The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-23
CASH AND MARRIAGE.

Goshawk & Guldridge were a firm of
bankers in Hobblegate, where their name
was tower of credit. fGovernments''
might decline and greenbacks fluctuate,
but Goshawk & Guldridge were always at
par.
They might have gone bail for a brace of
millions without ever being asked to ''jus-
tify.' There was something in the very
curve of Goshawl1's nose and in the broad
folds of Guldridges vest that sayored of
solvency
''Have you heatd.the news?''
"What news?''
"Goshawk & Guldirdge"-
"For heavens sake, speak!''
''Smashed!-debts a nillion-assets
neutrality-suspicious. ahsconded!''
Seth Dodge caught it in two directions
The loss of. his own money was bad
enough, but it was too provoking to see
Kate Orvillo's, on which he had long cast
tender glances, go the same Iuckless road.
He fairly cursed old Orville's stupidity in
trusting his niecc's entire fortune in the
very hands in which he had himself trust
e6 and lost the bulk of his own
Seth had fallen in love with Kate at first
sight-of her grandfather's will, which lie
had read over for amusement in the pro-
bate Office one day.
From that document he learned that she
"
in her own right, which her uncle, Walter
OrviIle, was appointed trustee to keep till
her marriage or majority. The money,
Seth knew, was snug in the vault of Cos
hawk & Guldridge.
He lost no time in declaring the state Of
his feelings, which Uncle Walter seemed
to reciprocate if Kate didn't. We won't
say positively that Archie Warham had
anything to do with the GOODNESS of Seth's
reception on her part. Apparently he
hadn't, for when Seth began his visits
Archies suddenly ceased, and Kate tossed
her pretty head and didn't seem to care.
What with Uncle Walters backing, his
own perseverance and Archie Variants
demoralized retreat Seth felt his chances
were by no means desperate.
He could afford to wait. He was not an
impatient lover. His own finances we1o
easy, and as long as Kate's money was Sc
cure there was no need of haste.
But t. terrible awakening came that Gay
when men rushed to and fro, startling each
other with the announcement:
"Goshawk & Guldrilge have failedr'
With the depletion OF his own pocket de-
parted all hope of its rcpletjon from Kate's.
TIC withdraw before acceptance q matri-
mOnial offer, the consideration of which,
in legal parlanee, had failed struck him as
the first thing to be done under the cir
cumstnnces, and for that purpose Seth
presented himself without delay before
Unclo Walter, whom he found at his office
looBing as serene as if nothing had hap
peEed--the imperturbable old stoicl
Il suppose you've heard the news?" he
began.
Uncle Walter had heard it.
But Seth never shirked a duty-to him
SELF. With much circuinlocution and by
ways that were indirect he managed at last
to make himself understood by Uncle Wal
ter
The old gentleman didn't seem much
taken aback. There was a touch of con-
tempt in his tone as he thanked his visitor
for the very unnecessary pains he had tax
en-, and when he bowed Seth out the latter
felt considerably lower than before he en-
tered
Uncle Walter got home early that even
ing. If he was angry at finding Archie
Warham there, he didn't show it. Kate
locked rs happy as though she hadn't lost
q penny, but had found instead q treasure
worth all the world.
Don't mind it, uncle" she cried.
Z" You see don t, and I've heard all about
it,
"And I supp 7se you've heard it too?"
said Uncle Walter, turning sharply on
Archie as if suspecting that he, too, had
some to rccant.
''Now don't be angry, uncle, dcar, "
coaxed Kate. ''Id have been glad to mar
r. Seth to please you, butt
'tConfound Seth Dodger'
''But, you soc, 1 couldn't love him,
Kate continued, land II did love Archie,
nnd-and"-
Uncle Walter didn't break out in pas
sion, and that encouraged Kate to go on.
''And Archie has asked me to be his,
ised and he says you shall live with us.
1t was IL quiet little wedding, that of
Archie and Kate. 1t came off one bright
morning, while all Hobblegate was too
much agOg with the recent financial ShCck
to think of anything else
When Kate kissed Uncle Walter goodby,
before starting on her Unpretending we'd
ding tour, the cid gentleman slipped a
folded paper into her hand
She opened it with an exclamation of
surprise. 1t was a check on one of the
first city banks for 500, 600!
''You see, y said Uncle Walter. ''I'd a
lurking suspicion that all wasn't right
with those scamps, and SO checked out
your money three days before they failed.
About the same time another wedding
took place Seth Dodge kept his losses to
himself, and without loss of time offered
his heart and hand to Miss Elvira Fenoose.
She accepted both Ut sight.
Miss F,lvira was Z maiden of forty odd au-
tumns and not to be called handsome. Seth
knew her to be the possessor of Il goodly
batch of fve-twenties, from which she de
rived a handsome income by cutting off
the coupons.
The morning after the wedding Seth
hintcd-delicstely, of course-tiat circun-
stances over which he had no control had
left him little short of cash at present
in fact, and not to put too fine Il point
upon it, deucedly hard up.
Elvira stopped his mouth with kisses,
edging in between them:
Never mind, hubby, dear. Why, that
rascally Goshawk & Guldridge ran off
with all of my bonds, but it doesn't worry
me q Bit now that I've got you, you
know. New York Press.
K1dr King Charters.
new iudexinZ cabinet which is to be
used in indexIug the charters fled in the
office of the secretary of state arrived