The herald., 1895-04-17
CHAPTER I.

up. OF course, as you say, 1T is a mere
nothing. What's hundredSo or SO when
you really want something? But, by
Jove hundred or so Is as unattainabie
as the roofs egg The speaker -leant
back in his chair and sent long trail OF
smoke winding its way meditatively
towards the ceiling. 1T all comes of be-
ing so consumedly hard up, he ended.
''Yes, I suppose that's it, =" said the
other man, who was leaning against the
chimney shelf with his back to the fire,
but it does seem pity you can't have
the horse when he is such an out-and-out
bargain :,
''Oh, he is bagain right enough,
said Ralph Ogilvie throwing the end OF
his cigarette into the fire, he is a bar
gain. no doubt of that. However. l
can't afford to buy him, SO it is no use
my thinking about it,. You had better
have him yourself, old chap"
Il? My dear Ralph. yon might as well
tell me to buy the sun at once. You call
yourself hard ups4l am stony broke.
There is not man in the whole OF Her
Majesty's service who is as stony broke
as / am. Well, then, III tell sWithers it's
no use his thinking of either ct-us?'
Sits no use thinking of me. said Ralph
Ogilvie; "in fact, to tell you the truth, old
chap, have made up my mind not to
hunt this winter"
The younger man Strengthened himself
from his lounsing position and stared az
his comrade with blank and profound as.
constituent. ''You are not going to hunt"'
he CALCULATED.
instead. 1t is no use trying to hunt with
a couple of stays, and since the chief has
chosen to stop our hunting our chargers, It
is no use keeping four geese when TWO
will answer one purpose very WELL
well. it is a beastly shame his stopping
our hunting our chargers, beastly
shame. don't think, you know, that a
chap ought to do it. 1t is not right"
Yes, but you can't tell him so. and
the poor old chief has got his tom-fool
of an idea that oar duty to our gracious
sovereign lady would make as do moth
ing but soldier. soldier, soldier, week in
week out. The fact is, he is getting too
fat too hunt himself. and so he has put
either. 1t is pity. However, as | am
not in command OF the Royal Horse my
platitudes won't do any good.
so you are going to sell the chestnut
and the brown?
9"Yes, just now at this time of year,
they ought to sell pretty we'll. shall
advertise them as not being up to my
'sYcs, suppose you must give reason
for not hunting. What do they carry by
the way?
Fifteen stone. both of them
well, my dear. everybody in the
neighborhood knows perfercty you do not
..Oh, I, don't know SAID Ogilyie.
easily. II will wear a bigger coat and
they will think | do. BY Jove. what are
you going to do this afternoon?
Il? am due at Linkwater.
lob, are you? They have got tea
thing on haven't thew
,'.Yes. Arc you? going?'
''I?" echoed Ogilvie. opening his eyes
wider than usual. My dear 5errard.
I am hard up and am stony broke and
everything, | am sick of myself-but
am not SO completely stony broke or sick
that I care to go six miles for cup OF tea
at Linkwater.
well, would have driven you over,
said Jarrads, laughingly.
Its very good of you. | would rather
go down town and buy myself cup of
tea at Bonner's or send for it from the
mess, or go to any one of the numb erless
houses that are all brewing tea between
four and five, than to go Il day like this to
Linkwater. 1t is very kind of,you' old
chap, but not today, thank you
Very we'll. You needn't make such
feature of refusing. OF course, we all
know Miss Sarah is a very fascinating
young lady.
''Ah, yes, there's Miss Sarah, isn't
there? We'll, YOU will Fay Pay, my, my respects SpS
let me see. you can invent an excuse as
YOU go along-tell her have got sore
throat. or a swcle Il facc.e or that my
Grandmother is passed through town and
I am going to haxe tea with her. Are
you aoing now"
"Yes,T said Jarrards, turning and
looking at the little clock on the chimney
shelf, Il thinksit sSabout time. BY the
bye. old fellow, it is very ornate little
clock of yours" q
,'i'Itis, rather. I had it given to me
the other day, was sorry about it,
Presents are unlucky.'
"And thu giver? asked Jarrards.
The giver was a lady. - someone
would like to have good luck, someone
who:woud like me to have good luck. 1
couldn t refuse it, but would much
rather she had never given it to me-
That's pity said Jarrards. well.
ta-ta!' and with a careless wave of the
hand, he went jngling out of the room.
his spurs making music as he walked and
mis- sword Gathering on the floor behind
him..
For some little time Ralph Ogilvie re-
manned exactly as his comrade had left
him, lying at ease in very big chair, his
long legs stretched out to the blaze of the
fire, his cigarette fixed between his lips
and his bands clasped at the back of his
handsome mead. eS. III was q very nanu-
some head, neither dark nor fair, but of
that rich chestnut hue which always
goes with luxuriant locks and sweeping
eyelashes. 1t was not only handsome
head, it was a well-shaped head, and the
face matched it; regular as to features
and square in the jaw. blush as to the
eyes and a good deal bronzed as to the
complexion. An attractive man. a fas-
cinatingly attractive man not yet 30 years
old. He did not move for some little time,
then when the cigarette got dangerously
near to his mustache, he tossed it into
tue fire and changed his attitude leaning
forward and resting his elbows upon his
knees. Its the very devil" he said to
himself L wonder why life works out
so diff erently foI different people. Now.
there's Jimmy Lessingham-by Jove, the
chaps rolling in money, regularly stinks
of it | suppose that chap must have
seventy thousand year at tue very least
and devil sixpence will he part with.
He can't enjoy life, he doesn't enjoy life
he's regular miser. Now he'd be happy
on my income, which to me is absolute
beggary. and IL should be happy on
his. BY Jove, what good time I would
have! I wouldn'l change with Jimmy,
though, not to be Jimmy, ah, no! Fancy
knowing that the women only make up
to you Because you are rich and that all
their brightest smiles are kept for some
poor devil of fellow like myself, that's
stAly broke. No, l wouldn change
with Jimmy, not anyhow. He rather likes
little Fool and little Fool plits IN ber