Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-03-26

mo, but, oh, so intensely vulga1-
however. you must form your own con-
illusions"
And Franks conclusions were the
sa-ne as Elsie's He had no: been in
Mr. Gregson's presence five minutes be-
fore he mentally declared him to be the
most insufferable cad he had ever met,
and only to be tolerated for Elsie's sake
$50 you're the chap that's caught the
golden pigeon-rather a bit of prig,
expect, but might be worse" was the
courteous greeting of the snowy
stranger.
"You are very candid" Frank
smiled.
Candid! Jacob Gregsons truth it
self. just ring that bell by your hand
and let us have a nip of brandy, for
talkin's dry work"
''Not for me-"
swell, thought you were a prig.
Do you smoker"
"With pleasure. Thank you"
He took one of Gregson's cigars,
though he distrusted it. ,
well, that's something IN your IA
vor. Now, see here, young man, I've
come across the raging ocean-which.
by George! I hate with all my soul-to
see your wife on most important bust
ness, but now she's married. Accord
ing to English law she's nobody, an
you, her husband, are everybody; con-
sequently, I'm driven to open matters
to you"
en- m,
wife's interests"
Devil doubt you; but want to find
you alive to mine, too
''To yours?"
''Yes, the game lies in my hands.
Here's q young woman entitled to a
large fortune; here's a young man mar
ries her; here's an enterprising uncle
kind, good uncle, on whose bosom she
lay an innocent babe, whose hard-won
ducats have for years supported her.
Now the kind uncle says to the nice
young man, says he: You can never
learn one word of your wife's fortune
without my aid An the young man
says"-he paused, and, with drunken
leer, winked expressively at Grey
''what do you think the young man
says?"
Frank smiled.
''The young man." he declared, 'says
he would deal very literally with the
kind uncle"
spoken like a brick! Tip us yer
ripper, old chap. You're the right sort
after all"
"Wen, what does the kind uncle pro-
pose to do?"
He means to give that nice young
man a cool fifty thousand dollars a
year."
Grey started with incredulous won
derment.
Impossible" was all he could ejacu
late. why, man, you must be dream
ing" He did not say drunk, though he
thought it.
81 knew that nd take the starch out
of you, but it's gospel truth-ah, you
didn't think you'd gone in for such big
stakes, when you married the little gal,
did yer?"
IF Elsie had never cent"
"Oh, yes, 1 know all about that bosh.
You're in your calf love now, an life's
all molasses an moonshine. She'll be
all the sweeter for golden trimmin's,
you bet yer life"
Grey felt strong inclination to kick
his wife's irrepressible relative.
Gregson drew from his pocket
legally prepared contract, securing to
himself liberal compensation in case of
Frank Grey's accession to the unnamed
fortune and cried exultingly:
''Sign that document, my boy, an
the estate is yours"
Grey signed like one In a dream.
''Far away in England lives an old
bloke," Mr.. Gregson began, with a SEN
timental tone and expression, manned
Sir Gordon .Hil1borough, who had one
child, Richard, who was rather wild
young cuss. When this youth was
still young an green he secretly mar
ried my niece, a young country girl Of
seventeen"
''Elsie's mother!" Grey interpolated.
"How glad she will be to hear about
her"
"She died-was killed by railroad
train, before Elsie was six weeks old"
"How shocking! hate to tell her
anything so sad"
Gregson ignored tie interruption
and continued his story:
''Of course the lad kept his marriage
secret"
"Why of course?"
"Oh! you don't understand such
things in this country. where Jack is as