The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-19

MORROW, WAS IT?"
and send for the police, and give you
into custody for attempting to COM
NIT suicide"
1t was past three in the morning
when John Oldroyd the South African
millionaire, sat down in an easy chair
by the side Of Arthur Weston's bed,
and settled himself for the night.
He wasn't going 10 give that young
gentleman n chance of playing with
firearms again, or doing anything equal
,ly foolish.
His motto was that of Gen. MacMahon,
of the French republic: "J'y suis, J'y
reste," and he rested.
He had managed TO extract the young
mans story, told between hystericai
outbreaks and fits OF moo'ly silence.
1t was not a story very much out of
the ordinary, yet it had affected the
hardened man of the world far more
deeply than he cared TO let his COM
panion see.
Young Weston had through the in
fuence of his father, a gentleman of
good family, but OF limited income, OBJ
tanned an excellent position as assist
ant secretary to a fashionable West
End club largely frequented by young
men of position who were heavy gam
blers on the turf and inveterate card
players. The secretary, a retired
military officer, was, owing to illness,
frequently absent for long periods, and
Arthur Weston had things very much
in his own hands, for many weeks 1T
time. He was great favorite with the
members, the committee trusted him
implicitly, there was every prospect
that in spite of his youth he would at
no very distant date obtain the posi-
tion which failing health must soon
compel the present holder to relin-
quish. Unfortunately the young fell
low had been successful in one or two
turf transactions which had been rec
commended him by certain racing
member-a young nobleman who
owned racehorses and gambled on the
turf heavily. The young man, finding
he was making money easily, thought
he was on the high road to fortune and
began to plunge. Then came series
OF reverses. To meet his liabilities
not to have done so would have led to
his dismissal, and his practical ruin-in
an evil hour, he took advantage of his
chiefs absence, and borrowed large
sum of money which had passed
through his hands. He had been un-
able to repay it, and he had come down
20 alr bat OH, al,f fat 60, Il -
leave, 10 see a relative of his father,
who was a rich man, and who had al
ways taken great interest in him. He
had determined to make q clean breast
of everything, borrow the money and
repay it when he had improved his po-
sition sufficiently to enable him to dc
so. But this gentleman had been taken
i'll abroad and there was nothing left
for him but to go back to the club, face
the certain discovery and probably
prosecution. That he could not bring
himself 20 do. His people had not the
command of ready money, his father
was dead. He could not bear to think
of his mothers grief and shame, of the
horror of criminal, and so he deter
mined To carry out the intention he had
formed when he fancied that perhaps
his Malvern friend might refuse to as
sist him. He had brought the revolter
with him from Londoa.
That was the ordinary part of the
story; the special feature, which had
appealed TO John Oldroyd, was this.
The young man had in the course of his
narrative explained that his father had
been ruined soCn after he came of age
by the dishonesty of trusted friend,
a young man of his own age whom
lie had trusted implicitly and who had
induced him to put the whole of his
capital, some $4,000, into n busi-
mess TO which he had succeeded.
and this friend had after couple of
years suddenly disappeared, leaving
nothing but bankrupt estate and sew
cral charges OF fradd behind him.
That interested John Oldroyd i'm
mensely.
AZ Ten o'clock the next morning. the |
South African millionaire and the as
sistant secretary OF the club break |
tasted together. After breakfast the |
millionaire went 10 his dispatch box. |
took out his chequc book, and wrote "a
cheque. IL was for the amount of Ar |
thur Wcston's liability.
You'll cash that at tho bank to-mor- !
row." he said, "and pay the notes into
the clubs account at once. and then the |
balance will be correct on'the 5lst OF |
December, and You'll let il bc lesson l
TO yon for the rest ofyour life
The young man wrung his benefac- |
tors hand. How shall | repay your"
iii tell you" said John Oidroyd /
n,.nnll ,n,.n,. -. La. .ri.-ir.- ne ,.n,,r