The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-04-08

"Poor Ella" said Mrs. Beckett, with
effusive sympathy, 'poor, dear girl.
I'm really dreadfully fond of her. You
must give me your advice, Mr.. Mar
chant, concerning her at dinner.
feel already-forgive me for sayings
feel already as though you were one
of the family"
Mrs. Beckett gave her little saclxle Of
self-approval and general satisfaction
and went on as they seated themselves
at the table:
"I have noticed it all along, do you
know, and am 80 delighted. Quite
enchanted .eally. And my yinfuencewith
the dear girl will make her Like you.
dare say you may have thought her.
a ittle-what shall say-cold ?-but,
as a matter Of fact, it has only been
o, bless my soul, thick soup, please
what is the expression? It has only
been-it has only been"
''Maidenly reserve?" suggested Mar
chant.
"Pre-ciselyl Precisely what was
trying to say. How clever Of you, dear
Mr.. Marchant. I can understand now
how it was you got on so well in South
Africa. And your assertion that you
had come home with very little was,
could see, only pretense to try U.S.
Yes, sherry, please"
II want to speak to you about that,
Mrs. Beckett. I'm afraid you don't
realize what mean when say that
haven't brought much home with me-"
"Now, my dear Mr.. Marchant."
"You must allow me, please, to tell
you exactly my position. Unless I
work and earn money we shan't have"
"Mr. Marchantl This elaborate ruse
is one that have heard of before. A
woman like myself doesn't live in this
world for-well, a certain number Of
years for nothing"
"No," said Mr.. Marchant; ut costs
money, know"
"That is nc - all what mean. But
when you came back from the Cape q
few weeks ago and hinted that you had
| only a few hundreds could see through
1t at once. It was-this is dreadful
ly slangy expression-too thin. But
the dear girl, of course, didn't see
through it, and consequently you may
|
for yourself alone. That's all you
wanted, isn't it?"
"That, certainly, is all that I wanted,
but"
"And, fortunately enough, to confirm
my suspicious, came across letter
addressed to friend of mine - she
didn't know that saw it, but I man
aged to do so all the same from your
partner, Burchison."
"Really2" Mr.. James Marchant was
suddenly Interested.
"And Mr.. Buchison said that you and
he had made a pile-such an odd ex.
preston, isn't it-of 6 10000. And he
said that he thought you would both
stay on for few years, but as we know
you sensibly enough came home"
Mrs. Beckett looked triumphantlJ
across at her angular daughter oppo
site, who was bawling informatior
about the weather to deaf archdeacon
and then at Marchant. She shook hel
head waggishly at the man from tht
Cape.
"Can I see that letter." he asked
sharply.
Fortunately have it in my pocket
but really don't know whether I ought
to show it to you. You see it is private
"Is that why you took it, Mrs. Beck
ett?"
:.Come, come, Mr.. Marchant. Dom
be too severe. One has to keep one'i
eyes open in this world"
Il She found the letter with some dif
flculty-for the p1Ickets in ladies' dresse
are remote and difficult of access-anx
under ambush of his plate Marchan
read 1t.
"Mrs. Beckett, "hesaid, excitedly, "yo7
have, without knowing it, done me
very great service. Burchison declarei
to me that he had invested our gains
and that all the money had been lost
III seems from this letter that he hal
behaved shamefualy, and shall max
him disgorge every penny that belong
to me. I shall go back to the Cape b!
the next boat"
"This is very unsatisfactory" de
clared Mrs. Beckett, aggrievedly. "Yo'
can't very well get married before mex
Saturday"
'The dear girl will watt" he an
I. swered, confidently.
"I'm not so sure Of that" said Mrf
Beckett, with some snappdshness
"Dear Madeleine is not SO young a
she was"
$50 should judge. But what ha
: she to do with the affair? Is she t
be bridesmaid"
Madeleine has been bridesmaid ofte
enough" said Madeleine's mothel
''This time, providing this money a
fair of yours comes out right, she wi
, be the BRIDE"
"Whose bride, Mrs. Beckett?"
"why, bless the man." cried Mr.
: Beckett, "yours."
"I don't see how that can be manage
with convenience. There's law ag1ins