The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-11-14
THE GREYBANK DIAMONDS.

Blackacre to Lady Gr1sSell Grey bank,
'sand IL not, why not2" He had re-
Gently answered ''interrogatories" In
an action against the frm which he
honored with Junior partnership;
hence the form of the question which
her ladyship appeared unable to an
swer.
''Of COURSE" she said, with q sigh,
If you will not help me!'
The assistance she required was the
investment of the funds settled upon
her on her marriage by her husband in
the ordinary shares of gold mine Of
highly doubtful geographical situation.
As her trustee he had declined to &C.
cede to her request, and had suggested
that If a season in London was a neces-
sity for her daughters she had better
introduce young American lady into
society in their company and let her
pay the piper. The choice lay between
that and letting 400 Eaton square and
spending the summer at Bournemouth
II could not advertise" sighed her
ladyship.
"Of course not, and if you did you
would only be answered by the news
paper people looking for something to
write about. I have the very girl
Miss Loftinia McNease-I know she
wants something Of the sort"
"What will she pay?" asked her lady
ship. The commercial instincts OF her
maternal grandfather, which account
ed for her nephew's success in the city,
were evidently coming out in her.
"Two thousand for the season and q
percentage on marriage into the peer
age-that is what shall suggest. You
constitute me your agent; of course
shall take no commission-from you,"
said Mr.. Blackacre.
IT'S she very dreadful?" said Lady
Grissell
swell, she's American" said her
nephew; "that covers q multitude OF
sins; and till her father died they lived
quite quietly; high tea, you know, and
cooked it themselves Since l met
them at Florence I expect she got
quite accustomed to a clean plate for
each entrce, and she's really very
nice sort of girl"
"But is she rich?'
Enormously; old McNease died be-
fore he quite realized what a pile he
had made, and for years she has had
no mother"
"Isnt there some proverb about
being born lucky as we'll as richP" said
Lady Grissell You might put us In
correspondence. and then we will have
an interview; are you sure she is not
very bad?"
''She's an American, my dear aunt,
of the plain type, with-well, we'll
call it an intonation," said her nephew.
1.-THE rest you must really And out for
yourself"
As the business man of the family,
he found his relatives a little irritat-
ing.
"What shall you tell her about me?"
said his aunt, meekly, as he took up his
hat to leave.
II shall tell her that you combine tho
blood Of the oldest families in Eng
land, with the oldest country seat the
oldest plate and the most magnificent
diamonds in Bunkshire. know that
will fetch her. BY the way, fancy
you might, perhaps, get leave Of the
court Of chancery to sell these dia-
monds. and have the proceeds invested
by your trustees; you'd get an income
out Of them"
"Never," said Lady Grissell Grey
bank, turning pale at the suggestion.
"Noblesse oblige-I should say no.
blesse defend, if I thought you under
stood French, or If the commercial
principles Of the city would permit
you to appreciate the honor Of your
family"
swell, it's no good getting shirty,
my dear aunt" said her nephew.
'Simple faith combined with Norman
blood is all very we'll as long as you
haven't daughters to marry"
Her ladyship gave little sob
"Won't she-won't this young woman
interfere with the dear girls pros
peets?"
"Of course you'll have to give her
the refusal if there's belted earl on
Offer" said her nephew. '"That's what
she wants; she will hardly look at me
since l explained to her that l was not
the Honorable Lotus Blackacre, and
even if was she need not mention it
In introducing me to her friends"
"Good heavens!" said Lady Grissell.
"You see, she knew the governor
was Lord George, and she had no one
but her lady's maid to teach her Eng
lish customs; she is quite unsophisti-
Gated"
"Poor girl!' said Lady Grissell, kiss
ing him on the forehead. II feel SO
sorry for her, am prepared to quite
like her."
(which is about as near thanking
me for putting two thou. in her pocket
as the old lady is likely to get" re-
fected her nephew, as he ran down.
stairs.
Three days later her ladyship was
sitting in the drawing-room when the
butler announced:
miss Loftinia McNease."
The manner of Lady Grissell Grey.
bank as she rose to greet her visitor
was a marvellous combination of aris-
tocratic hauteur with semi-maternal
condescension; and the very charming
young lady who held out her hand