The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-20
A KENTISH INCIDENT.
TALES OF TEN TRAVELLERS SERIES.
BY EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.
lcoprreht 50 br EdgarIL waeman A rghts resorved

city of New York fed from the wreck of
scores of fortunes his dishonesty had en-
tailed.
AT the time, it was believed that not a
penny entrusted TO his keeping would
ever be recovered. Some sympathetic old
clerk, at the expense 20 himself Of sta
tionery and stamps, was considerable
enough to notify those who had been left
penniiess through his masters guilt, and
one of his brief but kindly, notes was
duly delivered, on a rosy September
morning, to Mr.. George Pelham, who sat
at breakfast opposite his sister, Miss
Mercy Pelham, in their pleasant apart
ments. No. - Cheyne Row, Chelsea
London
Now. MERGE. if this is even our last
quarters allowance, which should have
reached US in July, we are still all right
fer the winter in Florence said George
Pelham gaily to his sister, as he broke
the seal of his letter.
He hastily scanned the contents,
crushed the letter in his hand, left the
table abruptly and stood before the win
dow which looked out upon the monu-
ment of grim old Carlyle, the shimmering
blue of the Thames and the sun-tiecked
hills of Surrey beyond. For an instant
everything swan before him and his lips
could not form words for conveying the
dread intelligence to the dainty little
woman at the table.
She looked at her brother quizzcally for
a moment, munched her lamb chop as
cOnteutedly as ever, and finally after
clearing her throat with a decided little
"Ahem" initiated an army roll-cal from
the bugle so heartily and piercingly that
the sparrows in the little park along the
Row left off their busy pecking and perked
their heads with sharp, questioning notes
of alarm, while George Pelham turned
and smiled in pitying admiration through
his gathering manly tears.
Poor Mercy" he at last faltered, that
divine voice of yours will be worth moth
Nonsense. GEORGE She had begun
bravely on the chop again, and, with a
sprig of water cress in her pretty hand,
gestured with mock command as she
spoke. Know all about it. just as well
as though you told me. Old Six-per-
cents cut up some dido or other"
George Pelham savaCely nodded his
head.
Failed, or suicided, or run away. or
played the stocks, or got nipped on the
short side of some gigantic scheme Just as
the hard times were coming on ~
Here her brother nodded his head furi-
ously again and pounded his left hand
with the crumpled letter as though it had
been old Six-per-cent's devoted head,
while Mercy crunched the water cress in
her pretty teeth leisurely.
And instead of receiving the overdue
quarterly allowance, we haven't a penny
in the world and are three thousand miles
from everybody but strangers. That's
the situation, isn't it brother George2"
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. Wehaven't paid for the
very breakfast we're eating"
True enough; but we can't get any
rebate on cold chops, potatoes, cress,
mullins and chocolate now, can we,
George2"
Hardly" he replied lugubriously
well, then, sit down here like man
eat as heartily as though we had every
dollar of our own with US; and then we'll
see what can be DONE
He did as hidden, but made a sorry
meal, despite his sisters rallying and oc-
casional bursts of CHEEKY song.
They were typical American pair;
brother and sister born and bred on one
of the fine old farms of the Mohawk Val
ley, in New York state; full of native in
dependence and ability; schooled in the
schools, in city life and in travel, as is the
custom with such and of later years,
owing to personal merit and the position
which wealth assures TO those of genial
ambitions, fairly counted as aristocrats
for their place and associations.
Their parents were dead and the for
tune which had been left them had been
placed in the hands of one of those safe
conservative old lawyers" as goes the
term. with which New York city abounds,
whose relations with their clients never
exceed the formality of a quarterly or
seml-annual check, and who never were
known to render an accounting until i'm
posed by defalcation or death.
The brother was a student OF books and
of lowly lie, out of which had grown a
dabbling in art; while the sister, pos
sessed of splendid voice, was sensibly
ambitious of Its cultivation. To the
credit of both, they had proceeded in
modest and comfortable way, industrious
of attracting attention; mutually loving
and enjoying the situations a life of
leisure naturally presented; and being
excellent society for each other, had I'M
consciously attracted to themselves a few
desirable friends. Indeed their keenest
bitterness in being confronted with com
plete ruin in foreign land, was the con-
seriousness of the shock to such as liked
them for themselves when the knowledge
of their extraordinary situation should be
disclosed.
Now, the first thing. brother George, :"
insisted Mercy bravely. as she left the
breakfast table, lis TO find Just what we
owe here in London.
They figured valiantly for a little time,
rumaging the place for bills and polite
duns which had been accommodating for
some weeks past, and found the amount
was slightly under goo.
Liabilities, el9S: Is: g." at last ex-
claimed Mercy with a bright little air of
business. Now for our assets!n
There is no need of counting them
Mercy"
Cash. she continued, without MOTTO
ing his remark, after she had emptied her
brothers pockets and her own purse,
EXACTLY six pounds'''
Not enough to buy steerage tickets
back to New York, Merce!" exclaimed
her brother ruefully. Besides. ! don't
know where l could borrow a sovereign
in all England"
1--WE won't borrow, George; not a pen
NY" she returned quietly. That's set
lied" Then she began melodiously hum
ming:
Too proud to beg, too honest to steal.
Wen know what II is (if necessary to be
wanting a meal
Too proud to beg too honest to steal:
e. Wen belong to the shabby genteel-
but Wen not borrow. Not any Wen go
back, / as stewardess and you as saloon
steward first NoHx- EpopOa I could a.