Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-12-17

| Salm SOurSell, Slic saiu as ShC
rang. Calm yourself.
You don't know. It's too fear
full
John ontorod.
"Hore, John-the six letters l
wrote just before the operation and
told you not to post unless UNLESS
it went wrong"
Yes, sir. "
Don't say yes, sir, you idiot!
Who're arc thoy?"
oh, interrupted the nurse, Il
saw some letters on tho desk. |
thought they'd boon forgotten and
posted Thorn"
"Morclful hcavcns" Eroanod the
patient. "You'vo ruined mel" And
he foil back fainting.
Herbert Ovoy was ono of the lucky
children of fortune. His father was
| a builder, with an average knowledge
of building, and had rs partner u
! brother gifted with genius for
finance BY daring speculation in
| lahN III bIS wy aht lll~'IllbuS al
most rash, manouvoring of other
peoples capital they had built II
magnificent collection of ware
houses, sold the ground rents, paid
off tho mortgages and realized q
large fortune, his share of which he
invested very soundly in house prop
erty in q rapidly growing suburb
Herbert, an only child, had been
brought up luXuriously, and after u
fairly successful career at Eton and
Cambridge became an idle member
of tho bar-not absolutely idle, for
he got small rating practice owing
to his father : constant fights with
the assessment committees. Tho for
tune came to Herbert when he was
80 and during the next nine years
he passed u pleasant life, spending
his e1O, 600 year III travelling, hunt.
ing, fishing, buying bihulots and
pictures. Society, in the popular
sense of the term, he avoided on &C
count of the husband hunting tao
tics of mothors and daughters, for
he held matrimony in horror since
he had noticed how little happiness
his father had got out of the life in
which the poor old boy" was cruel
ly henpeoked.
Yet when Herbert was approach
ing his forty-first birthday he began
to feel lonely, to wonder whether,
after all, it was not worth while to
run the risk of getting bad wife
in the chance of securing good one.
So he took house in Park lane and
soon had abundant opportunities OF
studying the girls and women likely
to accept II charming, we'll educated,
interesting man and e1O, 600 a year,
Most of them fell out of the running
quickly. The residue were the hall
dozen already mentioned. The odds
were from about ? to l against the
widow to 10 to against Miss Camp,
bell.
Certainly the widow was very
dangerous, and upon two occasions,
but for an interruption, Herbert
would have proposed to her. In each
u,
felt uncertain whether he was glad
or sorry. 1t cannot be suggested that
he was in love with all or any OF
them, but his loneliness and want OF
human interest in life preyed upon
him, and every one of the six had
some charm or quality that appealed
to him.
Fortunately they belonged to diff
ferent sets. He was considered flirt
in the literary circle, where he met
Miss Hemming; in the artistic
where Miss Smythe was famous; in
the sporting, of which Miss Gorine
was leader; in the politico- eoonom
ical, over which Miss johnson reign
ed in the simply aristooratic, dear
to Miss Campbell, and in the theat
rical, which considered Mrs Bower
a star. Yet none of his pursuere
knew of a rival out Of her own cir
Gle.
Matters logged along, his danger
growing greater every day. till sud.
denly his illness declared itself. 1t is
malady which threatened his life
and led the profession, after much
discussion, to decide that he must
undergo severe operation. The
family physician told him that,
though the chances were in his ia
vor, he ought to make his will. The
day before the operation he sent for
his solicitor and asked him to add a
codicil to will already made, as he
wished to leave 81, 600 to his old
sohoolfellow.
When the lawyer asked him if
there were any more legacies, hebe-
came thoughtful. He knew that Mrs.
Bower would be disappointed if he
died, and also that she was not rich.
He felt, too, that perhaps she might
think he had triflcd with her, so he
said, Put Mrs. Bower down for
60, 00r free of legacy duty.'
Any other?' inquired the solo.
itor
The thought of Miss Hcmming
came into his mind, then that of
Miss Campbell and othurs, conse.
quently lie left e., 900 to each of
them.
When no was left alone, Mr.. Ovey
began to consider seriously what he
had done. To his nicely sensitive
feelings there seemed something of
impertinenCe in the matter. More