The record-union., 1896-02-22

no less) with the dry biscuit which
represented his dessert, and now, lean
ing back in his chair, he was slowly
slipping that generous fluid while he
gazed out of the window at the passers-
by in darkening Pail Mall. He was
small and very spare man, whose clean
shayen face and strongly marked feat
ures had gained for him the sobriquet
Of Beauty Morgan somewhere about the
reriod of the Crimean war. But that
was long ago, and he had since ac-
quired the less complimentary and
more appropriate nickname which
serves as title to this brief sketch No
more was he remembered in the Guards.
the friends whom he had formerly en-
tertained so Hospitality at his old place
in Surrey were for the most part dead
and gone; the place itself had been let
for many years and if it's owner was
rot ruined he chose to pretend that he
was so. He set down his glass with a
sigh which might have expressed either
satisfaction or regret, and betook him
self to the smoking-r where he
caused another club servant to start
visibly by selecting a shilling cigar
But this was nothing to what hap
pened when Lord ST. Roman strolled up
to claim acquaintance with him and
said, with serene audacity, Now, Mr..
Morgan, I want ten sovereigns out of
you, please You can't offer me less.
Just run your eye over this list and
you'll see that we are all putting our
best foot foremost though we are most
of US already subscribers-which you
are not"
The little old man took the paper
handed to him and adjusted his pince-
nez, while a faint smile f1ickered over
his thin lips.
"A very excellent object" he NUT
tered; Il am glad to be able to contrib
ute something toward its support I
believe have couple of f5 notes in my
pocket, SO you can write paid against
my name"
1t was in this most unexpected way
that poor MIR. Denison became an in
voluntary benefactor to persons who
had no sort of claim upon him, while
| rumor speedily gained ground that old
Miser Morgan was either about to die
or had gone off his head.
But Mr. Morgan's head remained in
its customary condition of shrewd ca
pability upon his shoulders, and he
hoped that he was not going TO die yet
/ awhile. Not, at least until Dick should
have had time to get home from South
| Africa 1t had been absurd and child
ish, of course, to take that well-mean-
| ing idiot ST. Romans breath away by
letting him have f10 for the asking; but
when one has scraped and saved for
| half a lifetime, when one has submitted
without a murmur to universal con-
| tempt ar d obloquy, mad when the last
tempt and obloquy. and when the last
been paid of, one is surely netitled,
been paid Off one is surely entitled
ten pleasure of playing the fool with
| ones ready cash. Yes; the last of the
mortgages Rad been paid off. and the
lease was out. and Mr.. Morgan might
ii SO Il pleased him, return forthwith to
| Ridge End there to end his days as he
had begun them, in the enjoyment of a
fine old house and a sufficient income
But habit which reconeiles US to every
fhif-g. deprives US also of certain ca
pacities for enjoyment, and it was not
| on his own account that this dogged and
slightly narrow-minded old fellow was
now rubbing his hands. London lodg-
ines and the club were good enough for
him. for close upon a quarter of a CEN
| turv he had neither mounted a horse
/ nor fred a gun. it would be out of the
question for him to revert to the tastes
of a country squire. But he said to
himself that ne woul live again IN the
person of his son. who wass young,
strong. a keen sportsman. and who. it
might be hoped. had learned wisdom in
the hard school of adversely.
Of hard schooling poor Dick. it had to
be confessed. had suffered no lack. and
the old man, who was sitting down in
his dingy lodgings 10 write a letter to
the exile, felt something like a twinge