain sosial relations with their former fri=ndi
and acquaintances.
'They therefore take this means OF most earn
estly thanking one and all Of their friends fol
many and deeply appret lated attentions, and e
beg that all their pending social engagements b
.Their present situation and their immediate
return to America will render a reply to this not
unnecessary"
'rIt certainly has the meri. of origiuali
ty," groaned George Pelham. 81 suppos
you wish this given one insertion in th'
Society Journsli"
"No, 1 want you to push back the break
fast things, there, and sit right down ant
help me write this to every one of on
good friends. Here's list, addresses ant
all. Come now, make haste; and tbei
we'll auction off everything We have her
or sell It to the secondhand men ant
| take the first steamer for New York-tec
| ond cabin, steersge, or as stewardess sn'
| steward. Myl bat this being real poo
i does make one energetic, thought"
For an hour or more nothing could b
heard In the pleasant breakfast room Oh
Cheyne Row but the lively scratching o
their pens. George had finished bis lie
frst; had sealed aud addressed his lettert
and was sitting beside them disconsolate
ly, tossing them about, reading and re
reading their addresses gloomily. ii