The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-27
DESPERATE ExPEDIENT.
HOW BANKRUPTCY WAS AVOIDED
AND A WEDDING RESULTED.
The bridegroom Was ut FIRST Ffeti-
tious. But He became Realty Mt
the Proper Moment.

ter Dundas, NJ. A. Cantab. gathered his
papers together. while his audience. chief
~ consisting Of ladies. prepared 10 depart.
The University Extension had but recent
y penetrated into the remote provincial
town Of slumberleigh. and had there met
with almost unprecedented success.
Reaching the outer door before the
whole assembly had dispersed. Dundas
scanned each of his students. exchanging
greetings and farewells with some whose
acquaintance he had made during his few
weeks residence in slumberleigh. As the
last departed, he turned on his heel and
heaving a slight sigh. betook himself to
his hotel. Il must have missed Miss Clif-
ford he muttered; she was certainly
at the lecture. 1 wish I could have seen
her before left for New York. just to say
good-by"
Meanwhile, the subject OF his reflections
a pretty. bright faced girl of 10. had ar
rived at her home. a large. handsome
house in the principal street Of the little
town. In the hall she met her father.
Come into the study and shut the
door," he said Il have something rather
serious TO tell you"
His daughter obeyed.
The fact is, Mabel" said Mr. Clifford.
Il have been. as you may have noticed,
in pecuniary difficulties for some time past
Some months ago. to meet my more press
ing claims, / was obliged to mortgage the
house and to get a bill of sale on the furni-
ture. But things have gone from bad 10
MOI nd I haa~. 4.,=s hot rar.f.,s
can raise 600 within two months, l shall
be IN a fair way 10 become a bankrupt
Your Uncle George is such a miser that If
he heard the faintest rumor that ! was in
difficulties through extravaganza, he
wouldn't leave me farthing, far less give
me anything In fact. it is partly on his
account that am so anxious to raise this
money quickly. for if l am gazetted before
he dies Ohe doctors say he hasn't two
months to livel my name will be cut out
of his Will"
After pause he went on:
Il wish some rich fellow would come
and marry you, Nab; that would provide
for you, at least. and you might be able
to spare a few halfpence for your poor
old father.
Mabel laughed. at least you could
have the wedding presents in that case"
she said.
clifford suddenly stopped short in the
midst of peregrinations. The very
thing!" he exclaimed.
What do you mean2"
quite simple. Send out invitations to
your wedding to some person, imaginary,
if you like. Then, when you have got a
fine array Of wedding presents-wel the
event can be INSTRUMENTATION illness of
the bridegroOm-anyth Meanwhile
the presents are converted into ready mon
ey / am once more solvent. Uncle
har n "a
hourishing condition again.
But, father, think of the deceit! Why,
/ it would be like robbing peopler'
"Pshaw. We're desperate, and all is
fair in such cases. Besides, If everything
| does turn out well and Uncle Georges
money comes to us all right. why, then
| we can get the presents out of pawn and
return them-engagemen suddenly brok-
en- off, you know. What objection can
there be to that?"
But the whole scheme is so preposter-
Gus! No, father, l really can't do it,
80 you won't even do that little service
for me? Well, 1 might have expected it.!
Here am l, toiling and shaving all these
years-(Mabel looked slightly incredulous)
denying myself, paying sweet guineas
for your fees to local lectures, and this
is all the thanks l get!
81 was at the last to-day" said his
daughter coloring slightly.
1.-THE last! Then that lecturer fellow
what's his name ?-Dundas, has gone?
Look here. Mabel! Let him be the bride
groom. He'll never hear of it-he's not
likely to ever come back again, and it will
seem much more natural for you to be
engaged to him than to a stranger. There!
I fiatter myself that l have made a really
brilliant suggestion.
Father, l must tell you plainly said
Mabel flushing angrily, Il decline to have
- r,ox 20 Il mill
Now, Mabel dear" he said. in a more
wheeling tone, you will he sensible,
won't you? Surely you can't see me trem-
bling on the brink of ruin like this, and
not stretch out a hand to help me? Come
/ now!'
Poor Mabel looked irresolutely before
/ her.
IF I could do anything else" she said,
entreatingly But deceitful thing like
that-and think of the exposure If it should
! come out!'
mo fear of it coming out, if only you
1 play your part properly" returned her
/ father, quick to detect the signs of yield
| ing in her tone And, after all, it's only
| a month or two at most. There, l knew
| you would be sensible"
But don't like It at ALL"
Pooh You'll soon get accus toned to
/ it. And now to set about preparations for
/ carrying it out. / think, as we want the
/ thing widely known, we cannot do better
than give hint to Miss Worboise, and let
/ nature do its work.
/ Mabel quite recognized the truth of this
! assertion, for Miss Cynthia Worboise, a
maiden lady of uncertain age, and near
neighbor of theirs, had a well merited
reputation for gossip, and was frequently
made use of by her friends as an easy
means of spreading. She, therefore, as
/ sented langudly to the proposal.
Then that's settled, and I'll drop in my
| self after dinner tonight and tell her.
| Wen fix the wedding for this day seven
weeks and who knows what may happen
| between this and then? There, my love, |
knew you would soon get reconciled to
/ the idea
| But Mabel was very far in reality from
| being reconciled to it. and, as she left the
/ study, she felt her heart rise in bitter re-
| volt against it. But what could she do?
! She had always been accustomed to obey
her father in everything, and she did not
| feel resolute enough to withstand him
| now.
| Nothing in the whole scheme had wound
! ed her so much as the bringing into il of
| Dundas name. At the mere thought Of Il,
her cheeks were dyed with a deep blush
| of shame, and the idea of his ever get
ting wind of it made her nearly frantic.